Auromatra
Appearance
Auromatra takes the form of a bumble, full-fluffed and ready to embrace any who may come to her. Her chitin is the color of summer sunlight, interspersed with stripes the color of rich, healthy soil. She drapes herself in garlands of fresh flowers; whatever happens to be in season is what she will wear. She carries a woven basket in the shape of a horn, filled to bursting with fruit and more flowers, and dripping fresh honey. Some depictions, especially in Hexalist areas, place a veil over her face, symbolizing her status as Aurius's humble bride.
Symbols
Auromatra is symbolized by her cornucopia, filled with fruit, flowers and honey, ready to feed all. Adherents weave tiny replicas out of twigs and vines, place fresh flowers into the open mouth, and dip the whole thing in nectar to capture the dripping honey and impart a little magic. Many change the flowers depending on mood or season, or as a symbol of their hometown. Queen Alexandra is known to wear a cornucopia with sprigs of Lavender in it, honoring her home village even from her palace.
Commandments
- Enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Gold grows cold in the palm, but the embers of the heart warm the soul forever.
- Offer the stranger a seat and the enemy a portion of the harvest. As you sow kindness, so shall you reap kindness in turn.
- The home is a temple to guard. Let no malice cross its threshhold, and let no voice be raised in anger where the pollen is shared.
Myth
Auromatra was born of the earth, crawling out of a burrow at the end of the world's first winter. It was she who brought green to the earth, it is said, from the mightiest of trees to the most beautiful of flowers. She tended to her bounties, and her people, for as long as she could, until the plants began to die faster than she could revive them. In despair, Auromatra retreated back into the earth, returning only once the sun shone down and warmed the land once again, bringing plenty and joy with her.
One warm summer day, when Aurius was feeling lonely, he saw a beautiful bumble striding across the fields of the Amrita Hills, leaving trails of flowers in her wake. She was Auromatra, and she saw the noble knight in his gleaming armor. He fell in love with her grace and warmth, but she cared more for her people than for him. In time, she fell in love with his strength and chivalry. The two were wed, a union of earth and sky that would defend and enrich all of Auroma.
Holy Days and Religious Practices
The Hibernation and The Awakening: Once harvests have ended and chill begins to set in, the people of Amrita mourn the temporary loss of their goddess. They wrap themselves in burial shrouds and retreat into their burrows, remaining there for a day and a night, often in silent vigil. Once warmth returns and plants begin to grow and bloom, a celebratory holiday commences in honor of the return of Auromatra. The Amrita will spend a night and a day outdoors, sleeping under the stars and spending the daylight hours dancing and feasting. It is traditional for each village to nominate a young girl, usually a priestess, to serve as a living symbol of Auromatra for the day, donning her garlands and taking up her cornucopia.
Deity Information
TitlesThe Golden Mother, the Honeyed Hearth, the Lady of Flowers, the Gentle Soil Divine Classification
Chaos Deity Province
Hearth, Fertility, Healing, Family Divine Realm
Aerolithia Religion/Church/Cult
Golden Embrace/Hexalism Sex and/or Gender
Female Depiction
A full-figured vespoid with warm yellow chitin and dark brown stripes. Wears garlands of flowers and carries a cornucopia filled with more flowers and fruit. Religious Iconography
Flower and fruit-filled cornucopia dripping with honey
Worship
Divine DomainsLife, Light, Nature, Peace Holy Days
The Hibernation, The Awakening Artifacts
Horn of Restoration
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