Noralva

Description

## Origins

Noralva is an elven goddess worshiped almost exclusively by those with creative pursuit. Originally she was simply a goddess of music, though her portfolio has grown to encompass physical art and the realms of writing and entertainment as well. Though less common, there are a number of inventors that worship her as well, hoping for help with new innovative ideas. Her oldest myth involves Noralva giving the first lyre to a gifted elf maiden in return for a wondrous performance. Most of her stories involve giving the gift of creative talent to those who ask and those figures facing her wrath if they cannot find the humility and thank her and give proper credit to her. Though she is a good natured goddess with generally good intent, she actively demands offerings for her gifts, usually tribute in whatever craft they excel at. Failure to do so most often ends in tragedy, such as an artist losing their eyesight or flutists breaking their fingers. She has a twin brother by the name of Vilan and both are said to originate in the Feywild. Many of her stories involve a sibling rivalry with him. Both her and Vilan prefer their worshipers to choose one or the other- pick a side. Noralva is a goddess of inspiration, creativity, motivation, and fame while her brother is a god of technical skill, craft, and financial success. Put simply- she is a deity of artists and he is a deity of craftsmen. She holds him with much disdain, seeing him and his worshipers as shallow and devoid of heart and soul in their work.

Artists who worship Noralva usually ask for her to send them a divine spark of inspiration in the form of a celestial butterfly or a direct visitation. If a white butterfly lands on the nose of an infant or a small child, it is seen as a sign of divine patronage or natural talent that should be pursued. Child prodigies are said to be “kissed by Noralva”. She is known for her love of children and she delights in watching them play and pretend, uninhibited and unrestrained. She also has a soft spot for the mentally stunted. When a particular artist, musician, or entertainer makes something extraordinary or puts on a particularly incredible performance, many of them claim to have been temporarily ‘possessed’ by the goddess herself. Elf bards, musicians with magical prowess, most often than not claim Noralva as their patron as most bards started off “kissed” by her as children. Most of her worshipers lean towards music, poetry, writing, and theater. Though many painters and sculptors also worship her, a majority of them end up on the side of Vilan, more interested in finding commissioners of their work and less interested in the content of the art itself.

## Appearance / Depictions

Though typically Noralva is a female and Vilan is male, both are seen as shifting from one gender to another. They are transitive and changeable, being one or the other based on their moods. They both appear as ethereally beautiful but androgynous elves. Noralva often is depicted or seen as having small, brilliant, shimmering butterfly wings at her back. She most often is seen draped in simple white robes that shimmer in the light in a rainbow of colors, just as her wings do. Sometimes she is nude. Her skin is dark, and her hair is long and black, so long that it drags along the ground, tied up in braids laced with various white flowers. Her eye color is changeable. She is usually barefoot. She is often alighted with white butterflies as well. It is rare for her to appear before her followers as usually sending a butterfly is sufficient, but when she does it is usually in a dream. Most stories involve her wordlessly tapping them on the nose with one long slender finger and them suddenly waking with the idea they’ve been looking for. Others says he kissed them to pass on her spark of inspiration- on the tip of their nose or the forehead usually. She has an association with water, particularly secluded pools of water in the woods. Many stories of famous bards finding their inspiration involve visitations while they were lingering or bathing alone in the forest, hot springs, or bath.