Milani
“You cannot compromise with evil or tyranny; you must rise up and fight for love, health, and life when they cannot be obtained peacefully.” —The Light of Hope
The Everbloom
Milani knows that freedom, much like a rose, can flourish under almost any conditions, though it must occasionally be watered with the blood of martyrs. She embodies hope, devotion to a cause, and the will to rise up against oppression. The Everbloom is worshiped throughout Golarion as a protector-goddess and a hero to those suffering under the yoke of tyrants and slavers. She is not a deity who enjoys violence, but she and her followers are willing to fight and even die to break the shackles of despotism and injustice. Revolutionaries call upon her for protection, and those living in bondage pray to her for the courage to rebel and claim their freedom.
Milani is relatively a new god, having ascended to full divinity only in the last century. Born a half-elf in a community of Forlorn elves over 2 millennia ago, Milani was raised to believe that the elves would one day return to restore true civilization to Golarion. When the demon Treerazer attacked Kyonin and the elves did not return to stop him, she embraced her human heritage and used her skills as a ranger to strike at Treerazer’s minions. For this, the living god Aroden blessed her and tasked her with protecting isolated human settlements. As Aroden’s champion, she famously defended the common folk against monsters, barbarians, oppressive lords, and diabolists for nearly a century. In reward for her service, Aroden sainted her and restored her youth. She spent the subsequent centuries crafting visions to inspire mortals to greatness. Upon Aroden’s death, bearing a tiny portion of the Last Azlanti’s power and maintaining part of his realm allowed her to gain a foothold on divinity.
Also known as the Everbloom, Milani is an outgoing goddess who still clearly remembers mortal life. Her religion is young and small enough for her to take a personal interest in the lives of her followers. Milani’s ability to directly intervene in the mortal world is constrained, but she offers advice flavored with familiarity and jokes whenever she is able. She sees every object as a tool for fighting oppression, from a common scythe that can cut through binding ropes to a printing press than can subvert a tyrant’s reputation. She also teaches that a common purpose makes the whole greater than the sum of the individual parts—whether that purpose is to start a revolution, drive out an unscrupulous lender, or just get through a rough spot in a marriage. A person must recognize and take advantage of her strengths, acknowledge and compensate for her faults, and push past despair to victory.
Milani manifests as a half-elven woman in the prime of life with stark white hair and white swan’s wings. She is usually dressed as a ranger, clad in homemade light armor made of leather and wood, and she carries a morningstar and shield. In art, she is usually shown breaking chains, slaying fiends, and leading peasants to overwhelm evil-looking knights.
Milanites seek to build a quiet camaraderie with the faithful of other good gods, especially gods who are friendly with Milani. While the church of Milani generally has very modest resources, these allied faiths are often willing to provide support for their noble causes. The greater resources of other religions often prove the deciding factor that allows agents of the Everbloom to successfully fund a rebellion or arm defenders against a rising tyrant. Milani opposes slavery—even debt-based or voluntary slavery—which puts her church into conflict with many people in countries such as Katapesh and Qadira.
The Everbloom uses her position as a less-worshiped goddess to her advantage, avoiding attention from—and conflicts with—evil gods, except under circumstances in which she can aid mortals to thwart the plans of her opponents. Asmodeus and Zon-Kuthon are her most frequent targets, for she despises everything they stand for, especially how they glorify their wickedness.
Milani instructs her faithful to hide their affiliation in regions where the churches of evil gods are strong. Milanites in such circumstances know that to declare themselves publicly would be to invite ostracism or execution, which would prevent them from eventually rebelling against those oppressors. They often covertly aid larger and stronger good churches in these regions.
Charl: This sandy-haired, sturdy young man is eager to visit the mortal world and lend his expertise to the common folk. He wields a pair of old hunting knives or a homemade shortbow. He prefers payment in the form of small stone magic items or gems.
Courage Heart: This unique outsider has two missions: to attack the powerful enemies of Milani’s church—especially undead who would subjugate the common folk, and conjured outsiders used to strike fear into mortal hearts—and to inspire hope among mortals with the strength to turn against tyrants. Once a mortal ranger serving Milani, she was an early champion of Galt’s Red Revolution when it deposed evil Chelish nobles. Later, when the movement become more about chaos and vengeance, she fought against it instead. She was executed as a Chelish sympathizer with a final blade that trapped her soul. Milani plucked the woman’s soul from the artifact and made her a herald. Now the martyred hero keeps her original name secret so her living Galtan relatives do not become targets by association.
Dallem the Lucky: This waifish young woman has black hair except for a white stripe in the front. Quiet as a ghost, she loves teaching others how to move silently and incapacitate opponents without killing them. She prefers being paid for her service with scrolls, sling bullets, and magic ointments.
Nyla: Nyla is said to have been Milani’s canine companion in life, granted sentience and immortality when the Everbloom became a goddess. The archon prefers her animal form—that of a white retriever—to her humanoid form, and enjoys using this shape to spy on enemies. She likes swimming and takes payment in the form of magical foods and potions.
Milani is relatively a new god, having ascended to full divinity only in the last century. Born a half-elf in a community of Forlorn elves over 2 millennia ago, Milani was raised to believe that the elves would one day return to restore true civilization to Golarion. When the demon Treerazer attacked Kyonin and the elves did not return to stop him, she embraced her human heritage and used her skills as a ranger to strike at Treerazer’s minions. For this, the living god Aroden blessed her and tasked her with protecting isolated human settlements. As Aroden’s champion, she famously defended the common folk against monsters, barbarians, oppressive lords, and diabolists for nearly a century. In reward for her service, Aroden sainted her and restored her youth. She spent the subsequent centuries crafting visions to inspire mortals to greatness. Upon Aroden’s death, bearing a tiny portion of the Last Azlanti’s power and maintaining part of his realm allowed her to gain a foothold on divinity.
Also known as the Everbloom, Milani is an outgoing goddess who still clearly remembers mortal life. Her religion is young and small enough for her to take a personal interest in the lives of her followers. Milani’s ability to directly intervene in the mortal world is constrained, but she offers advice flavored with familiarity and jokes whenever she is able. She sees every object as a tool for fighting oppression, from a common scythe that can cut through binding ropes to a printing press than can subvert a tyrant’s reputation. She also teaches that a common purpose makes the whole greater than the sum of the individual parts—whether that purpose is to start a revolution, drive out an unscrupulous lender, or just get through a rough spot in a marriage. A person must recognize and take advantage of her strengths, acknowledge and compensate for her faults, and push past despair to victory.
Milani manifests as a half-elven woman in the prime of life with stark white hair and white swan’s wings. She is usually dressed as a ranger, clad in homemade light armor made of leather and wood, and she carries a morningstar and shield. In art, she is usually shown breaking chains, slaying fiends, and leading peasants to overwhelm evil-looking knights.
Relations with Other Religions
Milani gets along well with most good gods, especially Cayden Cailean, a fellow ally of freedom; Desna, a hope-affirming goddess; Erastil and Torag, protectors of communities; Iomedae, a fellow servitor of Aroden; and Shelyn, the inspiration for perfect devotion. She is also friendly toward Kurgess, a deity with rural origins and a willingness to help others in need.Milanites seek to build a quiet camaraderie with the faithful of other good gods, especially gods who are friendly with Milani. While the church of Milani generally has very modest resources, these allied faiths are often willing to provide support for their noble causes. The greater resources of other religions often prove the deciding factor that allows agents of the Everbloom to successfully fund a rebellion or arm defenders against a rising tyrant. Milani opposes slavery—even debt-based or voluntary slavery—which puts her church into conflict with many people in countries such as Katapesh and Qadira.
The Everbloom uses her position as a less-worshiped goddess to her advantage, avoiding attention from—and conflicts with—evil gods, except under circumstances in which she can aid mortals to thwart the plans of her opponents. Asmodeus and Zon-Kuthon are her most frequent targets, for she despises everything they stand for, especially how they glorify their wickedness.
Milani instructs her faithful to hide their affiliation in regions where the churches of evil gods are strong. Milanites in such circumstances know that to declare themselves publicly would be to invite ostracism or execution, which would prevent them from eventually rebelling against those oppressors. They often covertly aid larger and stronger good churches in these regions.
Realm
Milani has two realms: a tiny one carved out of Aroden’s former realm in Axis, and one she has recently established in Elysium as a home more suited to her chaotic and goodly nature. Milani’s Garden, her Elysian realm, is dominated by maze-like fortresses of beautiful rose bushes, and is where she spends most of her time. After Aroden’s death, she created a defensible perimeter near the center of his collapsing realm, ultimately reforging those few square miles as her own divine realm, called the Refuge of the Red Rose.Planar Allies
Most of Milani’s divine servants are dead mortals granted sainthood, and most of those are human rangers with celestial heritage, veterans of many battles in life and after. Her most frequently conjured servitors are the following, and can be summoned with spells such as planar ally.Charl: This sandy-haired, sturdy young man is eager to visit the mortal world and lend his expertise to the common folk. He wields a pair of old hunting knives or a homemade shortbow. He prefers payment in the form of small stone magic items or gems.
Courage Heart: This unique outsider has two missions: to attack the powerful enemies of Milani’s church—especially undead who would subjugate the common folk, and conjured outsiders used to strike fear into mortal hearts—and to inspire hope among mortals with the strength to turn against tyrants. Once a mortal ranger serving Milani, she was an early champion of Galt’s Red Revolution when it deposed evil Chelish nobles. Later, when the movement become more about chaos and vengeance, she fought against it instead. She was executed as a Chelish sympathizer with a final blade that trapped her soul. Milani plucked the woman’s soul from the artifact and made her a herald. Now the martyred hero keeps her original name secret so her living Galtan relatives do not become targets by association.
Dallem the Lucky: This waifish young woman has black hair except for a white stripe in the front. Quiet as a ghost, she loves teaching others how to move silently and incapacitate opponents without killing them. She prefers being paid for her service with scrolls, sling bullets, and magic ointments.
Nyla: Nyla is said to have been Milani’s canine companion in life, granted sentience and immortality when the Everbloom became a goddess. The archon prefers her animal form—that of a white retriever—to her humanoid form, and enjoys using this shape to spy on enemies. She likes swimming and takes payment in the form of magical foods and potions.
Holy Books & Codes
It is customary to use a pressed rose as a bookmark in a Milanite holy text and, when giving a copy as a gift, to mark personally significant pages with individual rose petals.
The Light of Hope: The official book of the church begins as a history of Milani’s deeds as a mortal, supposedly written by her after she became a saint. It also includes homilies about family, defense, hope, and perseverance, and a few ritual prayers and songs. In some communities it is split into two books, one focusing on her history and the other on her specific lessons for mortals.
The Light of Hope: The official book of the church begins as a history of Milani’s deeds as a mortal, supposedly written by her after she became a saint. It also includes homilies about family, defense, hope, and perseverance, and a few ritual prayers and songs. In some communities it is split into two books, one focusing on her history and the other on her specific lessons for mortals.
Holidays
Individual Milanite communities celebrate anniversaries of patriotic war victories achieved with the help of civilian uprisings. The church also observes a moment of silence on the death anniversaries of local heroes. However, Milani’s church does not celebrate All Kings Day, for Milani hates the endless violence wrought by Galt’s Red Revolution.
Armasse: Celebrations of the Arodenite holiday of Armasse include teaching commoners to fight.
Even-Tongued Day: The faith celebrates freedom from Imperial Taldor on this day.
Foundation Day: On this day, the church observes a moment of silence for Aroden, who sainted Milani.
Liberty Day: The church in Andoran celebrates an uprising achieved with surprisingly little violence.
Armasse: Celebrations of the Arodenite holiday of Armasse include teaching commoners to fight.
Even-Tongued Day: The faith celebrates freedom from Imperial Taldor on this day.
Foundation Day: On this day, the church observes a moment of silence for Aroden, who sainted Milani.
Liberty Day: The church in Andoran celebrates an uprising achieved with surprisingly little violence.
Symbol
Edicts
confront oppression in all its forms, defend the common folk, overcome despair to seize victory
Anathema
abandon those in need, enslave or oppress others, harm the innocent through direct or inadvertent action
Areas of Concern
devotion, hope, and uprisings
Favored Weapon
morningstar
Domains
change, destruction, freedom, zeal
Divine Ability
Strength or Wisdom
Divine Font
heal
Divine Skill
Society
Divine Classification
Ascended Saint
Religions
Species
Church/Cult
Children
Aphorisms
As Milani’s followers are ordinary people pushed into extraordinary circumstances, many of the faith’s common phrases are used to inspire hope and determination.Find your hidden strength: The faithful understand that sometimes they must endure hardship to reach a better place. Milani teaches that humanity is at its very best when things are at their worst, and hope—courage of the heart—is a source of incredible power.
Know what is worth more than yourself: True devotion is the willingness to make sacrifices in order to protect something other than yourself. Whether this is a spouse, a child, your home, or freedom, by accepting responsibility for the things you love, you are given the choice to give up something to promote a greater good.
Peace, love, health, and life: Also known as the “Four Pillars,” these define the core of humanity’s gifts. The cost of any action should be weighed against these ideals—promoting one at the cost of another might be worthwhile if the rewards outstrip the costs.
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