Seashimmer on Imaera

 

Seashimmer says, "Hmm, hrm, right. Greetings, good evening, and suchalike."

Seashimmer says, "I'm here this evening to speak of Imaera, Lady of the Green, as she is followed both here in Solhaven and abroad. This will be a walking tour of the temple, so I'm glad everyone's following me already."

Seashimmer says, "Almost everyone."

Seashimmer says, "I'll be speaking softly once we step inside, so as not to disturb anyone at their prayers. You might want to gather a bit closer. If you miss hearing anything, I'll be happy to clear it up in questions later."

Seashimmer says, "The Lady of the Green watches over many spheres, so varied that at times they may seem contradictory. The wild wood and harvest field, the newborn fawn and the hunter's bow, the newborn and the dying, the peasant and the merchant. . .all, in some way, are part of her domain."

Seashimmer says, "One religious text that I read in preparation for this speech simply described her as 'the Goddess of all manner of things.'."

Seashimmer chuckles.

Seashimmer says, "I prefer to think of her as the patron of cycles."

Seashimmer says, "The breadth of her power means that she appeals to a wide number of followers, some of whom choose to focus only on the aspects most relevant to their lives. Thus the sylvans, having rejected her gift of agriculture, follow her primarily as the Arkati of seasons and the wild wood, while the Ralgrenek dwarves, uninterested in the surface lands, thank her primarily for healing lichens and mushrooms."

Seashimmer's group just wandered down a brick-lined path.

[Temple of Imaera, Entrance]
A tall archway of pure white eonake etched in delicate silver runes frames the entrance to the temple. Two ancient beech trees stand to either side of the arch, like silent guardians for the temple of their venerated patroness. These two trees alone the woodland inhabitants do not touch, as though they have been set aside in the purpose of their service to Imaera. You also see a brick-lined path.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Lord Turinrond, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Atoyoz, Sylviana, Kilthal, Seashimmer Obvious paths: none

Seashimmer stands in front of an ancient beech tree.

Seashimmer says, "When the temple here first opened, I was surprised. Vornavis, which gains much of its wealth from the coast, is not particularly known for its devotion to Imaera. Within human lands, her worship is far more popular in the breadbaskets of Honneland and Oire and the hunting forests of Talador and Riverwood."

Seashimmer's group just went through an eonake archway.

[Temple of Imaera, Entry Hall]
Towering walls paneled in smooth white ash and buttressed in arches of polished eonake form the elegant entry hall of the temple. The light that enters through stained glass windows high above casts mesmerizing shadows on the walls. A crystal clear stream flows through the room, smooth stones lying jewel-like in its bed. You also see an eonake archway.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Lord Turinrond, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Atoyoz, Sylviana, Kilthal, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: north, northeast, east, west, northwest

Seashimmer quietly says, "Those provinces, however, tend to follow her either as patron of the harvest or patron of the woodland, as dictated by the focus of their own communities' work. I was pleased in this temple to see that the Mercantylers' Guild had done their best to honor almost all her aspects. Perhaps it was their distance that allowed them to appreciate all her facets and build a temple where almost any follower might find an altar."

Seashimmer's group just went west.

[Temple, Hunter's Chapel]
A deep green carpet the color of shady grass leads to a small altar of unfinished walnut. Above the altar hangs a burnished thanot long bow and an iron-shafted spear. A beautiful mural of a forest scene has been hand-painted on the north wall, while the south wall holds several arched, glass-paned windows.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Lord Turinrond, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Atoyoz, Sylviana, Kilthal, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: east

Seashimmer stands in front of an altar.

Seashimmer quietly says, "The first altar we visit is dedicated to Imaera, patron of hunters. Some find it strange that the Lady of nature, often symbolized as a doe, also watches over those who slaughter her creations."

Seashimmer quietly says, "The Greengair gnomes, among the most fanatical followers of Imaera, often refuse to eat the flesh of animals, for they fear their deaths will disturb the balance of nature. I myself have struggled to resolve the contradiction between Imaera's life-giving and death-giving aspects."

Seashimmer quietly says, "To accept or embrace death as natural, rather than reject it, is to accept that we will also die, and that our lives are only a small part of a larger cycle. These are difficult things for many mortals."

Seashimmer smiles softly.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Imaera, not being mortal, understands that death is a part of nature, and that forest grow only on the rotting remains of older trees and animals. As the mural in this room shows, death is inherent in the lives of all animals, whether the mortal races add to it with their hunting or no."

Seashimmer points at a hand-painted mural.

Sylviana cocks her head and examines the hand-painted mural.

>l mural
A hauntingly beautiful milieu is played out before your eyes. A forest of tall leafy trees and full, flowering bushes surround a scene of a huge bear standing over a dead fawn. The bear has been painted with an almost human expression of regret, and yet he has done only what he must to survive.

Seashimmer quietly says, "What Imaera despises is hunting for sport, destroying whole populations of animals for the sake of mere prestige. Survival she understands well; it is as much a part of her as the trees and the harvest."

Seashimmer quietly says, "By leaving the skins of their prey on the altar here, hunters show that they killed for food or in defense of others, not merely to collect a trophy."

[Temple, Healer's Chapel]
Golden oak parquet tiles shine underfoot in this beautiful, tastefully decorated room. A crimson silk cloth covers an elegant rosewood altar, which lies below a wreath of sovyn cloves and woth flower blooms. A stunningly beautiful marble statue stands to the right side of the altar. You also see a potted calamia tree.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Lord Turinrond, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Atoyoz, Sylviana, Kilthal, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: southeast

Seashimmer stands in front of a rosewood altar.

Seashimmer quietly says, "The second altar we visit is dedicated to Imaera, patron of healers. Imaera's attitude towards the mortal races is that of a mother, warm and caring, as the statue standing beside the altar shows. Here she is celebrated for her greatest gift to her children, the healing herbs."

Seashimmer quietly says, "It is said that in the days after the Ur-Daemon War, Imaera worked night and day to mend the broken world, healing the old races and creating new ones to fill the empty spaces where others had perished entirely. It is because of this skill at shaping flesh and bone that many empaths turn to her for patronage."

Seashimmer quietly says, "One of the giantmen whom she healed, while thankful for her aid, became concerned that she would wear herself into exhaustion with the magnitude of her task. He proposed that she infuse healing magic into the structure of many common plants, thus allowing the injured races to better tend to themselves while the Lady of the Green focused on the creation of new creatures."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Imaera followed his advice and, in her gratitude, asked Lorminstra for his soul, that she might raise the giantman to immortality. Today, we know him as Kuon, patron of the healing herb, a realm that he shares with Imaera."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Many temples of Imaera and Kuon are graced with vast gardens of herbs and flowers. Each plant has a meaning, and thus each array of flower beds may spell out a living prayer. ."

Seashimmer quietly says, "The builders of this temple chose a wilder sort of garden, leaving the courtyard a natural wilderness. We see only a glimpse of the more cultivated variety here, in the potted calamia tree, which symbolizes forgiveness of past wrongs."

Seashimmer reaches out and touches a potted calamia tree.

>l tree
The tree is well-tended, with no dead or dying leaves to be seen. Its branches are heavy with ripening calamia fruit, filling the room with a deliciously heavy scent.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Perhaps some follower or priest felt they had particularly wronged Imaera, and brought the tree as an offering of amends. More often, those who turn to Imaera as a patron for her aspect of healing bring sprigs of herbs they have foraged to place on her altar."

[Temple, Farmer's Chapel]
Crossed sheaves of golden grain adorn the far wall, which has been washed in a deep forest green. The altar that lies below this symbol of fecundity is of smooth, pale willow and covered in soft, leaf-green cloth. The mural on the north wall is artfully painted so that, as the eye sweeps its length, one can see a field ripen from ploughed soil, to sprouting seedlings, to a sea of rippling green, to mature flaxen wheat, ready to be harvested.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: west

Seashimmer nods.

Seashimmer stands in front of a pale willow altar.

Seashimmer quietly says, "The third altar we visit is dedicated to Imaera, patron of the harvest field. While Oleani is revered as the patron of agriculture for her gift of fertility, Imaera offers the final blessing that encourages crops to ripen for harvest."

Seashimmer quietly says, "While Imaera is often thought of as the patron of only wild lands, her concern for the mortal races leads her to watch over cultivated areas as well. Her special interest is in seeing the land well-used, so that it will burgeon again and again with new growth and easily return to nature after its mortal tillers have moved on to other fields."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Imaera's ties to farmers date back to years after the Ur-Daemon War, when she and Lumnis were the ones to teach elves the use of the plow and the hoe, that they might provide for themselves in the few arable patches of their war-torn land. ."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Some point to this as the moment at which the sylvans split from the elves, for while they retained close ties to Imaera, they rejected her teaching of agriculture. Instead, they held close to the tenet that they must resist the settled lands, stone buildings, and other trappings of civilization in order to truly revere nature."

Seashimmer quietly says, "While Imaera understood that this was but one path, she also knew that the forests, charred and tattered from the war, would need caretakers as much as the fields. She did not seek to correct the sylvans, but rather guided them along the path they had chosen for themselves."

Seashimmer quietly says, "The sylvan closeness to Imaera has led many to proclaim her the sylvan patron and to insinuate that those who do not focus their reverence on the forest do not truly follow the Lady of the Green."

Seashimmer shakes her head.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Nothing could be further from the truth. Those that leave the fruits of their fields on this altar as a token of their appreciation are equal to those who pay their respects in the privacy of the deepest wood."

[Temple, Merchant's Chapel]
A thick, plush carpet of rich cream covers the floor all the way to the monir paneled gold-inlaid walls. An ornate altar of darkly stained, polished haon lies in the middle of the room, with several padded kneeling pillows arrayed before it. It is covered in a splendid length of pure white silk, shot with gold thread, and edged with handmade elven lace. On the wall behind the altar hangs an embroidered money belt and the varnished wheel of a merchant wagon.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Lord Turinrond, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: southwest

Seashimmer stands in front of a polished haon altar.

Seashimmer quietly says, "The fourth altar we visit is dedicated to Imaera, patron of merchants. This is an unusual aspect for her, and one that perhaps better reflects the builders of this particular temple than the Arkati herself, though it is not restricted to Solhaven."

Seashimmer quietly says, "In Oire in particular, there is a tradition of merchant worship of Imaera. When establishing a new farmer's market, peasants will petition the merchants who buy from them in bulk to add a tithe to their purchases. This money then goes to the construction of a shrine at the center of the market, where merchants and farmers join together in thanksgiving."

Seashimmer quietly says, "It shows a level of awareness that the most avaricious of merchants rarely reach to understand that a merchant's wealth is indeed dependent on the bounty of the land. Without her blessing on the fields and vineyards, trade would suffer, just as it suffers if Charl withholds the wealth of the ocean or Eonak refuses to free the treasures of the earth."

Seashimmer nods to Clunk.

Clunk nods to Seashimmer.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Thus the merchants who follow Imaera leave a portion of their coins at the altar, to show that they understand that their wealth is rooted in the soil."

Clunk grunts in agreement.

Seashimmer quietly says, "In the inscription on the wheel above the altar, however, the builders of this temple indicate a deeper understanding of their connection to Imaera. 'As this wheel represents the way by which a merchant makes his living, so also does this wheel represent the Circle of Life,' it reads."

Seashimmer points at an inscription.

>read inscription
In the Common language, it reads: As this wheel represents the way by which a merchant makes his living, so also does this wheel represent the Circle of Life.

Seashimmer quietly says, "As I stated in the beginning, Imaera is best characterized as the patron of cycles. Life to death, season to season, wilderness to civilization -- all these things come and go, each at their appointed time, and Imaera watches over them all."

[The Circle, Birth]
The eastern wall of this room is painted in an impressionistic depiction of sunrise, the birth of the day. In the center of the room is a circular dais, where visitors have come to give thanks to Imaera for the spark of life. On it lie such gifts as a birchwood cradle, a basket of eggs, and a small sack of seedlings. A gentle stream flows in and to the north, though small rivulets run off in other directions.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Lord Turinrond, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: north, northeast, south, northwest

Seashimmer stands in front of the wall.

Seashimmer quietly says, "We come, then, to the center of the temple, the Circle. Now we stand at Birth and Spring, the beginning of nature's cycle."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Imaera is often shown as having a particular fondness for the young, as in the tapestries that adorn her shrine in the Lysierian Hills. For those who have not seen them, they depict her sheltering the children of all races from the evil of the Ur-Daemon War. ."

Seashimmer quietly says, "While she knows and accepts that the natural cycle brings death as well as birth, infirmity as well as youth, Imaera is, at heart, a sentimentalist. She takes pleasure in watching those who have not yet learned this truth, for they share her joy in nature to an extent that few who have passed maturity are able to match."

Seashimmer quietly says, "This sentimental nature may explain why Imaera has raised more mortals to immortality than any other Arkati on record. I have already spoken on Kuon, but there are also the well-known examples of Jaston and Jes'Tamaline."

Seashimmer quietly says, "I don't believe I have time at the moment to go over both their stories in detail, but I would be happy to answer questions later."

[The Circle, Fertility]
A dazzling golden circular window is centered in the ceiling overhead, the shape of the sun at the height of the day. A trickle from the main stream flows through, right past a dais in the center of the room, where a willow tree is growing right up through the floor.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Lord Turinrond, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: northeast, east, southeast

Seashimmer stands in front of a willow tree.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Now we stand at Fertility and Summer, the moment when nature regenerates itself, ensuring the endlessness of the cycle."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Many, particularly in human lands, view fertility as Oleani's province, an aspect of her gift of love. Gnomes, however, particularly those of the Basingstoke bloodline, often see children as the living sign of Imaera's favor. Fertility marks a union as one harmonious with nature. Although nature is often harsh to individual gnomes, so long as their families flourish, the bloodline will survive."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Even here, some come to ask for Imaera's assistance in conception. A twig taken from this tree, dipped in the water of the stream, and hung over the marital bed is said to be a particularly efficacious cure."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Whether that is superstition or no, the rather bedraggled ends of this tree's branches suggest that the local residents have taken it well to heart."

Seashimmer grins.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Imaera's own union with Eonak, of course, was fruitful, adding both Jastev and Cholen."

[The Circle, Maturity]
Walls of plain-cut grey marble close in around you, drawing all eyes to the grand hazel tree which is growing up through a circular cut in the floor. The twilight of life, and all its wisdom, are captured in the stretch of its branches, its quiet solidity, its eternal patience. A rivulet of water from the main stream flows by, endlessly onward to the next curve in the circle.
Also here: Wylde, Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: southeast, south, southwest

Seashimmer quietly says, "Now we stand at Maturity and Fall, when all things born reach their intended purpose."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Maturity is the harvest ready to be reaped, the leaves changing hue, the buck ready to be hunted, the herb dried to its highest potency. It is the moment in nature's cycle when most see Imaera's power at its strongest."

Seashimmer quietly says, "While the sylvans revere Imaera throughout the year, holding quarterly festivals in her honor, many of the other races view the days of fall, and in particular the month of Imaerasta, as the proper time for celebrations in her name."

Seashimmer quietly says, "It is then that the elves of Ta'Ardenai hold their two week celebration of the turning leaves; that the humans of Talador sing, dance, and pledge marriage in the Festival of the Land's Bounty; that the gnomes of the Basingstoke bloodline toast Imaera in remembrance of the birthday of their founder."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Maturity represents more than the turning of the seasons in nature, however. It also represents the moment in each of our lives when we come to accept death and understand our place in the world, and when we step out from the shelter of the Arkati's arms to apply their teachings and learn new ones as best as we may."

Seashimmer's group just went southeast.

[The Circle, Mortality]
A yew tree stands alone in the center of this darkened room. The walls are painted an unrelieved black, yet the light from the adjoining room of Birth beckons, completing the circle. The ceiling has been dusted with thousands of tiny sparkles, which glitter even in the dim light. A small runnel of water from the main stream babbles as it flows by, a reminder also of the renewable resource that is life.
Also here: Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Lord Turinrond, Wylde, Great Lady Nashara, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: southwest, west, northwest

Seashimmer stands in front of a yew tree.

Seashimmer quietly says, "Now we stand at Mortality and Winter, when life fades away to make space for the next iteration of the cycle."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Those who pass through maturity are ready for this moment, but some never reach that stage, and rail against the cruelty of nature to the end of their days."

Seashimmer quietly says, "The gnomes of the Rosengift bloodline, in general, see Imaera as a cruel and wicked Arkati, for they see only the dangers in nature and not its blessings. In their tales, it was Imaera's curse that transformed the sentient gnomes of the forest and city into the savage cave gnomes that rampage through our catacombs. Death, to them is but one more punishment heaped undeservedly upon them."

Seashimmer quietly says, "More mature are the gnomes of the Basingstoke bloodline, who understand that nature is a force to be respected for both its bounty and its dangers. In their tradition, a child who dies in the coming of age ceremony is seen as particularly blessed by Imaera, for she has seen that they have achieved all that they can in this cycle of nature and sent them on quickly to the next."

Seashimmer quietly says, "They understand that death is not an ending, but a new beginning."

Seashimmer quietly says, "Often, Imaera has been known to let a disaster run its course, despite the desperate pleas of her followers. Famous cases include the plagues that, centuries ago, swept through Halcyon Hills and the land now known as Riverwood. ."

Seashimmer quietly says, "It is not that Imaera is untouched by the suffering of the mortal races. She works in whatever ways she can to minimize it, but she understands that some suffering is necessary to growth even when the mortals involved cannot see that wider view."

Seashimmer's group just went west.

[Temple, Central Altar]
From all four directions water flows in to feed a large pool before the ornate altar. A mysterious fog hovers over the pool, lending the room a sense of the ethereal. The temple's crowning glory is a magnificent altar of ornately carved solid oak, which is lit by an ever-burning torch on the wall just above it, a symbol of Imaera's never-ending kindness and generosity to the lesser races.
Also here: Nilandia, Respital, Calean, Clunk, Vender, Thrassus, Uniana, Seaaira, Raelee, Riggen, Hadya, Perigourd, Rinika, Aydan, Mckissack, Sylviana, Kilthal, Wylde, Great Lady Nashara, Seashimmer
Obvious exits: north, east, south, west

Seashimmer stands in front of an ornately carved altar.

Seashimmer softly says, "Nature's cycle is endless. With each death comes rebirth elsewhere in the world. Imaera is many things to many people, but I believe that most of all she teaches us of the ways in which we are all inextricably connected, to each other and to the world at large."

Seashimmer softly says, "Every action we take has the possibility of harming others, and we must act carefully. Every difficulty we find ourselves in can be worked through with the aid of others, and we must be open to asking for assistance."

Seashimmer softly says, "And yet whatever we do, however we succeed or fail, the world is larger than us. Life goes on. There is always a chance to try again in the coming cycle."