Li-Shara

The rune for Li-Shara in the Elder Tongue

> “*Never once during the war did I ever stop to think that we could lose. I pushed on to save my friends and my allies until we won. And now that we are free, there can be no time for self doubt if we are to make this new order last.*”
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Li-Shara was the fourth human to become divine. She claims the seas and waves of Var’Tareen and all life contained there. Those who follower her are sailors and explorers. Her godstones are left on beaches as the high tide recedes.

## History

### War of Ascendance

Just as Rallia was the best soldier, and Cainar was the best general, and Ghuramor was the best smith, Li-Shara was the greatest scout in the army of mortals. It was said she could hear a sparrow flap its wings from hundreds of meters away and could tell the movements of the enemies from the paths of insects in the forest. Her skills with a bow were unmatched and her speed seemed to come right from stories. But her real power came from the strength of her will. She never gave up on missions nor let herself fail to carry them out. Not even if a god stood in her way. One day while out on a mission Li-Shara and her unit came across an army poised to strike directly at Threnarau. The army was nestled in a cove hidden from view and leading it was the god Brenmon. Dispatching a runner to warn the city, Li-Shara stayed with the rest of her scouts to slow the army. For three weeks they attacked them from the sides. Not causing great damage but slowing their advance. So effective was she that Brenmon himself went out to stop her. Through fients and tricks Li-Shara lured him onto land. There the two fought a long battle. For a seven days the god chased her through the woods and for seven days she weakened him. Li-Shara barely ate or slept. The battle was ended when she cast an arrow straight through Brenmon’s eye. She used her newfound powers to heal her remaining soldiers and then she crushed the invading army.

### Modern Era

With the war over Li-Shara decided to play a less active role than the other five gods. Her followers are called The Order of Unceasing Venture and they are tasked with exploring the world to its fullest. They are the ones who found the lost city of Tarabrenth. Their numbers are few for they only take in the best. After creating her order she retreated to the Southern Isles. Upon one of these islands she built a home half in the sea which she named the Glass Palace after the transparent floors through which she watches the ocean. Every year she publishes the findings of her group for all to read. Li-Shara spends most of her time exploring her territory and hunting down the primordial terrors the old gods released upon the ocean. On multiple occasions she has expressed disdain for the active role some of the other gods have taken in civilization. It is not a secret how much she hates Cainar especially.

Near the end of the War of Ascendance, Li-Shara found a group of Ocean Poi’Mareath who had survived the purge after Rallia slew Ghendar. She offered them her help and they accepted. She built the Glass Palace around their village and created the fog of the Isles partially to guard them. She lived in the center in her palace of stone. In return for the favorable tides and bountiful harvests many of the Poi’Mareath took up arms for Li-Shara donning jade armor and weapons. They would go on missions at her discretion. Li-Shara did not rule these people but instead acted more as a patron. She saw it as her responsibility to make right the wrongs of her predecessor. The existence of the ocean Poi’Mareath was a well kept secret at their request. Few mortals outside the Order of Unceasing Venture knew of their existence. In AeP 446 Li-Shara sent two of the Poi’Mareath to stop the Kirinda’s Jewel after the ship left Karabour. They brought back Jack, Daxian, J’Kar, Sylvie, and Feerik to meet the Tide Keeper. She warned them of the dangers of the treasure they were about to find and made sure they understood the significance. To protect the secret of human enchantment she gave each of them a gift of knowledge or something unique. She then swore them to secrecy about the existence of the Poi’Mareath. After Jack asked, she also admitted that she made sure the messages in bottles he sent to his wife reached her.

## Appearance

> *"She is the depth of the ocean, the rhythm of the tides, the strength of the waves, and the ferocity of the shark. She is all these things and more."*
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> -Silver Mists and Bloody Tides: Session 4
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Li-Shara is graced with height standing at about six and a half feet tall. Still as she was when mortal she is athletic. She has harsh green eyes and long wavcy brown hair that always flows in the air as if submerged. She has a round face and an intense look about her. It is always hard to tell what her mood is as she never lets her emotions show. In the few times she was seen after the war she was wearing a long blue dress over travelling pants and a scattering of leather armor. Over the dress she wears a golden belt. She still carries a war horn made of white bone and adorned with green runes. Her sigil is a green octopus its tentacles wrapped about an arrow. Golden words under it spell out her motto.

Being in the presence of Li-Shara was overwhelming. This was not a unique trait to her but a feature of all the gods. With the Tide Keeper seeing her was more than visual. Those near her could feel the ocean itself. This feeling was strongest when people would first meet her. She was perceived as the tides, the depths of the sea, and the animals who lived there. It was hard to look past that and see the person behind.

## Worship

### Order of Unceasing Venture

The Order of Unceasing Venture is tasked with exploring the world and reporting their findings to all. At any given time there were only half a dozen or so members. They were the ones responsible for finding Tarabrenth in Carufell.

### Common Worship

In addition to oceans, Li-Shara is the god of water, discovery, and resilience. Her followers are sailors and explorers. Her temples are boats and frontier outposts. Her worshippers ask for favorable tides, safe paths, and strength of will. Migratory animals are considered holy to Li-Shara, as are all the ocean creatures. Her most holy animal is the octopus and it is considered bad luck to kill one. Li-Shara’s holy items are her white warhorn, and jade. Jade is used to aid in the casting of ocean magic and it is lucky for sailors to carry a piece. The Tide Keeper is the god of travel and before a journey her name is invoked for safety. This is sometimes accompanied by eating a meal of fish and bringing the bones on the trip. Sailors who make land spit in the ocean before disembarking from their ship. This is a way to leave part of yourself under the care of the Tide Keeper. It is also said that anything dropped in the ocean will find its way to Li-Shara. If people wish to invoke her favor they will drop gems, weapons, or other valuables into a river or the sea. The Tide Keeper is the most revered god in the Southern Isles. Ships have a priest of Li-Shara on their crew and the crew considers the ship to be Her temple. Sailors know to avoid the center of the Isles where she makes her home and the pirates will drop some of their loot into the ocean as thanks. Her following is large in Carufell where she is worshipped with the placement of stones along paths. These stones are large and meant to mark the trail. They are etched or painted with depictions of the ocean. The Roadani Navy honors Li-Shara by sounding off a war horn when their ships leave the dock. In Toalla and Mordehall it is common to display maps in frames bearing ocean iconography, even if the map is a depiction of land.

## Followers

* Commodore March
* Curek the Iron Eye
* Feerik
* Jack
* Melar Peterson
* Nyshia Furrel
* Yaerrin(formerly)

## List of Appearances

1. Silver Mists and Bloody Tides: Session 4 Under the Knife