Daughter of Gaia

Those who combine various forms of aether, espcially Genesis, kazaddarean, viridian aether, the floral aethers (prasinofos, hasken fure, TykvaVlast), and conflueverant, with Aemoa and the lore. Gaia refers to Mother Shem. Daughters of Gaia are those who serve her, much as the matriadoman protect her. They have methods similar to that of druids, but they are more primal. The Daughters of Gaia were founded by Mother Shem's actual daughter, Myrrea, who took women from matriarchal societies and taught them the secrets of earthpower. Since their founding, they have become an order of women around the world who fight against those who would befoul the earth, sky, and waters.

Earthpower

Earthpower refers to the combined energies of the world taking the form of an intense aetherial flame, usually green in color. To create earthpower, a Daughter of Gaia must commune with the world and her ancestors through her ancestral tree. From there, she must draw into herself the full might of the world's wrath. Unless she is prepared and protected by special talismans, this will consume her. If she survives, she will then have to learn to control the earthpower.

World Tree

All Daughters of Gaia must make a pilgrimage to the World Tree in order to find the talismans they will need and to prove themselves worthy. The Tree will test their knowledge, strength, courage, and compassion. If she passes each, they will grant her one of the talismans she needs. When she completes her journey and is a full Daughter, she may return to be given her staff.

Communion

To commune with the world, a Daughter of Gaia must be in a place where aether is very strong. As a trip to the World Tree is necessary regardless, most Daughters choose to commune while there, but any place of aetherial power will work. Communion is a matter of mindful meditation on the world around you, focusing on the feel of the elements, and syncing one's breath, heartbeat, and thoughts to the world's rhythms. If one finds one's inner connection to the flow of aether, one may let one's soul, mind, and heart engage with it and join with it. In order to achieve this, they must have practiced for years to sense the aether within and without.

Ancestral Tree

The ancestral tree is simply one's ancestors bonded to a metaphysical aetherial form. It is a means of connecting with one's ancestors in a way that taps not into merely their memory, but deeper essence, their ashar and other aetherial energies. In order to find their way, the Daughter must find her own True Name on a leaf of the tree. Then she can explore further and meet others. By exploring the ancestral tree, Daughters are able to quickly find their ancestors with the most aetherial power, which traces them more quickly back to Myrrea and thus to Mother Shem, the source of all aether. Learning to traverse the ancestral tree requires many journeys into the inner self by a Daughter before hand. If she meets other aetherial ancestors on the way, she can increase her power, but not until she meets Myrrea and Mother Shem can she draw upon earthpower.

Myrrea

Myrrea is the key to reaching Mother Shem. Once she is found on the ancestral tree, the Daughter will be near the roots and can find Mother Shem. Myrrea will give power to every Daughter who proves worthy, giving them the strength to go on.

Mother Shem

Mother Shem will wordlessly grant earthpower to any Daughter who makes it to her. If she speaks, their souls will collapse. If they survive the earthpower, it is because they are worthy.

Rites

Once a Daughter has earthpower, she must learn how to use it. There are five rites which she must undergo to learn how to control the power: the Rite of Flame, the Rite of Leaf, the Rite of Iron, the Rite of Earth, and the Rite of Water. Each rite requires an elemental connection, a performance of some kind, and an offering:

• Flame: the Daughter must set ablaze (element) some of her old possessions (offering) and invoke her own True Name (performance). She will merge with the flames, which will show her her own capacity for pain and energy.
• Leaf: the Daughter must sing an ancient song of the earth (performance), then sleep upon a pile of fallen leaves (element) while naked (offering), under at least one full moon. She will see in her dreams insights into the nature of earthpower.
• Iron: the Daughter must cut herself (offering) with a knife of iron (element) (or, if they can find one, true iron or living iron), carving an intricate pattern into her breast (performance). Her blood will wash her body and give her relief from the earthpower and show her how to let it flow safely through her.
• Earth: the Daughter must cake herself in mud and dirt (element), then perform an intricate ritual calling upon Mother Shem's power (performance), ending with her cutting off her hair or making equivalent sacrifice if she has none (offering). From this, she will be able to contain the earthpower.
• Water: the Daughter must stand in a pool of clear water (element), under a full moon. She must wash the blood, dirt, leaves, and ash from her body, then sink herself into the pool and let her breath go (offering). There, she will hear Myrrea's voice, and she will arise wearing a dress made of water, which cools the earthpower within her.

After these five rites, she will have enough control over the earthpower to be safe. From then on, she must practice its use.

Mother Shem's Wrath

The earthpower is extremely powerful. It can be wielded as a whip, hurled like a ball, or spun into different forms. To be struck by it is to be struck by something as strong as a cannonball. It is a force that destroys the enemies of Shem, and only a rare few ever know how to wield it. Its primary use is as a weapon, but it can also be invoked to do the following:

• Purge pollutants: it will heal soil, sky, or sea of pollutants if directed properly.
• Mend stone: it can refuse stone back together if it has been broken.
• Part waters: it can make a path through waters, parting like the Red Sea.
• Grow plants: it can make plants grow and come alive, blooming or turning green again.
• Nourish: it can supply nourishment to the hungry.
• Protect elemental: it can provide an aura of protection to any aetherial being.
• Gather aether: it can draw aether nearby to it like a magnet.
• Connect consciousness: it can connect the user's consciousness to the world like tree roots or fungi.
• Repel energies: it can be used to parry esoteric attacks.
• Influence animals: it can be used to nudge the emotions of animals so that they do not attack, or do, etc.
• Metallify: it can turn anything into iron, if only temporarily.
• Absorb/release shadows: it can absorb shadows to make it lighter, or release them to make it darker.
• Cause earthquake: if directed into the ground, it can cause earthquakes.

Each of these comes with a cost, however. Earthpower must be recharged in special groves which are the homes of the Daughters. If they do not recharge, they will lose power and eventually die.

Groves

A Daughter of Gaia will usually have a home grove even before she has gained earthpower. If not, she must find a grove that feels right to her. These are usually near where she grew up, but not always. Once found, she must release earthpower into the grove from her staff, embedding the grove with it and with her Name. Then, she must rest there a week to recharge. From then on, when she is running low on earthpower, she must go back and rest for up to a week to regain her strength.

Talismans

Carreg Werdd

An aetherial beryl of burning green hue, a carreg werdd is the main talisman that protects the Daughter of Gaia from being consumed by earthpower. A Daughter must go to the World Tree and requrest one; if she is worthy, the Tree will lift one from its roots for her.

Cup of Madziar

A cup of Madziar or Madzene cup is a cup fashioned from the Foundation by a shemir. These are rare, but they can be purchased in most major cities, or one can be specially made for the Daughter if she meets a shemir. Most, however, are handed down through generations. This is the second talisman of protection.

Salt

Common table salt should be spread in a circle around the Daughter when she begins her journey through her ancestral tree. It will keep the energies from escaping. This is the third talisman of protection.

Simurgh Feather

A feather from a simurgh, an amalgation bird that lives in the world tree must be earned during her journey to the World Tree. It is the third talisman of protection.

Burning Embers

Embers of burning wood from a dying fire, one which has burned down from blazing overnight, are the fourth talisman of protection. These keep out dangerous spirits.

Tools

Waterdress

Waterdresses are formed from pure conflueverant, which bonds to the Daughter when she completes the Rite of Water. The dress acts as powerful armor against both physical and esoteric attacks, and it allows her to tap into the metaphysical currents like a metapol.

Staff

The staves of Daughters of Gaia are given to them by the World Tree after they have control of earthpower. Each staff is made not necessarily of World Tree wood, but wood from an axis mundi of some kind. Each staff bonds to its Daughter and can only be broken if she betrays Mother Shem.

Being Called

Young women are called to serve Myrrea by her power. She wanders Shem, and when she meets someone she sees something special in, she marks them with her touch. When they come of age, they are drawn to seek her out. Once they find her, she invites them to learn to be a Daughter of Gaia. If they agree, they are sent to one of the Circles, which is what their covens are called. If they do not agree, she asks them to return after a year and a day to see if they changed their minds. Most do return, and about half change their minds. If they refuse the second time, she releases them and gives them a protection from infernal powers that lasts ten years.

Circles

Circles are groups of Daughters of Gaia number from 12 to 48. They live in small forest communities around which their groves are set. They live simple lives and study earthpower. They help those in need who come to them, and they send Daughters out to fight that which harms Mother Shem when necessary.

Mentors

When Myrrea sends a woman to the Daughters, they take her in and give her shelter, comfort, and food. For three days, they let them woman rest, then at dusk on the third day, they take her to a gathering of the Circle. She bears witness to a ceremony of worship for Mother Shem and the ancestors. The next morning, she is invited to meet with the elders of the Circle and ask them any questions she has. She is given another three days to think things over and get to know the Circle. If she decides to stay, she begins training. If she chooses to leave, she is blessed with protection from infernal powers for a year and sent on her way with food and other necessities. Anyone who decides to train may leave at any time. It takes 12 years to become a full Daughter, training in communion, aetherial arts, and lore.

Gender and Sexuality

Myrrea only selects women, cis or trans, to be Daughters of Gaia. It is not uncommon for a trans woman to realize she is trans because Myrrea chooses her.

Persecution

Daughters of Gaia are hated by most ruling classes for defying their need to control and poison the land. Unlike others accused of witchcraft, they do not generally practice sexual rites or take in children (though they do not turn them away if they are in need). They are focused on preserving nature and do not always interact with the wider population. As such, they tend to be left alone unless they enter the wider population, at which time they are treated as most witches are.

Specializations

Some Daughters focus their earthpower on a single aspect of aether, usually if they were already aetherial (i.e., dryades may focus on prasinofos). This causes their earthpower to have slightly different effects.

• Ashar: fires of life. Earthquake is replaced with revival of recently dead. Metallify is argentify. Grow plants is invigorate living thing. Mend stone is heal wounds. Silver Daughters are rare and tend to focus on healing other members of their circle.
• Bailaohu Jinghua: Absorb/release shadows replaced with sense metals. Influence animals replaced with strengthen metal. Grow plants replaced with shape metal. Mend stone is mend metal. Iron Daughters are commonly found underground.
• Bijalee: Earthquake is replaced with hurricane. Absorb/release shadows is absorb/release rain. Metallify is electrify. Influence animals is control clouds. Mend stone is calm winds. Bronze Daughters are mostly in Gyrah or northern Dabusen.
• The Bright: Earthquake is replaced with panoptic rainbow. Absorb/release shadows is absorb/release light. Metallify is crystalize. Influence animals is farseeing. Nourish is illuminate. Part waters is create mirage. Mend stone is restore sight. Daughters of Lesedi are only found in Lesedi, and even then they are rare.
• Conflueverant: Earthquake is replaced with maelstrom. Metallify is liquify. Nourish is cleanse water. Part waters is influence current. Mend stone is form ice. Blue Daughters are the underwater variation.
• Foundation: Absorb/release shadows is replaced with phase through stone. Influence animals is reshape object. Metallify is petrify. Nourish is instill creativity. Grow plants is fashion wood. Part waters is fashion water. Daughters of Genesis are only among the shemir.
• Hamasat al-Sahra: Earthquake is sandstorm. Absorb/release shadows is absorb/release light. Metallify is arathomify (turn to sand). Influence animals and grow plants are only for desert beings. Nourish is improve endurance. Part waters is sense water. Mend stone is desiccate. Daughters of the Desert are only in the deepest of deserts.
• Hvittdogg: Earthquake is blizzard. Metallify is freeze. Plants and animals are limited to boreal or high alpine creatures. Nourish is cold resistance. Part waters is part ice. Mend stone is mend ice. Daughters of Evernorth are only in polar regions or very high mountains.
• Ikehua Lyua Pele: Earthquake is volcanic eruption. Shadows are currents. Metallify is obsidianize. Animals and plants are limited to those on the relevant islands to the Daughter. Nourish is direction sense. Mend stone is sense island. Daughters of the Archipelago are usually found only on the relevant landforms.
• Kiiric Yihi: Earthquake is tornado. Shadows are clouds. Metallify is soothing breeze. Animals and plants are limited to Gyrah. Nourish is instill weightlessness. Part waters is calm winds. Mend stone is intensify winds. Daughters of Gyrah are limited to Gyrah.
• Lahab al'Qalb: Earthquake is wildfire. Shadows are smoke. Metallify is ashify. Animals are limited to reptiles. Nourish is instill warmth. Grow plants is heatwave. Part waters is boil waters. Mend stone is melt stone. Red Daughters are almost unheard of.
• Livadi: Shadows are winds. Metallify is misdirect. Animals and plants are limited to beings of the grasslands. Part waters is part stalks. Mend stone is flatten earth. Daughters of the Plains are found mostly in western Palhur, southeastern Lyrilla, or western Dabusen.
• Lunar Aether: Earthquake is moonquake. Metallify is crystallize. Animals and plants are limited to lunar beings. Nourish is instill weightlessness. Part waters is calm mind. Mend stone is limited to lunar rocks. Daughters of the Moons are only on the moons.
• Ma'Dhahabi: Earthquake is replaced with solar flare. Shadows are light. Metallify is aurify. Animals are limited to lions. Nourish is instill warmth. Part waters is part clouds. Mend stone is illuminate. Daughters of the Sun are extremely rare, mostly found in Mahad.
• Nourishment: Shadows are water. Metallify is seal in amber. Animals are limited to farm and livestock. Plants are limited to crops. Part waters is till land. Mend stone is move stone. Amber Daughters are almost unheard of.
• Nzwara Murazvo: Earthquake is animal form. Shadows are scents (or pheromones). Metallify is feralize. Nourish is increase agility. Grow plants is invigorate animals. Part waters is sense water. Mend stone is heal animals. Daughters of the Wild are almost unheard of.
• Parfum de Marais: Earthquake is marsh flood. Metallify is ensnare in vines. Animals and plants are limited to wetlands creatures. Nourish is disorient. Mend stone is raise land. Daughters of the Swamps are mostly in Dunmarsh.
• Poarta: Earthquake is instant kill. Metallify is know time of death. Influence animals is repel undead. Nourish is forestall death. Grow plants is wither plants. Part waters is soulsend. Mend stone is funereal blessing. There is only one Daughter of Death. her name is Sister Cneajna, and she is a Rendruan Aeonian.
• Prasinofos: Earthquake is awaken forest. Shadows are light. Metallify is dendrify. Influence animals is blossom flowers. Part waters is cause light rain. Mend stone is mend wood. Green Daughters are not uncommon.
• Qeernariji: Earthquake is blackhole. Metallify is astralize. Animals and plants are only cosmic ones. Nourish is release from gravity. Part waters is control gravity. Mend stone is space survival. Cosmic Daughters are almost unheard of.
• Sonic Aether: Earthquake is sonic boom. Shadows are noise. Metallify is vibrate. Nourish is improve hearing. Grow plants is long-distance communication. Mend stone is reverberate. These are so rare there isn't even a name for them.
• Temporal Aether: If such a Daughter has ever existed, she was erased by Chronurians.
• True Shadow: Earthquake is midnight wave. Metallify is blind. Animals and plants are limited to tenebrean ones. Nourish is improve hearing. Part waters is shadowwalk. Mend stone is nightvision. Daughtes of Shadowdeep are limited to Shadowdeep.
• Tyvka Vlast: Earthquake is autumnal gale. Metallify is dendrify. Nourish is malnourish. Part waters is chill air. Mend stone is raise earth. Daughters of the Taiga are limited to the taiga and other such areas.

Regional variations may have certain alterations in their rituals, or they may have "groves" that are more metaphorical (circular caverns, oases, etc.).

Skills

Daughters of Gaia live in self-sufficient communites and thus have many skills related to maintaining it. They also have knowledges and lores relevant to their service to Mother Shem. Some examples include

• Carpentry
• Masonry
• Weaving
• Sewing
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Botany
• Animal care
• Herbalism
• Healing arts
• Medicine
• Pottery
• Arts and music
• History
• Geology
• Astronomy
• Astrology
• Meteorology
• Teaching
• Cleaning
• Ecopolitics
• Writing
• Riding
• Crafting
• Farming

Stats

Modifiers from base of nation/species:

PRO +1
ATH +2
STR +3
AWA +4
WIL +6
STH /
PRS +1