Nori

Description

Nori is revered as the Goddess of Love, Water, and Summer, and is often called the Watcher of Rivers. Legends say she was born from a mountain spring, though she was the last of Diion’s creations. Throughout Nagan sagas, she is frequently depicted as the peacemaker among her siblings, preventing conflict and maintaining harmony. As the protector of all waterways, she is believed to control the flow of rivers and streams, ensuring they nourish the lands and sustain life.

During the summer months, Nori is said to walk among mortals in various guises, blessing couples with love and ensuring fertile harvests. Her followers believe that she rewards purity of heart, and that devotion to her can bring prosperity, love, and fertility.

Dragon Form

Like the other members of the Nagan Pantheon, Nori can transform into a majestic oriental dragon. Her dragon form is adorned with shimmering blue scales, a long flowing mane, and four claws on each foot. This form embodies the life-giving and nurturing qualities of water, sustaining the natural world and bringing good fortune.

Her dragon form is closely associated with summer, the season of abundance and growth. The flowing mane represents waves and tides, while the blue scales reflect the rejuvenating power of rivers, lakes, and rainfall. Followers invoke her dragon form to attract prosperity, gain guidance in love, and find protection for their lands. Across Lunora, oriental dragons are widely considered symbols of strength, wisdom, and good fortune, and Nori’s dragon form is no exception.

History

Nori was the final creation of Diion, brought forth to balance the powers of her siblings. She is credited with guiding the rivers, ensuring bountiful seasons, and maintaining harmony among the gods and mortals alike. Many of the Nagan festivals are dedicated to her, celebrating love, fertility, and the life-giving force of water.

Over time, Nori became the most widely revered deity in the Nagan Empire, with countless shrines, festivals, and rites dedicated to her. Her influence is particularly evident in agricultural communities, where successful crops are often attributed to her blessings and protection of waterways.

Personality

Nori is compassionate, nurturing, and patient. She embodies the gentle strength of flowing water, resolving conflicts and guiding mortals with understanding rather than force. Though gentle, she is unwavering in her defense of love, fertility, and the natural order. Her presence encourages cooperation, empathy, and emotional growth, and she is often sought by those in need of guidance in relationships or personal development.

Views on the Other Four

As judge and keeper of balance, Liao holds nuanced views of his divine siblings:

• Liao (Death & Autumn): She approaches Liao with care and respect, understanding that death and destruction are natural but must be balanced with compassion and care.
• Takata (War & Winter): She is compassionate toward Takata’s harsh influence, recognizing the need for endurance and resilience, yet works to temper his impact so that hardship does not dominate life.
• Laaos (Wisdom & Spring): Nori deeply respects Laaos as a source of guidance and knowledge, seeing wisdom as essential to sustaining love and growth in the world.
• Gao (Time & Harvest): She appreciates Gao’s role in prosperity and abundance, recognizing that timely harvests ensure both survival and happiness.

Overall, Nori views her siblings as essential for maintaining the balance of the natural world, and she often acts as the mediator, ensuring their powers harmonize rather than conflict.

Worshipers

Nori is perhaps the most widely venerated deity in the Nagan Empire. Her worshipers include couples seeking love, farmers ensuring fertile lands, and common folk wishing for prosperity and harmony. Her followers hold numerous rites, festivals, and ceremonies in her honor, with a common saying among devotees: “Love conquers all,” and “Love all five equally.”

Her priesthood is extensive and varied, ranging from river guardians and village waterkeepers to court advisors and matchmakers. Her festivals are often colorful, lively events that celebrate romance, fertility, and the bounty of summer.

Avatar

The Legendary Avatars of the Five are revered as living vessels of divine will—champions chosen by the Nagan Pantheon to serve as mortal representatives. Each Avatar demonstrates extraordinary devotion, wisdom, and talent in service of their patron deity, embodying their god’s essence in flesh. Becoming an Avatar is a rare and sacred honor, granted only to those who have performed acts of exceptional piety or heroism.

It is widely believed that each of the Five maintains one Avatar within the world of Midora at any given time, though scholars debate whether multiple Avatars could exist simultaneously. Their presence is seen as both a blessing and an omen, for an Avatar’s emergence often signals great upheaval in the Empire.

Abilities

• Water Control: Nori can influence rivers, lakes, and rainfall, ensuring nourishment for the land and fertility for the crops.
• Blessings of Love: She can foster love, harmony, and fertility among mortals and creatures alike.
• Mediation and Diplomacy: Nori can pacify conflicts, both divine and mortal, acting as a stabilizing force in turbulent times.
• Dragon Form Empowerment: In her dragon form, she can manipulate waterways and currents, bringing both protection and prosperity to her followers.

Possessions / Relics

• Pearl of the Flowing Spring: A sacred artifact believed to contain the essence of Nori’s first river, used in blessing rituals.
• Azure Tides Staff: A ceremonial staff carried by her high priests, symbolizing her dominion over waterways and love.
• Sacred Shrines: Countless shrines across the Nagan Empire, often located near rivers, lakes, or springs, where offerings are made to ensure fertility and harmony.

Legacy

Nori’s influence extends to every aspect of life in the Nagan Empire. Her blessings guide the rivers, strengthen communities, and nurture relationships. Festivals and rites dedicated to her ensure that love and compassion remain central to society, and her role as the peacemaker among the gods underscores her importance in maintaining balance and harmony across the natural and divine worlds.