Alajial

Overview
Favored Race	Caladaran
Element(s)	Water, Spirit
Home(s)	An Endless Field of Lilies (vnum 1203)
Alignment	Neutral Good
Symbol(s)	A white lily
Portfolio	Peace, absolution, charity, reconciliation, optimism, solace
Worshippers	Spirit magi, missionaries, gardeners, the afflicted, the poor

History in Avendar

With the steady migration of the caladaran from their ancestral home in the Rirro Jagka, the young race became quickly enmeshed in the other civilizations of the Prime. This fertile intellectual climate helped encourage the rise of the Republic, ushering in its great Golden Age. However, for staunch caladaran traditionalists, this period was as threatening as it was illuminating. Knowledge of magic and its diversity challenged long held assumptions about the role of mortalkind; war-like races and their brutal proclivities clashed with basic caladaran pacifism; and the unending multiplicity of animals, plants, and climates uprooted aging notions of the Prime itself. Change, it seemed, had become the only remaining constant.

Most disconcerting of all, however, was the steady transformation of extant caladaran religions. The Seer's devoted increasingly divorced themselves from both the monastic traditions of old, and the restraint that accompanied them. In parallel, the Arbiter's chosen steadily acclimated to the notion of war, even going so far as to acknowledge it as a path to enlightenment. Fear of this growing cosmopolitan fusion spread throughout many of the generation's oldest sages. Their manuscripts and letters suggest that they longed for a return to the old ways, and in time, sought new divine attention. These conservatives grew distant from their Chadralnite and Jalassan cousins, deigning to stay within, or return to, the dangerous glades of the Rirro Jagka.

This caladaran splinter seemed destined to suffer, and struggled with the violent incursions of the alatharya, the kankoran, and the srryn. Many elders were slain, and their traditional records and settlements were put to the torch. According to legend, Chadraln and Jalassa gave birth to a new deity, who would preserve and defend the caladaran who had rejected the world of aelin and men. They named this young goddess Alajial, and Her influence was first revealed with the sudden spring of lilies from the barren earth of the ancient glades. Where these flowers bloomed, an aura of peace pervaded; here, the caladaran faithful found solace from the aggression which had so plagued them. Over time, optimism similarly blossomed within their hearts. Under the sign of the White Lily, Alajian monks eventually found the desire to again strike out into the world beyond.

The War of Night offered these missionaries great opportunity. As cities fell and armies clashed throughout the known world, Alajial's message of peace and comfort seemed like an impossible fantasy. Yet, simultaneously, these ideas spoke to the needs of the injured, the fearful, and the war-weary. While other caladaran traditions locked themselves away in monasteries or delved into forbidden mysteries, these sages bandaged the wounded and tended the sick alongside the healers of Salyra. Their unprecedented aptitude for soothing dark torments brought significant renown throughout the Republic. Alajial's faithful argue that it was She who first gifted the knowledge of Spirit magic, before the revelation of Rystaia Lightbringer and Her ch'taren. Regardless of the veracity of this claim, there is little doubt that Alajian monks were among the first to explore the sphere after the War's end.

In time, these monks and their successors would gain greater prominence with the development of a unified Spirit school. This influence gave their long-overshadowed religion a new and heightened credibility with the other races of the Prime. More importantly, though, it allowed the first serious dialog between Alajian contemplatives, cosmopolitan Chadralnite intellectuals, and the warrior-philosophers of the Jalassan order. In the modern era, Alajial has taken Her place as the third in the caladaran deific trinity. Her benevolence and affection grant solace to those who toil in dark times, and guide those who place others before themselves.

Goals and Methods

Alajial's ultimate goal is peace throughout Avendar and within the deific pantheon. Because of Her placid goodness, She is often both portrayed and understood as a caladaran god-child. This helps to frame the ideal which She pursues; founded on innocence, She challenges the pragmatism of adulthood. She is therefore capable of offering a whole-hearted and complete absolution to those who offer themselves to Her, without the tiresome requirements of Jalassan penance or Iandiric justice. True remorse, to Alajial, is the only price of admission into Her fold. Predictably, She expects those who work in Her name to extend a similar degree of succor to those whom they encounter, and those who wrong them in particular. It should be noted that She wishes more than an empty word of forgiveness; instead, She demands that Her followers do their best to reconcile their differences even with enemies. While this will often place an Alajian on dangerous ground, it represents a fearless commitment to Her creed.

The ways by which She and Her devoted extend this innocent goodness are many and varied. She finds value in contemplation and introspection, as She feels this helps reveal previously unknown common ground with others. Understanding, to Alajial, differs from its Jalassan cousin in that it is inherently more positive. While Jalassans seek to consider implications and the highest good, Alajians prefer to ruminate on feelings, possibilities, and interpersonal improvement. Alajial preaches charity, be it through time, money, or simply emotional support. While this can be as simple as a copper out of pocket, it can also extend to a patient listening ear, or protection of the frail and downtrodden. In all that She does, Alajial hopes to inspire an eternal optimism for what is to come, and expects Her followers to do the same, even in the face of adversity. Violence is one of the few tools that Alajial discourages, as battles often beget further and greater tragedies. However, She does not begrudge Her devoted for self-defense, or for protecting those whom they love.

Organizations and Followings

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Individual Followers

Alajial's gentle nature appeals primarily to peacemakers, the afflicted, and the troubled. They are bound together by a desire for stability, peace, restoration, and redemption. A follower of Alajial can be found in virtually any setting; he may be tending a garden alone, or he may be an adventurer seeking the company of others. When travelling, he will often focus on mundane actions or relationships, seeking to suppress discord between friends or help those in need. While he hopes for a world without suffering, his persistent effort is often rooted in some personal, internal struggle. A true Alajian seeks to give others more than fiery rhetoric; instead, he hopes to reveal the transformative power of forgiveness through both his conviction and action.

The worship of Alajial is most prevalent in rural communities and dedicated temples. She is most often venerated by caladaran, ethron, and humans, but allows all with pure motives to work in Her name. Warrior cultures, such as the kankoran, the alatharya, and the srryn, have little use for Her peaceful way. The nefortu find Her generosity particularly baffling, while the shuddeni gleefully mock Her pacific nature. Adventuring professions which frequently appreciate elements of the Alajian creed are water scholars, spirit scholars, druids, and bards. Within greater society, Her worship is predominantly centered on the lower classes, including peasants, artisans, and farmers. However, Her association with healing and redemption gives Alajial a foothold in the heart of the occasional elite. Those who are particularly devoted become monks, spending their lives in monasteries or as missionaries to distant lands.

Those who find favor with Alajial are marked with the Sigil of the White Lily.

Relationships

Alajial is possibly the most pacific voice within the entirety of the Avendarian pantheon. Because of Her gentle character, She is defended most ardently by the Father of the Seas. Elar, the All-Mother, has a special fondness for Alajial, which manifests itself in Their shared love of nature. Ch'taren deities have a mixed relationship with Her; they have little regard for her abstinence from combat, but appreciate Her devotion to the magics of Spirit. Neutral deities vary greatly on the subject of Alajial. Iandir regards Her with a distant approval, as Her nature suits His notion of order; conversely, Dolgrael's contempt for Her is as infamous as His many storied followers. Of the chaotic gods, Alil finds her too childish to be of more than momentary interest, but Tzajai's endless games, at least when benign, share an unusual compatibility with Her eternal youth. Gods of darkness find Alajial appallingly weak, and regard Her as a non-entity in the grand interplay of their goals and designs.

Chadraln and Jalassa are the two deities most closely linked to Alajial. As She is Their child, it is unsurprising that common elements and themes bridge the three religions. Yet, despite this, their angles are not wholly complementary to one another, and represent a longstanding debate within the race as to what constitutes proper development. Chadraln is cordial with Alajial, but considers Her creed too limiting to allow for the pursuit of true knowledge. Jalassa respects Alajial's dedication to introspection, but disagrees with Her dismissal of martial pursuits. Alajial Herself cares deeply for Her parents, but believes Their creeds alone will not create the world She hopes to be.

Shrines, Sigils, and Mobs

Areas

The Alajian Monastery (vnums 8320-8374)

God Mark

You sense a serene air about [him|her].