Niann

Patron of Love and Passion

The ancient goddess of love and passion, Niann is portrayed as either a woman with flaming red hair or as a snow white dove. Niann has always been known to be equally accepting of all peoples, and it was her priests and priestesses who in ancient days would preside over marital services and rituals of love. She was known to be an exceptionally kind and compassionate goddess, known for herunconditional love of mortals. However, her kindness in no way mades her weak. Niann's compassion is said to be equaled only by her temper, and accounts exist of her having placed curses on those who offend her that would impress even the darkest of gods. Perhaps for this reason, her lesser aspect is known as "The Sacred Flame," a source of deep and powerful passion.

Worship

Niann was once worshiped in shrines of marble and gold, and her great temple in Lumens Thelaris was one of the most spectacular buildings in the world. Like all of her temples, it is attended by a hierarchy of priestesses and priests who are trained to treat all who enter as cherished loved ones. The temple's main halls was open to the sky to allow the release of doves during the ceremonies performed there, the courtyard adorned by a life-sized statue of Niann with rubies embedded into her hair. In the old days, this statue wore real clothing of the finest quality, which was replaced daily by a chosen cleric.

Lumens Thelaris is a holy city once dedicated entirely to the worship of Niann, and an echo of her old reverence still persists. Though the Order of the Sacred Flame follows the path of the Brilliant Cosmenia, they revere the memory of Niann in the form of the fire that was her lesser aspect. Led by the High Holy One, Talothian Sergusul, the Order maintains the city as a monastery and holy site.

Holy Day

The first day of summer was traditionally dedicated to the worship and celebration of Niann. Thousands of marriage ceremonies are still performed on this day throughout the known world, most just before the lighting of bonfires that still echo the reverence of the Sacred Flame. For those not looking to marry, social propriety is often much more loosely uninterpreted on these nights, when passions run as hot as the fires and desire fills the air like a tonic.

The following logs feature Niann: No pages meet these criteria.

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