from Zariste’s Concise Guide to World Religions

The Goddess was born as the universe sprang forth and life began. The Sea God started courting the Goddess in those first moments. After a lengthy pursuit, the Goddess gave the Sea God her hand. The Goddess controls the cycle of life: birth, growth, fertility, death, and the seasons. Along with the other gods, the Goddess created Damensea and holds dominion over land.

Worship of the Goddess began several millennia ago when the Goddess appeared to a tribe of hunters and taught them the art of farming. For those first two millennia, the Goddess dwelled amongst her people, who greatly prospered through her gentle guidance.

The Goddess’s people settled in a fertile land they named Lystra. In Lystra’s capital, Oress, they built the Goddess a grand temple. Before it was razed during the Stone Wars, Oress’s Great Temple was the most beautiful in all of Damensea. The current Great Temple in Ormas is a pale shadow of that former temple’s magnificence.

As Lystra grew over the next two millennia, the Goddess began appearing only to her called priests and those her knew her true name. It was then Rhiannon wheedled the secret of magic from the Goddess. Some sects say the Goddess imparted this secret (against the other gods’ wishes) to help man grow and become less dependent on the gods. Regardless of her intention about magic, the Goddess joined the other gods in ascending to the heavenly plane. She now only speaks to her people by whispering in their hearts.

In temples of the Goddess, priests hold multiple services every day. All services feature a sermon, but the focus and other elements vary. Lauds is held at dawn and glories in the Goddess’s gift of the upcoming day. Sext is held at midday and consists mostly of hymns praising the Goddess. Vespers is held at sundown and features lengthy prayers thanking the Goddess. Nocturns is held at midnight and focuses on mysteries of the Goddess. These services are open for all to attend; however, typically only priests do so.

Most people simply attend the four festivals of the Goddess. Held on the winter solstice, Longnight celebrates new beginnings (particularly birth) and includes wild game feasts, gift giving, and plays about the Goddess recruiting the Winter Queen. Held on the spring equinox, Plantfete celebrates growth and includes lamb feasts, egg games, and songs about the birth of Damensea. Held on the summer solstice, Summerday celebrates fertility and includes honey feasts, bonfires, and pageants about the Sea God’s courtship of the Goddess. Held on the autumn equinox, Harvestfete celebrates the harvest and includes pheasant feasts, wheat maidens, and pantomimes about the ancestors and the afterlife.