Sylanna

Description

## Origins

Sylanna is a controversial deity in the elf pantheon. She is known as the ‘good time’ deity and is patron of celebration and fun. Her main portfolio is a goddess of Luck when it comes to games, sports, and competitions but this has expanded into a goddess of all kinds of festival activities and general happiness. Some call her the goddess of victory in times of war. When two elves fight over the same lover, the one who is ultimately chosen often gives thanks to her. Gamblers often worship her as well as a fair share of performers and gladiators. Anyone who wants to win something will beseech her for her blessing. She is notorious for causing drama amongst the gods and a rivalry or bad blood with her can have catastrophic consequences. She is often just as competitive as her mortal champions. Her disdain for and rivalry with the goddess of travelers, Mythelea, is well known. She is rumored to be a long term on-and-off consort of Fenar, the god of rebels and pranksters and they often end up in fights over worshipers as well. Their portfolios are very similar and based on luck and risk, but in general Sylanna is more a benevolent goddess for those who partake in clean competition and sport and Fenar is a god for those who partake in risky behavior that is mischievous in nature. She is also known to be a consort of the dwarven deity Tulmir who has a similar portfolio and is Fenar’s son. For some reason or another, she has also become a goddess worshiped by many prostitutes and she is considered a protector of sex workers and many elven brothels will keep a black cat (her symbol) around.

Anyone who hopes for good luck in a future endeavor will often pray to Sylanna and if they don’t receive her blessing they sometimes turn to other gods which can infuriate her. She sees these perpetrators as traitors or cheaters trying to find a loophole in her iron will. She does not enjoy a sore loser and she does not send her graces to those who cheat to win. When angry she is just as apt to send bad luck as good, though she typically rewards the well intentioned. Worshipers of hers, Mythelea’s, and Fenar’s will often find themselves in direct competition which can cause an uproar amongst the gods. Elves from all walks of life will generally appeal to her at one point or another but few form a proper cult around her due to her hot-and-cold nature and her unreliability. Her followers preach that to Her luck is a malleable thing that no one should constantly have if balance in the world is to be maintained, but that she does tend to give it more to those who pay her proper respect. She does her best at maintaining a neutral stance and often receives scorn as a result (which she does not take kindly to and is more than willing to punish in extreme cases). Though not considered a deity of chaos, she tends to inadvertently cause it. She has a guilty pleasure of infusing objects with her blessing and leaving them in the world to find, which can result in wildly different consequences depending on who comes across it.

## Appearance / Depictions

Sylanna is considered a frequent visitors to her full-time devotees, at least according to her worshipers. She comes as an elf adorned in a festive (and usually revealing) red dress with long black curly hair and silver eyes. She wears a crown of ivy and red poppies, and this is usually accompanied by ladybugs. Her smile is warm and tinged with mischief. She can sometimes appear as a male elf as well, similarly attired. She is typically joined by black cats, if she doesn’t simply appear as one herself. To the elves black cats are a sign of either good luck or bad- it us unknown if the goddess’ presence is for their gain or the opposite and it’s just as likely that it’s simply a black cat and not “Lady Luck” herself. She appreciates remaining ambiguous in this way, as anyones luck can change.