Bellanaat

Bellanaat, sometimes called Bella or Bel, is the goddess of Tradition, with dominion over knowledge and nature. Her symbol is a beehive, a step pyramid, or a figure that is a step pyramid on top and a beehive on the bottom.
Her sacred animals are primarily bees, but also include bears, deer, wolves, foxes, rabbits, and frogs.
When Bel is portrayed as an incarnated figure, she is shown as a dark-skinned woman, from middle-aged to elderly, with light white or yellow hair, usually with pointed ears. In early portrayals, she was small in stature, but in more modern art, she is shown as willowy and tall. In one hand, she holds a scroll; in the other, an empty chalice.

Summary

Bella was considered a minor goddess before the Vindication. Current canon makes it clear that this is not because Bella was imperfect or weak; rather, Bella removed herself from the squabbles of lesser gods. She was a kind of witch-of-the-woods figure, a keeper of lore, always a friend and ally to mortals who came to her for aid, reviling the infestation of monsters and the threat they posed to mortals and the mortal world. 
When Ananda came to Bella and proposed that they solve the problem of monsters once and for all, Bella gladly accepted. Together they convinced Morbin to join them.

Historical Basis

There are very, very few records of previous pantheons of gods remaining in the world after the purge of the first two centuries of the Empire's rule. However, some documents have survived. None of those documents mention Bella in any way. There are no records of any legends of her, any stories or art, or any worship of her predating the formation of the Emprie.

Date of Setting

Year 0

Related Organizations

• The Church of the Trinity