Amora

## Common Knowledge

Amora is mentioned in numerous Barnian songs, often described as the one who weaves together the red threads of love. She is worshipped mainly on Barnia, however traveling Bards have spread word of her to many countries across Orelisle. Her priests call themselves the Hands of Amora, and her places of worship are called The Temples of the Heart. Marriages officiated under Amora’s Blessing are said to be everlasting and unbreakable.

## Powers

Being a Goddess of Love, Amora has power over romantic feelings and affectionate acts, as well as slight control over destiny and fate. As the many songs about her say, Amora does not force people to fall in love. Instead, Amora can see into the hearts of mortals, allowing her to see what kind of person would make the best match for someone.  Using this knowledge, Amora brings together two individuals with the potential for great romance by slightly shifting the tides of fate so that they meet each other. It is up to the mortals she assists after this point, as Amora cannot force the two to fall in love if they do not want to. Amora can also use her powers to create miracles, so long as they serve a romantic purpose. Examples of such miracles include giving someone increased physical and magical ability in order to save a loved one in danger (Cannot raise a person beyond their own natural limits). Lastly, when two people are married in a Temple of the Heart, Amora is able to strengthen the bond between the newly-weds, ensuring that their love lasts eternally.

Amora’s powers of fate changing and future sight may seem powerful, but they are not without heavy restrictions. The most major of which being that Amora cannot affect those who do not believe she will help them, or do not wish for her help. A person must have faith in Amora’s power and judgement in order for Amora to affect them in any way, including the previously mentioned miracles. This is one of the purposes of the Hands of Amora, as they can help bring together those who do not necessarily have as much faith in the goddess using conventional matchmaking means. The second limit to Amora’s power is that, because her strength comes from the faith of those who believe in her, she cannot affect people outside of Barnia’s borders.

## Personality/Appearance

When appearing to mortals, Amora takes the form of a slender human woman with pastel shades of rainbow hair, wearing a dress made of golden silk. She looks as if she is 21 years old, still young but just now finding love. Much of her appearance draws from the belief people had of what she looked like, due to the lyrics of the ballads mentioning her. For example, her rainbow hair draws from an especially popular song titled “The Goddess of the Heart”, where the following lyric appears: *“"Her hair became a rainbow as it passed before the sunrise."* This lyric led people to visualize the Goddess with hair of many colors.

Her personality is similar to the one she had when she was alive: A woman with a kind, loving and whimsical nature, who wishes to experience all the joy that life has to offer. It is said that her smile has an unmatched purity, and the kind of giggle that leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Amora desires only one thing, and that is to see as many mortals as possible enveloped in the comforting embrace that only True Love can bring.

## History

### Origin

Amora was originally a mortal woman named Amora Juneris some 3,000 years ago (C. 7,000 A.B.), and was in a committed relationship with a Bard named Kevril Carter. The two were madly in love, the kind of love only seen once in a millenium. However, Amora suffered a tragic accident, and passed away at the young age of 30. Kevril, heartbroken over the loss of his love, left his home and became a wandering Bard. Day and Night he sang songs of Amora, the girl who had brought love into his life, whose presence made the smallest things like miracles, who smile shone brighter than the sun. Kevril continued doing this, until he eventually died at the age of 87.

Kevril’s songs touched the hearts of many people, his words infused with endless passion. In honor of his death, many bards began singing Kevril’s songs of Amora to the next generation, and the bards of that generation sang it to the generation after that. As time passed, the lyrics to the songs became misunderstood. What were once songs about a woman who brought love to one man became songs about a goddess who brought love to all.

2,500 (C. 7,500 A.B.) years later, Amora became a household name: a goddess present in dozens of ancient Barnian ballads who would weave the strings of love together to ensure that mortals found romance. While few worshipped her, a majority of Barnians believed that Amora did exist. After all, there were too many songs about her from so many Bards for her to have made up by one person. And it was this belief, built up by thousands of years of oral ballads, a goddess who behaved very much like the mythical Amora appeared and spread her love throughout Barnia.

### Worshippers

Amora is worshipped at cathedrals known as the Temples of the Heart. Her priests, the Hands of Amora, act as a way for Amora to better help those in need of love. Currently, all knowns Hands of Amora are Bards.

## Further Information

* Barnia Archipelago
* Incarnation