Vandria Gilmadrith
Elven goddess of War, Guardianship, Justice, Grief, Vigilance, and Decision
Steelheart, Lady of Grief
Goddess of war, guardianship, justice, grief, vigilance, and decision
Intermediate goddess
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Law, Protection, War
Symbol: Weeping eye
The daughter of Corellon Larethian by his original consort Araushnee, Vandria was once as carefree and high-spirited as any other member of the Seldarine. However, when Araushnee led a treacherous assault on the Seldarine, Vandria gathered forces to defend the other elf deities. The resulting carnage forever sobered her and cemented her commitment to aiding her people at times when taking up arms becomes inevitable.
Like Corellon Larethian, Vandria Gilmadrith is a war deity, but where Corellon epitomizes the glory of individual combat, Vandria embodies strategy, tactics, alliances, and close cooperation on the battlefield. Such innately lawful aspects of war are alien to the chaotic soul of the elf, so Vandria normally has few followers among the elf race. Still, even elves must sometimes learn to work together for the greater good, and her worship blossoms as never before when war looms on the horizon. Known as Steelheart for her steady nature and steadfast protection, Vandria represents the ability of the elves to harden their carefree hearts and band together in times of trouble.
Vandria appears as a middle-aged female elf with white hair bound in a severe braid, bearing an expression of grim and sorrowful resignation. A pair of feathered, steel-gray wings sprouts from her back, and an ornate silver helm with no visor protects her head. Her elven chain gleams with a radiant light, and she wields a longbow and a greatsword in combat.
Vandria feels the death of every elf who perishes on the battlefield, the pain of every elf maimed in combat, and the grief of all those who lose loved ones to war. Thus, her primary interest is in preventing war and in shortening it when it becomes necessary. Ever vigilant, she keeps watch for dangers that threaten the elf race. On the battlefield, elves sometimes claim to see her folding her wings around a threatened unit to protect it, or pointing out a hidden foe.
As the only lawful-aligned deity in the elven pantheon, Vandria holds sway over laws, contracts, alliances, and all other types of formal agreements. Elders weighing judgment in disagreements always invoke her and pray for the wisdom to dispense punishments fairly. Elves who need to make critical decisions sometimes seek her counsel when faced with a difficult choice.
Because of the sorrow she feels when war claims her people, Vandria Gilmadrith is also known as the Lady of Grief. All those who grieve, whether through losses from violence or through the normal passage of time, pray to her for solace.
Clerics of Vandria Gilmadrith begin their training by serving in the watch, sitting with elders while they hear disputes, learning about the traditional enemies of the elves, and serving as singers at funerals. As they advance, they may lead watch patrols, serve as seconds for aggrieved parties bringing cases before the elders, help to shore up a community's defenses, and assist the master of arms in training young elves with weaponry. When war threatens, clerics of Vandria help the ruler form alliances and plan strategy. They also instruct elf warriors in close combat techniques. As they are prone to telling warriors who tend toward too much independence on the battlefield, "A wave of arrows is better than a lot of single bowshots". After a battle, clerics of Vandria retrieve the dead from the battlefield.
Vandria's quests often require adventurers to visit rulers of other lands on diplomatic missions, to hunt down lawbreakers, retrieve stolen property, or to gather information critical to preventing or winning a war.
Because Vandria prefers defense to offense, prayers to her often take the form of promises to defend others. "Let not my arm falter", goes one common prayer,"lest the lives in my care be forfeit". A prayer for aid in judgment or help in making a decision might be expressed as "Let my eyes see clearly and my heart be as steel".
Temples to Steelheart are usually hidden fortresses whose locations are known only to her worshipers and clergy. Situated in defensible caves, beneath huge trees, or in hidden vales, Vandria's temples are stocked with weapons and supplies so that they can double as last retreats for the entire community. A few of her shrines are little more than simple tree houses situated at key vantage points so that her clerics can spot trouble on the horizon.
Vandria's clerics bless alliances and seal contracts. They also bless troops going into battle and lead memorial services for those whose bodies could not be retrieved from the battlefield.
Took a Level in Cynic: Her mother's betrayal of the Seldarine and the subsequent war that followed turned Vandria from being carefree and high-spirited into a grim and committed warrior.
War Goddess: War is never desirable, but sometimes it is necessary. When armed conflict is unavoidable, elves pray to Vandria Gilmadrith for prudent strategy and for victory with minimal loss of life.
Winged Humanoid: She has a pair of feathered, steel-gray wings which sprout from her back.
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