MAGIC AND RELIGION
More information about the nature of magic and religion on Zalyndrya
RELIGION
Sibling deities of Life and Light (Di’Litha) and Death and Night (Vi’Bet) are the primary deities of the Zalyndryan pantheon. The sister and brother deities are primarily followed by the elves, although there are small sects of humans who pay tribute to them. Most choose one or the other, although since the pair are amicable towards each other, their followers sometimes work together for a common goal.
Di’Litha and Vi’Bet are also the gatekeepers of the Veil between life and death. Despite the conventional logic that equates “light and dark” with “good and evil”, these two do not identify as one or the other. Life and Death go hand and hand, and the same goes for day and night.
Di’Litha is said to be older than her brother by one Elven generation. Due to her role as the goddess of Life and Light, items that are enchanted with her blessing cannot be used by any undead beings; they are also quite painful if a Dusk Hunter were to attempt to touch one. Her brother, however, does not hold the same animosity towards the undead. As the god of Death and Night, items enchanted with his blessing are not harmful to Dusk Hunters. It should be noted that most undead do not follow any religion, so the question of which holy item is safe to handle is rarely considered.
MAGIC ASSOCIATED WITH DI'LITHA
While elemental magic is learned through study, Di’Litha grants certain spells to her followers after a period of both study and devotion. Her followers are able to use spells that protect and heal, and she only grants them to those who have proven themselves worthy. It should be noted that water magic has some minor healing spells, but they pale in comparison to the power of Di’Litha’s magic. Water magic can heal small injuries, but a skilled priest or priestess of Di’Litha can bring someone back from the edge of death. Her magic is also used for strong defensive enchantments, especially against undead creatures. The symbol of Di’Litha, which is worn by her followers as either a pendant or a tattoo, is a sun ringed by ivy leaves. There is usually a gemstone in the center of the sun (citrine, topaz, fire opal, and, very rarely, ruby).
MAGIC ASSOCIATED WITH VI'BET
Like his sister, Vi’Bet requires a certain amount of study and devotion before he grants his followers access to his magic. His followers are able to use magic from all four elements instead of just one. His elemental magic, however, is usually geared towards destruction, and it must be used with extreme caution. A skilled follower of Vi’Bet could cause massive landslides or tidal waves, or cause extreme changes in the weather. One could focus a tornado on a specific part of a battlefield, or wash away an encampment with a torrential downpour. Most of Vi’Bet’s spells are not used for such extreme measures, though. In practical situations, they are used to clear away areas of diseased plants, so that healthy crops can grow in their place. His symbol is the four moons connected to each other with a thin circle around them. Common gems used for the moons are ruby/garnet, emerald, sapphire/aquamarine, and citrine/topaz/quartz.
ELEMENTAL MAGIC
Elemental magic is linked to the four moons of Zalyndrya. Each moon in linked to a specific element (red: fire, blue: water, green: earth, yellow: air). While most elemental magic-users study only one of the elements, followers of Vi’Bet study all of them, thus highlighting the difference between wizards and priests/priestesses. Elemental spells can be domestic, defensive, or offensive, and certain elements are better suited for specific uses. Fire magic can be used in both domestic situations (lighting candles, fireplaces, campfires, etc.) or for combat situations. Similar trends can be found with water magic, earth magic, and air magic.