Illumiel

Illumiel, the goddess of light and life, is commonly worshipped throughout Thoulsyl, particularly by humans and gnomes. She notably christens Chosen of Illumiel who bear a special connection with the goddess and, at times, may channel her power. This influence has made Illumiel a prominent goddess throughout history.

Qualities
As the most common deity of light, Illumiel holds great power over the sun and fire. Many tales of a hopelessly wet torch igniting after a whispered prayer wend their way into commoners' knowledge. As these tales illustrate, Illumiel uses her power frequently, which leads to certain scholars criticizing this as meddlesome. As a patron of life, Illumiel's influence reaches far and wide. She chooses to hold onto souls at the brink of death, and to shine brightly on those just born. Although worshippers do not often recognize it, Illumiel does influence wildlife and plants - but her strength in this area wanes as Umcher, patron god of the wild, comes back into favor.

In her zeal for the lives of the sentient, Illumiel makes her judgments quickly, and sometimes, she later realizes, incorrectly. Initially Chosen can be rejected, only to later be redeemed at Illumiel's will. She commends those of her followers who deal her judgment - but also those who prove less hasty, and await the goddess's return to decency.

Monotheist War
The Monotheist War, also known as the Illum Uprising, occurred between 1200 and 900 years ago and pitted the Illum, a large movement for monotheistic worship of Illumiel, versus the fractured majority Polytheists. The Illum began as a small, peaceful movement, but it soon gained a reputation for setting towns ablaze as they marched, calling for followers and leaving the rest to burn. As word spread of these Illum Cleansings, polytheists and worshippers of other deities started to practice in secret to avoid rapture, despite few confirmed reports of killings or forced kidnappings by the Illum. As the Illum spread, certain Polytheists began to organize a formal resistance, leading to several pitched battles in modern-day Therent and neighboring Valui.

Scholars argue that Illumiel intervened to end the war, her most evident influence at Briskwood Creek, a wood-elf grove that had been set fire by the Illum. As the fire neared the nursery, all of a sudden the entire blaze was extinguished. With Illumiel's strong influence over fire, the Illum took this as a sign that she had had enough of the violence, and support for the movement quickly failed. Most attribute this suddenness to the Illum's fear of Illumiel's quick judgment and the following wrath.

Many debate why it took so long for Illumiel to cease the evil done in her name. Some say that the peaceful beginning gained Illumiel's trust and blinded her to the Illum's later acts. Others believe Illumiel enjoyed the power from this monotheism and merely stopped the fire at Briskwood Creek to remind her followers of Life. It continues that the Illum misinterpreted her sign and gave up their movement by mistake. A smaller portion of writers see Briskwood Creek as a demonstration of power by the rest of the pantheon, not Illumiel, as a warning that they, too, can meddle in sentients' affairs.

Epic of Taliel
Now immortalized in sentients' legend, the Chosen Taliel is perhaps Illumiel's most important contribution to Thoulsyl. In the frigid desert Gvilnaa (Frozen Sun), the oasis Bretludeitah (Gods' Waterhole) fed the known sentient civilization. Approximately year 700 of Thoulsyl the undead armies of Kriksaka the Decaying One began their assault on Gvilnaa, a war that lasted by most accounts between 15 and 20 years. When hope seemed to be lost, the elven male Taliel prayed to Illumiel for a weapon against the undead. Illumiel Chose Taliel, and his bow transformed to a pure crystal whose arrows were conjured from thin air and pierced through undead like burlap. With the Bow of Illumiel in hand, Taliel led the defense of Bretludeitah until the Decaying One herself was forced to meet him in battle. The common legend tells that Taliel fired three arrows at once from the Bow at the very moment he looked into the eye sockets of Kriksaka. The dragon uttered a foul spell and Taliel rotted to death in an instant; but the arrows had been aimed true, and sunk one into each of the Decaying One's eye sockets and into her roaring maw, slaying her and thus saving Gvilnaa and the sentient world from destruction. It is unknown whether this dramatic telling of the ending truly happened, but it is safe to say that Taliel slayed Kriksaka and died not long afterward, becoming both a hero and a martyr for Illumiel for the ages to come.

First Choosing
The human woman Genuana dedicated her life to her strong belief in Illumiel in a far off land, typically cited as Yerwa, the continent of the far north. In time, she became the leading archpriestess of Illumiel. However, naysayers protested Genuana's status, angry with the resources being spent on temples to a deity they believed false. As these protesters gained influence, Genuana was captured and put on the gallows. When the hanging was about to begin, the air in front of Genuana cracked and a pure white rod appeared, hovering, in front of her. As she grasped the rod, the rope broke and light poured from the rod's nexus, causing the crowd to kneel and shield their eyes. This event is now known to Illumial history as the First Choosing of Illumiel, and the artifact the Rod of Illumiel has become the most .sought-after treasure to her followers. With such a demonstration of power, the protesters who had witnessed the First Choosing immediately discarded their grievances and loyally followed Genuana in the time to come. Those who did not, though there were but a few, were found lifeless with no evidence of wounds.

Modern Worship
For many, Illumiel is their primary deity, while other deities of the pantheon fill specific roles, such as praying to Irid for rain. Most humans and gnomes worship Illumiel regularly, and her temples are among the most numerous throughout Thoulsyl. Others, especially those of other races, worship Illumiel only as part of the pantheon for her patronage of light and birth, and other deities feature more prominently in their daily lives.

Primary Worship
Almost monotheistic worship of Illumiel abounds throughout Thoulsyl, particularly among humans and gnomes. Towns that have a significant enclave of either tend to have constructed a full temple, made of stone so as not to dishonor living forests using wood, dedicated to the worship of Illumiel. Temples typically hold daily prayer as well as two week-long celebrations for the major Illumial holidays, Martyrdom and Day of the First Choosing.

Followers of Illumiel seek guidance from her priests, who are typically chosen from among the most devout of a temple. In smaller towns, no formal training is required, and often a mentorship role exists between the older and the upcoming priest. In larger cities, Illumiel followers serve a large hierarchy, including priests, archpriests, and head priests. These positions often are anointed only upon lengthy training and worship, and sometimes demand proof of Illumiel's favor. This proof can be witness accounts of a prayer's success, an object, or a true premonition (despite that traditionally, Illumiel is not a fortuneteller's goddess).

Within these large organizations, many form a military whose members are known as Illumiars. Illumiars train both in combat and in worship, and dedicate themselves to defending and serving the priesthood's will. In some cases, Illumiars are considered more important than local priests, as they travel with tidings from cities' temples and are seen more rarely. Regardless, followers hold Illumiars in high regard and always extend great hospitality to them when they visit a temple.

Secondary Worship
Throughout Thoulsyl, Illumiel holds importance in religious beliefs, if only a minor role. Elves maintain a strong bond with Illumiel despite relatively few holding her as their primary deity, as they attribute their long lives to her power. Tradition has it that elven children be Heliomarred, the practice of sunburning a pattern on the back of the neck to expose and bond the child with Illumiel.

For those who do not worship Illumiel daily, she most appears in specific prayers for a light or for someone to live. Her tendency to occasionally answer such pleas has kept her name close on most sentients' tongues and has helped Illumiel maintain a good reputation among the majority of sentients. In certain circles who celebrate an uncommon pantheon, Illumiel can be found as the patron of nature, and she is called upon for guidance in the wilds or when wolves attack pastures.