Synékia
"There is a beauty and peace in the night that can never be found under blue skies. But there is also a deadliness lurking just beyond the reach of the eye. What a perfect combination to command."Leiron the Skulker, cleric of Synékia
Synékia is goddess of the night. She has always been a mysterious figure, and little is known for certain about her or her general motivations. She is said to have invented the night by coaxing shadows out of hiding till they took dominion over half of the entire world. She exists wherever darkness does, and throughout the conflicts of the Age of the Meydra she took various sides but more often simply observed from the shadows. Synékia is depicted as a lithe woman draped in black robes with a large hood, with extremely pale skin and large eyes, and is said to frequently take the form of a raven, a wolf, or a black cat. Because of the former, it is often speculated that she and the Raven Queen are one and the same, although there has never been any other evidence of this being the case.
Relationships
Synékia's husband was Kaeli. The union of night and day gave birth to the four elements: Kishike, Alaya, Dagmar, and Lesh. Synékia was also mentor to Miranelle, Lady of the Stars.
She had several enemies among the Meydra, some more bitter than others. Included among them were Lekatash and Zhamat.
Followers
Synékia's followers, the clerics among whom are called "Laylans," typically embody ideals of deadly power which is left unused, training hard but rarely engaging in conflict except when necessary. They are proponents of strong defense being the best offense, they place heavy emphasis on skill in strategy and their motto is "Silence masks depth." Their teachings also emphasize careful placidity, focused on a personal quest for knowledge, but with the distinct acceptance that such a quest can never truly end or succeed.
"Though some do perceive and explain it as a lack of altruism, most who know a thing or two about either her or her beloved know that they were ferociously in love, and that love was true. When I say she was about herself, it's because she understood that that was all she had control over. In accepting that she was powerless, she became one of the greatest subjects of fear and trepidation in history. Isn't that strange? What a beautiful dichotomy."Arverya Swiftwalker
Laylans generally wear black robes and coats but their tunics hidden underneath have been observed to be any variety of colors, which are reported to represent a variety of factors, such as age, rank, and personal directive.
Associated Customs
"Checkmate": Laylans have a few chess-related phrasings, and place emphasis on silence and inscrutability during strategy. The fullest version of the expression is, "The first spoken word of any fight should be 'Checkmate.'"
Scored candle: In some regions in Jeltir and Avera it is common to place a candle with long marks carved into it in the window by night to ward off nightly harm that may be sent by the goddess. Some regions do not require marking the candle. The reasons for this vary from the candle being an offering in reference to her youngest son, Kishike, to the marks tricking her into believing the home has already been attacked.
Midday silence: It is common for devotees of Synékia to ensure that they spend a few minutes in complete silence at the beginning of the noon hour as a microcosm of unending subservience to the night goddess.
Winter solstice: The longest night of the year is marked as the 23rd of December. Devotees of Synékia sleep for a few hours in the late afternoon, waking up as dark begins to fall to snuff out all lights and hold a quiet vigil through the night, singing traditional songs (which often include mimicries of bird calls in attempts to summon owls, the appearance of which is seen as a blessing) and eating traditional foods, but mostly praying, either silently or in groups. Temples of Synékia are always closed to the public on December 24th, with black banners hanging on their doors.
Divine Domains
Night, shadows, the unknown, strategy, the blind, watchmen
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