Laila
The Night-Blooming Flower, The Passion of Love
One of the twelve celestial followers of Thierrin, Laila is sister of Eloa, and the duchy of Laileth is named after her. When Laila departed for Terre d'Etoile with Thierrin the other Stars, she left behind her necklace. The necklace is now a National Treasure of Cetoilais, and symbol of the office of Duc d'Laileth.
Description
Laila is depicted in story as a voluptuous woman of middling height, her skin pale and hair dark. No matter where she went, she caught attention and inspired laughter, lust and gaiety. In many artistic depiction, her necklace is made prominent upon her pale breast.Faith
The clergy of Laila wear robes of deep indigo that verge on black; homage to the night sky. Many take up service as Priests or Priestesses of Pleasure; sacred prostitutes who absolve others within the bliss of orgasm. Laila's sect numbers thirteenth of the thirteen Etoiline orders, and is known as the Order of the Night-Blooming Flower.Order of the Night-Blooming Flower
The Order is divided into seven sects named Petals. The Rose Petal holds that Laila yearned to spread pleasure's delight to the entire world, and is dedicated to the public celebration of delight, and organises feast days and festivals; given the reputation of Laila's clergy, it is worth noting that most of these are not orgiastic. The Begonia Petal believes that Laila stoked desire through presentation and the teasing out of desire, and is dedicated to the hedonistic arts, bending their desire for pleasure in the service of design, painting and lascivious song. The Sunflower Petal purports that Laila knew that physical pleasure alone is lacking, and is dedicated to intertwining physical and emotional delight, and are comedians and performers, using bawdy performance to coax smiles and arousal alike. The Helleborus Petal believes that Laila sought pleasure as an means to instil peace in others, and seeks to explore the more cerebral forms of pleasure through soothing, slow, deliberate activities such as meditation and mindfulness. The Periwinkle Petal believes that Laila sought to heal the world through pleasure, and they try to ease pain in the depths of pleasure; Perwinkles will lie with those suffering, numbing pain and bestowing pleasure. The Indigo Petal believes that Laila sought pleasure for pleasure's sake; this Petal is made up almost entirely of Priestesses and Priests of Pleasure. The Violet Petal believes that Laila's true love was for her younger sister, and celebrates love between members of the same sex; while such couples are not uncommon in Cetoile, other lands are less accepting of such unions, and pairs of Violets will often travel in an attempt to normalise homosexual attraction.Inheritance
Laila taught her children myriad methods of pleasure, a physical expression of love leading to bliss.Laila's Necklace
A necklace whose chain is crafted from black pearls formed into tiny links. A diamond dangles from it, colours shifting inside the stone. This necklace is a symbol of office, worn by the Duc d'Laileth. The necklace has a slight hypnotic effect on people who see it, leaving them more susceptible to the wearer's influence. It is one of the national treasures of Cetoile.
Children
Comments