The Ayornas

The most widely recognized religion on the continent is the Faith of Ayornas. Ayornas is not one deity but a family of deities, each one with many names of their own. A church to the Ayornas can be found in nearly every town. Even the smallest hamlets maintain some small shrines to the Ayornas. These places of worship allow for the worship of any and all of the Ayornas.

The Ayornas are not creator gods. They are inheritors. They brought the world the harmony it needed to support gentle beings. Before the Ayornas there were the Ancestors - powerful beings of mercurial chaos who changed the world too often for mortals to take root and grow. It was a world of gargantuan blazes and crashing seas. The woodlands were grown to be torn down by earthquakes of terrifying power. The skies themselves swam with uncertain magics reflecting the unhinged minds of the Ancestors.

From the Ancestors, the Ayornas were born. Two forces that joined in understanding and benevolence. They spirited away a fragment of the chaos and settled themselves there to watch over its growth. The Mother and The Father, Soleil and Echlune, Sun and Moon. This preserved area of the chaos is given order through them. It is through them that mortals can safely grow. The mortal races existed in memories and pockets of lost times from which the Ayornas could conjure. From the future and the past the Ayornas foresaw and remembered the joy of mortals and pulled them into their world.

The Ayornas expanded. The Mother and The Father had sons and daughters. This pantheon of deities is worshipped across the world. It is as follows:

**Soleil. The Mother. Lady of Dawn. Summerhost. Seharun-aril.**

Soleil’s domains are numerous. Many claim that Soleil created time, that the chaotic deities could be measured. Others say she is Lady of Light, and she shed light on the disasters of the chaotic planes so that Echlune, the Father, could see the horrors. Soleil brings life and measures the passing of life. Soleil, or Seharunaril to the Elves, is the most widely worshipped of the Ayornas.

She is the Goddess of Days, Memories, Light and Love.

**Echlune. The Father. Dusklord. Old Lamplighter. Deshun’aril.**

Echlune breathed life into the world. He is depicted as a doting, old father and caretaker. The type of father that would support his children under any circumstance. He is the God of Dreams, Rest, Life and Darkness. Echlune was the only other Ancestor that heard Soleils plea for peace in the chaotic planes. He escaped with her, bringing part of the chaos to cultivate. Soleil and Echlune are often worshipped together. Their statues in most temples go literally hand-in-hand.

**Nessad. Wayward Son. The Wanderer. Fleetheart. The Tide Prince. Nesadaril.**

Nessad was the firstborn of Echlune and Soleil. He reflects the passion of youth. Unlike the Ancestors, Nessad had only the world to discover the meaning of existence. He set out among the mortals as a traveller. His heart is wild and his mind curious. He is the God of Passions, Bad Decisions, Journeys, Winds and Weather. Nessad is portrayed often as an ill-prepared traveller. His statues portray a young man with a joyous expression.

**Ivras. Bannerlord. Lord of Hall and Hearth. Hearth Prince. Eshivaril.**

Ivras is the patron god of all that are duty bound. He is the eternal keeper that enforces sacred vows, business agreements and personal promises. Soldiers also venerate this deity as he represents eternal duty and sacrifice. Ivras watches over ceremonies and is said to look disfavorably on those who break sacred traditions. He is said to be the god of **Duty, Loyalty, Hospitality, Charity and Ceremonies.**

**Nayorak. The Warsinger. Breaker of Borders. Arakaril.**

Nayorak is unlike other Ayornas in that she is never content with her standing. Hers is a history of taking and losing. Her ambition drives her to grow her influence, and her inevitable overextension sees her losing it all - just so she can start over once again. This cyclical drama is Nayorak’s existence. Some foresee Nayorak’s ambition to be prime Ayornas, worshipped above all the rest. Nayorak is worshipped by those who wish to improve their station in life by force. Nayorak attracts rebels and nobility alike, if they have the drive to grow their influence.

In Metria, the commonfolk believe the Empress of Fire to be Nayorak’s avatar upon the plane.

Nayorak is the goddess of **Battle, Hope, Change, Destruction and Growth.**

**Eskenairie. The Verdant. The Willow Weeper. Huntmistress. Nairea’aril.**

When Soleil and Echlune brought life into the world, the balance of nature was chaotic, much like the planes from which they came. Eskenairie set to work in creating balanced systems of life and death. Predators and prey. Ivras is worshipped in towns, but in the wild and in smaller villages, Eskenarie is venerated as the bringer of game and harvests. She is the goddess of **Youth, Death, Decay and Nature**. Esekenairie is said to walk the plane freely and many travellers claim to have seen and spoken with her in the forests.