Avandra

Avandra was the name of a goddess of luck, time, change, and nature, and one of four Creative Celestials.

History

Avandra was acknowledged as a patron of travelers and sea elves. The Holy Church of the Tetrarchs (1 ME-38 DA) regarded her as the creator of all elves. This sparked a religious divide between the primarily human establishment and the ancient traditions of the sea elves of Strongwater. The Strongwater Lagoon elves believed in the Seldarine, a loose pantheon which included a feminine Pelor, Corellon Larethian, Sehanine Moonbow, and Kelemvor (a masculine interpretation of the Raven Queen), shunning acceptance of Avandra. Whereas the Seldarine refused to acknowledge Avandra, the Church did not accept the role of the chief deities of the Seldarine pantheon in the creation of the elven race.

St. Chaka recovered scriptures from the Vault of the Ancients in 770 ME, which eventually helped to mend the divide between the Church and the Seldarine; however, it took the entirety of the Dark Age to do so. The Vault scriptures acknowledged the attempt of Corellon and Sehanine in the creation of a race of people, but also Avandra’s chastisement as “power was not given to [them] to be Creative”. Eventually, Avandra chose to give a soul to the elven people, but not until after the Dawn War had already begun. For a time, this revelation caused controversy and even violence among the Strongwater elves, as the Seldarine priesthood’s teachings stated the elves were among the oldest races. In truth, the elves were one of the youngest—and only made sentient thanks to Avandra’s begrudging pity. Therefore, although the Seldarine created elves, it was Avandra who gave them life.

Dogma and Followers

Lady Luck, as she was also known, smiled on those who take risks. Her temples were small, often little more than shrines. Avandra was more content with a simple collection of stones on a mountain path, or her signature three wavy lines etched on a boulder, than a grand cathedral. As a goddess of travel and change, she favored the bold wanderer and the free spirit. Her clerics ministered to weary traders on the roads, and were rarely found in the same place twice. Avandra delighted in nature, but was not opposed to civilization—so long as it remained free and respectful. One of the few mortals-turned-Exarchs, Altaya, lived in and watched over the Feywild in Avandra’s name.