Anandaat

Summary

Ananda/Anandaat/Anandat is a deity of the domains of Life and Light. She is sometimes called Industry, and is known to have dominion over craft, labor, and healing. Ananda manifests as a young woman with pale hair and skin. Her symbols are a torch (light domain) and an outstretched hand (life domain). Her sacred animals are horses, ants, spiders, and beavers.

Origin

Anandaat is said to have been incarnated as a mortal, the child of an unknown god placed into a mortal woman. Legend says that she was a renowned craftsperson, a hard worker, and a healer, and that she married a man from a neighboring village.
The village was attacked by a hero of the Old Gods leading an army of monsters, and Ananda's mother and father (in some versions; in others, her twin, or sometimes her husband) was struck down, and she realized her divine powers at once. From that moment, she devoted herself to unifying the lands against the capricious tyranny of the old gods.

Historical Basis

There is little independent historical evidence for the origin of Ananda. Most of this comes from the goddess herself, in the form of her scripture, which has remained essentially the same throughout the last millennium. 
There are some external sources that confirm there was a brutal attack on a coastal city by giants or orcs at around the right time for the legend, but the location of the city has never been confirmed, and Ananda isn't saying. This also doesn't seem to line up with the legend, as the legend specifically tells of small villages, implying that there were few or no large cities at the time (an assertion belied by archaeological evidence in Venezia, for one). 
It is frowned upon in religious circles to bring up the contradictory evidence, but there is a lively debate about it among the more daring of the priesthood.

Cultural Reception

Ananda is the hero of the story and the de facto leader of the three gods. She is also the most widely worshipped, in everything from labor unions to centers of healing.

Date of First Recording

0

Date of Setting

50 BET

Related Organizations

• The Church of the Trinity