Auriel

Entity Overview

Type: Goddess

Domains: Winter, Balance, Chaos, Beauty

Symbol: A Snowflake

Current Status: Weakened / Connection Severed

Auriel is the Goddess of Winter and Balance, also associated with chaos and beauty. She is the mother of the NPC Anaphel and the patron deity of Lavender. Her influence is strongest in the cold regions of the world, such as The Frost.

Nature & Mythology

Auriel represents the duality of nature: the harsh, freezing brutality of winter and the pristine, breathtaking beauty of the snow. She values balance above all else, often testing her followers to ensure they possess both the strength to protect others and the wisdom to accept protection themselves.

Recently, her presence in Grimmora has waned. Her temples have fallen into disrepair or been actively hidden, and her connection to her celestial children has been severed, leading to theories that she has been trapped or usurped by the rising power of the Necromancers.

Campaign History

• Entry 05 (The Hidden Church): The party discovered an overgrown Auriel’s Church near Mightrest, hidden by magical vines. Lavender cleared the desecration and slew an ice troll within.
• Entry 06 (The Offering): Lavender offered the troll’s heart to Auriel on the restored altar. The offering was accepted; frost encased the heart until it shattered and vanished, sanctifying the shrine.
• Entry 08 (The Wall): On a mountain peak, the party encountered Auriel’s Wall, a mural of snow and patterns. Lavender and Temerity manipulated the mural to open a path to a trial.
• Entry 09 (The Trial): During a trial beneath the mountain, Auriel (or an aspect of her) spoke to Lavender within a freezing void. She challenged Lavender’s philosophy, asking “Who protects the protector?” and teaching her that true strength includes admitting a need for support.
• Entry 15 (The Blessing): While Lavender meditated in Arcadia, Auriel spoke to her directly. She expressed pride in Lavender’s commitment to her companions and the cause, granting her the ability to call upon her power (manifesting as Lavender’s Paladin abilities).
• Entry 19 (Divine Lineage): Anaphel revealed themselves as an [aasimar] and the direct offspring of Auriel, sent to the mortal realm 300 years ago as a missionary.
• Entry 37 (The Fading): While examining the Ring of Orris, Lavender and Anaphel sensed an intense “anti-heat” and a void where Auriel’s presence should be. They hypothesized that the goddess has been trapped within the ring by the necromancers to tip the balance of power.
• Entry 39 (Severed Connection): Anaphel confessed that they can no longer feel their connection to their mother, stating they “don’t have something anymore.”
• Entry 41 (The Master’s Target): The high priestess Lyra revealed that the Master of Ash seeks to destroy Auriel, who is trapped within Lavender’s ring, to eliminate his competition for balance. Temerity discovered through mind-reading that releasing the goddess from her prison requires a highly complex and dangerous procedure.

Key Relationships

• Lavender: Her champion and devoted follower. Auriel has taken a direct interest in Lavender’s growth, testing her resolve and granting her divine power.
• Anaphel: Her offspring. Anaphel was sent by Auriel to the mortal realm but is currently distressed by the silence from their mother.
• Orris Locke: Lavender’s brother. His ring, the Ring of Orris, is suspected to be the prison holding Auriel.
• The Wild Wanderer: An entity mentioned by Anaphel in relation to Auriel and the immortal planes.