Church of Danu
Dogma
- Don't be sorry for the eternal cycle of things. Growth and harvest are the most natural part of life.
- Oppose destruction for its own sake without a new creation.
- Protect trees and plants and don't let a day go by without helping something grow and thrive by taking care of it whenever possible.
- Always make the earth fertile and let living beings take care of it.
- Avoid fire as a source of destruction.
- Keep the seeds of fruits or plants for the cycle to continue, plant a seed or small plant at least every ten days.
- Hate those who do unnatural things. Sweep away the evil and counter the darkness at every opportunity.
Scriptures
The Lay of the Seldarine - An extraordinarily tragic poem, the Lay describes the separation of the Elven peoples during the arrival of darkness. It serves as a reminder of the need to defend life and family ideals, and to always remain vigilant against the Dark.
The Book of the Good Harvest - It is a book written in very ancient times and in verse with a somewhat cryptic interpretation and its origin and authors are not certain. It seems to refer to the cultivation and raising of livestock, but in reality it concerns both the behavior of the faithful of Danu and a compendium of prophecies and oracles, many of which have proved to be true.
The Tales of the Wise Owl - This is a book of "children's fairy tales" that contains uplifting tales that illustrate the life of the woods and the natural cycle of life. It is widespread in almost all homes and is considered one of the few books written by a deity, it is believed that the basic tales were written by Danu herself for her young children, it is often updated with new tales in the form of parables.
Worshipers
Both Sindran and Arborean elves revere Danu as their protector, although the cult of him is popular among all races. Even those who are not faithful to it respect it and recognize its power and authority.
In times of famine or drought, special celebrations are often organized in her honor to ask for her benevolence. It is not uncommon to find temples erected in Danu at the end of famines or other times of crisis.
Often all children in a community are educated in a Golden Order temple and therefore have a basic understanding of the dictates of worship.
Very small or very remote communities often have a cleric of Danu as their only point of reference. During the imperial occupation this fact allowed to keep alive the cult of the New Gods, despite the obligation to worship the Imperial Cult and that the clerics were persecuted.
Groups of faithful, despite the danger of being discovered and betrayed, acting in secret, protected the priests by creating a sort of "resistance", which remained active during the centuries of the occupation.
In the areas freed from the imperial presence this movement became one of the bases for the rebirth of the territories.
However, when followers of the Darkness appear, Danu's followers often form highly skilled teams to hunt down and wipe out their influence.
Clergy
The clergy of Danu are reborn in the liberated areas of the imperial yoke and are divided into 3 orders, called the Golden, Green and White Order. This division is due to the presence of three very charismatic figures who have formed around their people, three different aspects of Danu's faith.
The Golden Order is the order that takes care of the "Golden Harvest" side of the Goddess. It is the most widespread order and even the smallest villages have a Danu priest of the golden order, educate children, bless the crops, help the ranchers with livestock, celebrate weddings and the last rites. The Golden Order is made up of clerics and laity who work together for the community, whether it is formed from a small village temple to a richly decorated cathedral.
The Green Order is devoted to the wildest aspect of the Goddess and acts as a protector of nature, taking care of conserving and protecting territories outside the borders of villages and cities. They help travelers navigate the roads safely and sometimes face out of control and dangerous creatures. Regardless of danger, they create Druid Circles in woods and clearings in the Wilderness (Outdoor) in areas where the dangers seem greater or darkness begins to manifest.
The White Order focuses its action on the charitable side of the Goddess, Giving birth, Healing the Wounded and the sick and so on. They have small and large monasteries which they call "House of Hospitality" which people call "Ospitale", and which take care of the children, especially those abandoned, in "House of Innocents" which they manage. There are rumors that many Witches and Alchemists are part of this order.
Paladins
An order of paladins linked to the Danu church is the The Emerald Knights order. They are a militarist offshoot of the Golden Order mainly spread in the Kingdom of Arborea. The selection to join is extremely tough, integrity and firm faith are required. The training lasts 5 years, and not a few of those who start the path fail to complete it.
Upon completion, the new recruits are sent to various garrisons to search for Aberrations, Demons, and other creatures of the Darkness.
An order of Rangers called The Way Watchers is on a mission to make travelers walk safer when crossing the Outside. For this mission many of them are travelers who join the caravans that defy danger, while others patrol paths and roads while keeping hidden from view.
It is not unusual for them to have secret shelters which they use for rest, treatment and as bases of operations.
They are masters of camouflage and are able to move without being perceived by most creatures. This ability allows him to survive the dangers of the Outside and to warn or help caravans and travelers of the dangers that await them along the way.
Often they are people who are refractory to the military hierarchy and consider themselves equal to each other. Only the accomplished deeds and the respect earned count in their eyes. To identify themselves they often wear an oak leaf brooch to fasten their cloaks.
Monks
One of the best known and most popular religious orders are the Spedaliers. They are an order of clerics, monks and doctors devoted to serve at the Farpost (Safe Places) of the Outside. In addition, they often go to war zones, where they set up temporary hospitals to assist the wounded.
They are not a militant order in the strict sense, therefore not trained to fight with weapons and armor, but they have developed a defensive martial art discipline called the Palm of Mercy, which allows them to easily avoid enemy attacks and to inflict holds and blocks that incapacitate the opponent without killing him.
They usually wear long white tunics with the symbol of order, cut into particular shapes so as not to hinder them in the event of a fight.
Clothing and Symbols
Danu’s followers often wear amulets or rings bearing his symbol, the eight-pointed silver star. Ceremonial robes often feature the colors of spring such as light greens and blues interspersed with bright flashes of floral patterns and colors. Many believers often craft beautiful floral crowns and necklaces for celebrations and holy days.
Rituals
The daily ritual of the Danu cult is "Bread Making"; every day wheat is ground and loaves packed, which are then distributed in the temple and to families. This is not seen as an act of charity but as a sharing of the benevolence of the Goddess. If a priest cannot perform this ritual, he must at least bless the food before eating it.
Holy days
The four great feasts of the cult are the Solstices and the Equinoxes, in which the cycle of the phases of nature and the renewal of the world are celebrated. During these holidays, especially during the Spring Equinox, girls and boys of marriageable age are adorned with flower wreaths or necklaces to get noticed.
Babies born during these holidays are considered special and blessed by the Goddess.
Faithful of Danu who become warriors plant tree seeds near their village. In the event of the warrior's death, the portrait or the name of the fallen will be engraved on it.
When a believer dies, seeds are placed on their graves, which as they grow will restore to nature what they received in life.
Places of Worship
The wilderness is sacred to Danu, and many followers designate striking waterfalls, vibrant mountain meadows, and clearings within ancient forests as sacred sites. Within society, most of Danu's most impressive temples are found within elven cities and feature stunning architecture and beautiful craftsmanship.
Most of the small temples also function as Hospitals, while in the larger cities the three orders each manage their own structures.
Relics
Panoramix Sickle - It is a golden sickle used to collect medicinal herbs and roots. It is able to identify all kinds of herbs, even the legendary ones, guiding the owner like a divining rod. All the components collected through the Panoramix sickle have maximum effectiveness and always generate excellent effects.
Golden Fleece - It is a fur obtained from the mantle of a legendary and unique animal, sacred to the goddess Danu. At her death the fleece continued to shine with sacred light; whoever wore the mantle was immediately cured of any kind of injury, disease or curse. Used to counter the effects of darkness, it was lost during an expedition to the territories of darkness.
The Infinite Cornucopia - It is a metal horn of exceptional size, capable of constantly producing food. It is kept in the great temple of Naneth, and is used for a banquet which is celebrated every day for pilgrims who come to the temple.
Myths and legends
The Hydra of Chaos - In the ancient chronicles the story of the first meeting between Danu and Melethis is told; A terrifying creature known as the Hydra of Chaos threatens an entire region, killing and devastating, Many unsuccessfully attempting to stop it, until the two young Heroes confronted and killed the foul creature.
The Cure of Panoramix - During a long famine, Panoramix, a druid of the church of Danu, arrived in a village where the inhabitants were dying of starvation; the druid realized that behind the famine there was the hand of Darkness, using his sickle and praying to the goddess he gave life to a dead tree from which the benevolence of the Goddess sprang and spread, who managed to heal the earth and inhabitants.
The Legend of the Patronus - The goddess is said to have countless fairy creatures at her service, but the most famous is the Patronus, a white spirit deer that the goddess uses as a messenger. Any believer who sees the Patronus, even in passing, is pervaded by a sense of joy and motivation to carry out their daily duties. Whoever receives the visit of the Patronus becomes "Hand of Danu" and will do everything in her power to fulfill the request of the Goddess.
Danu and the Little People - Legend has it that Danu is the protector of the fairy people that she saved from a horrible fate. As a token of thanks they help Spedaliers and Way Watchers avoid dangers and warn them of the threats looming around.
| Clerics of Danu | |
|---|---|
| Symbol | A Plentyful Basket or a Sheaf of Wheat |
| Favored weapon | Staff, Tool instrument, Long Weapons |
| Deity Domain | Good Domain
Animal Domain Plant Domain |
| Rituals | |
| Granted Powers | |
| Holy Items |
- Aj'Snaga Serpents
- Altan Avian
- Amazon Human
- Arborean Sun Elves
- Cheara Felines
- Dail Humans
- Desert People Human
- Dularian Human
- Elean Moon Elf
- Garowian Leonid
- Gelmundzecht Dwarves
- Kerak Goblins
- Ki Spirit People
- Minoan Minotaur
- Ormitikós Centaur
- Sarlerian Human
- Satiraxys Satyr
- Shen Humans
- Sindran Green Elves
- Sivasni Plainsman
- Sobral Human
- Strigoi
- Susaydian Rodhian Human
- Touranian Gnomes
- Valerian Human
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