Avanthe

Avánthe
Old name: *Evuén

Mother goddess, Mistress of Heaven, Maid of Beauty, Mother of Devotion, Wife (in a non-physical sense) to Hnálla.

Avánthe seeks a smooth-running and well-ordered world, one in which all things flow gently along towards Hnálla’s final Perfect Light. She stresses a patterned rhythm of cooperation and symbiosis, and her ceremonies commemorate the cycles of nature: the spring, sowing, the rains, and the harvests. Avánthe aids women in all circumstances, those who maintain the clan and the community, men and women who are devout pillars of society, the supporters of justice, and those who struggle against Change.

Tenets of the Temple
Avánthe focuses upon the day-to-day cycles of birth, marriage, age and death, renewal and expiry, the waxing and waning of life. Avánthe's doctrines seek the maintenance of the cycles of life. Thus She seeks to quell disturbance, restore balance, and repair the persistent damage caused by the worshippers of Change.

Noble and Ignoble Behaviours:

- Do be brave, loyal, obedient to authority, honest, industrious, temperate, and wise.

- Don’t be selfish, treacherous, deceitful, cowardly, willfully ignorant, or lazy.

- Do honour women, nourish your clan, and protect the weak with your strength or wealth.

- Don’t abuse women, waste the products of earth, use violence carelessly, or fail your kin.

Theology
Avánthe is charged with the rains, the harvests, and the periodicities of fertility, so She is to the common folk a Goddess of Nature. Her interests include the arts, the sciences of agriculture and animal husbandry, navigation and ocean travel, and much more.

Blue-eyed children are the "Curse of Avánthe". Villains and monsters are depicted with blue eyes. The belief is that a blue eyed child is impure, or an evil entity in child form.

Outer Doctrines
Colour(s): Sky-blue, royal blue, sapphire-blue, and gold.

Symbol: Avánthe's symbol is a circle with rays descending from it.

Astrology: Lady Avánthe is believed to watch the world "through the eyes of Shichél," the blue planet which is the fourth from Tuléng, Tékumel's sun.

Numerology: Avánthe's number is two, which is described by numerologists as being feminine, loving, secretive, cherishing and sincere.

Aspects: Lady Avánthe has 93 Aspects.

Priestly Vestments: Priests of Avánthe wear sky-blue robes and chaplets of gold, while her priestesses wear similar robes but are bare-breasted and have headdresses of blue-lacquered Chlén-hide and golden bracelets and armbands. Worshippers wear kilts of sky blue.

Rituals
There are ceremonies whenever the rain falls and, as the gongs call out, Her clergy rush forth with their arms up to accept the gift of precipitation.

Sexual Rituals
The fertility rituals of Avánthe are described as "flowing rivers of fecundity" and Her ceremonies are wild and joyous. Avánthe celebrates the joy of pleasure as the gift of fertility, such as in Her annual "Revelation of the Maid of Beauty". Many of the celebrations and rituals of Avánthe involve the performance of public sexual acts involving one or more participants. Her orgies are open and public.

Daily Rituals
The great gongs boom at dawn (Morning Choir), midday (Choir of the Midday Rituals), and sunset (Ritual Dance). The gongs also sound whenever it rains.

Death Rituals
Worshippers of Avánthe bury Her people with their hands at their sides, almost always under the aegis of Lord Belkhánu's priests.

The Afterlife
Avánthe’s heaven is serene and tranquil – a paradise of lakes and streams under a clear blue sky. The blessed till the soil with the aid of magic beasts and servants and pass their time in joyous fertility rites. They are then reborn in the world: the “seeds” of Avánthe’s faith, resown to fertilize the universe.

Avánthe’s hell is a barren Plane in which there is no order, no pleasure, no predictable cycle of being, and no repose.

Sacrifices
Gifts of fruits and grains, flowers, and crafts are accepted. A celebration for Lady Avánthe might include a served up Hmá to the crowd "in Her name", but is not a formal sacrifice.

Food Taboos
Many of the worshippers of these two Deities are vegetarians who eschew not only meat but fish and eggs as well. Vegetarianism is not a doctrinal requirement of the priesthood, as Avánthe is a cyclical goddess who recognizes the place of all creatures in the cycles of life. To eat, and to be eaten, are both part of the rhythm which Avánthe supports.

Inner Doctrines
Language - Thu'úsa is employed for academic and doctrinal writings.

Soul - Avánthe seek a smooth flow of being from birth to death, the joy of companionship, a symbiosis with nature, and an end to selfish individualism. She thus prefers a gentler, milder focus upon the Balétl (the Body) and

the Pedhétl (the raw emotions) than does Her counterpart in Change, Lady Dlamélish.

Inner Rituals
The Inner Rituals of the Temple of Avánthe do not differ greatly from the Outer Rituals, they simply explore more deeply the theological ramifications of the Lady's worship, becoming more and more complex and intense as one progresses.

Secular Activities
Agriculture

Farmers of all faiths come to Her in times of difficulty, and Her priestesses bless the crops, heal illness, wipe out blights, and support the proper procession of the seasons. The Temple of Avánthe, therefore, has tremendous power even among those clans which support other Temples.

The Temple of Avánthe has considerable support among the seafaring clans who fish and transport goods. She is also a favorite of the higher clans, whose interest in the Arts leads to generous support for Her Temple. Finally, a great many of the craftspeople of the Empire worship her.

Women's Medicine

Gynecological and obstetric matters are handled by the priestesses of Avánthe. Her priestesses occasionally work closely with priests and priestesses of Keténgku, for whom the healing arts are a specialty. Clergy of these Temples maintain healing wards on the temple grounds themselves, but also go out among the farms and villages to attend to peasants of the rural areas.

Women's Advocacy

The Temple of Avánthe is involved in supporting women who have been sexually or physically abused. In the matriarchal north of Tsolyánu. Any male who persistently abuses a clanswoman will find himself nakomé (without clan), or even on the tall end of the Impaler's stake. In the patriarchal south of the Empire it is more likely that his clan might be able to pay Shámtla and then dispatch the fellow on a very long excursion.

Animal Husbandry

Avánthe encourages respect for animals, and Her sanctuaries have stables and veterinary facilities as well as markets where the beasts can be bought and sold. No slaughtering ever takes place on Her premises.

Publications

The Temple's involvement with fertility and agriculture has resulted in the production of valuable textbooks covering crop ailments and veterinary medicine.

Power Centres
Avánthe is popular throughout Tsolyánu, but especially in the central regions along the Mssúma River.

Politics
Avánthe's influence is broadly felt in agricultural areas, but She also has many interests in the politics of the Empire (Farming, textiles, craftspeople, artists, shippers, warehousing, fishers, net-weavers, etc.)

Within Avanthár and the precincts of Béy Sü, the Lady's political contacts push for tax reforms on agricultural interests, etc., but not in a militant way. The Court of Purple Robes always has influential members of Lady Avánthe's agricultural interests within it.

Avánthe does not have as much influence among the members of the Military Party, but she is well-represented in the Royalist and Imperial parties.

Factions & Secret Societies
The Purity of the Land - A sect is dedicated to the elimination of crop disease, and is composed primarily of scholarly and administrative priests with specialties in agriculture.

The Joyous Burden - This party seeks the enhancement of the capabilities of Chlén, such as greater strength and speed, intelligence and docility, greater fertility and survival of young, etc. Alliances with wealthy mercantile clans, the

shipping and Chlén-raising clans, and some of the lowest clans, such as Polished Stone, whose task it is to keep the Imperial Sákbe roads clean.

The Girdle of Purity society - Environmental issues, active in the Priestly Party; supports economic and agricultural improvement. The Girdle of Purity society of the Temple of Avánthe desires stronger, more militant measures and an active role in politics.Occasionally allies with the Karakán's Clan of the Sword of Righteousness.

Company of the Eye of the Storm - Extremely secretive, esoteric doctrines; non-political; emphasis on sorcery; Dilinála members are all lesbian mystics Sisters of the Cerulean Flower (Dilinála only). These priestesses focus upon advancing the esoteric doctrines of their order, and upon the study of sorcery.

Enemies and Allies
Close alliances with Hnálla and Thúmis, but also frequently joins with the Temple of Dlamélish in Tsolyánu, and those of Shiringgáyi, Mrettén, or Her counterparts in other nations. These latter alliances seek to support women, improve agriculture and the fare of fishers and farmers, and promote Her interests in fertility and fecundity.

Avánthe priestesses works closely on occasion with priests and priestesses of Keténgku, for whom the healing arts are a specialty.

The goddess’s allies are the spirits of air, water and earth.

The Lament to the Wheel of Black
Mistress of Heaven

The section on Avánthe describes her as the mother of all life and the wife of Hnálla. It was her role to oppose the new deity of death. She populated the world with plants, animals and then sapient beings, and the other deities gave them gifts. The epic digresses into the trials and tribulations of mankind and other intelligent races, and how matters were worked out.

Next it is told how Uresha, Queen of Chai Ajjakhan, railed against Avánthe when she failed to bear children after six years of devoted sacrifice and obedience. The goddess punished her with a curse, the stigma of which was a blue tint to the eyes. Queen Uresha was forced to leave her realm and wander for seventeen years in the wildernesses of the east until her entreaties were accepted. After Avánthe annulled the curse, the Queen returned to her realm to give birth to the great hero Shénndure who was destined to destroy the Shrine of the Evil Goddess and lay waste to her realm of Dark Enbulere.

Aspects
Avánthe has 93 Aspects:

1) Sikkuné - Appears as an old woman wise in Her years, gentle of mien, kindly, courteous and noble. Her hair is white, Her robe is of blue, marked with symbols in the tongue of Thu'úsa. She consoles those who suffer family losses, those who mourn, those whose hearts are sorrowful, those who would commit suicide and so leave this world, and those whose Skeins are desolate and lonely.

2) Kátha "The Warrior Maid" - A fierce Aridáni warrior, She appears as a young woman in full armor, except for Her face which wears an expression of sweet joy. She is the patron of victories, of women who fight for their homes and dignities, of glorious singing of battle-songs, of repelling ignobility and sloth. She loves mighty Lord Karakán and also serves as the handmaiden of Lord Chegárra. Both male and female warriors attend Her rites.

3) Tahelé "The Maid of Beauty" - She is the patron of young girls who would be beautiful, of sex and love and the burgeoning of pleasure between couples. She shields a woman's beauty from harm, and holds back the advancements of age. Her image is that of a slender young woman, standing on tiptoe and reaching out with both arms. She grants favors to those who are ill-visaged and ugly, to those who are crippled and twisted, and to women who cannot find a mate.

4) E'éth of the Rains - Youngest of the Three Sisters. She brings rains to the fields.

5) Quyéla - Second of the Three Sisters. Causes crops to become fertile, animals (and people) to mate and have offspring, and pollen's to blow with Keréna the Wind. Rituals are held at night in fields; drunken wild orgies.

6) Chraikála "She Who Cares for Children" - Finder of lost children, helps sick babes, succors orphans and those in poverty, guides parents in upbringing and discipline.

7) Nikoné "The Pillar of Purity" - Patron of those raped or violated, who suffer at the hands of a spouse, those wronged by law or government, and cursed by a sorcerer or demon.

8) Chikúna "The Ripener" - Oldest of the Three Sisters. She sees to the passing of cycles, the re-emergence of Time, the ending of events, the excellence of finished Skeins, and harvesting of crops. The ripening of fruits, grain, and coming to term pregnancies.

9) Aoméla "The Maintainer" - The smooth running of society. Patron of those wronged by their clan or the government.

10) Niluélde "Mistress of the Air": Governess of the Demons of the Air.

11) Hlikársh "Master of the Demons of Fire" - Overseer of the Demons of Fire. The warmth of home fire, hearth, and peace of good family company.

12) Dedé "Master of the Spirits of the Earth": The warm, enfolding, fertile earth. Patron of potters, brickmakers, stonemasons, farmers, etc. Seeker of earth magic: the working of soil, stone, etc.

13) Jelél "Goddess of Potence" - Aids impotent men and barren women.

14) Karéna the Wind - Aids ships and sailing but can bring windstorms and cause vessels to founder. Patron of things of the air.

15) Chorisánde "The Guide of Fools" - Patron of the mentally deficient, the deranged.

16) Bolénde "The Lord of the Spirits of Water" - Government of water demons. Patron of those missing at sea, ships that are becalmed, creatures of the water, and of sunken treasures.

17) Sunrudáya "The Young Bride": The blushing virgin in the marital chamber, the new spouse eager to please, the anxious wife, newly expectant. Aids all members of a family with a new spouse.

18-24) Local Aspects: variants of other Avánthe aspects.

29) Kshésa "The Knower of Cycles" - Patron of knowledge relating to nature, the tranquil passage between the Planes, and sorcerers spells guarded by the Temple.

30) Nyéles the Wise - Patron of wisdom and intuition.

31) Jogái "The Songstress" - Patron of of music, vocal and instrumental.

32) Eluláiku "Purveyor of Excellent Alimentation" - Patron of Cooking, gourmet food, and eating (but not gluttony). Relishes friendly thought while enjoying a good meal.

33) Póndu "Keeper of Scales" - He weighs and measures business integrity, proper practices, and honesty.

34) Halél "The Servitor of the Forlorn" - Leads unmarried women (mostly) to find spouses.

35) Varému "The Protector of the Small" - Guardian of small animals, pets, and children.

36) Koruláinen "The Giant Within the Earth" - It guards the secret treasures of the Temple of Avánthe. Is said to arrive without summoning at shrines being violated.

37) Balmé the Healer - Healer among the low clans, slaves, and even nakomé.

38-46) local manifestations of the Goddess

47) Ngacháni "The Patroness of Mothers with Babes" -Aid of new mothers. Soothes the sleeping babe and assures the flow of mother's milk.

48) Njévra the Cold - Patron of ice, snow, and the cold of the north.

49) Zerússa "The One of Roads" - Guides travelers lost.

50) Orodhún "The Paragon of Unimaginable Allure" - Principle of beauty, grace, pure form and perfect dimensions. Patron of art, painting, sculpture and physical perfection.

51) Kandomél "The One of Smooth Remembering" - Patron of gentle old age, tranquility, and peaceful living. For those tired of living, the priests have special liqueurs that give a gentle release from this life.

52-58) Lost to History.

59) Qalái "THe Maintainer of Cycles" - Pursues its affairs far away among the Many Planes. Guards the smooth continuation of the universe from those who would upset it (Lord Hrü'üm etc.)

60) Weltíga "The Lady of Scrolls" - Patron of temple administration, records, scribal school, and beautiful calligraphy.

61) Nionél "Patron of Fragrances" -Governs scents, perfumes, sweet essences, and cachets.

62) Mékhis "Defender of Harmony" - Militant aspect, patron of legions.

63) Cháith "The Empress” - patron of those who seek to rule. Guards palaces, gates, fortifications, and secure places belonging to Her worshippers.

64-93) Local or Forgotten.

Tahele "Aspect of Female Beauty, the Maid Becoming Young Woman - She shields a young girl's beauty from harm and keeps old age at bay.

Balmé: Healing Aspect of the goddess.

Shaka'an “the Little Girl who is Curious”: One of the goddess's lesser Aspects.

Avánthe Demons
Spirits of Air, Water, Fire, and Earth -  These wraith-like, bluish-green beings are like wisps of fog some 2-3 m long and 30-50 cm thick; they are indistinct to human eyes but visible to the Hliiss, Mihdlli, Pd Chdi, Sst, and Tinalfya.

They can only be summoned out-of-doors and are generally peaceful. They desire magical knowledge and bargain for books, scrolls, talismans, amulets, "Eyes," and other devices. If the caster has none of these, he/she can offer a spell directly out of his/her memory. This then disappears from his/her repertoire and must be relearned. They are excellent wilderness guides and can give advice for survival in forests, etc. They can calm ferocious animals and cause them to let the caster's party pass in peace.

Aspect Niluelde is the Mistress of the Air and the patron of the Spirits of the Air.

Lord Hlikarsh is the Master of the Demons of Fire. His demons are whimsical and may or may not aid their supplicants.

Lord Dede is the Lord of the Demons of the Earth, who appear as rotund, jolly humans made entirely of rich,fertile soil from which tufts of grass and other plants sprout in profusion.

Lord Bolende rules over the Spirits of Water, beings who exist on a Plane filled entirely with cool, water.

Dilinála, Cohort of Avánthe
Old name: Dhalé

The Lovely Maiden of the Turquoise Crown, Aid of Lovers, Solace to the Weary, Handmaiden of Avánthe and Spiritual Daughter of Hnálla.

She is ‘Woman as Woman Alone’: femininity without the polarity of male versus female; the innocent virgin, the beloved daughter, the loyal sister, the platonic confidante to whom a lover may tell his yearnings, the wise woman of many years, and even woman in love with woman.

Followers
Only Priestesses allowed.