Deities of the Summer Isles

The religion of the Summer Isles is based primarily around the worship of three major gods, and a myriad of minor deities. The stories that depict the beings can be found carved into trees and stones across the isles.

## Sallar and Shanta, the Two Halves

Sallar and Shanta are considered the greatest of the gods revered by the Summer Islanders, the manifestation of love. The strength and beauty of the two lovers is said to reside in all born upon the isles, and expression of their gifts forms the fundamental basis of the islanders beliefs of freedom of love.

Once a single being, Sallar and Shanta were split by the trickery of the Spider God, Isana, and separated by sea, land and sky. For a millenia Shanta wept, and Sallar raged, for both were so desperate to feel the embrace of the other, until the lesser gods that roamed freely on the isles when they were still new to the world rose up against Isana. But the Spider God was too devious, and spun trap after trap for those that sought to overthrow his control of the isles. Only when Zhoza, The Goddess of the Waters and Waro, Spirit of the Winds joined with them could they defeat Isana, and reunite the Two Halves once again. Since that day, Sallar and Shanta have remained in an eternal embrace, never once separated from each other, and their intertwined bodies adorn walls, stones and trees across the islands, reminding the residents that they too may be whole when they find their equal Half.

## Zhoza, The Goddess of the Waters

After she was taught the ways of love by Sallar and Shanta before they were split into separate beings, Zhoza, the Goddess of the Waters gave life to man, and is considered by the Islanders to be the mother of all those in the Known World. To one of her children she taught the ways of the water and how to create and control those which inhabit it, creating the deity Maq, Guardian of the Waves.

When she was weakened by her altercation with Chlaena, Zhoza has since shunned the open, deep waters of the sea, instead crafting herself a place to reside inland. The fast-flowing waters that run through the isle of Omboru met at a series of waterfalls that bare her name, and Zhoza is said to bathe in the swirling waters at their base. Though most commonly she appears as an ethereal being whose hair flows down her back like the waters in which she is resides, she can take the form of any creature or beast that lives beneath or besides rivers, lakes or seas.

## Waro, Spirit of the Winds

Along with Zhoza, Waro is revered by sailors of the great Swan Ships that the Summer Isles are most famed for. Their prayers request a strong, never-ending breeze that will carry them to their destination swifter than any other vessel, but seek for it to be in harmony with the calm, even waters beneath the sails, so that they may reach it safely.

Waro, however, it said to be a temperamental god, capable of both devastating rages capable of felling even the most deeply-rooted Goldenheart tree, and lingering silences, in which the seas grow still, and motionless. Offerings of nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and other spices, thrown into a passing breeze are said to appease him, and gain his favour for a journey, but only in those trips that promise to bring good fortune to the Summer Isles and its people.

Waro is said to dance through the mountaintops of the Singing Stones, whispering to those that call the islands their home so that they might know his will for the day, speaking in a voice that alternates between dulcet resonance and shrill whistling.

## The Parrot Prince

Said to have made his home in the centre of the Isle of Birds, the Parrot Prince is a benevolent being, and one of the many gods of the the Summer Isles to take the form of an animal. Said to be capable of taking the form of any feathered beast, but most often appears as a scarlet macaw, a little bigger than a child in size, and speaks in a deep, echoing voice. He is said to be quick-witted, with a passion for playful mockery with those that seek him out.

He is considered to be one of the lesser gods, but treasured and held in reverence nonetheless, and his shrine upon the Isle of Birds is piled high with offerings of fruit and flowers daily.

## The Daughter of Dance

Called Rala by some Islanders, The Daughter of Dance is another lesser deity of the island, and a popular figure amongst the young of the island. Said to be the wife of the Parrot Prince, and lover to nearly all of the gods, she supposedly takes the form of either a Bird of Paradise or a butterfly with wings of unparallelled vibrancy.

She is said to bring joy to the hearts of men, relieving them of their worries and stresses, instead encouraging enjoyment and revelry in all aspects of the life.

## Maq, Guardian of the Waves

The son of Zhoza, the Goddess of the Waters, Maq takes the form of a grey-skinned man, human in every regard besides the pointed fin between his shoulders. Responsible for watching over the creatures of the sea, offerings to him hope to encourage and maintain the numerous shoals of fish and other sealife upon which the diet of the Summer Islanders is based.

He is described as brave, fiercely loyal, but sometimes impetuous in his actions, always seeking to return to his love, Chlaena, despite her attempt to poison him.

## Chlaena

Depicted as a beautiful maiden, whose pale skin is marked by a number of small blue rings, Chlaena is another deity of the waters in Summer Islander culture. It is said that Maq and Chlaena were once lovers, but overtime Chlaena grew to dislike Maq’s impulsive actions, and sought to poison him. After seeking a deal with Isana, the Spider God, her heart grew cold, and her skin, unblemished by any mark or tarnish grew marked with rings of vibrant azure. Whenever she neared the Guardian of the Waves, he would slow, weakened by her presence. It was only when Zhoza herself intervened to save her son that Chlaena’s plot was disrupted.

As punishment, Chlaena was exiled from the warm waters that surrounded the island, forced into the deep darkness were leviathans and sea dragons are said to slumber. Despite this, her servants, each of which bare the marks that she did.

## Isana, the Spider God

The true malignancy of Isana varies with differing stories and different storytellers, but it is commonly accepted that the will of the Spider God is the least favourable to the people of the Isles. More often than not, Isana is said to take the form a large red and grey arachnid, but sometimes appears as a man or woman with several pairs of wiry legs sprouting from their back. A treacherous and fickle spirit, Isana enjoys little more than sharing vivid promises of greatness and success with those that seek an audience, only to trap them in their words and actions in eternal punishment.

Isana grew jealous of the affection showered onto the being whose name has been forgotten, and worked to ensnare them. Isana split the being in two, creating the Two Halves, Sallar and Shanta, hoping their grief and sorrow would drive them to a self-inflicted demise. For over a thousand years the Spider God claimed dominion over the Isles, until being finally overthrown when Zhoza and Waro joined with the lesser gods to free and reunite the Two Halves. The majority of its powers removed, Isana now subsides by making deals with men and lesser Gods alike.