Cascade

"Don't fret, my precious ones. Take comfort in the song the rain sings as the waves gently rock you to sleep"

### Creations

Hippocampi, The Seas, Water, Ice, Rain, Snow, Clouds, Time

### Values

Faith, Loyalty, Serenity, Balance, Patience, Healing, Beauty, Generosity

**The Sea Goddess,** Cascade, is a member of the Hireath Pantheon. She is the mother of the Talori Herd, creating and establishing them in the world. Many accounts of the God's War paint Cascade as aloof and apathetic, though in reality she is highly interested in the lives of mortals, and interferes with them far more than she should.

## Temperament

By nature, Cascade is prone to the same swift changes in temperament as is the sea. For much of mortal memory, she’s been described by those who’ve had the opportunity to interact with her as a gentle, protective force of nature. Many of her followers are familiar with this nurturing presence, but in recent times, those who have experienced her great power will find her more brutal by nature—much like a maelstrom or a typhoon.

This shift is present IC. Around the same time as Talori began to experience rapid change, Cascade too seemed to go under a period of revival. Those who witnessed visions when the Curse Over the Wilds was broken swear to have experienced the death of Cascade as she once was and the reincarnation of the Cascade of today—but apart from slightly more fickle blessing interactions, this cannot be verified wide scale.

## Mythology

The vast majority of Hireath tends to recognize Cascade as a fickle, indeterminate, often aloof deity, which is due in no small part to her unwillingness to intervene during the God’s War. However, despite this negative perception, she is revered throughout the nations.

Followers of Cascade paint her in a different light, though, this perception is slowly evolving as Cascade meddles with the mortal world. Most Talorians typically liken her to a mother, giving them life and watching over them with patience and compassion, however, recent developments in their nation has shaken some’s faith. More often than not, Cascade is now likened to a hurricane or a flood, and her drastic actions are thought to be the result of impudence within the herd. Still, though her waters bring death and destruction, they are also a necessity of life. As such, the Talori respect and fear their goddess as much as they love and adore her.

The three pillars of Cascade are said to be loyalty, patience, and faith. These three virtues are said to be the foundation upon which all of Aquore was built upon, and anyone who displays one or more of these virtues is thought to be in Cascade’s good graces.

## Worship

#### Mainland Talori

* Often depicted in shades of blue and green alone, Cascade is viewed as an ethereal being, far above and different from her mortal children below. She is considered a caring, compassionate mother who would do anything for her children, while also seen as fiercely protective of her people.
* Her waters are revered as life giving, and in some cases are even seen as holy, such as the blood that flows through every equine's veins. Cascade is also known among her people as the great healer of the broken, and the keeper of time.
* The mainland's depiction of her was previously the closest to reality- She was often displayed with large frilly fins, stripes, with rolling waves for a mane. Color wise, she was painted in shades of blue and green, with gold accents, and she often had glowing eyes. Their worship of the goddess included twice yearly sacrifices as a gift to the goddess, giving her the children of her enemy, Alya, with the opportunity to remake them as her own.
* She has since changed, more reminiscent of a rainbow seen in the mist of sea spray, with eyes that remind of the strange creatures in the deep. Devout followers of the goddess have taken any change in her appearance to mean Cascade and Talori’s ideals have diverged.

#### On The Isles

* Views about the goddess differ slightly among those living in the Isles of the Dead, who see Cascade more as an unpredictable force. She, along with her sister Alya, are thought to need to be appeased if one wishes to cross the ocean safely, and many of their customs reflect this. She is most often depicted as a squid-like hippocampus in darker duller blue-greens and greys that are reminiscent of the stormy sea. On Blood Island, where the eccentric Laics practice, Cascade is typically envisioned as an albino, eel-like hippocampus that’s more gaunt and haunting than beautiful and glorious.

#### Breim

* Cascade isn't as prominent in Sirith as she once was due to the herd living underground and far away from any major bodies of water. The Breim see all the gods as having a clear and defined purpose, and Cascade is more or less seen as a bringer of peace and serenity. Small fountains and ponds can be found in temples and shrines, and are thought to help one clear their mind as water is an element of peace among the Breim. Cascade is also portrayed as a healer in the underground tunnels of Sirith, and is referenced often among practitioners of healing magic and such. She is most often depicted as a graceful, watery being, with a slender pastel fish tail and mane, and piercing blue eyes. Her coat is generally thought to be a warm, pale color, or even white, and often reflects the hues of her tail in paintings.

#### Serora

* Worship of Cascade in Serora centers around her being the bringer of rain to the desert nation. She is viewed as rather finicky and almost playful times, flying through the skies and leaving small treasures in her wake. Typically she is depicted as have a long, slender, almost snake-like tail fin, with a curly mane that holds all manner of trinkets and treasures.

#### War Forged

* Cascade is rather revered by sailors, as well as those who live and work near the sea. They often view her as a flighty and jealous god who might turn the seas against you or leave an iceberg in your path at a moment's notice if she is scorned. Sailors often offer up their prayers as well as small tokens to the goddess before setting out on her seas in hope of a safe journey.

#### Aodh

* Well loved throughout most of Eithne, Cascade is even revered as highly as Ignacio in some areas, while others see her as a counterpart to her fiery brother, two sides of the same coin, lovers eternally entwined in a cosmic dance.

## Blessings

**Standard Blessings:**

* Water Manipulation
* Frost Manipulation
* Nymph Affiliation
* Venom Generation
* Healing Regeneration
* Intangibility
* Retrocognition
* Clairvoyance

**Holy Blessings:**

* Time Manipulation
* Blood Manipulation

## Temples and Other Places of Worship

### In Aquore

#### **The Holy Temple of Cascade**

* Inaria’s Temple and the Home of the Divine, the Holy Temple of Cascade (often styled as the Temple in Inaria) is the center of worship in Aquore. All Talori citizens visit the great temple at least once in their lifetime, though most will visit it many times. It’s considered the holiest of places, and those who enter its walls often describe feeling a sense of awe wash over them once inside. It’s constantly maintained by philosophers who work in the Temple’s archives, and sees a constant stream of equines coming through its doors.
* The Temple in recent times has also been discovered as one of the access points to the Princess’ Labyrinth. It’s believed that the Temple was the point of escape for the royal family, and served to immediately put them under the protection of the Temple’s sanctuary itself.

#### **The Temple of the Ancients**

* The Temple of the Ancients in Kiephis is said to be the first temple to exist in Aquore, and is thought to predate the God's War. Whether or not this is true is up for debate, but at the end of the day, it is still one of the oldest structures in Talori territory.
* Unfortunately, the Temple suffered catastrophic damage when a volcanic vent opened in the sea floor. The Temple split down the middle, tearing apart its altar and inner sanctum. When Kiephis was lifted up from the sea floor in two halves, the Temple continued to split into two and was not repaired like some other buildings were. One half remains underwater, structurally unsafe, while the other half sits above the surface, repaired.

**The Temple of Time** ====

* Temple ruins in the Wilds are still mostly unknown to the herd as whole, and much of it remains a mystery. That said, those who have entered it have seen first hand the absolute timeless feeling the temple has about it…
* The Temple of Time is an ancient monument more than double the size of Inaria’s palace. It is composed of a large, multi-winged, multi-floored structure as well as various gardens and courtyards (most of which have been overrun by the Wilds over time). The Temple of Time is largely a mystery, but Cascade’s magic flows freely throughout the structure. Those that have been inside say that it is perhaps the most spiritual place they’ve ever been, with the exception of Kiephis. The Oracles oversee the exploration of the Temple's history through their visions and unlock new secrets all the time.
* The Temple of Time appears to contain many accurate depictions of scenes from Talorian history, both at the time of and after the God’s War. As such, it is considered a major archive of history—the problem is, the majority of it is still unexplored and in ruin. With war on their borders, Thalassa and the Council cannot focus their attention on the Temple, but because of its size and the defense it might pose in the future, Thalassa has ordered for it to be explored more in-depth and to receive care by both Clerics and specifically trained Temple Attendants.

#### **Cascade's Grotto**

* A holy site dedicated to the sea goddess, the grotto is a place of prayer and cleansing. Many equines come here to cleanse their souls of sin, symbolically washing it away in Cascade's holy waters. Pegasi wishing to wash away their impurities will come here either alone or with a cleric to engage in the ritualistic removal of their own wings. Symbolizing shedding of Alya's curse, pegasi who undergo this ritual are viewed with more respect than their winged counterparts, as they are seen as having accepted Cascade's divine grace. The process is a painful one though, and most pegasi choose to forgo it. With a large oceanstone statue of the goddess watching over everything that happens within the grotto, it is one of the most reverent places of worship within Aquore's territory.

#### **Shrines**

* Shrines to the goddess of water within Aquore are usually quite beautiful. Adorned with shells, pearls, and gold, they often include small fountains, or even mirrors to represent the reflective surface of Cascade's waters. Large shrines surrounded by beautiful ponds and aquatic gardens are common in most towns and villages, while most Talori residents sport much smaller shrines within their own homes at which to pray and leave small offerings. A drop of blood or two is the most common gift left, as blood is considered water's holiest form. The practice is the acknowledgement that all life is born of water, and to water it must return. A simple reminder for Cascade's followers of where they came from.