Corellon

Corellon is an enigmatic figure amongst the pantheon. He is the deity of spring, the arts, magic, beauty and the fey and is one of the patrons of the arcane arts, along with Sehanine, and thus is most frequently worshipped by elves. He is said to have seeded the world with arcane magic and planted the most ancient forests. Artists and musicians worship him, as do those who view their spellcasting as an art, and his shrines can be found throughout The Islands. He calls blessed those who aid others, and becomes angered at those who defile the dead, or flee from their foes.

At present, elves remain the most passionate, intentional, and consistent followers of Corellon. The majority of Corellon priests are elven or half-elven, although this is not a requirement or an expectation of the church. Most other races have difficulty in appreciating Corellon as a god applicable to their lives, even though they respect him and offer thanks with the coming of each new spring. Despite Corellon's overall portfolio, most people tend to see him as an elven deity first, and anything else a distant second.

He holds many names of which several are only represented in the elven tongue. Those common with the majority of the Free Peoples include the “Verdant Lord”, the “Silver Prince” and often “The Divine Muse”. Corellon desires to protect and preserve the elven race, return to his people what he believes is their lost artistic heritage, and to thwart the schemes of the fabled monstrous races, such as the goblinoids and orcs. This also means guarding against the corruption within all of the common folk that could lead to the creation of such monstrosities. Corellon advises his faithful to guard against stagnation as well, continually seeking out new experiences and bringing out beauty through art, craft, and magic. His symbol is that of a green gem within an inward-pointing eight-sided star, though often this is also depicted as a simple eight-pointed star on many decorations.

In many passages it is described how Corellon loves to hunt in the Verdant Lands with his longsword, Sahandrian, made from a star, and with his magic bow that never misses, Amiath'hana. This has earned him the constellation of The Hunter within the heavens.

Realm

Corellon lives in the realm of Arvandor, The Verdant Isles, in a magnificent tower of marble in the centre of the realm. In Elven, it is called Gwyllachaightaeryll, the Many-Splendoured. The art that decorates the tower‘s many rooms is constantly changing — only the central throne room is a constant. He dwells here often, with Sehanine, though is often out hunting or exploring the lands.

In the world of mortals, sages and poets speak rapturously of the eternal glories of Arvandor, the fragrant breezes of its flower- and tree-strewn wilderness, and the endless glories of its verdant beauty. It is true that the gods of Arvandor have created an amazing realm: a place of awesome beauty and heart-stopping rapture fit for powerful gods of love, beauty, arcane magic, the wilderness, and freedom. It is also a place fraught with constant danger, wild battle, and the call for valour.

The idea of Arvandor as a world of graceful forests, brilliant sunsets, and splendid islands tells only a piece of the story, as the sages tell of a glorious hunt where the gods and their exarchs eternally track and slay abominations that are carving paths through the dominion. Corellon is often part of this hunt, using his bow Amiath'hana at the head of the pack.

Relationships

Corellon and his followers maintain good relations with many deities. His bride is said to be Sehanine, and he deals with Avandra and Melora on a regular basis. He is on good terms with Ioun (he is patron of arcane magic and Ioun of its study) and keeps cordial relationships with the other seasonal gods, Pelor and The Raven Queen.

According to the scriptures Corellon has made many enemies in his time, though. A god of the mythical orcs, Gruumsh, hated the gods and wanted their blood. He gathered some of the evil gods together for an assault. Corellon headed the defence along with Moradin and an epic battle ensued. Many of the pantheon perished in the battle or were reduced to shells of their former power, but as the fighting wound down, Corellon and Gruumsh continued to fight. “They traversed the planes, and they splashed each other's blood across the lands” it is told. They battled for seven days and seven nights before Lolth, Sehanine's sister, distracted the orcish god and allowed Sehanine to aid Corellon. With his consort's tears of the moon, Corellon drew back his sword, Sahandrian, and cut out Gruumsh's eye. Gruumsh fled, and there and then in the mixture of the blood pouring from Corellon's wounds and the flood of Sehanine's tears of the moon, the race of elves were created.

The full tale does not end as Gruumsh flees and the elven race is born, however. For years after the battle with Gruumsh the elven race flourished, with Corellon, Sehanine and Lolth as their holy triumvirate. However, Lolth secretly coveted Corellon and hated her sister for having him, wanting Corellon for herself. As the elven race grew Lolth blessed a portion of them with dark magic with the intent of framing her sister and taking her place at the side of Corellon. Some say that Lolth was not Sehanine's sister, but a vile demon who attempted to seduce Corellon. In either case, her plans were discovered and they failed. Corellon fought her and drove her deep into the earth, sentencing her to banishment as a spider monster along with her consort of elves imbued with her dark magic.

Dogma

Tenets of the Faith

Cultivate beauty in all that you do. Corellon appreciates grace and beauty, and considers these important ideals in all aspects of life. Whether casting a spell, composing a saga, strumming a lute, practicing the arts of war, or building a house, you should strive towards elegance and beauty.

Seek out lost magic items, forgotten rituals, and ancient tomes of magic. Over the countless millennia, elves have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge regarding magic and its rituals. Unfortunately, much of this has been lost or forgotten, due to the Great Retreat and the loss of the Old Continent. Despite many tomes being written since the Great Retreat and stored in the impressive libraries and university halls of the Robed Magisters in the Tower Quarter of Deepingwald, the elves have nonetheless lost a great deal of knowledge connected to magic. Corellon encourages recovery of lost arts, returning them to proper use.

Thwart the followers of Lolth at every opportunity. This tenet is not taken literally but is taken in principal to do everything possible to oppose the schemes of those that seek to harm the elven race and beyond and be strong in heart against the corruption from within.

Scriptures

The Book of Enlightenment. Sometimes known as “The Green Book” (for its green cover), this holy text offers an elegant, yet concise, description of Corellon's ideals and philosophies, with advice for those seeking or creating beauty. The book is widely considered one of the most poetic of all religious texts ever written, and it is frequently quoted by people who have never even heard of the work. The passages, whether written in common or elven, are lyrical and very moving, especially when recited alongside an especially beautiful vista.

Worshippers

The church of Corellon is loosely organised and holds a limited structure. Most churches function independently, with only occasional contact from one parish to another. Corellon priests, although common amongst the elven and half-elven races, are relatively rare elsewhere on The Islands. As they travel from settlement to settlement, they can expect little or no direct support from the church of Corellon.

Clergy

Elves, and half-elves (as well as many bards) worship Corellon. He favours those who aid others and he is upset at those who defile the dead, or flee from their foes. His clerics wear silver circlets and gossamer robes of the brightest azure. They often carry a longsword in the same style as Sahandrian lacquered with blueshine to make it gleam like a star.

Corellon's church emphasises his protective and artisan aspects over his role as ruler of the elves. They watch over the borders of elven land, guard elven communities, help shape the appearance of elven settlements, and create beautiful items for use within the community and trade without. It is rare to find one of his clerics in a position of leadership, although they often act as intermediaries in disputes among the sylvan races and assist elven governments to assure smooth functioning.

Duties of the Priesthood: Clerics of Corellon enjoy a wide degree of freedom in pursuing their god's interests. Most of his priests find they are called to a specific task or area of work. Some clerics dedicate their lives to preserving or encouraging things of beauty — gardens, temples, museums, palaces, or homes. Other clerics strive to fight the “followers of Lolth”, their existence devoted to defeat the corruption inherent within common society and protect others from their depredations. A number of Corellon's clerics work to protect or promote the lives and beliefs of fey creatures, not just elves, but those other creatures within the forests and woodlands of The Islands. With rare exception, Corellon's priests pursue their devotions in the way they believe best, with minimal interference from any church hierarchy or structure.

Limitations and Sacrifices: Clerics of Corellon are expected to share their abilities, talents, knowledge, and even wealth with other creatures whenever possible. Greed and jealousy are considered ugly traits, and his clerics are taught to avoid such habits. Because the church of Corellon possesses limited structure, especially amongst human communities, individual priests should expect little direct support or resources when they travel. They must rely on their faith, their own resources, and any goodwill provided by local followers of the church.

Druids

Some of the followers of Corellon combine the teaching and protection of the fey with the love of the primal spirits of the forest. As the church of Corellon has a scarce structure, it is difficult to estimate how many of the clergy follow this path.

Paladins

There a few and far between paladins devoted to Corellon's cause. However, one small group based in Varnelonde, perhaps comprising wealthy elven sons, has formed calling itself the Fellowship of the Forgotten Flower. This is a loosely structured organisation made of elven knights dedicated to the recovery of lost elven relics from long-abandoned elven realms on the Old Continent. How these knights will get to, and survive on, the Old Continent in the first place is a question many of the wiser elves ask themselves.

Rituals

Corellon is worshipped at natural geological formations. His rituals are integrated with the major events of elven life, such as births, coming of age rites, weddings, and funerals. Prayer times for his clerics are at night, preferably when the moon is highest in the sky.

Prayers to Corellon, which are always in elvish, begin “Hei-Corellon shar-shelevu…” which means, “Corellon, by your grace grant…”

Before practicing their arts of warfare, worshippers of Corellon recite a prayer called the Litany of Arrows.

Places of Worship

Temples

Corellon is venerated in rocky areas of natural beauty, always with a special place for viewing the moon and stars, such as near waterfalls, or clearings within ancient forests under the open sky. Common temples of the Verdant Lord are rare, however, since the elves are individualistic when it comes to his worship. Shrines are more common, but they are little more than clearings with a good view of the sky. In the wilderness his temples are shaped from great natural geological formations, including shallow caves entered from above, natural amphitheaters, and great rock spires. Trees and other plants are woven into such edifices, resulting in great natural cathedrals woven of stone and plants.

In large elven cities such as Varnelonde, temples to Corellon may be alabaster wonders with soaring spires, intriguing architecture, and cunning design. Corellon's temples tend more towards simple elegance, usually eschewing the ornate and gaudy designs of human temples devoted to Pelor or Bahamut.

Holy Days

Forest Communion of the Crescent Moon (Last Quarter Moon): Once per month, when the moon is at its last quarter phase, followers of Corellon gather in moonlit glades for a ceremony known as Lateu'quor. This involves music, song, dance and offerings of beautiful art and is a celebration of the elves' creator.

Relics

The Emblem of Ossandyra is an artefact that is legendary amongst the followers of Corellon. This medallion, shaped like a shield and glowing with soft golden light, bears Corellon's star symbol in its centre and was worn by an elf named Ossandyra in the Last Battle of the Spiral Tower. It is said that this battle raged in the fairy tale land of the Feywild between elven-kind and the corrupt progeny of Lolth. It nurtures heroes and spreads the story of their deeds and achievements, encouraging daring acts, bold actions and clever stratagems.

Myths and Legends

The Misty Isle. The Misty Isle is said to be where Corellon's blood and Sehanine's tears first fell to the world and created the elven race. Gruumsh stole the island and hid it in a place none would ever find.

The Wasteland of Burnt Blood. A ravaged black desert pitted by pools of scalding red liquid. This is a result of the ancient battle between Corellon and Gruumsh. It says that Gruumsh came to Arvandor and Corellon battled him atop a mountain. Corellon won. Gruumsh's blood fell in thick droplets that scalded the land for ten miles in all directions.

The Eladrin and the Feywild. When the elves were first created they were known as Eladrin and were taller, stronger and purer than all of the other mortals. They lived on a plane called the Feywild, a lush and green, and some may say dangerous, land that mirrored the world. When Lolth's corruption split the race these Eladrin remained in the Feywild, sealed away forever, whilst some escaped to the world and settled as elves.

Signs and Portents

The unexpected blooming of flowers or plants, especially in the midst of winter, is considered a sure sign of Corellon's favour. Corellon also influences mortals with dreams and visions, both of the future and the past.

Corellon sometimes uses stars to send an omen, especially the azure star. Falling stars suggest Corellon offers support. A falling star moving across the crescent moon indicates displeasure.