Verena, Goddess of Learning and Justice[]
Description[]
Verena is the goddess of wisdom, reason, and justice and is especially popular amongst the learned and studious. In her aspect as the goddess of justice, she is concerned with fairness, rather than with the letter of the law; she opposes tyranny and oppression as much as crime. Verena is generally portrayed as a tall and classically beautiful woman, dignified and serious of manner, and it is said that she can sometimes take the form of an owl or of a venerable Human sage of either sex.
Alignment[]
Symbol[]
Verena's symbol is the owl, a traditional symbol of wisdom. Her followers often wear medallions bearing the design of an owl or an owl's head and this design is also applied to the clothing of her Initiates and Clerics. Robes are white, the lack of colour indicating the neutrality and lack of bias which is the keynote of her religion.
A pair of scales is also used to symbolise Verena in her aspect as goddess of justice and is sometimes combined with the owl design. A sword, with the point downwards, is also used as a symbol of Verena, representing the weapon she is said to use to redress injustice in her more martial aspect.
Area Of Worship[]
Verena is worshipped throughout the Old World, especially in the university towns of Altdorf and Nuln, where there are great temples in her honour. She has smaller temples in most towns and cities of any size, generally in the administrative districts and all academies and places of learning have a chapel or shrine to her. Private shrines are also commonly found in the homes of magistrates, administrators, diplomats, and academics, including many magicians.
Temples[]
The temples of Verena have no rigid hierarchy, but are in constant contact with each other, exchanging news and information. Verena's priests and priestesses are valued as arbitrators and go-betweens because of their reputation for trustworthiness and neutrality and often act as an unofficial diplomatic service in disputes between rulers and nations; although their role is seldom publicised, they have played a key role in defusing a number of potential wars.
The temples normally have colonnaded facades, with the symbol of the owl in relief over the doorway. They are large halls, lit by many small, narrow windows set high in the walls and dominated by great stone statues of Verena, who is commonly portrayed seated on a throne with an open book on her lap, an owl perched on her shoulder, and a pen and inkwell on the arm of the throne. A number of smaller rooms lead off from the hall, including the priests' quarters and the libraries for which Verena's temples are most famous. Each temple has at least one meeting room, where meetings and negotiations take place under the auspices of the goddess. Priests will gladly attend at such negotiations and everything said and written in one of these meeting rooms is kept in the strictest confidence.
Shrines to Verena tend to be smaller versions of the temples, consisting of a roof supported on elegant columns, covering a small statue of the goddess. Sometimes the columns are connected by walls, the insides of which are often carved with low reliefs of shelves stacked with books and scrolls.
Friends And Enemies[]
The cult of Verena is friendly with most of the other major religions of the Old World, but is opposed to extremes and bigotry of any kind. The cult of Ranald the Protector is generally tolerated, although Ranald's other aspects are not approved of.
Holy Days[]
Verena's main festival is on the first day of each year, when her followers pray that the coming year may be blessed with her enlightenment and reason and free of bigotry and injustice. Minor holy days are observed at the beginning of each month and the beginning of each week.
Cult Requirements[]
There are no special entry requirements for the cult of Verena; wisdom and reason are open to all who seek them.
Strictures[]
Followers of Verena must always tell the truth under all circumstances and must never be swayed by fear or favour. They have a duty to pass on any new knowledge that they acquire to the nearest temple of Verena, though they may never divulge the information given to them in confidence.
A Cleric of Verena may never refuse to arbitrate a dispute or act as a go-between if requested to do so.
Followers of Verena do not resort to combat unless reason has failed, but they are permitted to wear armour and carry swords, if necessary. Followers of Verena have not been known to take up arms since the Incursions of Chaos two centuries ago.
Spell Use[]
Clerics of Verena may use all Petty Magic and Battle Magic spells except those which create illusions or otherwise hide the truth. Prohibited spells are Cloak Of Darkness, Marsh Lights, Sounds, and Zone Of Silence. In addition to these spells, Clerics of Verena also have access to the level 3 Daemonic Magic spell Spread Insanity (which would only be used against someone who had otherwise exhausted the goddess' patience), the level 2 Illusion Magic spell Banish Illusion, and the level 4 Illusion Magic spell Destroy Illusion.
Skills[]
In addition to the skills normally avialable to them, Initiates and Clerics who follow Verena may choose one extra skill at each level from the following list: any Language skill (including Linguistics and Arcane and Secret Language), any Lore or Identify skill, Augury, Astrology, History, Law, Scrying, and Scapulomancy. As always, skills gained must be paid for with Experience Points.
Trials[]
Trials set by Verena will normally involve the discovery or preservation of knowledge or the prevention of conflict. A character may be sent on a quest for a long-forgotten book of lore, for example, or to resolve some conflict by mediating between the two sides. At Initiate level, this may be something like a dispute between two farmers over a piece of land, while at higher levels, the conflict might be between cities or nations.
Blessings[]
Skills favoured by Verena include all knowledge and communication-based skills. Favoured tests are Estimate, Magic, Observe, and Understand Language. Other blessings might include temporary increases to Int or WP.