Yana presides as the malevolent deity of war in the Iozarian pantheon, a figure who revels in the chaos and brutality that conflict brings. Her domain, like her righteous counterpart Bavarus, is War, but where he champions the noble aspects of combat, Yana embodies its darker side. Her symbol, two swords crossed in aggression, is a stark representation of her principles of strife and discord.
Yana attracts those who see war not as a means to an end but as an end in itself. Her followers often include marauders, warmongers, and all who find glory in the suffering of others. Mercenaries who fight for the highest bidder, regardless of the cause, and tyrants who wage wars of conquest to expand their dominions are often counted among her adherents. They pray to Yana for the strength to overcome their enemies and for the chaos of battle to feed their ambitions and desires.
Unlike Bavarus, whose warriors are promised an honorable place in the afterlife, Yana offers her most devoted servants the chance to indulge their lust for power eternally. The promise of an afterlife for her followers is one of continued conflict and domination, a never-ending war where the cruel and the strong prosper.
The cults and temples dedicated to Yana are often clandestine, as open worship of such a deity invites disdain and retribution from the followers of more benevolent gods. Yet, in times of war, her influence grows, her shrines become rallying points for those who seek to turn the tide of battle in their favor through any means.
Yana's enmity with Bavarus is well-documented, a divine struggle that plays out on the battlefields of the mortal realm. Where Bavarus's followers fight for justice and protection, Yana's disciples engage in war for personal gain, reveling in the destruction they sow. This dichotomy between the two deities of war encapsulates the eternal conflict between order and anarchy, between those who defend life and those who would see it torn asunder for their gain.
In the greater narrative of Iozaria, Yana stands as a testament to the seductive power of war and the allure of victory through overwhelming force. Her story is a cautionary one, warning of the perils that await when war is waged not for protection or for the greater good but for selfish ambition and the cruel joy of domination.