Lylidas

None know what Lylidas looks like as she constantly wears a gray hooded shroud that not even the sharpest eye can see past. Her fingers are delicate and her voice melodic and she enjoys the seven-stringed harp, but other than that she remains a complete mystery to even the other gods. Also called the shadow walker or dreambringer, Lylidas is a guide into the unknown and mysteries of the world. Those she favors are granted insights and inspiration, while those who oppose her are plagued by nightmares. She is the goddess of dreams, shadows, and the realms of magick.

Lylidas is the only deity allowed into the faerie realms and often travels through them on her way to miranda. She is accepted as an equal among the faerie-kin and acknowledged by their guardian, the titan Fae who believes she is the rebirth of her sister Leylia. This has given Lylidas the ability to more fully manifest herself upon Miranda without endangering the world as she is wrapped in the fog of the shadow realms.

Many people pass right by a cleric of Lylidas and never know. This is because Lylidas abhors gaudy costumes and large trinkets; instead her clerics typically wear a pin or buckle to show they are hers. Because of this most of her clerics actually have other jobs they do to earn a living, while they continue to plumb the depths of the world she has revealed to them.

While she doesn't have many clerics those she has are fervent believers and would do anything she asked. This is because unlike other clerics, Lylidas often visits them in their sleep and unlocks the potential of their mind. Once the foggy veil is lifted a cleric could spend a lifetime and not discover a tenth of their potential. Once this veil is lifted nobody would want their eyes to be closed once more.

This is not to say that the clerics also don't seek out converts and preach to the people. It is just that clerics of Lylidas are more circumspect and rarely seek out those not in need of their assistance. However, because they are so picky about who they approach it is very rare for a cleric of Lylidas to be turned away.

Lylidas has very few temples erected in her honor and to her glory. Instead, her clerics tend to work apart, preaching to a few select people that are true seekers in the world. Those temples she does have are usually located in secretive rooms hiding behind a facade of a normal shop or house. Stairs into hidden basements, revolving bookshelves, and trapdoors that are only accessible by wearing certain jewelry or saying coded phrases. It is believed that even keeping the worship of Lylidas secretive will draw her attention to the clerics — that only true seekers will be able to uncover the cloak of their deception.

A stylized red eye, white circle, or golden six-pointed cross have all been associated with Lylidas. In each case they are on a gray field with a black square on the upper hoist side. Clerics often wear buttons or broaches with the eye in bas-relief, while amulets and circlets are more commonly found with the six-pointed star. A clerics clothing favors muted browns, grays, and some dark reds in order for them to blend with the crowd; they never want to draw attention to themselves — only watch from outside the crowd.

More people ward against the approach of the dreambringer and shadow walker that worship her. These people do not want to know the truth, but instead wish to only see what they have always seen. Still, they will offer up prayers disguised as old songs or poems before they go to sleep. To these people the shadow realms are only a place of wickedness and horror.

Unlike most people, magicians often have a shrine to her somewhere in their house or workshop. They regularly purchase incense and meditate for hours before it in the search of inspiration. Only the most dedicated become her clerics, but many offer up their prayers for her guidance.

Rituals performed by clerics are secretive even from the worshippers. Granted a greater audience with their goddess, most clerics tightly guard their secrets. The more people that know the secret, the less power the ritual offers. Each cleric relies on the others to follow their own path of discovery. Even upon their death, many cleric prefer to keep their rituals to themselves rather than reveal them to others.

It was Lylidas that assisted Leylia in merging her body with miranda in order to save everything. Before that Lylidas was beautiful young goddess that looked kindly upon artists, riddlers, and those who enjoyed turning reality upside down to look at things. These people who regularly debated that black was white and white was black as the truth. Those who saw reality through opened eyes found her supportive of them. It was immediately after the sacrifice that Lylidas donned her cloak and become more secretive. Exactly what happened is anybody's guess and a secret that nobody has yet uncovered.