Fenthira
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Favored Race | Srryn |
| Element(s) | Nature, Water |
| Home(s) | |
| Alignment | True Neutral |
| Symbol(s) | A clutch of eggs |
| Portfolio | Swamps, Evolution, Fertility, Refuge, Supremacy, Gratification |
| Worshippers | |
Contents
History in Avendar
To the most ancient of srryn shamans, the Sundering cannot be articulated as the fallout of alatharyan hubris. Instead, they described its cataclysmic power as the hatching of the world egg. From its shell was born Fenthira, Mother Swamp, who claimed a portion of creation as Her own. This fetid, marshy plot would become Her nest; the swamp now called Sythtys. Here, She hatched the first reptiles gifted with the spark of magic. As Fenthira's hatchlings grew, they began to vie for supremacy, and the right to claim their Mother's elusive favor. She encouraged ever more lethal competition, knowing that these early trials would shape this young life into conquerors and warlords of the world without.
Two of Her sons eventually rose above all others, and the vicious competition of the swamps briefly lulled. These two, Sitheus and Sythrak, presented two starkly different srryn futures. One favored overt power and dramatic acts of force; the other embraced cunning, and delighted in the paranoia it induced. Fenthiran cultists claim that Her elusive favor compelled both Sons to seek ever greater displays of their superiority; Her fondness was brief, and Her scorn great. According to legend, She claimed one of Her Sons as Her mate, subjugating His will to Her own. This stands in contrast to both Sythraki and Sithean belief, who both insist that the Son dominated the Mother, cowing Her to His whim.
Srryn traditionalists of all walks agree that it this divine union gave birth to the first clutch of true srryn. Much in the same manner as their reptilian predecessors, the young srryn battled amongst themselves. Their blood-thirst, cruelty, and will to dominate eclipsed their forebears, rapidly bringing the new race to new heights of strength, speed, and stamina. In time, they would reach the limit of their mortality, and sought the claim the immense power of Sythrak and Sitheus. Fenthira took great pride in the ever-expanding scale of this racial and deific competition, and Her attention spurred greater violence. She was equally delighted with the extinction of much of Sitheus' following after His spectacular defeat.
Fenthira's pride swiftly and rapidly decayed. With His rival destroyed, Sythrak began to grow complacent. He and His Sept became fat and lazy, glutted on victory and power. The cunning Swamp-Mother, however, saw new opportunity on the northern horizon. She was aware of the weak, soft, warm-blooded creatures who had come to inhabit the grasslands of the river valley and their rapid spread through the wilds. Fenthira prompted Sythrak, telling Him that even in their weakness, these humans had already claimed more of the world than His disciples. This enraged Him, and in His rage He taught the first srryn the forgotten magics of the Flame. Sythraki warlords erupted from Sythtys onto the unsuspecting world, bringing with them the War of Fire.
The defeat of the srryn dealt a crippling blow to their pride, as well as their numbers. However, in it, Fenthira had revealed to them the new rival which would drive the race toward supremacy. In the following ages, the cults of Sythrak and Sitheus would persist, seeking to regain their prominence and overtake all things warm-blooded. Fenthiran worship has gone largely unnoticed in the modern age because of the closeness of Sythtys to human society. However, as always, She drives Her children to new challenges, and further steps toward their brutal destiny.
Goals and Methods
Fenthira is as close to an innovator as the srryn know. As Her primary goal is to prove the supremacy of herself and the srryn, She encourages Her cultists to use any means available to them in the furtherance of this. Unlike Her sons, however, Fenthira's drive for the primacy of the srryn has little malice to it; She has no desire for the destruction of the other races. Indeed, their presence is ultimately beneficial, that they appreciate the might of Her children.
While the swamps always remain a home to the followers of Fenthira, She urges that Her followers grow beyond the nest. She most favours those who strive to break moulds, to introduce new notions to the species. Those worth keeping will survive, and those of no value will fall aside, forgotten. In Fenthira's eyes, the only worthy tradition is a new one.
Organizations and Followings
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Individual Followers
almost exclusively srryn. favours gladiators-- should be obvious, they are all about showing, proving supremacy. favours water templars - both for taking hold of forces that both should and have kicked srryn ass, but also for reinforcing the things that srryn do best.
probably a small following, at least in sythtys; they seem kind of hidebound over there.
Relationships
generally compatible with dolgrael, due to her emphasis on competition; less so with enirra because of her disdain for the underdog. good aligned gods wary as she is fickle but not outright malicious. iandir a non-fan for much the same reason, rveyelhi outright contempt because of her naturalist bent and no meaningful tolerance of city laws. aelin gods generally ignore her; lilune thinks she's easily exploited for extra bloodsport. sythrak and sitheus both see her as a prize to be competed for, which she encourages.
