Ilumyra

Description

## Origins

One of the oldest and earliest elven myths is of Iltir- the first elf hunter and brother of Lelea- the first druid. In the earliest days of Arn, Iltir asked the gods why they had not been given claws or fangs with which to hunt like the other beasts of the wood. Ilumyra, goddess of survival who lived within the moon, answered his question- you’re weapon is your intellect. She came down from the moon and plucked a fully formed bow from the trunk of a yew tree. She told him it was the perfect weapon, if he could figure out what to do with it. Eventually he did and became The First Hunter. Upon passing her test of intellect, she gifted the elves with darkvision so that they might hunt within her sight by light of the moon. Particularly blessed hunting parties may find themselves running through the night assisted by a white wolf- an avatar of herself.

Ilumyra is a deity who presides over a classic aspect of elf culture- the hunt. It would be more accurate to say she presides over survival- usually in the woods but she will assist wherever needed. Followers of Ilumyra understand their position in the natural order of the food chain. To Hunt is to be a part of the natural cycle, to keep populations in balance, and to commune with the woods in the most basic and carnal way. Ilumyra is said not only to assist with archery but the sacred arts of tracking and trapping, and even fishing as well. She is revered most by those who survive and subsist out in the wilds. This encompasses more than just hunting animals, but also foraging for wild fruits and mushrooms and avoiding terrible weather. She also aids hunters and rangers whose game is far more dangerous than deer or boar. The hunt for unnatural beasts and monstrosities that threaten elf communities is also well within her purview. It is said that she leaves followable tracks for her most devout to find when their luck has run out and hunger has set in which lead to food and shelter. She is also, in many stories, said to appear as a friendly wolf cub or hare, and lead lost children in the woods to a safe place where they can be found. When she comes to her followers she comes in the form of a silvery white wolf, or an exceedingly tall woman (usually elvish) with stag antlers upon her crown, feathers in her hair, and cloaked in various furs (or sometimes all white fur). When she comes in her elf form she is often riding atop a giant white wolf. Her skin is said to be pale as the moon, and her short hair dark as the night- the eye color varies by story but is usually gold.

## Appearance / Depictions

When a hunt is successful, it is customary for the first piece of meat cut from the animal to be offered to her in thanks. To waste parts of the animal or to hunt for mere sport is a grave transgression in her eyes. One night out of the month Ilumyra leaves this world to go on her own hunt- the night of the new moon. It is said on this night she leaves her follower’s fates to the deity of the stars- Eshathâr- whom some claim to be her father (though others claim she is even older than he). There is a myth that an ancient elf offended her in a great way by hunting down and slaying a unicorn (a celestial) during the night of her hunt. She, in her white wolf form, retaliated by biting the man and inflicting a curse upon him- lycanthropy. To this day his descendants and all they have bitten have continued trying to placate Ilumyra or in other cases worship her in thanks for this transformative power.