Thellyne, Goddess of Woodcraft, Nature, and the Hunt

in The Three sisiters

  Light-footed, Keen-eyed, Silent, the Huntress, the Archer, the Fair Sister, the Eye, the Woodland Guardian, the Golden Sister     Thellyne (thell-EEN) is the neutral good goddess of the woods and woodcraft, including hunting, trapping, tracking. She’s the matron of woodsmen, hunters, rangers, and all others whose lives rely on the forest.   She is associated with the hunting hawks, dogs, and horses, but most closely with the hunted: the stag and the hart, greatest of all hunted creatures. Unicorns are also sacred to her, for she helped to create them when she first met the druids. All people who love the woods love Thellyne, which means she is not terribly popular with dwarves.   Elves favor her, but so do the humans, halflings, and gnomes who reside in or by wooded regions. Rangers and barbarians are her most frequent worshipers. Rarely, druids revere her over Eliwyn. She has few followers among those interested in cities, high culture, or refined learning. Thellyne is shown as shorter than the other two Sisters. She has long golden hair, knit into a long braid or left flowing behind her.   She wears greens and browns to blend into the woods, and a long white leather cloak, attached to a great helm made the White Hart’s skull. From this helm protrude the enormous white horns of that mythical beast. She is usually depicted as an elf. On her back or in her hand rests her great yew bow, Gwedryl, which means the True Seeker.   Like her sisters, Thellyne is represented by her crown—in this case, a pair of great, white horns. Those faithful to her will often wear a pair of actual horns about their necks or affixed to their helms, though they can use a painted symbol. Sometimes the symbol is the full image of a stag or hart.  

Guardian of Nature

Thellyne is known as the Woodland Guardian by mortals and gods alike. She places the woods and nature above other concerns. She observes the classical ethos of the hunter: respect for the woods, love of the animals, and gratitude to those creatures who give their lives to the hunt. She ignores mortal society, and conflicts between law and chaos bore her. Rather, she loves the calm and beauty of the woods and opposes any evil which would destroy it. Thellyne also opposes the organized efforts of good people to ruin the natural woodlands, even if it would benefit their communities. Unless shown proper respect and appeased by sacrifice, mortals have learned it’s unwise to clear her woodlands, no matter how worthy their reasons.   Thellyne stays out of Heaven’s politics. She remains in the mortal world and, while she adheres to the Compact, dwells in the world’s deep woods nonetheless. Most assume she associates with the powerful druids in the grove of Eliwyn, hidden from all but a few mortals, or abides for long stretches of time among the fey, in their fairy woods. Regardless, she is an elusive and private goddess. While she provides powers to her clergy, she rarely answers prayers.