Vashna

# Table of Contents

### **Description**

Vashna is commonly depicted as a black-haired, youthful woman with pale, almost white skin, and very dark eyes, clad in black robes or diaphanous gowns. However, she is also known as the Unexpected Visitor, and as such many modern woodcuts made by the cult of Vashna show her in a variety of mundane clothing - from peasant slops to noble gowns - though in these illustrations they are invariably black or dominated by black. She rarely appears in this world, her realm being beyond death, but when she does, it is at the moment of death.

### **Dogma**

Vashna is entrusted with the ferrying of lost souls to their ultimate destinations after death. Some deities have servitors and spirit beings who serve this function, and others send the spirits of the dead to usher the dying to their realm; Those who die without having devoted themselves to any deity (and without having earned the torments of the Underworld) or would otherwise be left by the gods to wander the earth as a ghost are adopted by her, to serve her needs.

The passage between life and death is held as the most sacred of things to Vashna. Anything that interferes with this natural process is of concern to her. This generally means that the creation of undead is despised as desecration, as is the imprisonment of souls upon the earth that should rightfully pass to their afterlife. Death Magik, while not completely denounced, is seen as corruptive in nature, and not to be trusted.

Resurrection spells are not held by Vashna's cult to be necessarily evil, but Vashna deems that such spells should only be used when the wishes of the deceased to live and not to die are known. Bringing a person back to life who does not wish it is considered to be an unjust interference in the natural cycle of things.

### **Symbol**

The symbol most commonly associated with Vashna is the trilithon: two dolmens with a capstone on top of them, forming a doorway. The traditional vestment for priests is a long black sash, worn over the shoulders, with white trilithons on the ends of the sash. While somber clothing was once worn by the ancient priests, the current Prophetess wears vibrantly colored clothes.

### **Clergy and Temples**

Duties of Vashna's priesthood include officiating over funerals; blessing burial sites, gateways and doorways; communing with the dead; and the destruction of the Undead, which are seen as perversions of the natural order of life and death (and in some cases, the unjust imprisonment of souls). Emphasis has been placed upon the building of new shrines and recruitment of priests in order to give new vitality to the nearly-forgotten faith. The current Prophetess Samira of Vashna *(Sammy Jarnot)*, head of the cult, continuously travels across Xaria establishing new shrines.

An order of Knights, the Ravens, has been formed to serve as guards for the Prophetess and hunters of the Undead.

### **Laity**

Vashna is worshipped primarily in Quivera and Irroquin, but her faith is slowly spreading to various countries along the Golden Road. Many of Vashna’s followers are quite casual about their association, simply wishing to have some assurance of a destination after death without having to commit to a more demanding deity. It remains to be seen what Vashna thinks of such cavalier regard; some clergy have urged more gravity in conversion, but many seem pleased simply to add numbers to the cult.

Most worshippers of Vashna carry some token bearing her trilithon symbol. This may be any trinket at all, but is usually something worn or carried closely, that may be found upon the death of the owner. A few have tattooed themselves with the trilithon, symbolizing their utter belonging to Vashna and their complete commitment to serve her after death.

### **Holy Days and Festivals**

Thus far, no official festivals have been declared for the cult, but followers of Vashna may be found at funerals and other memorial services for the dead. They may also be found giving blessings whenever buildings are erected, blessing the gates or doorways and reminding the builders that every passage through them signifies a new beginning, that every departure is an arrival somewhere else. There is a movement within the cult to mark Bonedance - that period of the year when the dead may rise within the magically-roaming Bonewood - as a time of heightened vigilance; some have suggested that pilgrimages should be made to the Bonewood at this time, though obstacles to travel in Halgudar and Fer Garruth would make this an extremely risky undertaking.

### **Mythology and Lore**

Vashna is an ancient goddess once worshipped in Dakkor, but her cult dissipated and her religion died out after the coming of Nae'del.

Worship of Vashna has only recently resumed with the discovery of her ancient shrine in the disputed lands between Dakkor and the Black Duchy of Quivera in the spring of 499 AY. In the late summer of that year, Sir Garret Luchese of Quivera *(Andrew Gaughen)* ventured into the southern lands of Dakkor, which were being claimed by the Black Duke, Rooken of Daggermoor. There he found an unholy plague upon the land that prevented the dead from resting. The last remaining temple of Vashna was discovered there by one amongst his company, Samira. She was named Prophetess by the temple's Caretaker, who had been kept alive by Vashna since the destruction of her cult. By the new power of the Prophetess, the Undead were destroyed, and the ground consecrated once more.

Since then, the Prophetess has traveled Xaria, founding shrines and forming the new Order of the Raven.

This original shrine has since been lost, and is now in lands occupied by monstrous troops from Uragoth.