Desna

**Desna** (pronounced DEZ-nuh), according to the religion of the Seen and Unseen gods, is one of the fourteen first gods and one of the seven Seen his. Those who follow her outside this religion hold to the belief that she was born post-Emergence as a result of so many new souls dreaming of the wonder as they saw this fresh new land.

Desna is worshiped by the name of Libertas as one of the Divine Triune in Cad'Lear.

## History

At first, Desna was carefree, simply playing in the dreams of mortals, but Lamastu started to turn people's dreams into nightmares with her magical beasts. These began to poison her world and mortal imaginations, making more and more fiendish nightmares and even some that are just mundane but unpleasant. She blames Lamastu for the pain that is caused within some dreams and Desna considers her an enemy for this. Desna has travelled the planes and worlds since, opposing both oppression and Lamastu wherever she encounters them, spreading her word while making an effort to experience new wonders when she can.

Desna noticed that many dreams were inspired by amazing natural wonders within the world, so she decided to get to know Gozreh and they grew close over time. Eventually, they decided to create a child which became the god Corellon, the god of beauty, magic, and spring.

During the Torments Rebelion, Desna reluctantly joined the fight and used her ability to pass undetected into the Plane of Torment, where she destroyed the Demon Lord Aolar's fortress. After this, Aolar took control of the body of a recently deceased Desnan priestess to wreak havoc and kill the priestess' loved ones. This possession of heroes just after their deaths was Aolar's penchant, especially when the dead person's soul could witness the suffering caused.

Aolar made many enemies in this way, including Calistria, Sarenrae, and Iomedae, who all helped Desna in her vengeance. She eventually managed to sneak Iomedea and Erastil into Aolar's presence to kill her.

## Appearance

Desna is often described as a beautiful elven woman with butterfly wings containing all the beauty of a clear night sky. She is often depicted as having dark hair, silvery eyes, and a coy but distant smile, wearing diaphanous gowns and sometimes accompanied by swarms of butterflies.

Additional details vary among the races that worship her; people from Janmier worship a variant form of Desna, whose body is little more than a sliver of dark purple starlight and her wings contain massive eyes which is her main focal point. The nomadic Qasoinae of the Endless Expanse depict Desna not as the elegant elven woman, but a stately human woman riding a Orcritor.

## Relationships

Desna is strongly opposed to Lamastu, due to her poisoning of the dreamworld, and believes that Gorzreh or Erastil should remove from her the domain of beasts. Past traumas and her desire for freedom lead her into fewer interactions with other deities than most. She is involved in a polyamorous relationship with Sarenrae and Gozreh and opposes both Ravagug and Urgathoa, who are also nightmare fuel for mortals, and she wishes mortal dreams to be a time of wonder and beauty. Night hags are known to bear an undying hatred for Desna and go out of their way to torment her followers, even trying to steal their souls, if possible.

Desna worshipers are often friendly with those of Corellon, but her worshippers often find Desna too flighty and unfocused. Nevertheless, the relationship between the two faiths improved when Corellon's followers incorporated the belief that dreams and imagination are vital to magic and creating beauty.

## Realm

Desna lives in a bright silvery-blue seven point star, known as the Cynosure, which floats over The godly Plane. The inside of this structure is a labyrinth of confusing corridors which twist and bend, distorting people's perceptions of time. The only way to travel within the Cynosure without getting lost is to use your desire to get to a specific place. The Cynosure has seven bell towers, one at each of the points of the star.

## Providence

Desna generally communicates with her followers through dreams, sending images, feelings, or even prophecies that stick in the recipient's mind after waking. If there is not enough time for dreams, or they are otherwise unsuitable, she can send swarms of butterflies, sparrows, dragonflies, or geese that fly in a four-pointed star shape. When displeased, she can withhold a restful sleep.

## Servants

Desna and her faithful hold creatures that symbolize freedom and the night sky as beautiful and holy. Butterflies are a particular favourite and the appearance of swarms of them is often seen as a sign of the goddess' favour. Other favoured creatures include pseudodragons, moths, star monarchs, and certain fey creatures of the night. Her divine race are the Thyrliens, winged, mostly-transparent Halflings who watch over those traveling by night and help encourage more exciting dreams.

Nightspear is a black and silver spotted Arakokra known as a fierce ally of the Desnan clergy who often sings in battle.

Sorrowbrand is a dramatic Dragonborn composer with black, star-dappled scales. Sorrowbrand wears many black ribbons and enjoys inspiring mortal songs.

The Night Monarch appears as a massive butterfly-like creature the size of a dragon. The Night Monarch is the herald of Desna and he spends most of his time in the Feywild.

## Church of Desna

Desna is the goddess of dreams and the night and there are few who traverse the roads by night who wouldn't spare her a prayer or a simple-worded plea for benediction. Scouts, sailors, and those who travel for travel's sake make up a large number of her followers. Whatever their calling, followers of Desna search the world for new experiences and try to live their life to the fullest.

The church of Desna has few temples, as its priests rarely settle in a single location. The faithful of the Great Dreamer can be found on the roads of Trayst, people who call the road their home and enjoy the beauty of the wilderness.

Hundreds of years ago, a clan of tundra nomads called the Uqtaal worshipped Desna as the Queen of the North Star at the top of the world. They believed she protected them during the long arctic nights and that, at the time of death, their souls would travel to the North Star to be with her. They built the Uqtaal Necropolis in the northern Ice fields of Scandar with a passage called the Path of Spirits that led souls onto the High Ice, and then from there to the North Pole, guided by the North Star. Desna would find them there and take their soul to their final resting place in the stars. Unfortunately, the Uqtaal clans eventually died out due to a lack of resources and a dwindling population over the years.

### Halflings

Desna is held in special affection by many halflings, especially those who travel or seek adventure. Traveling halflings take tokens of the goddess and frequent her shrines along their journeys. They attribute their special luck and some halflings' ability to jinx as a gift from the goddess.

### Clergy

The informal clergy of Desna is primarily composed of clerics, though on occasion bards are called by some song or whisper in the night to follow her path. Her clergy usually garb themselves in white robes with black trim and silk caps, highlighted by varied decorative elements (especially among priests of high status), and usually accompanied by one or more starknives.

### Temples and shrines

Temples of Desna are few and far between, with most locations no more than roadside shrines erected in her honour. Travelers often leave markings and dedications in newly discovered areas and secluded locales. Those few temples that do exist often serve as observatories and are open to the night sky, with plentiful texts, charts, and instruments to help track the stars and determine astronomical events.

One of the largest temples to Desna is on Holy Street in Old Vashton. It's known as the Journeys End but it was built for, rather than by, worshippers of Desna and is not considered to be the best or even necessarily a true temple of Desna.

There is a small and little used temple to Desna called The Night Monarchs Window that sits by a river just to the east of the main road south out of The Divided Regions of Bestaria.

Many who follow the faith of Desna believe there are seven bell towers hidden throughout Trayst. The seven towers represented the Seven Towers of Desna's palace and each tower houses a sacred Bell of Mercy, said to be able to cure any illness and heal any wound. There are accounts in ancient texts that talk of pilgrimages to all seven towers that were often undertaken by Desna's faithful, but the records don't detail where they are and all seven towers have now been lost.

### Holy texts

Writings sacred to Desna tend to be easily portable, written in simple language and often containing references to exotic, beautiful places and roads containing a shrine.

The Seven Scrolls are a set of writings detailing Desna's basic edicts as well as providing star charts for travel and highlighting areas of wonder.

Almost all Desnan shrines are covered with the observations and prayers of travellers and priests of her faith, containing the wisdom of the road and hints for the start of new journeys.

### Holidays

The Festival of Stardust is a holiday that takes place on the 25th of Dendra. When the ceremonial fires burn low, the faithful throw flour mixed with gems into the embers and make wishes and pledges for the months to come.

Every year on the first day of Dastween, the followers of Desna hold a festival called the Swallowtail Festival, during which they release cages full of swallowtail butterflies, an act that honours Desna and is designed to bring happiness for everyone involved so they will dream about it in the run up and afterwards.