Church of Sivanah
Most individuals have had occasion or need to conceal the truth at some point in their lives, and even the most honest can feel the allure of daydreams, stories, and other excursions into the illusions of the imagination. Sivanah’s faithful elevate this understanding to a worshipful level. Most of Sivanah’s rituals take place at dawn and twilight, honoring the way these transitional periods alter familiar places and cloak landscapes in mystery. It is traditional to visit her holy places and offer prayers at these times.
Those who worship the Seventh Veil do so for myriad reasons, but usually with the awareness that they will be met with distrust because of their deity’s enigmatic nature. For worshippers who value the mysteries at the heart of existence, or those who must disguise some element of their being for their own safety, the beauty and power of their faith is well worth the price.
Sivanah’s church is extremely mysterious to non-practitioners. While other deities also hold sway over secrets, Sivanah’s church is notoriously tight-lipped about its true beliefs and most of its practices, and instructs its members to use prevarication and misleading half-truths when they are questioned about its nature. Many clergy cloak themselves in both veils of illusion and literal veils, disguising their voices and hiding their true appearance, which exacerbates the suspicion that the church harbors nefarious goals (as does Sivanah’s trickster role in many folktales and myths).
The church has a centralized governing body, called the Seven Masks, but the identities of its seven members are concealed, even from each other, and their instructions and doctrinal decisions are conveyed through such circuitous routes that most members in the chain of command are unknown to the others. The majority of instruction comes from the clergy, but Sivanah herself sometimes speaks directly to her followers through reflections in mirrors and pools of water, or even through their own shadows—though, as her followers point out, there is no way to know for sure that these messages come from the goddess and not from other clergy members.
Despite the unease that such secrecy provokes from those on the outside, the church manages to allay some suspicion and gain goodwill and acceptance through the holiday of Seven Veils; this colorful, open-armed, and often riotous event celebrates local culture and the traditions and features of each race associated with Sivanah’s first six veils. Sivanah’s clergy cloak their town or city and its inhabitants in light illusions that conceal little, only enhancing the beauty of the surroundings and the people, and contribute their abilities to comic performances, generous-spirited practical jokes, and other entertainment. The clergy even remove their veils for the festival’s duration—though whether they then cloak their true faces in illusion is the subject of much speculation and debate.
The interiors of these temples can be intentionally disorienting, for Sivanah’s worshippers believe one must learn to distrust one’s eyes before being able to discern greater truths of the heart and mind.
A temple may be oddly shaped to distort perspective and give the impression that people standing on one side of a room are twice as tall as those on the other, or have trompe l’oeil murals or floor designs that present doorways or drop-offs where none exist. Many have no interior walls, separating rooms with shimmering veils or using movable mirrors to direct light to areas intended for different purposes when they are in use. Most have a room or large area that can double as a theater.
In gnome culture, worship of Sivanah revolves less around concealment of the self and more around the creation of sights and sounds to add color and excitement to areas where life threatens to grow dull. Gnome clerics of Sivanah enjoy presenting themselves as companions of fearsome creatures such as dragons or giants, though their intimidating protectors are often strangely shy, appearing rarely and saying little. Halfling clerics are also known to use these tricks, especially in areas where halflings are enslaved or oppressed. Naga, aranea, and elven clerics tend to focus on the mystical aspects of Sivanah’s worship, using illusions to reveal deeper truths, and exploring whether absolute truth even exists.
Humans in Sivanah’s clergy typically choose to devote their lives to the goddess for reasons as diverse as their own cultures. Many serve criminal organizations such as thieves’ guilds, or try to make life better for populations that are marginalized or distrusted. Some pursue mysticism, while others use their talents to create works of art, or provide their services to theater troupes and carnivals. A few offer their services as spies.
While most clerics of Sivanah hail from one of the six races represented by the goddess’s six veils, the Seventh Veil also has a strong following among fetchlings who make their home on the Material Plane. Fetchlings’ affinity for the Seventh Veil has given rise to stories that she originated from this race, a wildly controversial idea potentially supported by the absence of any mention of the goddess in surviving texts that predate Earthfall. Clerics of Sivanah spend part of their time tending to other adherents of their faith, but most also sell their services to anyone who requires disguises or illusions. To the surprise of those who do not worship the Seventh Veil, clerics of Sivanah often have strong feelings about the legitimacy of government, though they may not align with those of other Sivanans. Roughly half see a strong, centralized government as an essential tool of civilization, and may offer their aid to rulers by playing upon national myths, creating rituals and ceremonies to enhance prestige and control over the populace, and disguising the less glamorous or palatable aspects of what they must do to retain power. A recent scandal in Ustalav was sparked by the discovery that the local church of Sivanah had been working with the ruling family of the country for generations to seed legends supporting their rule. The other faction of Sivanans sees large-scale rulership over others as illegitimate, though they recognize the necessity of local governments and guilds, and use their abilities to help like-minded individuals hide their activities from the prying eyes of the state.
Some of Sivanah’s faithful have secrets they wish to conceal. Many have done something that violates the laws or mores of the lands in which they live, while others have a tragedy from which they wish to separate themselves. For many who have turned to the Seventh Veil to hide something that endangers them or causes them pain, discovery can send them fleeing, or the promise of redemption, a cure, or a solution to their problems can cause them to take up the adventuring life.
Adventurers who pray to Sivanah may evoke respect, curiosity, and even admiration from their companions, but most are slow to gain their partners’ trust. Many adventurers are predisposed to believe their Sivanan associates might use their abilities to stealthily take more than their fair share of the loot, avoid putting themselves at risk in dangerous battles, and so on.
Those who worship the Seventh Veil do so for myriad reasons, but usually with the awareness that they will be met with distrust because of their deity’s enigmatic nature. For worshippers who value the mysteries at the heart of existence, or those who must disguise some element of their being for their own safety, the beauty and power of their faith is well worth the price.
Sivanah’s church is extremely mysterious to non-practitioners. While other deities also hold sway over secrets, Sivanah’s church is notoriously tight-lipped about its true beliefs and most of its practices, and instructs its members to use prevarication and misleading half-truths when they are questioned about its nature. Many clergy cloak themselves in both veils of illusion and literal veils, disguising their voices and hiding their true appearance, which exacerbates the suspicion that the church harbors nefarious goals (as does Sivanah’s trickster role in many folktales and myths).
The church has a centralized governing body, called the Seven Masks, but the identities of its seven members are concealed, even from each other, and their instructions and doctrinal decisions are conveyed through such circuitous routes that most members in the chain of command are unknown to the others. The majority of instruction comes from the clergy, but Sivanah herself sometimes speaks directly to her followers through reflections in mirrors and pools of water, or even through their own shadows—though, as her followers point out, there is no way to know for sure that these messages come from the goddess and not from other clergy members.
Despite the unease that such secrecy provokes from those on the outside, the church manages to allay some suspicion and gain goodwill and acceptance through the holiday of Seven Veils; this colorful, open-armed, and often riotous event celebrates local culture and the traditions and features of each race associated with Sivanah’s first six veils. Sivanah’s clergy cloak their town or city and its inhabitants in light illusions that conceal little, only enhancing the beauty of the surroundings and the people, and contribute their abilities to comic performances, generous-spirited practical jokes, and other entertainment. The clergy even remove their veils for the festival’s duration—though whether they then cloak their true faces in illusion is the subject of much speculation and debate.
Temples & Shrines
Sivanah’s temples often appear to be something else entirely, for followers of the Seventh Veil pride themselves on hiding things in plain sight. A popular art gallery might contain a temple, as might a stately manor or a simple eatery. Many of these buildings do serve their apparent purposes, but for others, their disguises are only that. Some temples disguise their entrances behind layers of illusion magic. In cities, doors are sometimes placed in alleyways where the position of the walls hides them from passersby, or thick vines are hung before entrances to forest temples to distract the eye.The interiors of these temples can be intentionally disorienting, for Sivanah’s worshippers believe one must learn to distrust one’s eyes before being able to discern greater truths of the heart and mind.
A temple may be oddly shaped to distort perspective and give the impression that people standing on one side of a room are twice as tall as those on the other, or have trompe l’oeil murals or floor designs that present doorways or drop-offs where none exist. Many have no interior walls, separating rooms with shimmering veils or using movable mirrors to direct light to areas intended for different purposes when they are in use. Most have a room or large area that can double as a theater.
Clothing
Worshippers of the Seventh Veil are fond of scarves made of seven pieces of fabric in different colors knotted in a circle. Gnome spellcasters who revere Sivanah often dye their hair in four or seven different colors. Among wealthy worshippers, bracelets made of seven different metals have become popular tokens, noticeable only to the most observant and usually recognized only by other Sivanans. Sivanah’s priests usually wear veils and layered clothing that hide their shape and features, and may go out of their way to give false impressions of their race, gender, and other identifying characteristics.A Priest’s Role
Priests of Sivanah run the gamut from playful illusionists to inscrutable veiled mystics. Some don’t bother hiding their own appearance or nature, focusing on creating chimerical works of beauty or terror. Others conceal their race, gender, and true nature, with each false surface layered above another, revealing nothing real even to those with whom they are closest.In gnome culture, worship of Sivanah revolves less around concealment of the self and more around the creation of sights and sounds to add color and excitement to areas where life threatens to grow dull. Gnome clerics of Sivanah enjoy presenting themselves as companions of fearsome creatures such as dragons or giants, though their intimidating protectors are often strangely shy, appearing rarely and saying little. Halfling clerics are also known to use these tricks, especially in areas where halflings are enslaved or oppressed. Naga, aranea, and elven clerics tend to focus on the mystical aspects of Sivanah’s worship, using illusions to reveal deeper truths, and exploring whether absolute truth even exists.
Humans in Sivanah’s clergy typically choose to devote their lives to the goddess for reasons as diverse as their own cultures. Many serve criminal organizations such as thieves’ guilds, or try to make life better for populations that are marginalized or distrusted. Some pursue mysticism, while others use their talents to create works of art, or provide their services to theater troupes and carnivals. A few offer their services as spies.
While most clerics of Sivanah hail from one of the six races represented by the goddess’s six veils, the Seventh Veil also has a strong following among fetchlings who make their home on the Material Plane. Fetchlings’ affinity for the Seventh Veil has given rise to stories that she originated from this race, a wildly controversial idea potentially supported by the absence of any mention of the goddess in surviving texts that predate Earthfall. Clerics of Sivanah spend part of their time tending to other adherents of their faith, but most also sell their services to anyone who requires disguises or illusions. To the surprise of those who do not worship the Seventh Veil, clerics of Sivanah often have strong feelings about the legitimacy of government, though they may not align with those of other Sivanans. Roughly half see a strong, centralized government as an essential tool of civilization, and may offer their aid to rulers by playing upon national myths, creating rituals and ceremonies to enhance prestige and control over the populace, and disguising the less glamorous or palatable aspects of what they must do to retain power. A recent scandal in Ustalav was sparked by the discovery that the local church of Sivanah had been working with the ruling family of the country for generations to seed legends supporting their rule. The other faction of Sivanans sees large-scale rulership over others as illegitimate, though they recognize the necessity of local governments and guilds, and use their abilities to help like-minded individuals hide their activities from the prying eyes of the state.
Adventurers
Sivanah’s faith attracts both those with a strong streak of curiosity and those with something to hide. Many adventurers who worship her are driven to explore because they feel their homes can no longer offer them the mystery they crave. Even when they meet with great success, such individuals rarely remain settled for long, striking out for new vistas each time their surroundings become overly familiar.Some of Sivanah’s faithful have secrets they wish to conceal. Many have done something that violates the laws or mores of the lands in which they live, while others have a tragedy from which they wish to separate themselves. For many who have turned to the Seventh Veil to hide something that endangers them or causes them pain, discovery can send them fleeing, or the promise of redemption, a cure, or a solution to their problems can cause them to take up the adventuring life.
Adventurers who pray to Sivanah may evoke respect, curiosity, and even admiration from their companions, but most are slow to gain their partners’ trust. Many adventurers are predisposed to believe their Sivanan associates might use their abilities to stealthily take more than their fair share of the loot, avoid putting themselves at risk in dangerous battles, and so on.
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