Lady of the Skies
The Lady is a goddess in the Alamarri Pantheon. She presides over all that lies above Korth's domain, such as birds and wind. She also watches over the dead and is very much revered for always looking out for her people.
Tenets of Faith
Ritual priests who worship the Lady are known as Sky Watchers. Their religious duties primary consist of reading the portents of the Lady of the Skies to interpret her will and presenting the bones of the deceased as offerings to her. Most believers of the pantheon see the Lady as a kind mother who watches over them and aids in their time of need, though such gifts are meant to be rare and never demanded.
As well, rather than cremating their dead as many Andrastians do, those who believe in the Alamarri pantheon dismember their dead and offer them to the Lady through her messengers, the birds, in what is known as a sky-burial. For most, the body is laid out and prayers given. When the bird comes, they carry the soul of the deceased to the Lady of the Skies.
Some souls are chosen to return, a blessing that is considered a rare honor. Avvar augurs read the signs at birth to find such worthy individuals. In order to return, an offering provided by blood-kin and prepared by a huntsmater is made to Korth and buried beneath the body. A piece of the soul thus remands, allowing the rest to return to the world and be reborn.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
"When we were still young, the Lady watched from the eyes of birds as people ran from fate fearfully, knowing that an end was always at hand. Many a times she saw those who wept as both blade and flame cut heart from mind. As Hakkon returned to the halls of Korth and the two began fighting, the Lady watched with slyful eye. A song of great beauty had met her ear, one of longing and sorrow, pleading and devotion. The Lady called every creature of air back to her side and demanded to know who had created such hymn. The beings of wind and sky all sat silent and the Lady grew impatient. The song began once more and as the Lady looked around, all her creatures were silent. She brought eagles to her side and had every being of sky fly in the skies above her as she followed the voice. The Lady was brought lower and lower until in the lowlands, and stood before her a lone beautiful woman. The woman looked to the Lady with misty eye, and heard the claps of heaven thundering above. She fell on knee and gave praise to the Lady, 'I take my kind from scorched and cracked plains,
We tribes with blades by farming blunted chase and fight through parting pains.
To the lands, shorn of shelter, burnt peaks give flame its bite,
Must find sanctuary from earth beneath and flames lighting the night.
Not will wrath of demon ever get to kill,
Shall not break apart my tribe as I have will.' The Lady told the woman that the fight above would not last, and that Korth would be displeased to see the Lady working behind his back. She explained that days would not last forever, and that north would lead to gilded cities where whispers spoke in dreamer's ears. On the beaks of birds, messages would carry. The creatures of sky that the Lady brought with her still swarmed the skies and without much time, they flew down and surrounded the Lady where she then disappeared within. The woman returned to her tribe and began traveling north, not sure what to look for. After thirty days, the woman and her tribe found themselves away from cracked plains but were tricked. Above them sat a monster of sky that watched with keen eyes. Cataclysmic fire began to rain down from above, worse than had ever been seen before. As the beast neared, the woman who had met the Lady let loose her lips once more, 'Beast no blade could break comes roaring, mountains slip their winter gown,
You I choose above a crown!' Lightning split the spitting rains and the beast was sundered over prideful heights. It fell in rubble down, crashing and crushing in earth's mad shaking. Tears of the Lady fell from shrouded sky and touched flame-licked air. A cloud of steam rose to block Korth's vision and quickly the Lady came down to the woman. The Lady began, 'All I ask of thee is to watch the movements of my children of sky for they shall be fleeting, but with each flap of wing shall carry the words of a thousand omens. And when winds take the last breathe from thine, my messengers shall come with simple tune. Let one's chorus of being fade to whispers and come to me, for I shall open my halls where my closest of kin once were. Song and dance, family and friend, blood and mind shall gather in these waters and wash thyself of all impurities.' The woman looked to the Lady, knowing of her intent, and also gave her voice to the Lady for hopes that one day another would be born of such a voice when fate could no longer be ran from." — A tale often told by shamans, thanes, and other believers in the Old Alamarri faith
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