Zrajil

Goddess of song and birds, Ziljan is very much a free spirit, encouraging all of the world to dare and create and express new ideas.

Divine Domains

As goddes of song, Zrajil has great respect and debt to the mortal species created by the Six Sisters. Where Skolm, God of Books, tends to view what mortals have made with contempt, she sees great accomplishment. She only created the concept, and originally a primitive means for some of her birds to communicate at distance. The invention of instruments was all them, with the help of Hjanda, as well as all means used to communicate how songs are played. It would be fair than to think of her less as the governess or even steward of the world's songs, so much as she is the audience and muse of every musician or would be musician in all of T'sara.
With birds, Zrajil has a more active and vocal role as their protector, especially after the devestation that they've often suffered. Just as she has insisted that there are no bad musicians, just those who need more practice, and no bad songs, Zrajil is defensive of all of her avian creations, that even the supposedly haggered or unsightly birds are beautiful in their way, or are vital to the world. She is fond of the songbirds, naturally, but she is as much a defender and advocate for the vulture and other beasts thought of as pests.

Artifacts

Zrajil has blessed many instruments through T'sara, played by especially talented bards or friends. In northern Cygia there is a Cathedral dedicated to Zrajil, with an organ and acoustics so grand that it is said that it made her cry on hearing. The entire Cathedral has been blessed by her; that any performer or aspiring musician who plays here will find untapped talent and skill so long as they are in the building.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Because gods constantly change appearance, depicting them in art is difficult. For the goddess Zaljir, followers and artists typically depict them in one of two ways. First, it is common to depict a musician with a golden or silver instrument being played. Secondly, using birds as a stand in for the goddess of birds is generally understood. Artists tend to use songbirds as a standin, thinking them to be Zaljir's favorite, even though her favorite bird and creation is the Cassowary; a large and ornery flightless bird.

Holidays

As most holidays, religious or not, have singing involved in them to some degree, Zrajil has her part to play in them. She's been known to give creative nudges to mortals for songs related to different holidays, and keeps detailed notes regarding her favorite songs.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Zrajil wants to see everyone capable of singing effectively or playing an instrument. Far from her wanting every person to be at the level of a bard or other professional musician, she wishes to see everyone at the level in which they are comfortable enough to perform in front of others without fear.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Zaljir's manifestations in front of mortals are typically in the form of elves, humans, and halflings being more associated with bards. Orcs and Dwarves are no less prone to songcraft, just not in common institutionalized form like the Bard's College, and so Zaljir has been known to manifest as those races as well. In whatever form she takes, there's usually eccentric and colorful flourishes, either in fashion or in physical appearance. She has also been known to manifest as birds

Physical quirks

Zaljir's tendencies for bright fashion have often lead her to adopt manifestations that are not naturally feasible in the species that she is presenting as. Most typically, the hair color is in unnatural shades of pinks, blues, or greens.

Apparel & Accessories

feathers commonly adorn Zaljir's appearances, either sewn directly into the clothing, or worn as an accessory around the wrists or directly in the hair.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

After Ihstar created the first trees and with them, the first forests and jungles of T'sara, Ziljan saw it as an open canvas to which to work. She sought to create animals that would be at home between these trees, and even inside them. Her creativity went wild, far beyond what would be suited for these wooded climates. She would than proceed to make birds for all environments.
She found that in the crowded jungles and forests, that her birds were having difficulty finding one another. She invented a way that they would be able to find each other without being able to see each other. She granted them what she called Song, sounds communicated to provide an implied meaning or purpose. This concept would carry on to many other creatures in the world, but they would really find their full purpose with the higher beings created by The Six Sisters. Elves, Humans, Orcs, Dwarves, and Halflings were all immensely creative in their own ways, and Ziljan found them all exhilirating to see what they would came up with.

Sexuality

The god of music has a very romantic soul, but also maintains an open spirit. She is both polyamorous, and demisexual. She only becomes sexually interested in those she has deep personal relationships with, but does not confine herself to only being tied to one soul at a time. Many would think that her sexual desires therefore are tame and quiet, but those who claim to have lain with her are consistent in describing her in having both an incredibly flexible and deep desire.
Being perhaps the first performer in existence, she is fond of and encourages open displays of desire and sexuality, even engaging in sex for public display.

Failures & Embarrassments

Zrajil would feel a failing after The Fey Crisis that many of the types of the birds he created would be eliminated, unable to survive in the new ecosystems. Too many of them were too tailored to the world her siblings had created, and quickly died off after the sundering. She would not be the only God or Goddess for whom this would be the case, but her birds seemed especially susceptible.

Morality & Philosophy

Zrajil is an ardent believer in self improvement, as well as personal, not just physical, growth. The Six Sisters did not create mortal life to be limited, with exception to some physical impossibilities. What the mortals are capable of is only impaired by what they put infront of themselves, mentally. She sees that too many mortals are so afraid of failure that they don't even make the attempt to try, which is terribly sad to her.

Personality Characteristics

Likes & Dislikes

Zrajil has a mixed feeling about The Bard's College, and other schools regarding song. She likes them for the encouragement and improvement of songcraft, and for being a library of recorded songs. She sees them as necessary for the world to reach her dream, but is dismayed in that the mortals seem to be opposed to that dream. Zrajil believes that any living thing is capable of song, and that all sound is or can be musical. The colleges, by nature of mortal requirements of time and energy, cannot welcome everyone, and have adopted meritocratic ideas of accepting only the already capable to make them even better, rather than working to improve the basic fundamentals of wider populations. Because the colleges tend to be run by humans and elves, they also tend to become echo chambers where only the music they create is worthwhile, with elvish cultures being particularly well known for fostering snobbery.

Vices & Personality flaws

Although being very accepting and complimentary of the work of others, Zrajil is very meticulous and critical of her own work, often praising the creation of mortals as being greater than her own. Some skeptically believe this to be simple flattery, but for the few that are familiar with her, this is a recognizable pattern: she wants her own work to be perfect, and it hasn't been perfect since the Lost Age. This has never stopped her from creating, but it is rare for others, even Gods, to bear witness to her countless works in progress.

Religions

• Pantheon of Performers

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Ziljan is sometimes also known as the Mother of Music

Aligned Organization

Pantheon of Performers