Meda

Divine Overview

Portfolio

Meda is the motherly component of Maru, the Father and creator god. However, Maru is believed by most cultures to be parthenogenetic, giving birth to the other gods himself. So Meda, rather than being associated with the birth aspect of motherhood, is instead viewed as a protective goddess. To put it colloquially, she is the goddess protecting against all that goes bump in the night. This is closely intertwined with her astral domain, the goddess of stars, which are seen to be her eyes, guarding the world.

Plane

Beliefs as to where Meda 'resides' in the cosmos are much more diverse than with Maru. Meda's Eyes are believed by most cultures to be part of her. She is also associated with the moon, which varies between being the largest of her eyes or a separate plane on which she resides. Some cultures view the stars as her, or her actual eyes, or separate astral bodies she somehow controls from her lunar plane.
Certain days of the year allow Meda to be closer or further from the mortal plane. Meda's Night is one such day, when her eyes are seen to "blink" and allow the dark creatures of the world an opportunity to run amok. Other times, particularly in the polar north, feature dazzling displays of lights in the sky, believed to be Meda combatting the Obscure Ones.

Historical Overview

Primordial Origins

While Maru was the father and creator, forging the cosmos and the mortal plane, there was more out there beyond him. As a group, they are most commonly called the Obscure Ones, beings from beyond the cosmos, dark divines. While Maru worked, Meda watched, the embodiment of his protective essence. When the sun, representing Maru, went down, the stars were all that was left to provide against the dangers of the night, so early mortals associated these with Meda.
In the grand workings of the cosmos, she is a protector against the Obscure Ones and their influence alone, but such an esoteric issue was beyond the minds of most, so she came to be associated with all protection.

Contemporary Views

Anhara

In Anhara, Meda is interacted with through two main aspects. First is Meda the protectress, embodied by the Order of Astrae, the foremost knightly order. Second is that of Meda the watcher, the deity that guards against creatures of the "other side."
Meda the protectress is held in high regard by elite members of society, an inspiration to the nobility. Most families hope to have members one day brought into the Order of Astrae, a mythical order of twenty paladins, believed to hold the mortal world together by protecting against the Obscure Ones' influence.
Meda the watcher is held in high regard by the more everyday, rural residents of Anhara. She is associated with community festivals like Meda's Night, where villages and families gather together and feast to make it through a night full of dangers. While this aspect of Meda was a constant recipient of prayers by ancient Anharans, today it is largely confined to certain days of the year. However, the relatively few Anharan priesthoods of Meda view this as a success, equating the less frequent prayers with the dangers of the Obscure Ones becoming less prevalent.

al-Tahat

Boreal North

Litoric Islands

Panag Rho

Divine Classification

Creator God

Domains

Astral
Light

Portfolio

Creation
The Stars
Protection

Titles

She Who Watches From Above
The Weaver

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