Fern's Liyesa Deep Dive, pt. 1
Title:
Iridescent One
Other Titles:
Marred Mistress, Breaker of Chains, Lady of the Broken, Lady of Outcasts, Unicorn Queen
Iridescent One
Liyesa is a Goddess of beauty, and as such she teaches us to see beauty in *all *things, even if they are things we do not necessarily deem beautiful. She gently guides us to see the beauty within ourselves, and embraces those whom society has cast out with loving arms. She is the Lady of Outcasts, who welcomes all those who need a place to rest. Folks who are deemed too fat or too thin or too much, those with scars, with disabilities both seen and unseen, those discriminated against for the color of their skin or for whom they love, those who fall outside of the norms of society: they find solace in her care. Liyesa teaches you to face your own thoughts and shadows, and to embrace and celebrate all that you are. To find your authentic self that lives in the heart of you and to let it shine out. Expressing that self through any means is to be encouraged and celebrated, which is why she is also a Goddess of Art. She is the Breaker of Chains, and teaches us to break free from the expectations of others, of society, and the too harsh expectations of ourselves. She shows us that true freedom is not without sacrifice, but that freedom is a worthy goal to pursue and that we will be happier for it. Her path is one filled with joy and wonder, but it is not always an easy one. She forces us to care for ourselves and work towards loving ourselves with a gentle but steady hand. There is beauty in darkness, and there is beauty when you shine a light upon it.
Origins:
Liyesa is a Goddess which got her origins, much like Venaris, in a homebrew game of D&D. The idea of her came to me in a period where I was struggling with identity in many different ways. Just called the Marred Mistress then (because she herself is also not without scars), she became a source of comfort and solace both within the game and without. Through my time connecting with her I found a true deity underneath. Whether created through the power of Story, or whether she is unrecorded, matters little to me.
Associated Deities:
The thing about unrecorded deities is that you have to build from scratch. I found myself drawn to several spirits and deities who have helped me form a picture of her and connect with Liyesa. The biggest influences were:
Freyja, Norse Goddess associated with love, beauty, magic, and war
Shelyn, Pathfinder TTRPG Goddess, associated with beauty, art, music, and love
Aphrodite, Greek Goddess associated with love, beauty, and pleasure
Inanna, Sumer Goddess associated with love, sensuality, divine law, war, and fertility
[Liyesa Masterpost]
