Herastia

Herastia
Tenets	Hearth, Home and Invention
Status	Active
Religious Symbols
Animal	honeybee
Plant	pineapple
Food	bread
Refectory
Food	Unknown
Drink	Unknown
Acceptable Axes

Widely adored both in the Aether and in the mortal land of Threshold, Herastia is a much-appreciated goddess. As patron deity of home and hearth, she is well known for her comforting and hospitable nature. A blessing from her generally ensures a healthy family and a prosperous household. Those who benefit from her blessings have been known to enjoy lifestyles of great stability. Such individuals, freed from the constant, all-encompassing struggle just to provide for their families, have been known to create truly amazing inventions that benefit all mortal kind. In this regard, Herastia is known to many of her followers as Mother Necessity.

Made a goddess during the Aethereal Shift, Herastia formerly served under Vishnu as one of His demigods. More interesting than that, however, is how she came to Ascend to Godhood. Many centuries ago, some say well over a millennia, Herastia was mother to the ancient and noble King Glamis. At the time of Glamis' birth, worship of the Aethereal Gods had waned enormously. Heathens tended to worship spirits or demons- if they worshipped anything at all. Herastia, however, tutored her son Glamis in the stories of the ancient gods, and taught him to give all of them the respect they were due. Young Glamis took these lessons to heart, and out of respect for his dear mother he never forgot them. When he rose to power and forged one of the mightiest Kingdoms in all mortal history, he revitalized the worship of the Aethereal Gods and forbade worship of spirits and demons. Under his Kingship, the churches of the ancient, Aethereal Gods experienced a grand renewal.

The Gods of the Aether were thankful, and they heaped many rewards upon King Glamis, his kingdom, and his family. Some believe it is those divine gifts that allowed him to live for many centuries (This has also led many to believe he still walks Threshold as a mortal, choosing only to give up his mantle as King to pursue other ends). When his mother died, she was given a grand funeral that was attended by the avatars of the Gods. As her funeral pyre reached the pinnacle of its fiery brightness, the gods united to infuse her soul with divine energy- thus making her one of their own kind. Eventually, she chose Vishnu as her suzerain, whom she served admirably until elevated to the status she now holds.

All things domestic are frequently attributed to Herastia. This includes agriculture, architecture, and homemaking among other aspects of day-to-day life. She derives great satisfaction from watching her followers tend to their gardens and homes, and has been known to give her blessing to those mortals who show particular care for their home and family. Throughout her history, when observing some of the more ingenious mortals of Threshold, she has been known to plant seeds of inspiration in their minds- frequently to alleviate the ennui of daily, repetitive tasks. In this manner, she generates and encourages innovation and invention.

Other deities rarely find themselves directly at odds with Herastia, for her philosophies are simple and hard to take issue with. For example: a stable, happy, family home is one where love and the creation of new life can blossom. Thus, both Erosia and Vivoria feel a close affinity for Herastia. Throughout mortal history, timely innovation has frequently been the determining factor in the outcome of battle and warfare. Thus, Tempest and Belphegore are thankful for Herastia's encouragement of invention. This is not to say that other religions and their followers do not sometimes have problems with the faithful of Herastia. Silvanus watches cautiously as those who worship her expand their communities into his precious forests, meadows, and natural lands. While he does not consider her an enemy, Silvanus is wary of her faith and the actions of her worshippers.

Herastia's followers are a diverse lot, though most tend to be loyal and very practical. Perhaps above any other trait, they are known for their hospitality. They tend to be meticulous people who show great attention to detail. However, some of the more inventive worshippers have been known to "forget" an important precaution here or there when pursuing their next great discovery. In general, Herastians are regarded as level-headed, sensible, and logical people with great love for their homes and their family.