Kandetreath
Goddess of Death and Shadows
Divine Domains
Kandetreath holds domain over Peaceful Death and Shadow.
As the goddess of Peaceful Death, Kandetreath and her aspects appear whenever death is close at hand to provide a loving and peaceful one. Many worship Kandetreath and will often pray to her that their death will come in their sleep or surrounded by their loved ones.
As the goddess of Shadow, Kandetreath works alongside the Moon to stretch darkness and night across the land. She can manipulate shadows to cloak herself or devoted followers and become hidden from sight.
Artifacts
A menhir was erected at the site where it is said that Kandetreath first died. A fair elven maiden wearing a raven skull circlet is carved upon its surface. The maiden's eyes are shut as if she were merely asleep. The stone itself seems to be centuries old carved of a strange blackened stone that has never been recorded before. It is said that the likeness carved upon the statue is Kandetreath herself but no one knows for sure as the goddess has supposedly been seen in the form most comforting to the dying.
Many consider the Thorned Staff, detailed below, to be a mere legend. No one in the current age has ever seen it and many records of ages past were destroyed in the Undoing. It is said to have great powers and the Church of the Purple Rose seek to discover and claim it.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Kandetreath's symbol is an ebony staff topped with an obsidian crystal known as the Thorned Staff. This symbol is often seen in churches in carved stone reliefs, but in the more developed areas of the world, you may even find it depicted in stained glass murals. The Thorned Staff is said to be one of the symbols of Kandetreath due to her supposedly using it to catch shadows and pull them across the land. Kandetreath's staff is made of ebony with a crest of obsidian and is said to be so sharp that it can spear shadows and drag them through the land. The thorned purple rose, known as the Moondrinker rose is said to be the other symbol of Kandetreath. The dark shade is said to represent enchantment and royalty. With Kandetreath's aliases as Queen of Shadows, Maiden of Death and many more, it stands to reason that the Moondrinker rose is used to acknowledge this. Many hypothesize that the thorns on the rose signify that while the death she brings is peaceful it is still painful to those around them—a beautiful rose that symbolises beauty, peace, and enchantment, with thorns reminding that it still hurts.
Another common symbol of Kandetreath is a raven carrying the Moondrinker rose. How the raven carries the rose can be a means of communication. If the raven carries the rose in its beak, one should speak carefully as danger may lurk near. If the raven carries the rose in its talons, one may move freely as it is safe to do so. If the rose is coiled around the raven however, the displayer is in grave danger and you must not approach. A raven in flight displayed alone on a field of purple is a sign of sanctuary to those who seek it. Only those who are part of the Church of the Purple Rose may know the meanings of these symbols so as to keep them safe from any who would seek to do harm.
Tenets of Faith
- Do not fear the end, Kandetreath may accompany us all.
- The darkness is not an enemy, it is our friend.
- Do not wake the peaceful ones, in life and death they main remain at rest.
- On the darkest days and brightest nights give praise to the Queen of Shadows.
- Watch the ravens, they tread the veil of death and life.
Holidays
Day's Night
Once a year, in the middle of winter, the sun goes dark for a full day. The sun sets the day before but the moon does not come. The moon and sun do not rise or set until the dawn the day after, leaving the world submerged in darkness. Here in the shadowiest day, Moondrinker roses will not open and instead, hidden beneath their thorns and petals, small white flowers known as moon blossoms begin to glow. Once the moon blossoms begin glowing followers of Kandetreath will gather at sanctuaries and sacred grounds to worship their lady and welcome the dark. It is a time of peace and reflection, thanking the divine for the year past and welcoming in the new. Just before the sun rises once more and the moon blossoms close, Kandetreath's followers harvest them to make moon blossom wreaths to decorate their home until the Night's Day when they are taken down once more.
In ancient times, this time of darkness was known as the Day of Rest, and no creature would work on this day in honor of the Ancient Sun, Ancient Moon and Ancient Terra who rested after the creation of all things.
Night's Day
Once a year, in the middle of summer, the moon glows almost as brightly as the sun, bathing the world in his pale glow and glittering starlight for a full day. The sun sets the day before but the moon comes slowly, the biggest and fullest he is seen through the year. He seems to fill the sky and he does not set until the twilight the day after. In the brightest night the Moondrinker rose remains in full bloom the whole time, seeming to glow under the moon and drinking in his light. The moon blossom wreaths from the Day's Night are taken down on this day and laid to rest under the Moondrinker roses. During this time, followers of Kandetreath become busy cleaning and refreshing their homes and lives letting go of the past and dead since the last Night's Day and welcoming what comes next.
In ancient times, this time of light was known as the Moon's Dance, and regular work would stop in favor of enjoying the Ancient Moon's cleansing light. Many would choose to bathe under his light and spend much of the time nude.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
This is the story of Kandetreath according to her most devoted followers and historians.
Long ago, when the world was young, the Ancients had created the first races: the many elves, the dwarves, the beastkin, gnomes and man. The dragons came to the world and settled in far reaches. The world was at peace. Kandetreath is said to have been born to the Order of the Moon. Not much is known about her childhood, but it is believed that Kandetreath went by Kir for her childhood though this is not based on anything in particular. However, for the purposes of this record, we shall accept this belief for now. Kir is said to have served alongside her elders to worship the Ancient Moon and that this is where her divinity began. Kir became enamoured with the shadows of the night while serving under the Ancient Moon. She prayed to the Ancient Moon, sang its praises, made offerings to him and worshipped at his altar. It's said that she soon became the youngest priestess of the Order of the Moon. Under the tutelage of her elders, Kir ascended through the ranks, becoming a shaman. She served happily for many years until disaster struck. Little could anyone have known that these peace times would come to a sharp end.
A plague took hold of the Order. Kir's people were already sensitive to harsh light, choosing to sleep during the day and worship during the night, but the plague turned their sensitivity tenfold. The light touching them caused them to agonizingly burn, blisters appearing rapidly as they were paralyzed from the pain. The plague turned their eyes from their rich hues to a milky white, agonized by the light. Kir and the other shamans, priests and priestesses, all spent countless, sleepless days researching what they could, praying for answers, trying new remedies and cures. Nothing worked. Their people were dying faster than they could heal them. The only respite coming in shadows. Feeling lost, Kir began trying to pull the shadows over her kin. She tried to soothe their pain so their last moments were peaceful. Desperately, she reached for the sparks of magic within the world and began pulling them. She darkened the sparks and made them large. She swept it over their encampment, burying them in darkness. It eased the plague for a time. Her efforts and development of this spell earned her her name, Kandetreath. This spell would later come to be known as Kandetreath's Sanctuary. For the spell to remain however, she had to recast it every day. Finally, after a year of daily casting, she woke up one night to find her spell remained standing. It continued to stand long after, some even believe that it still exists to this day, hidden somewhere. Able to dedicate her energy to more than just the maintenance of their sanctuary, Kandetreath threw herself into her work; healing her kin and trying to figure out how to stop the plague for despite their continued efforts over the past year, they were no closer to stopping it.
Something something she sacrificed herself for her people and arose as the Goddess of Peaceful Death and Shadow. In honor of her sacrifice a menhir was erected at the spot of her death and ascension.
Divine Classification
Deity
Current Status
Exploring Oxerune to see its inhabitants
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Queen of ShadowsMaiden of Death
Date of Birth
??? BU
Date of Death
??? U
Children
Pronouns
she/her/hers
Sex
Female
Gender
Woman
Presentation
Androgynous leaning feminine
Eyes
Dark grey, hooded eyes
Hair
Long, sleek, raven black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
203 cm
Weight
86 kg
Quotes & Catchphrases
"Do not fear the shadows, embrace them, for they are your constant ally, even on the brightest day."
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