Fianna

Fianna is the controversial Doe of War, lady of blades, and the second youngest of the Soul. In the creation myth, it is her arrival together with Lykke that corrupts the pure hearts of mortals, for hers are gifts as useful as they are dangerous. Fianna is beautiful and tempting, and may trick both mortals and gods into experiencing her domain - and none but her know if it is to aid or to harm.

## Sphere

Fianna is the goddess of war in all its aspects. From barbarian hordes charging across open fields to carefully planned stratagems, she accepts and cherishes all types of warfare. She is also the god of warriors - for if Ricmod is the patron of the noble knight ideal, she is the god of the reality of that ideal.

The second aspect of her sphere is the subtler war of minds - diplomacy. Fianna taught mortals how to manipulate words to decide the fates of thousands, and she cherishes those who master her art.

Finally, Fianna is the mistress of conspiracy. She revels in the secrets between mortals, and the destructive things that may come from them.

### Secondary Sphere

The god of intrigue, Fianna is the god of plots and secrets, but also curiosity. She inspires mortals not only to plot, but also to solve - the god of spies just as much as of the conspirators.

Her domain also includes indulgence of all kinds -  from mental and spiritual to the far more physical, acts both pleasurable and morally questionable. This, arguably, is her greatest gift to mortals, for it gives their lives pleasures untold.

But one must always remember the darker aspects of Fianna. Her indulgence can be pure, but also dark and tainted. Her domain includes the vile act of murder just as much as killing in combat.

The very final aspect of her sphere is domination. She imbues in the mortals the desire to dominate and extract their will upon others; not as a benevolent ruler, but as a supreme lord without equal. It is said this aspect also reflects her own attitude towards the world.

## Mythology

Fianna’s strongest godly relationship is with Lykke, the god who freed her from captivity and allowed her to come to the mortals with her gifts. The two are often depicted together, and are believed to work closely in influencing mortals to go against the other gods - the devout of Fianna would argue that this is the gods encouraging the mortals to exercise their free will. Her other key relationship is with Ricmod, as the two gods have similar but opposite spheres, constantly influencing one another.

The Doe of War is heavily involved in mortal affairs, and many events have been credited or blamed on her over the years. It is said that she likes to appear to mortals in guises - as friends or as other gods entirely, to tempt them into doing things that go against their better judgement. She is not the god with the best reputation among mortals, although she is beloved by many as well; her gifts are exceedingly useful, and can do good as easily as harm.

As a mirror of Ricmod, it is perhaps only natural that she too is credited with mortal offspring - several, in fact. Legends say that every once in a while, Fianna will fall for a mortal and come to them in disguise, and bearing a child of godsblood. These children will grow into great warriors, diplomats or other mortals of power, but they are cursed to never have children of their own, ensuring that the line dies with them. The most famous of these fabled god-children is King Seth, an ancient ruler of the ascoulians.

Fianna is exclusively depicted as female.

### Appearance in Art

Fianna is depicted as a muscular, well-nourished equine with maroon coat and beautiful but harsh features. She is typically depicted as either a unicorn or a kirin, as these two breeds possess natural “weapons”. Fianna is tall, powerful and has short-shorn or braided hair.

Always accompanied by her dark stag, Fianna herself is sometimes depicted as a doe, observing the stag’s battle prowess from afar. The stag tends to look fearsome, often with monstrous traits like unnaturally sharp antlers or blood-red eyes.

Fianna is commonly shown wielding a blade, ranging from the dagger of well laid plots to the executioner’s broadsword. She is surrounded by the signs of battle: pieces of scattered and bloodied armor and broken weapons, with only her standing unharmed. She is crowned by a halo of blades.

She is typically depicted in battleground scenes, but may also be chosen as a background character for pictures involving politics. One popular motif is her, as a doe, observing a match between two bloodied stags. Another popular theme is showing her in combat with her brother Ricmod, sword striking shield, often with their animals battling each other as well. Outside Ricmod, her most common godly companion is Lykke - the two of them are often shown watching over secret plots and nefarious deeds.

## Worship

Fianna is often not a patron one would publicly advertise, and yet, she is among the favored gods of many warriors, politicians and schemers - and really, anyone with an ambitious heart. Her worship tends to be more pronounced during times of war, famine or natural catastrophe, where her brand of cunning and ambition can serve to elevate mortals above their difficulties. Some also seek to appease Fianna specifically to *prevent* such things from occurring.

A small altar to Fianna is present in many multi-god sanctums, but individual places of worship are rare, and often something of a secret. The secretive nature of Fianna’s worship further lends to the idea that those who favor her are up to something - even though most who worship her have no ill-intentions. If anything, it might be said that these close-knit worshipper groups lend themselves well to the formation of unexpected alliances and brokering of unconventional political dealings.

Fianna’s favored offerings are drops of one’s own blood, mementos of defeated rivals and secrets, typically scribbled on pieces of paper. Fianna’s worship is, interestingly, almost meditative in nature, with a great emphasis on finding your own ambition and potential, and striving fearlessly for the things you want. Her priests are often former warriors, and guide her followers in self-actualization. One particular aspect of Fianna’s worship are the ceremonial, highly ritualized battles held in her honor - duels with a strong emphasis on healing and channeling aggression through ritual.