Red Mistress

The Red Mistress is one of the old elven gods whose origins are debated and unkown. Like many of the forgotton gods her name is not known, while the Deliverer's armies could not destroy her greatest temple they did slay all of her priests and teachings. This lead to a drastic decrease in the level of blood magic available and increased inbreeding among nobles all over the world as the knowledge that it was bad for the children was lost for centuries until rediscovered by a blood priest in the 2000's.

Little is known about the Red Mistress, she seems to want for little beyond protecting the Bloodstacks and the geneology records therin. Many see her as evil or dark because of her association with blood magic, which is known to generally do more harm than good. But most of the blood magic her priests perform is geared towards producing strong children. It is known that she is the ultimate decider on what traits a child inherits from it's parents, height, build, aptitudes, everything that is nature instead of nurture is under her perview. Families that make proper sacrifices during the early stages of pregnancy are blessed with taller, stronger, healthier children without deformities or complications during development. This leads the the northern high elves generally being taller and more well built than those of the south where the Zirdian High Church holds more sway and people are more squemish about anything involving blood.

Some old legends say that the Red Mistress is lovers with Fate and possibly Mother Magic, this is why the same families tend to get involved in Fate over and over again. A person's fate can also be greatly influenced by the Red Mistress before they are even born, while she has no control over the soul what type of body that soul inbabits can matter a lot. Blood can also bend the rules of magic, and some say this warrants a connection. Others say that the Red Mistress was simply good friends with all three sisters, Mother Magic, Fate, and Mortavis.

Divine Domains

Blood, Family, Fertility, Blood Magic, Inheritance

Holy Books & Codes

The Bloodstacks. The Bloodstacks are a temple and a library of elven geneology. Every elf that has been born since its contruction has had their birth magically recorded within these books. The library was spared from the first Deliverer's forces because anyone who enters with intent to destroy it or the books has their blood magically boiled. The Bloodstacks are located in Zird'Lyrind, a large 4 sided pyrimid with the top cut off, black with red banners and red tinted windows. Anyone may visit for an entrance cost of 13 gold, 13 being the holy number of blood magic. The Bloodstacks is run by priests of the Red Mistress but there aren't many of them so they are supplemented by a variety of library golemns.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

A red teardrop, the paint or dye is always mixed with blood.

Tenets of Faith

The Red Mistress demands very little from the casual followers. Small temporary sacrifices of blood on the solstices and equinoxs. Do not allow inbreeding, general doctrine is that you are at least 3rd cousins or further. Consult a blood priest when you are pregnant if you want a strong child.

Holidays

All followers of The Red Mistress, and indeed most elves who worship the old gods perform small rituals on the solstices and equinox those the blood rituals are generally skipped or altered by a few of the more good aligned houses like the Noble and Most Anceint House of Moonshadow and it's vassals.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

There are very few devout followers of The Red Mistress, for the most part their only duty is to tend to the stacks and consult on marriages. Many peasants do not wish to pay the fee and peruse the stacks themselves and thus pay a much smaller fee to consult a blood priest and see if their fiance is related to them or not. The other duty of blood priests is to help noble houses bless their children, though generally only those that worship the old elven gods. In ancient times before the Deliverer they would lead large rituals at festivals to bring good fortune to the participants.
Divine Classification
goddess
Religions
Children
Other Affiliations