Evalene, Bride in Gold

Evalene’s rise to godhood is a mystery not only because she is mute, but because she actively ignores questions about her past. Some say even she herself might not know or remember her origins, although such discussion is typically frowned upon from her followers. All that is known is that she became a goddess shortly after Unknown, the first goddess of death, died.
She is regarded as the first natural born god since the Cataclysm. It is believed that the world could not survive another god of death as evil, destructive and malicious as Alicariata, and thus Evalene was born.
Compared to Alicariata, Evalene is a very “good” god of death, even though her main concern is that mortals should die. However, her distaste for slow, painful deaths such as diseases, immolation and suffocation, plus the fact that she is also the goddess of marital love in all of its forms, makes her a very likeable and widely and openly worshipped God of Death.

Evalene has little to no interactions with other gods, being a very unsociable god. She has however shown good predispositions to Gruumsh and Ukrar, as well as negative predispositions to Lagmaron and Veritt.

Evalen’s realm is known as Unknown, a city of brightness in the middle of Unknown.

Evalene communicates with her followers through cryptic feelings and images. She shows content through images shown in gold and the appearance of small golden accessories in small animals and insects, such as ladybugs and butterflies. When displeased, they might see dead insects in strange locations, or display strange effects of rapid aging. If angered, these effects might be permanent or the person might just die.

The Psychopomps that work for Evalene are adorned in various golden accessories, and usually wear human-looking masks.

The church of Evalene is composed mainly of doctors, officiants and assassins. Common folk might also make small prayers to Evalene for good health, or plead a painless death when they or a family member are suffering from bad diseases. Many prayers are also made to Evalene in marriage ceremonies, and these normally have at least one golden symbol in high display as a show of respect to the goddess.

People who proclaim themselves as worshipers of Evalene as their center god might arise suspicion. Normally, even doctors and officiants who act in the name of Lady Death do not proudly proclaim her as their main god. After all, at the end of the day, she is still primarily the goddess of Death, and those who proclaim being her worshiper first and foremost are seen as dangerous individuals who might mainly follow her decrees of death, instead of her decrees of love and care.

The lectures made by priests of Evalene at public, open churches normally focus on the side of helping ill people, respecting the dead, not cheating in a committed relationship, as well as many advices on how to age with health. However, some churches might also have private lessons on best, fastest ways to kill, which poisons are not anathema to Lady Death, and how to make a kill seem like an accident.

Symbol

A golden chain, rusted at its tip, normally attached to a golden accessory like a ring or earring

Worshipers and Clergy

Some of her clergy worship her in secret, and as such wears nothing that could be indicative of the Bride in Gold. Whoever, some people might proudly declare their worship, either because they are medics and have nothing to fear from a public perspective, or because they just want people to openly be afraid of them.

Those who do openly show worshiping normally wear small golden accessories, like a ring, a weapon decoration, a piercing, anything attached to a chain, no matter how big or small, with a small rusty tip or rust painted tip.

Temples & Shrines

Public churches of the Bride in Gold are typically small temples with a single golden décor, like a big stained glass, normally facing the sun, so that the whole church feels painted gold.

Small shrines to Lady Death can also be found in hospitals and most venues dedicated to events. Groups such as assassin guilds might also have a shrine to her, sometimes in the form of a billboard, listing jobs of people to kill.

Holy texts

• Vows of Love
  • This book contains many wedding traditions of many ancestries and cultures, as well as tips of growing old together, healthily of body and mind.
• Gold and Blood
  • A book written by Unknown, spiritual founder of the Zivrolkkar, now considered a holy book for guiding how one of Evalene’s assassins should operate and which herbs and poisons could be used for a job.
    
    

Holidays

A holiday known as King’s Anniversary, celebrated on the 28th of Shamilie, became a popular Evalene holiday, where couples celebrate their union and pray for a good future together.

Many people think the Spirit Blossom to also be one of the Silent Matron’s holidays, and many people might take some time to worship her during the celebrations, although it isn’t considered an official holiday by her church.

Favored animals

Gods are often associated with certain animals, either because they possess a quality favored by the god, or because the god's faithful feel a special kinship to them. Evalene's favored animals include ladybugs, doves, ducks and owls.