look arch -- Hodierna, goddess of life, light and springtime, sits upon a dais surrounded by a forest of herbs and healing flowers. Patron of all who practice the healing arts and grantor of mortal life, it is through Hodierna's favor that resurrections and healings are possible. A unicorn peeks from the jagged edge of the architrave, looking tenderly upon her mistress. The entire, highly detailed scene carved into this architrave evokes a deep sense of harmony.

[An Ancient Tree]
Silvery beams of moonlight stream through irregular stained-glass windows, illuminating the intricate carvings which adorn the walls and dome of this cylindrical living chapel. A single, ornately engraved column grows from the center of the room and rises to meet the delicate arched ceiling. You also see a fragile-looking book on a simple stand and a circular staircase.
Obvious exits: out.

look window -- The deep blue eyes of a unicorn mare look back at you from this stained-glass portrait.

look other window - Several stained-glass windows bearing the holy symbol of Hodierna, the white unicorn, provide a splash of color to the warm wooden walls of the chapel.

look third window -- The window displays a fanciful scene of a young unicorn romping in a field of white flowers.

look fourth window -- The window bears a picture of a young woman in a trailing, white gown shyly approaching a horned stallion.

look carving -- Graceful cats, delicate fae, morning birds, and gentle deer join a host of Elanthia's wildlife in these carefully wrought living relief-sculptures.

climb stair
[An Ancient Tree, Hodierna's Solace]
More a platform than a room, the chamber is lit softly by the glow of hundreds of candles that have been carefully set into niches along the walls. The leaves of the tree's crown block out the night sky, creating a naturally woven canopy that protects the tiny room from the wind and elements. A circular staircase that appears to be sculpted out of the sides of the tree leads back down, winding so far that you cannot see the bottom. You also see a small carved stone.
Obvious exits: none.

look stone -- The stone is a soft square of granite that slopes at the top to better display the words on the surface. Although the sides have become rounded, the carefully chiseled letters show no sign of wearing away.
There appears to be something written on it.
A small carved stone reads:
For those who are lost, but never forgotten.

In the small niche you see a brilliant fire rose, some simple offerings, and a candle.

look rose -- The rose is a vivid scarlet color, glowing like banked embers with a pure yellow-flame heart. A rare and expensive gift, the rose will only wither and die when Hope itself leaves Elanthia, or so it is said.

[Northern Trade Road, Mountain Pass]
The road passes onto an almost level area as you work your way through a narrow gap in the mountains. Huge boulders that have tumbled loose from the escarpments above you cause you to keep a wary eye out for more such unwelcome fellow-travellers. A tiny roadside shrine has been erected here, perhaps by someone who made a lucky escape from such an avalanche of stone. Obvious paths: north, southwest.

look shrine -- A tiny pagoda made of flakes of stone arranged in a surprisingly elegant fashion shelters an even smaller image of Hodierna. Her arms are outstretched in a gesture of blessing to all who pass by. You feel a sense of peace as you gaze at her serene image in this wild land.

[Farmland, Bridle Path]
Some devout farmer has erected a shrine to Berengaria, goddess of the growing earth, beside the packed-earth trail. Although it may just be wishful thinking, the crops growing in the fields adjacent to the shrine seem healthier than those farther away. The line of trees to the north looms imposingly over the fields.

You reach out and touch a stone shrine dedicated to the Goddess Berengaria.

look shrine -- All are welcome within the sphere of Berengaria's influence, as symbolized by the interlocking circles of wheat etched on the warmly-hued stone of the shrine.

[The Gash, Small Copse]
Strangely, the ravages of day and night, which affect the other parts of The Gash, do not invade this secluded sanctuary. A sense of calm pervades this peaceful thicket. You also see a small stone altar with a small statue on it.
Obvious paths: southeast.

look altar -- Sitting off to one side of the copse, a small stone altar quietly sits. On top and centered, an equally small statue stands along with an offering.
look statue -- While crudely carved, the details of a woman holding a sheaf of grain is plainly visible.

[Sshoi-sson Palace, Eastern Portico]
Gazing out across the city towards the sunrise, the eastern portico offers an inspiring view to the early risers of the town. From time to time, services are held here to welcome the day. A low altar with a sunrise carved into the pale yellow stone is set here for that mission.
Obvious exits: west.

look altar -- Carved of some pale yellow stone, the image of the sun rising above the clouds is incised into the front of the altar.

[Temple of Light, Alcove of Berengaria]
Two tinted glass walls and a skylight allow the dawn light to brush worshippers in this garden sanctuary. Curling vines hug candles set in niches carved in the remaining two stone walls. Wrought iron benches alternate with beds of herbs set in massive planters. At the center of the room, a large statue of Berengaria stands within a circular bed of violets and bellflowers. Tiny baskets of grain and nuts placed at the statue's feet have been offered by those seeking her blessing. You also see a silverwood arch decorated with carvings of wheat sheaves along the sides and branches heavy with fruit across the top.
Obvious exits: none.

[Temple of Darkness, Asketi's Alcove]
A hearth is sunk into the floor in the center of this dim and chilly alcove, ashes from a long-dead fire spreading across the bottom. A draft as chill as the north wind Asketi rides swirls through the air, rustling the various withered flowers and decomposing apples that are offered here in hopes of appeasing the cruel goddess.
Obvious exits: south.

[Forest of Night, Blackfruit Tree]
A wide clearing of bare, black earth lies before you, in the center of which grows a tall blackfruit tree. A small altar rests in front of the tree, and a smoking censer releases a heavy perfume into the air. The silence here is unnatural, and the back of your neck prickles with the heavy foreboding that permeates the air.
Obvious paths: east, northwest.

The altar sits in the shade of the tree and is covered with images of vipers and adders. A smoking censer sits upon it, its incense thick and stifling.

The censer is made of bronze and holes have been punched into its top, creating a pattern that greatly resembles a serpent.

The tree is squat, its branches a dark brownish-red color, its leaves a deep, glossy green. Half-formed fruit grow upon its branches, and a pile of mulch has been scooped up around the trunk.

Light shines throughout the cavern from a crack in the ceiling. It falls upon a tapestry of a young maiden walking next to a pure white unicorn, which hangs against the rocky walls. Heaped high before the tapestry are sheaves of wheat and ripe fruit, while healing herbs fill wicker baskets on the floor. You also see a black arch and a white arch.
Obvious exits: none.

look tapestry -- A fair-haired maiden walks beside a pure-white unicorn in a field of grain. An embroidered wreath of healing herbs, grains and ripe fruit surrounds the pair in this tapestry honoring Hodierna's bounty.

A black arch reads:
Honor be to Asketi of the Northern Wind. Spare our fields, and our souls.
Your vision blurs as you pass through the arch, and you see...
A haggard woman with wild hair stands in a field of stubble, the crops killed by the harsh north wind. In her hand is a bloody scythe, and a stained burlap bag hangs at her waist. All about you is the sound of children crying, and mothers wailing in loss. A night-black unicorn with sharpened teeth snaps at your heels as you hurry on.

A white arch reads:
Praise be to Berengaria, bringer of the dawn light.
Your vision blurs as you pass through the arch, and you see...
A motherly woman leads a cow, and chuckles at you as you pass. In one arm, she holds a sheaf of grain, in the other, a tear-stained child. She ruffles your hair gently as she bids you to pass on.

Books:
Following the Unicorn (BacFU) Shard temple library
Tale of how one cleric came to follow Hodierna

Excerpt from "A Book of Anlasaen" (MelBA) Aesry library:

Berengaria's Touch -- This anlas is the time of the dawn upon the summer solstice, the earliest dawn of the year. Lighting a holy candle to represent the return of the light and day was necessary to ask the gods to grant that return. The custom was to offer an unspoken, silent prayer.

Excerpt from "A Book of Anlasaen" (MelBA) Aesry library:

Hodierna's Blessing -- Hodierna is honored in the time of life, of renewal, beginning. This was the anlas when breakfast occurred, marked by the breaking and sharing of bread. In some cultures, a special bread called lanahh pao was used to celebrate it.

Festival items:

• a silver kathla of ten expertly enameled plates that depict events surrounding the life of Hodierna (look) Popular tales about the goddess of morning and springtime decorate these beautifully designed panels. On one, Hodierna's unicorn touches a badly wounded empath with its horn, healing him fully. On another, golden-haired Hodierna blesses a farm by extending her Rainbow Shield over it. On yet a third, the goddess is seated, surrounded by people, to whom she explains the beauty and purpose of all herbs. - First Shard Festival - Banabu Garam's tent

• a white silk tabard woven in silver with the emblem of the unicorn of Hodierna - Jeraya Lanival Festival - silver tent

• a milky glass unicorn suspended from a fragile chain (look) Made of milky white glass, the charm is fragile and may easily be broken. The horn is made from shaped diamond. A milky glass unicorn reads: "Lead me Hodierna, I ever follow the prints of your path-- Thy gift of life I seek, Not for me but to be thy staff, To return strength back again, to the failing and weak." - Web Festival - Pyff's tent

• an oaken icon of the goddess Hodierna (look) A brown-robed, laurel-crowned woman sits on a throne entwined with vines. Her right hand rests on top of a unicorn's mane. - Fest Of Eluned - Iormethani's Godly Objects

• a gold medallion symbolizing dedication to Hodierna (look) Etched into the face of the medallion is the goddess Hodierna, sitting astride a graceful unicorn. They are in a field full of cows, her head turned towards the horizon as the sun rises, a warm smile on her face as she basks in the morning light. Under one hoof of the unicorn is an adder poised to strike, trying to escape its clutches. - Ice Fest - Gods Tent

• a scrimshawed ivory pendant hand-etched with the image of a galloping unicorn -- Intricately etched into the ivory is the silhouette of a racing unicorn against a rising golden sun. - Jaal Jeraya - Altared Visions

• a silver-dusted cambrinth orb etched with a unicorn resting amidst a field of sirese blossoms - Arthe Dale Mini-fest - Bunglefoot's Tent

• a modest white prayer cloth with pale alabaster beads sewn along the edges -- The image of a regal unicorn has been embroidered over the surface of the prayer cloth in luminous silver thread. - Temple Re-opening Fest - Sputkin's Splendors

• a porcelain plate painted with the figure of Hodierna -- Seated on a high-backed chair woven of vines twined with blue morning glory and clematis blooms, the goddess shines with the crystalline clarity of dawn light. In her arms she cradles a sheaf of silvery oatgrass bound about with more flowering vines. Grazing serenely in the morning light, a cream-colored heifer gazes at a flame-eyed black unicorn bearing a writhing adder as it vanishes into the rags of the fleeing night. - Museum in Shard

• an oaken icon of the goddess Beregaria (look) A short, plump woman holds a sheaf of grain with one hand, while her other scratches a cow's ear. Her smile is kindly, but her gaze is direct and thoughtful. - Fest Of Eluned - Iormethani's Godly Objects

• an oaken icon of the goddess Asketi (look) A thin grey hag sits astride a black unicorn. She wields a spear, lodged deep in the body of a fat merchant, whose treasures lie strewn about. - Fest Of Eluned - Iormethani's Godly Objects

• a crystal-dusted cambrinth orb etched with the image of a cow lazing in a field of wheat - Arthe Dale Mini-fest - Bunglefoot's Tent

• a golden leather prayer mat tooled with the image of a sheaf of golden grain overlaying a brilliant rising sun -- A tiny bronze cow charm hangs off each corner of the prayer mat. - Temple Re-opening Fest - Sputkin's Splendors

• an obsidian-hilted bastard sword etched along the blade with hideous blackened unicorns (look) The bastard sword has a finely etched blade depicting Asketi in all of her furious glory riding upon the backs of her black unicorns. With an adder coiled around her arm and revenge in her eyes, she collects any hapless soul in her path. - Ice Fest - Women At Arms Tent

• an onyx-dusted cambrinth orb etched with the sinuous semblance of an adder on the hunt - Arthe Dale Mini-fest - Bunglefoot's Tent

• an ice-blue satin prayer tapestry embroidered with a hideous black unicorn -- Sullen green satin ropes twine along the borders of the tapestry, twisting and turning like adders coiled together in a deadly embrace. - Temple Re-opening Fest - Sputkin's Splendors

Altered Items:

Misc:
Misenseor Abbey, High Altar Chamber Columns
a brass Asketi etching (sold in Temple of Darkness in Shard) will have the same look as this column
You tap the Asketi column. - The surface of this column has been etched by acid to portray a heart-rending scene. Howling wind and rain blow in through a shattered window of a simple cottage. A young peasant woman wailing in anguish kneels beside an empty crib. In her hands she clutches a small child's blanket stained with blood.

Crossings Cleric Guild Monk: A robe-shrouded empath woman approaches the monk with a gentle smile of greeting. He waves her to the door with a humble bow, "May Hodierna lend Her strength to you, fair healer. You shall need it with the many wounded that pass through here each day."

Crossings Cleric Guild Monk: A gust of sharp frigid wind whips from nowhere then ceases just as suddenly. The monk pales noticably and warns in a low tone, "Asketi stirs..."

prayer
You see: You murmur under your breath, "Lady of healing, if you get me out of this I'll be good for the rest of my days!"
Others see: Mellisandre murmurs something under her breath you cannot quite hear, and seems to gain strength from it.

Constellations:

Symbol of Hodierna, goddess of life in all its many forms, The Unicorn is formed by a brilliant display of sixteen stars, the largest of which is Hodyrn, a blazing yellow giant which crowns the beast's horn.

The Cow, symbol of Berengaria, is a constellation of seventeen bright stars which grace the pre-dawn autumn skies.

Symbol of Asketi, mistress of barren fields and the midnight hunt, the Adder is a simple line of eight stars which slither briefly along the southern horizon in the early hours of the morning.

Nara'nsria sold on Aesry, has gem and metal options
look: The copper nara'nsria is shaped in a sunburst pattern and set with glass. It is a traditional symbol for peace, and Hodierna's light.

Crossings Clerics Guild, Chapel
look window -- The window depicts a scene of Kertigen and Hodierna seated side by side and smiling gently down toward the pews in the chapel. His face is stern, yet softened with an inner gentleness. Hers has the patience of a mother writ into it.

[The Gash, North Face] Frigid winds, in the service of Asketi, steal the warmth from the land. Snow rides on the wind to reclaim the land taken by the light of day.

[The Gash, Central Gully] Here on the boundary of the north face with its cycles of day and night and the south face with its ever present sun-less shadow, Asketi's winds cry loudly for the death of light and warmth.

[Mausoleum, West Alcove]

Hanging between three gleaming torches set high on the wall is a pair of thick, dark tapestries which drape from ceiling to floor. Two tiny sarcophagi lie in state in the middle of the alcove, each crowned with a dried floral arrangement.

look third tapestry -- A well-endowed woman with a beatific countenance gazes across an emerald lawn from her perch upon a high, stone fence. One hand steadies her seating, while the other hand points upward to a crescent moon. This is Berengaria, the positive aspect of Hodierna, whose gesture as depicted here indicates the transition from world-bound worries to the freedom of the expansive skies.

The passage here is cool and dry; a strange, musty scent emanates from the surrounding semi-darkness and fills the still air. The remains of an intricate mosaic, its tiles broken and scored from the dragging of a heavy object, can be seen on the floor. A large cobweb holds the dried husk of a small rodent, a reminder that life is still forfeit even on the temple grounds.
Obvious exits: east, west.

look mosaic -- The mosaic, constructed from thousands of tiny colored tiles, depicts a moonlit village. Rushing across the benighted skies, Asketi, in all her terrifying might, sweeps down upon the unsuspecting village. Many of the small tiles have been scratched and dislodged, the result of some heavy object being dragged across the mosaic.

Vast slabs of riverstone interlock with barely visible seams along the tunnel's walls. The stones' imposing size lends this passage a silent, brooding air, a sense of majesty requiring reverence. Some skilled craftsman has laid an intricate mosaic on the tunnel floor, though its image and the story it conveys are now obscured beneath a layer of dust and soot. You also see a narrow passageway.
Obvious exits: south, northwest.

look mosaic -- A magnificent garden scene, depicting the goddess Hodierna, has been painstakingly inlaid into the riverstone floor using thousands of tiny colorful tiles. The ravages of time, and the curiousity of small rodents, have all but obscured this fine example of craftsmanship beneath a thick layer of dust and filth.

[Crossing Escape Tunnels, Hodierna's Path]
Illumination from the passage beyond washes the little pathway in a pearlescent gleam and glints along the edge of a polished slab of dove-grey marble that has been settled into the dirt floor. Centered on it is a wreath of herbs interwoven with jadice flowers, the soft green of the leaves and the creamy white blossoms making a vibrant contrast in this tunnel that is so far removed from sunlight and sky.
Obvious exits: northeast, west.

look slab -- Polished to an almost velvety sheen, the little square of marble supports a wreath composed of healing herbs and flowers twined with silver and lavender ribbons, the greenery perfectly preserved. Encircling the wreath is a fine-chiseled line of text.
There appears to be something written on it.
A polished slab reads:
"In loving memory of the Empaths whose courage and selfless dedication shone like a star of hope through one of Crossing's darkest nights."

Small dwellings cluster about an ivory fountain topped with a crystal unicorn which rears in a triumphant salute to Hodierna. The fine spray of the fountain glitters as the waters leap high into the sky, splashing down on the crystal and shattering the light into thousands of tiny rainbows. Tiny fish dart just under the surface of the pool surrounding the fountain.
Obvious paths: northeast, southwest.

look unicorn -- The unicorn's horn and hooves are trimmed in shining silver.

look fountain -- The waters of the fountain rise and fall and rise again as the turning of the cycle of life.

[Aesry Surlaenis'a, Shoan Isenil'a]
The courtyard is planted with low growing herbs that form a pleasing pattern of mounds set against small white pebbles. The focal point of the garden is a small white statue of a unicorn, her head bowed and horn resting humbly upon the ground. A bench rests beneath the shelter of the overhanging roof, and despite the traffic in and out of the healers' quarters, it is a peaceful spot, as the interior light filters softly through the paper screens. You also see an open screen.
look stat -- The statue appears old, as it is chipped and stained. Nevertheless, there is something holy about it, in its artistry and simple care-worn appearance.

Songs:

Hodierna's Call - By: Vogelin Wittelsbach (a song about the coming of spring, doesn't really mention the goddess beyond the title)

an excerpt from "Spring Serenade" By: Saesealm Faoilean

What would be the state of us,
But for the Unicorn?
And what would be the fate of us
Poor mortals, lost forlorn?
Thus we stand at dawn
Beneath the lightening sky
All hopes reborn, Hodierna's healing
Gift that does not let us die--
Thus returns the sun,
And Spring again abounds.
We honor here the Unicorn
And pass the daff'dil round.

And pass the daff'dil round!
And bless the sweet green ground!
Oh, dance our hearts, sing our soul
The year again comes whole!

Damaris' Kiss - By: Silvyrfrost

Clever Meraud in his tall tower
Kept Hodierna locked in flower-strewn bower
Weeping she was, alone and ashamed
Wound up in twisting,
and twisting
Stone chains.

Kertigen stalked the halls of his home
Empty of laughter, lightless and alone
In siege were his men, his creatures, his ravens
Besieging the tower,
the tower,
With all his creations.

For two years they'd fought on trampled ground
For two years Meraud had beaten them down
His prisoner kept as his magic met the attack
With only Kertigen's words
his word
Sending them back.

And rapidly the war was closing too tight
And Kertigen it seemed must lose the fight
But now in the absence of the day's brilliant light
The Lord of Smiths called
he called
The bleak Lord of Night.

Nightclad he enters, and draws very near
Softly he speaks, saying, 'You called me here.
'To partake in a war that is not worth the fight.
'Yet you are in right,
'Our brother is not.
'And yes I will end it, for the right price.'

Kertigen glowers, but agrees for his woes
But the price he requires, Damaris does not disclose
Nodding he slips from the raven Lord's home
And turning he ventures
He ventures
Alone.

Through Kertigen's men he passes like a breeze
And approaches the tower with a swift, silent ease
Spreading his hands he melds with the stars
And drops sands of sleep
of dreams
On Meraud's creatures of war.

Now the tower is silent, for the golems have stopped
The warfield is empty, for his elementals have dropped
The engines that spewed fire, trouble no more
And now Damaris slips
he slips
Through Meraud's study door.

Meraud frowns in anger when he sees his brother's form
His rage gathers round him like a winter's chill storm
And brings down the lightning on Damaris' smiling face
Only to find
To scream at!
An illusion in the bleak god's place.

Damaris crept to the bower whilst his brother fought a shadow
And released Hodierna from her chains amidst the storm's glow
With a cry of joy she leapt from that place
Changing
and Changing
To a unicorn, home swiftly raced.

And back with her husband who drew her in his arms
And promised her no more would she come to harm
Till Damaris approached and reminded in voice soft
Of the bargain
that freed
Hodierna from Meraud's loft.

Damaris smiled as Kertigen clenched his fists
As the dark-eyed god took Hodierna by the wrist
'Do not take her!' said the raven Lord wise
But Damaris just laughed
And laughed
At his cries.

'This I must tell you.' (Damaris closer draws.)
'Your war I thought useless till your lady I saw.'
And kneeling he gazed at the lady many wished to command
And smiling he took her
by the wrist...

And merely kissed
the back of her hand.

Then like shadows he vanished, with a laugh and a smile
Leaving Kertigen and Hodierna bemused for a while
And when night's cloak is drawn down by Damaris' fist
Hodierna lifts her hand
gazing on it
and smiles....

As if it were kissed.

The song closes.