Difference between revisions of "Lilune"

Revision as of 08:57, 30 May 2011

History in Avendar

The roots of Lilune's following date back to the earliest history recorded by humanity. Stories circulated among mystics of a dark-haired woman whispering to them at the hazy border between consciousness and slumber. Visions often accompanied these encounters, but those who experienced them were never the same. Fragmented histories speak of men and women claimed by a desperate inspiration, drawing or writing frantically on whatever was at hand. Some of those touched went so far as to open their own veins, anxiously trying to capture their mad fever-dreams. Others tore at their clothes and dashed into the primal wilderness, never to be seen again. They all shared one commonality, however: in their panicked wonder, they scratched, smeared, or screamed of a thereto unknown flower; a black orchid. Human scholars suggest that their peoples' ancient hieroglyphics can be tenuously traced to one such shaman, although the original, bloody markings have not survived.

With the coming of Dolgrael the Forgemaster, humanity could fully embrace its expansionist spirit. Armed with metal weapons, the wilderness lost some of its danger but none of its wonder. The myth of the black orchid persisted, especially on the frontier. Those who traveled at the far-flung edges of human reach would in turn add a new twist to stories of the mystics of old. The more coherent among them spoke of words coming from the faces of Avendar's twin moons. The silver face of Lunus filled some with the feverish desire to build, gather tribes, or assemble something greater; the red face of Rhos called for blood, any blood, to sate its relentless lust. As human expansion drew them into contact with the explorers of the elder aelin, a name was finally given to this driving force: Lilune. The name, some felt, could pacify Her furious whims.

The massive destruction of the War of Fire prevent modern historians from fully understanding Lilune's influence on the conflict. Some have claimed that generals followed Her inspiration in battle against the rampaging srryn, yielding both glorious, unexpected victories and violent, crushing defeats. Others have suggested that it was She who drove the earliest human fire scholars to uncover secrets that no srryn could. There are those, as well, who claim that it was Her mad inspiration which prompted embattled humans to first seek the Titans, and by extension, Jolinn. Although very little evidence supports exists to verify or dispel these notions, Lilune's witches always believe them with wild-eyed abandon.

With the close of the war, humans resumed their exploration and expansion. Many of Lilune's following, seeking great mystery, accompanied these missions into the wild. One particularly well-known record claims that a priestess of the Moons accompanied Kaagn on the fateful expedition that uncovered the dark underworld of the shuddeni. Less verifiably, popular mythology amongst the Aklaju in Earendam holds that this woman would become the first human Void scholar, and one of the founding members of their dread Conclave. More fanciful accounts name Kaagn himself as one of Lilune's chosen, and that the Trap of Valandas was architected at her whim. While the jaws of history remain closed on his motivation, his meteoric ascent and sudden (literal) fall are both consistent with Lilune's modus operandi.

In the modern era, Lilune's activities have faded from the limelight. The ancient strongholds of Her faith have vanished with the passing of time, displaced by newer, more broadly accessible religions. Some have poetically named Her waning in the global human consciousness a sign of the fall of the Republic. However, Her most die-hard chosen are unperturbed. The fierce grip of Her charms has led them to name Her the Enchantress, and claim that the moon always returns, as brightly as ever before.

Goals and Methods

Lilune's exact desires appear to be as capricious as the moons She is named for. Her most overt actions have been known to change the fabric of the world in which they have occurred; be it by driving humanity away from its timid, tribal roots, or Kaagn's devastating actions during the War of Night. The only goal that can truly be discerned from the Enchantress is for a moment of perfect, fragile beauty. The instant in which curiosity transforms into possibility is Her greatest pleasure, and She mercilessly drives Her chosen to find it. This contrasts Jalassan enlightenment, as that seeks a perfect state of mind, while the Muse craves the first breath of potential, or the last dying gasp before the end. Additionally, it does not much matter to Lilune if this moment is wholly illusory, driving Her target on a mad quest into oblivion. To know Lilune, always, is to flirt with legend and disaster.

Some choose to seek the Enchantress, seeking easy and elusive greatness. Others, She expertly selects, plying Her siren's voice at the fringes of their consciousness. She wrings all who follow Her dry physically, mentally, and emotionally. She extracts the whole of their talents, and they see expression of their brilliance in battle, business, and expeditions into the unknown. While Lilune has dominion over progress, it should be noted that this is often a side-effect of Her actions rather than their root. Ultimately, if the actions of Her followers herald mass transformation or not is immaterial. The roar of Her voice within the minds of Her individual followers and the resulting dynamics are the playground of Her true power. With the interest of the Muse, nothing matters except achieving anything or everything; Her chosen is always the fool with one foot hovering over the edge of a cliff, or the great visionary pointing to a distant horizon. Or perhaps, both at once.

Organizations and Followings

Lilune's followers do not organize themselves into formalized sects, but her favour does follow distinct patterns over time. Sometimes one seeks to be kissed by the moons, and sometimes one is kissed. And sometimes her attention is forced upon one, who will be held fast in her grip until her whim leaves. It is just as likely that one of Her seekers will move through all three paths over their life.

The Moonseekers

"May the day never come that we forever trade away wonder for reason."

There is rarely commonality between individuals who seek to garner Lilune's favour, but broad patterns arise. They are dynamic in both mind and body, always engaging in some venture, be it personal or with others. While they rarely desire or are suited to the responsibilities of leadership, the Moonseekers tend to stand by the ear of those who do lead, spurring them onto bolder and more flamboyant acts. Because they are the most self-moving of Lilune's favoured, they rarely reach the dazzling heights of the Moon-kissed, but neither are their descents so meteoric; the cynical would name them the safest of Hers to stand nearby.

The Moon-Kissed

"It came to me in a dream. I couldn't bear to rest before the work was completed!"

Those who Lilune turns her bright face on find themselves spurred to create, pushed beyond their own natural limits. They will push over the next hill, pulled only by the all-consuming need to see what is on the other side. Suffused with the ecstasy of Lilune's touch, they are pulled to give the impossible deathblows to their enemies, to marvel at the shape of the world around them. Every breath is beautiful, because every breath holds the magic of the first, and the desperation of the last.

The Moon-Cursed

"Let it all be consumed!"

Some of them want to be abused. The ones who are gripped tight in Lilune's grip, driven to blood, to destroy. Lilune's toys, who she drives mad with her touch. Human barbarians; berserkers, those who would burn the world to ashes so the others might create a new, perfect creation in its place. The artist so driven that lacking paint and canvas, he opens his veins and paints his masterwork on the wall in his own blood. The mad, red face of the moon.

Individual Followers

All who follow Lilune court disaster, but are rarely confused with the degenerate insanity of Alil. Her followers, instead, show incredible tenacity in the pursuit of their often inscrutable goals. The Muse's whisper always drives them to express it, and they themselves cling to whatever they can to survive the torrent of Her mercilessness. The character of Her following is frequently bipolar, leaping from high to low. When high, Her followers are deft, articulate, and intelligent, and show a vivacity rarely associated with darker paths. They drink deeply of life but resist its temptations, focused instead on the object of their fixation. When the glow of their pursuits fades, however, they are notorious for brooding. Having lost their own greatness, they again yearn for the Muse to fill their mind with Her wonder. They are often stubbornly happy in choices few could comprehend, and when low, no faith but in Lilune will suffice.

Worship of the Enchantress is most common in human settlements, especially on the distant edges of civilization. Her wonders have been known to inspire many races, although the ch'taren lack the darker movements of the soul which sing to Lilune. Similarly, the caladaran, both centered and content with their lives, often lack the drive to create which She savors. Her voice can be heard by adventurers of almost all creeds, assuming their minds are open to Her influence. Within mainstream society, Lilune is regarded with both appreciation and apprehension. Public veneration of the Muse is rare, with Her devoted toiling endlessly to keep Her interest. Shrines to Lilune are often not traditional ones, as each expression of Her followers' greatness is a monument in and of itself.

Those who find favor with the Enchantress are marked with the Sigil of the Full Moon.

Relationships

Lilune's relationship with the rest of the pantheon is complex. Alil savors the Enchantress' madness-inducing voice, and Tzajai delights in Her caprice. Yet, the intense focus of Her victims ensures that neither deity's attention parallels Hers for long. While expansion and creation are always relevant to the gods of law, they often find Her inscrutable nature unreliable and untrustworthy. Jalassa, in particular, cannot abide Lilune's lack of discipline, and all the more for that it is intentional, rather than the uncontrollable insanity of Alil. Gods of the light condemn the Muse's ways. While many of Her works have served the greater good, they always come at too high of a price. Given Her association with the Void, ch'taren deities have particular dislike of Lilune. While no god of nature thinks highly of Lilune, Khanval harbors a passionate hatred for Her; to Him, she represents the driver of Earendamian expansionism.

Dolgrael is often associated with Lilune, in that both have strongly characterized the human spirit. His appreciation for war and Her drive into inevitable conflict cannot help but be complimentary. However, He regards Her as utterly honorless, while She finds the Forgemaster unbearably stodgy and dull. Her other strongest association is with Serachel, as both a point of alliance and rivalry. Her call hovers on the fringes of the Dream, and the two often find common cause in spreading Their debauched form of enlightenment. In the end, however, neither can abide encroachment upon Their own interests. What alliances form are often paired with veiled plots of betrayal, as only They could architect.

Shrines, Sigils, and Mobs

Rooms

A Forgotten Sanctuary (vnum 2013)

Sigils

Tier 1 - The Sigil of the Full Moon (vnum)

Mobs

Notes, Logs, and Other Documents

(Put your Lilune related notes here!)

Helps

Ancient Lilune help file (5/2/1999)

Lore

A glass ring (lore)

The ring of Adi (lore)

The Amulet of the Sun and Moon (lore)

a pendant of Lunus (lore) (none currently)

a crescent moon clasp (lore) (none currently)

Fiction

Logs