Lindelona

Details for clerics and worshippers

Also known as Woodsqueen, The Mistress of the Sidhai and Sidhaisulera ("Shaped-elves"), Lindelona is a greater goddess of the Sofir "family".

Symbol: A nine-pointed star made of unicorn horns with a leaf in the center.

Colors: Forest green, earthen brown and starlight silver.

Sacred Animals: Wolf, badger, deer.

Sacred Items: Wooden and horn vessels, simulated wooden or metal unicorn horns.

Order of Knighthood: The Knights of the Living Bough.

Dogma: The forest is a precious source of life. Take joy in its diversity and its beauty. Respect its inhabitants, respect its balance, take only what you need, and for all that you take give back something in return. Learn from the forest; live free, adapt to change, take no more than you can use, and make the most of what you have. The Sidhai are Lindelona's beloved children, created in the forest to dwell there and take joy in its abundant gifts. Live this gift of life fiercely and passionately.

Scriptures: The Ralmelbal ("Words of the Goddess") (Divinely inspired) -- Revelations and guidelines dictated by Lindelona. This volume (which is always hand-written on thin sheets of wood bound into a book) is not only a statement of religious dogma but a definitive tract on forest ecology. It also contains a number of sections heavy with obscure passages that are used as both oracle and prophecy (much in the manner of the I Ching). O Thantilm ad Hilysel ("The Book of Forests") (Mortal commentary) -- An extensive, continuing history of the home forests of every major elven population, dating back all the way to the Second Day of Creation. The records in this large volume record the life of each forest, the impact that mortals (both elven and not) had on it, and how the forest recovered (or didn't) from those impacts. Each history is frequently annotated by succeeding generations of scholars.

Holy Days: The solstices and equinoxes, especially Greengrass, the Spring Equinox, which by the Elven calendar is the date of the Second Day of Creation.

Holy Places: Untouched, totally natural forest glades.

Sanctuary Design: Consecrated groves and clearings, especially the elf-sculpted circular groves known as sholienistul, whose trees are guided over decades of growth into forming walls and an arched ceiling.

Levels of Investiture: As per Characters.

Spells:
Consecrate
Desecrate
Final Rest
Lead Worship
Oath

Bless
Remove Curse

Detect Divine Power (as Detect Magic, for clerical magic)
Planar Visit (Godsland, Lesser Plane, or Home Plane)
Plane Shift (Godsland, Lesser Plane, or Home Plane)
Create Gate (Godsland, Lesser Plane, or Home Plane)

Heal Plant
Shape Plant
Plant Growth
Bless Plants
Forest Warning
Plant Sense
Plant Form
Rain of Nuts
Purify Earth
Rejuvenate Plants
Conceal
Walk Through Plants
Plant Speech
Body of Wood
Plant Form (Other)
Immurement

Gift of Tongues

Extinguish Fire

Rain
Predict Weather

Watchdog
Mystic Mist

Create Well

Divination (Belomancy, using the Ralmelbal, as noted above)

Sunlight

Oath

Freedom

Character Requirements: In addition to the "standard" cleric package, clerics of Lindelona must also take either Ecology or Naturalist at IQ+1, Survival (Forest) at IQ, and a Vow to protect forests (-10 points).

Special Abilities of Clerics: "Natural" animals (not giant-variety or magical hybrids) native to forests -- even enraged or maddened ones -- will not willingly attack Lindelona's clerics, and resist any magical attempt to force them to do so at +3. Her clerics are also able to move silently in forests; in natural wooded areas, they effectively have one level of the Supers Silence advantage for every level of Power Investiture they possess. This is not a learned ability, nor can it be turned on and off.

Special Duties of Clerics: Lindelona's clerics are charged with serving and supporting both forests and elves. They are not required to actively enter battle for either; Lindelona's way is usually more subtle (although if it is the only path, her servants will joyfully join the fight).

Certain of Lindelona's clerics are charged with keeping the elven histories, and have close relations with legions of elven bards who both distribute these histories, and bring back information with which to update them.

Because of the ties between Lindelona and the elves, the church is unwelcome in most human nations, and outlawed in some. In the Kironar empire, the church is officially banned, but in recent decades underground congregations outside of the capitol city have been "overlooked".

Notes: Despite her position as creator of the elves, Lindelona does not limit her worship to their ranks. Almost as many humans worship Lindelona as elves, although this is not often done openly in the more anti-elven lands. Her half-elven followers may increase the numbers by at least half again. As a matter of fact, her order of knighthood (the Living Bough) was founded by a half-elf, and its first two members were a full elf and a human.

Because of her lesser sphere of Dance, Lindelona is frequently given homage by musical performers of all stripes.

In addition to her relationship with the Sidhai, Lindelona has a connection to unicorns (as evidenced in her holy symbol). Her clerics frequently have unicorn allies or steeds, and it is frequently the case that where you find the one, you will find the other. It is not known if Lindelona also created the unicorns, but it is known that to the extent that they venerate any god, they give their devotion to her.


This page was created on October 20, 1997.
Last modified March 12, 2011.