The Sisterhood of Anwyn
The Sisterhood of Anwyn is a matriarchal sect of worshippers of the Goddess Ehlonna/Ehlenestra in a specifically half-Elven aspect. They are based in the Golden Woods of Anwyn, a heavily half-elven forest area. Traditionally the worshippers of the Goddess have always been humans, elves, gnomes, half-elves, halflings, rangers, druids, hunters, farmers, woodcutters. The two aspects of the deity have been either Ehlonna, a raven-haired human or Ehlenestra, an elf with golden tresses with half-elves choosing which aspect they wish to follow.
The Sisterhood of Anwyn has successfully invoked a specifically half-Elven aspect of their goddess which they felt was lacking prior to this. The popularity of the Goddess in the Anwyn Woods has helped the sect flourish and grow offering a focused path of worship to many of the inhabitants of who most have some elven or even fey blood. That said the Sisterhood welcomes all who would worship the goddess whether elven, human, gnomish or even something more exotic.
In this aspect the Goddess appears as a beautiful dark haired half-Elven woman with deep blue eyes clad in a green robe that carries her traditional longbow. This visual interpretation is closer to the human Ehlonna than the Elven Ehlenestra however services of worship are commonly carried out in Elven and the goddess is revered for her affinity with both horses and unicorns. As with both human and elven faiths the holy symbol is a silver representation of rampant unicorn or a unicorn's horn. As usual Clerics of Ehlonna wear pale green robes as do the other members of the Sisterhood.
There are two main branches with the sect. The first is the much marital branch that personifies the warrior maiden aspect of Ehlonna. Members tend to be rangers or fighters, all are virgins and some Unicorn riders. The second is the motherly branch which personifies Ehlonna as a mother and as a fertility deity. Members of this branch are more concerned with life and fertility looking to the family and procreation. The two branches are heavily mixed with martial members often moving to the motherly branch when their desire for adventure has been fulfilled or faded.
The Anwyn Sect of Ehlonna is spiritually led by the High Priestess Lusara Elmare, unsurprisingly a female –half-elven cleric. She was raised by the Temple of Ehlonna and has always known the beloved teachings of the Goddess. Lusara was an adventuring cleric of Ehlonna till she finally settled down in the Anwyn Woods to care for the locals followers of the Goddess. As befits a fertility priestess she has four children, two of which were conceived during holy rites and are said to be especially blessed. She also has several foster children whom she cares for while acting as a shepherd for the numerous followers of the goddess. Lusara and her family live next to the Sacred Grove of Ehlonna where the high days of the Goddess are always enthusiastically celebrated. Lusara tends to concentrate on the motherly branch of the sect.
The leader of the Sisterhood is Dîmeril Laeghartha, a retired adventurer and ex-mercenary captain commonly referred to as the ‘Heryn’ by her followers and local people in general. Leaving home at a young age Dîmeril was a prolific adventurer who travelled with many a famous hero till she became one in her own right. She was then a Unicorn Rider, Captain of horse and Border Lord till finally settling in the Anwyn woods. Dîmeril lives in Merilrond, the Rose Hall, with her retainers and her wards. The Wards are all orphaned or abandoned half-Elven children that are cared for at Merilrond. Dîmeril tends to concentrate on the martial branch of the sect. She is also the person almost all of the folk of the Golden Woods turn to for guidance.
Since the Golden Woods arrived in the Lands of Warlderia the Sect has become more alive with the discovery of humanoid enemies just beyond the woods. The armouries of old were opened open after many a year and the people girded for battle. The Silver Unicorn Standard was raised and the Anwyn Woods went to war to fight with the forces of Everwatch against their shared humanoid enemies. In a decisive battle north of the Fawn Woods the humanoids were routed from the field and the threat on a major invasion ended. A treaty was reached with all land west of Fawn Bay, east of the Steele River and south of the Harmonia River given to the stewardship of Dîmeril Laeghartha in return for her fealty to the Duchess of Everwatch. In reality the Duchess leaves the area to itself having neither the desire nor the resources to control it.
An active and militant Anwyn Sect now patrols the lands that border the mort Swamp and keep the area clear of remnant humanoids and other monsters. In many ways the sect has become rejuvenated and has stated to recruit in larger numbers.
Heryn translates as ‘Lady’ in Common from the original Elven