Othara, Lady of Parting

Othara is a solemn deity, and her followers believe that she is the one who guides the souls of the departed to the afterlife. But unlike other death gods who require a complete soul, Othara takes what she can of those she manages to recover from the rime and ice of Cerln. The trinkets left behind, usually small items like rings or lockets, act as tokens that Othara can use to track the rest of the soul of the departed, ensuring they are brought to their place upon the Sala Tapestry safely. The religion that worships Othara, Shalhost, originally began on the continent of Baruilden. The Baru desert was a harsh environment, and the people of Shalhost believed that their souls were like threads in a tapestry, woven together to create a grand design. They believed that each person's thread was unique and that when they died, their thread was completed and set forever upon the tapestry.
However, when the practitioners of that religion migrated to the frozen continent of Cerln, the new realm forced a change in the Shalhost's beliefs. These new people of Cerln believed that their souls had become fragile, frozen by the ice that surrounded them, and that parts of their soul could be shattered or consumed by the harsh environment. To protect their souls, they began leaving behind small trinkets as offerings to Othara, allowing her to incorporate the lost portions of themselves back into the weave.
As the religion evolved in Cerln, the focus shifted from worshiping the tapestry to the importance of protecting one's soul. The trinkets became more elaborate and more valuable, and the act of leaving behind an offering to Othara became a common practice in the continent's culture. Even those who did not follow the religion would leave behind trinkets as a way to ensure their souls were protected after death. And for those unfortunate enough to arrive at an untimely end, Othara has been known to provide them with a necessary token to leave behind.
In the end, the migration of the Shalhost religion allowed it to evolve and adapt to the new environment, taking on new practices and beliefs that reflected the harsh landscape of Cerln. The Goddess Othara, the Lady of Parting, also heralded in Baruilden as Othara, Weaver of the Sala, became an even more important figure in the lives of the people, and her followers became even more devoted to leaving behind offerings to ensure the safety of their souls.

Type

Religious, Other