Chauntea

Icon of Chauntea

## Description

**Chauntea** (pronounced *Chawn-TEE-ah*), the **Grain Goddess** or the **Great Mother** was the goddess of life and all things agrarian or agriculture. She was a goddess of agriculture, plants cultivated by humans, farmers, gardeners, and summer.

Some of her worshipers claimed that her divine glimmer gave life to the natural world, and some contended that she was the creator and source of all mortal races. While the more popular belief held is the creator of humans as stated in The Codex of Heritage.

## Realm

**Chauntea** maintained her divine realm named Great Mother's Garden on Elysium's second layer of Eronia.

## Personality

**Chauntea** is the patron of all humans who walk on Phrelle and thus the Great Mother reference has stuck with many people. With that being said she is thought to have a very mother like approach to her interactions with the mortals. While not the patron of other races she still sees their threads connecting between her creations and their kin and has been known to attempt to help when she can.

## History

**Chauntea** was believed to be one of the eldest gods in Phrelle believed to be created during Rise of Gods. During the events of The Elder Race Era little mention of **Chauntea** took place during The Sundering of the Elder Race, in which **Chauntea** would request to make the first Humans.

## Relationships

She had strong ties with other deities concerned with nature, such as Obad-Hai and Rillifane Rallathil, and she shared a close relationship with Ehlonna before her fall.

She opposed Yurtrus with utmost vehemence, due to her malefic intent in spreading poison and disease to the natural world. She was always in conflict with Talos. **Chauntea** battled deities who sought to desecrate and expunge nature; she opposed evil deities such as Bane.

## Worshipers

**Chauntea** was seen by Phrelle's mortal races as a critical aspect of the assumed cycle of life. Private land owners and destitute (perhaps as a consequence of an unproductive harvest) farmers visited the clerics of **Chauntea** for any divine suggestions for aiding the harvest. If at any time plague or drought struck the crops, farmers looked to **Chauntea**, since they hoped she would save the harvest, due to her love of nature.

The church was an approachable one, in that it welcomed all irrespective of gender or race. The liturgical doctrine of the church was such that it attracted more females than males, due to its preoccupation with femininity, and while female attendees outnumbered men, there was still a range of males that worshiped **Chauntea**.

**Chaunteans** maintained simplicity when it came to apparel. Druids preferred brown robes and priests preferred to wear a brown cloak with more standard livery such as a tunic underneath.

Her temples often had great libraries dedicated to agriculture.

#### **Typical worshipers**

Though she had a diverse collection of followers, **Chauntea** was fanatically worshiped by peasants, servants, druids, gardeners, and any others who earned pay from working on farmland

### **Clergy**

Clerics prayed for their spells at sundown, as did druids. They usually led dual lives as either gardeners or farmers, and were industrious people. They were expected to appreciate natural beauty and possess a feeling for meditation. The clergy instructed **Chauntea**'s followers that they should make entreaties every sunrise.

The clergy observed and recognized the dogma set forth by **Chauntea** herself, and read the High Prayers of the Harvest at a perennial ceremony, which was usually at the start of harvest.

Her clergy were known for ministering in rural communities, and for their willingness to work in the community's fields next to the local farmers.

### **Orders**

The divided clergy of **Chauntea** was sectarian by nature. Associates of the Chauntean canonry were divided into two camps. Those with ministerial positions who advised farmers and workers all over were named "**Pastorals**". The rustic, untamed conclave charged with preserving the wilderness referred to themselves, albeit insouciantly, as "True Shapers".

The deaconry had by no means any centralized governing body, and was not collective. It promoted individuality and was far less unitary than other faiths.

## Dogma

The church outlined a general set of precepts and taboos, though some of these were given to subjective interpretation since the faith was individualistic. **Chaunteans** saw wanton destruction as antithetical to the cycle of life. They were urged to nourish at least one living thing every day of their lives. They were advised to eschew fire also.

In terms of correct agricultural practice, the church advised that campaigns of replanting, prudent irrigation and crop rotation were necessary to ensure that the land was kept fertile.

## Rites

A rite of passage for many of the faith was concerned with Holy Communion. Newly married couples were instructed to spend their first night in fresh fields, supposedly to guarantee a fertile marriage.

## Holy Days

Compared to other faiths, ecclesiastics appointed few holidays. One holiday that was observed was a festival during Greengrass, which was a festival in which excessive consumption and uninhibited behavior were encouraged. Abundance was an important part of life worshiping the Great Mother. (May 5th)

## Temples

High Chauntean Temple sits surrounded by a farming community which sits between Ulaa's Hills, The Reading Plains, and The Xohn Woodlands.

### Laikka Temples

* Graman