Legends of Belariath

Religion

Kirva

Is she the epitome of beauty disguised by cruelty? Yes. Something lovely, unreachable, a warrior's build of sleek muscles, proud breasts always bared. Her skin is of ebon and grays to purples depending on how you view her, but she is dark as sin. High boned cheeks, lips of lushness that beg one to lean in very close. But most do not dare, for her teeth though small, are razor sharp and seen with a malicious smile when you are disfavored. Tall for any Moriel, her hair of flowing white and silver won't be missed for it seems to be everywhere, an ebb and flow, long to kiss at the backs of knees. The ruby taint of slanted eyes is malevolence at its finest and seems to shine forth to spear one and rob them of the life they knew. But her voice is labeled as heavenly if she chooses to speak; or perhaps a misguided Moriel thought it so, for others dictate it grates like rock scraping rock. Her chosen armor is that of the Shadows weaved into armor along shoulders and arms, about the soft curve of hip and down along thighs. She wears but a simple enough bit of sheer white that dangles down to ankles, flickers between the apex of thighs and just along the curve of her ass to kiss there as if tempting. And always, does she have her slim sword, Spiders Kiss... at her side or held. What does it do? No one knows except the Gods, and they aren't telling.

Established Understandings:

Kirva is only a mystery to the lighter cousins above ground, to those that raise a slender brow and look down upon the darklings as if they were leeches, something to be stamped under foot. Yet there is beauty within darkness just as there is within light.

Kirva has been known to take on many forms but all of them with cruel intentions. Never be mistaken that this viewed woman of spiders and clicking nails is anything less then the darkness that reaches out to swallow you whole. Because of this base way of being for the Goddess.. her worshippers needs find a place where darkness is coveted and where she could skulk among her followers and whisper within a tapered ear her very wishes and provoke a higher way of being.

Place of Worship: Cave of Dwindling Light

What marks the path for the Moriel to see and follow? Nothing but the slither of a shadow to guide. But is it a shadow? And how does one understand what lurks in the dark waiting? A hundred eyes watch and behold and lead you down. To the Southern most part of Nathanlion would one find steps carved into the earth itself, the mouth of a wide cave with runic marking to curve along it. The edges seemingly weaving as if the entrance itself were alive and waiting to swallow you. But such is only an illusion as thousand upon thousands of spiders line and hold to the mouth of the cave. This would deter the unsuspecting, to the elf sylvan or high, trying to get a peek within where they don't belong. Down some twenty feet. The cave is natural, thickly woven with the drawings of time to ritualistic words of power to evoke and awaken chaos and cruelty and yet from both comes a dark order.

Large enough to hold some 25 members, the rough stone of benches lines the walls but never the middle where a raised dais is upon solid rock. Here are two braziers to either side of a rock hewn throne that remains forever empty but oddly holds the smooth indentation or imprint, of thighs to where arms would have rested and even the imprint of feet upon stone. Here is where offerings may be left. No torches exist within these cavern walls and none ever will be, for Moriel do not need the grace of light to read by or to see.

What is considered an offering:

Because of Kirvas most needy wanton ways, anything from the taking of anothers slave at the foot of this throne, to something the Dark Elf has managed to take from their enemy or won within a fair or not so fair.. fight. Bloodwine.. oats the dark elf might have taken from his neighbor. The sacraficial lamb.. If you can covet it, Kirva would enjoy having what you covet above all.

What Markings would a Priest/ess wear:

Clothing is generally, optional. Nothing that Kirva would find offensive whether well dressed or coming before her naked. Yet her Priest/ess would all bear the same mark they would be demanded to take or receive.

For the Woman: A small blood red spider set atop the right breast and just above the nipple.

For the Male: Though let it not be mistaken, that male Priests within the Holding of a Female dominated species because of Power, and Self Strength of a Female.. because Kirva views it as such.. They still manage to exist and somehow become seen or raise to some bit of power. Usually worshipping the very darkness of their Goddess and bringing her within their own soul.

These Priests would bear the marking of the blood red spider upon their throat. A sash of either dark red, or black that is tied about waist to proclaim if they are High Priest, or merely Priest. Black to signify lesser and Red to signify Higher. This will always be determined by the number of years or devotion one has.