Bernice
Bernice is the god of knowledge. All of the beings created by Astrid that are sentient and/or can use magic were assisted by Bernice.
Bernice is a member of the second tier of the Seese Pantheon- divinities created directly by Seese. Members of this tier are gender-fluid. The elder gods are often viewed as capricious, and as such their names are rarely used, lest one draw their attention. Some of Bernice's euphemisms include: Bookbinder, The All Knowing, Ink Fingers.
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Knowledge is sacred and must be protected.The heart of Bernice's worship in Ereza is the Free City of Bernice. The largest library on the continent is located there. Writers of all kinds and academics are welcome to free room and board in the city, and many are paid a stipend to encourage their continued literary pursuits. Due to this, it is a great center for education, and it has elevated the livelihood of writers across the continent as nations must fight to procure their talents. As knowledge is sacred and must be protected, priests of Bernice scour the world for new works to add to the library. The priests also duplicate certain works to make them available at temples to Bernice all across the land- all of which also serve as libraries to honor the god's great gift of written language.
Clergy
The Librarius is the highest rank, followed by Scriptori, Codexi, Illuminate, and Biblioph Laypeople usually just call them priests. The Illuminate travel looking for new books and manuscripts, teaching those in rural communities how to read, and bringing them books. Codexi and Bibliophs run the temples and the libraries within. Scriptori and Bibliophs fashion new tomes and make copies.Progeny
Bernice has three children:Mythology
The elder gods were brought into existence after the Celesti, or Star Beings. It was they who created the world and filled it with life. Gen sculpted the planet and Astrid the beings that populated it. Bernice was uninterested in it all at first, but as Astrid's creations became more complex, They became curious. Together, Astrid and Bernice imbued beings with sentience and some received a gift they called magic. Through their union of purpose they bore their child, who they also named Magic. Bernice was curious to see how the beings blessed with intellect would make use of it. The god was mostly pleased with their ingenuity and encouraged them to discover language. Bernice was enjoyed their innovations, especially communication, but noticed that much was lost if it could not be passed down. In an effort to help them retain gained knowledge, Bernice taught the most devote a written language. There was a time when Bernice wondered if a simple creature, whose creation They had not been a part of, could be taught to speak and write. One day, the god found a young, orphaned boar and sought to answer the question. Bernice named the boar Gullin and became devoted to his education. Gullin never learned to speak, but he was changed by the god's attentions. Along with learning to read and write, Gullin gained not only golden quills, but the gift of immortality. It is said that the boar carried a magical book in its mouth, and if you could catch him, the book could impart vast knowledge.--
Divine Classification
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