Aenar

Aenar is often known as the Father of Elves, or the Golden Guide. He is a god of fortune and luck, and the patron god of the high elves. He was also said to have created all of the gold in the world, and had told the elves to use it as currency, beginning the age-old practice of associating gold with wealth. Aenar is the brother of the cast-out Drisiira, mother of the drow. It was said that the two siblings were born of the mountains themselves, twins of the earth who claim to be the direct bloodline descendants of Ei, the Allmother. A very powerful and influential god, he is part of the Highest Circle, and is considered one of the most commonly worshipped gods of all time.
Alignment: Neutral good
Official Symbols: A classically cut diamond shape, also often symbolised with gold.
Other Symbolism: Gold, Flux, bronze, aspen trees. Pearls. Warm colours in the gold, brass and copper spectrum. Velvet. Fine parchment. Gold dragons. Intricate hair braiding.
Usual Gender Presentation, Pronouns: Masculine, He/Him
Plane: The Gilded Grove
Power Level: Greater deity
Portfolio: Fortune, wealth, luck, invention, geometry, high elves
Domains: Fortune, forge, light
Relations to Other Deities:

• Drisiira, twin sister

Generally considered revered or important in teachings: Curiosity and invention, even in the face of risk. Self-growth and self-care. Pilgrimage to important historical places. Ceremonial lighting of torches, candles or lanterns with intention and meaning. Friendly competition, helping others grow. Leadership with strength and confidence. Bringing your fortune and luck to those who need and deserve it.

Generally considered wrong in teachings: Hoarding wealth. Stagnation of ideas and lack of innovation. Not seeking a higher version of one's self.

History

Worship of Aenar is fundamental to most high elf cultures. High elves teach the worship of Aenar in almost all of their schools, and it is unusual to find a high elf individual who does not at least casually devote some of their time to worship. Most houses have shrines to Aenar physically built into their structures. The association by other people of high elves being tied to wealth almost always comes back to Aenar. The importance of wealth in Aenar's worship is often misunderstood. Wealth is a small part of his portfolio, and it is usually brought about by his ties to luck, fortune and gold as a metal on its own.
His worship is not restricted to those of high elf blood- fortune, luck and wealth and common reasons for prayer and worshippers come in many shapes and forms from varied cultures. Aenar is known by other names in other cultures and sometimes by variations in symbolism. Sea elf temples to Aenar are a lot more pearl-centric than gilded or diamond-studded, for example.

Worship

Aenar continues to be one of the most powerful and heavily worshipped gods in Sedia. Since the drow turned their back on Drisiira, he has had little contest for worship and power. He is worshipped by most high elves and a fair deal of others who wish to gain his favour for good fortune across a great span of cultures. His worship is a common occurrence among business people, sailors and seafaring folk, adventurers and travellers and those practising medicine. It is common for those who do not worship Aenar daily to instead complete a pilgrimage in a time of need. The Golden Gate Temple in the Auran Mountains is frequented by those facing hard times in an attempt to have the god smile upon them. Pilgrims bring sacrifices of family trinkets of great symbolic significance and cast them into the stream in an attempt to appease the god and toss them into the gold-flecked stream as offerings.
Because of the large amount of worship that Aenar receives, he is powerful and his presence on the material plane is more than obvious. There are a broad range of official and unofficial churches and groups that follow his teachings; a large sect of paladins known as The Gilded Knights, as well as a group of powerful all-female clerics known as the Daughters of the Diamond who specialise in invention and progress. Also notable are the clerics of Aenar who once serviced the high-elf royalty in Astrellos before the revolution, and the small group known as Aenar's Chosen, of which little is known.

The Gildrún

A small sect of paladins, easily recognisable by their plate armour decorated with gilded filigree and golden tabards. The Gildrún ride the roads and sail seas offering their aid to travellers and merchants, offering their entire lives in service of the people in Aenar's name, brining luck to the less fortunate.

Daughters of the Diamond

An all-female sect of clerics based out of Astrellos, this small and very conservative group devote their time and worship to invention and tinkering.

Relationships

Drisiira:

Drisiira is Aenar's twin sister- born from the mountains, they both claim to be derived directly from Ei's blood. Aenar and Drisiira always had a bitter rivalry, both striving to complete their vision of the perfect people to grace the world with, and both disagreeing on how to go about it. Aenar surpasses his sister greatly in power. Drisiira has lost the following of the drow, and struggles to exist on scraps of worship and power.

Known Artefacts and Relics

Aenar is particularly well known for having many associated relics. He is generous in rewarding curiosity and innovation, and there are many ancient first-age relics, as well as more recent ones.

• The Star of Aenar
• Leaves of Aenar