Laressa, the Knight Ascended

The Champion of Deception

Laressa is known as the Goddess of Twilight's Cunning and holds the sixth seat of the Celestine Pantheon.
She is considered the goddess of elegance, theater, and deception.
It's said that Laressa was once a being of the Nether, a defiant soul who sought to master the ways of the light, a deed unimaginable in ages past. In order to do so, she infiltrated the Aether itself and would eventually become one of its very champions. However, her actions would eventually be revealed, the celestial guardians taking her before the gods themselves to be judged. But where many saw wickedness, the gods saw the purity in her heart. Despite her ancestry, she was granted a place within the celestial realms, serving as a guardian of both light and darkness.

Appearance

Despite Laressa's origins, most have long since come to accept her celestial aspects more so than her fiendish roots. But even so, she's often said to maintain a more humble form, showing no favor towards bearing any truly divine aspects. She's often clad in the garments of a knight, favoring a lack of armor more often than not to best display her beauty and allow for more nimble movement.
Should she ever possess any divine qualities, she may on occasion bear the wings of celestials or the tail of a fiend. But most importantly is the light within her body. Stories say that she's the night itself, consuming the sun every day to make way for a new one to rise. As such, she's often depicted with a glowing form, slowly fading as the night turns truly dark. Other, more abstract, depictions make her out to be a dark creature veiled in a cloak but its rare to find these outside of ancient records.

Personality

Laressa has a youthful spirit and is well known for enjoying a devious trick or two. She has no issue using deception and wit to get what she wants, knowing well enough to delve into her roots when the situation calls for it. This can leave many fearful of her true allegiance but rarely does she delve into any acts of wickedness. While she may work towards her own ends from time to time, she more often than not prefers to raise people up with her bright and cheerful nature.
Having once used disguises and false stories to achieve her desires, she's since taken command of the stage. She loves to inspire others to use their skills to weave stories for others to enjoy, evoking a wide range of emotions within. She firmly believes that one must embrace every aspect of one's true self to truly shine. Both light and dark, joy and sadness, only those who conquer both sides of the coin can stand tall as a beacon for others to follow.
While she certainly loves to remain a free spirit and do as she pleases, she has no issue taking orders from her masters, so long as her duties involve mortalkind. Just as she loves a good story, so too does she especially love history where mortals rise beyond their limits. She takes great joy in watching mortalkind stand up to forces from beyond their own lands, often lending a hand to those who strive for goals others believe impossible to achieve.

Abilities

While often not the first thing that comes to mind, Laressa's domain over the night allows her to wield the silver light of the moon. This is but one of her many gifts of light, using even the celestial radiance and terrifying glare of the Aether and Nether itself to infuse her attacks with power. Her skill with the blade is matched only by few, weaving in strikes as she dances across the battlefield with great elegance.
She'll often use her tricks to aid her in battle, creating traps and leading her foes to a stage of her choice. Here she'll have prepared every advantage she can to make a fool out of her enemies, rarely having to engage them directly. If ever she's aided by allies, she'll bolster them with her blessing, from inspirational morale to the raging fury required to crush any and all who'd stand before them.

Worship

Among those who look to Laressa for guidance, rebellious nobles share a particular kinship with her. Many have claimed to admire the majesty she often radiates and choose to break free of the chains that bind them to their nobility for a better life. Meanwhile, her passion for the stage has lead to most theaters and traveling performers to honor her name with their shows. The duality of her being also leaves her with followers of both good and evil, many striving to evoke joy in hearts of others while some only care for guidance towards her mastery of deception.
As such, it can be difficult to tell which side her followers lean towards, leaving some particularly wary when engaging with their lot. This is especially true during any performances made during open festivals in the streets, most making sure to keep a close eye on their valuables. But some merely want to inspire greatness in others, often traveling the world in search of new inspiration for tales to tell or plays to perform. Regardless, even the most noble among them aren't afraid to use their cunning to best those who get in their way, or evade the law when their actions might take them down a shadier path.

Commandments

• Let not your past dictate your future no matter what obstacles lie before you.
• Through charm and wit may we win the hearts of even the most horrid souls.
• Master the many masks of the soul and walk amidst commoners and nobility alike.

Notable Relations

Allegiances

• Jayle - Walking in both darkness and light, many believe Laressa to often walk the shadows and maintain strong ties with Jayle to master his realm.
• Nox - Laressa's knighthood is said to be the mark of Nox, once serving as his squire and ever respectful towards her former teacher for his inspiration.
• Salhaan - With ties to many realms, Laressa keeps a close friendship with Salhaan in order to weave silvery words with ease when caught between two forces.

Oppositions

• Ossara - Regardless of the many faces Laressa may wield, she has no taste for the wretched horror of undeath and shows disdain towards Ossara's hideous nature.
• Ylora - Often associated with playing tricks on the hearts of others, Laressa is no friend of the virtuous zeal of Ylora due to her more carefree demeanor.
• Lyn - Many believe that Laressa's origins are that of a devil under Lyn's command, the two forever enemies after she left her fiendish home behind.

Divinity

Goddess of Light's Cunning

Title(s)

Keeper of the Setting Sun
Celestial Trickster
Lady of the Crimson Light

Moral Compass

Whim & Goal

Symbol

Setting sun behind a smiling white mask

Phrase

Smile forever in the face of danger

Reputation

Honored

Presence

Illusive

Plane

Dhalamir 

Realm

The Celestial Forum