Summary[]
Rillivane, the Tree of Stars is an old goddess, said in folklore to have existed since the first death of a living being on the Material Plane. She is fairly passive in her actions, her focus mostly on maintaining the steady cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. Due to her quiet and determined nature, she does not have many clerics or active worshippers. She rarely intervenes with mortal matters and is often overlooked in conflicts between the gods. The rare followers of Rillivane see the importance of preserving natural order and understand that everything happens in time. She is often respected by Druids and folks with a deep connection to the earth for this reason. To most folk though, she is rarely prayed to except on certain occasions like funerals or births, where one may make a customary prayer for a long life or a peaceful afterlife.
Description[]
On the rare occasion where she wishes to communicate with others, she takes the form of an older woman with a crown of stars and silver robes.
History[]
Shortly after the creation of the planes and life upon them, Rillivane was slowly formed in the Astral Plane as not much more than a seed in space. As the first soul in existence died and passed into her domain, she heard it and reached out to it. Her roots grew and accepted it, listening to the tale of its life. She washed away the pain and impurities life had left it with and gently pushed it back into the land of the living to be reborn. Over time, she grew and her roots and branches spread from the Astral Plane to every other plane, calmly accepting souls and giving them the chance at life anew.
Tenants[]
Followers of Rillivane are, as a general rule, few and far between. There are many who respect her tenants and place in the universe but do not actively worship her. Those who do seek to ensure a pleasant life for the living and peace for the dead. As she takes in their souls, Rillivane feels sorrow and pity for victims of horrendous acts and those caught in mass disasters that could be avoided. Massive amounts of dead can harm the normally smooth cycle of reincarnation as well, so her Followers try to stop these sorts of acts or at least comfort victims of them, when possible. Things like necromancy and tampering with the soul are also perversions of the cycle, so there are some followers of hers who take it upon themselves to stop practitioners of macabre arcane practices.
Folklore[]
Rillivane, or the Tree of Stars is known to be the just peacekeeper of the dead. Legends vary from place to place, but there are often tales where some journey to the Astral Plane or the realm of the dead to attempt to bring back a loved one. Often, a promise or exchange is made for their return, but Rillivane is not known to lie or attempt to cheat mortals out of such promises. In places with a lot of forests, it is not uncommon to bury someone with a branch of oak or an acorn as a charm to guide them towards her in the afterlife. Some graveyards or cemeteries will plant oaks within the grounds as a good omen or to gather acorns and the like for the purpose of burying them with people.
Skill Check DCs[]
History DC10: Often, one can see imagery of an oak in things like funeral rites or in graveyards. Sometimes it’s painted silver.
History DC15: The Silver Oak is Rillivane, a deity not commonly prayed to except during ceremonies like burials.
Arcana/Religion DC20: Rillivane is said to be a massive silver oak in the Astral plane, that represents the cycle of reincarnation and is connected to most places.
Arcana/Religion DC25: Rillivane takes in the souls of the dead from the Astral Sea and puts them back out into the world. While her interactions with the Material Plane are generally distant, she is integral to the cycle of life and death.
Arcana/Religion DC30: Rillivane physically exists, and rumors say she could be found if one were to traverse the Astral Plane for long enough. The amount of power she has must be substantial given her role, even though she very rarely utilizes it. She detests perversions to the cycle of life and death, and followers of her will tend to hunt down necromancers or warmongers.