The Siblings

 

Regardless of where one is located on Tear, all of the other five Vehiran moons are visible in the sky at some point on most days of the year. As such, each of the moons holds a place as a deity in virtually every significant religion on Tear. Typically, these deities are considered the children of Vehira and/or Azane, and so are called the Siblings.

Even among the sects and cults that uphold Vehira, Azane or Azimzilit as singular creators, the Siblings almost always hold a place as divine beings.

Alcinette the Just

Alcinette is embodied as the sixth, and most distant of Vehira's moons, with an orbital period of 89 days. As a goddess, she symbolizes the power of community and shared endeavour, as held together by the objective, guiding hand of justice. She is sometimes viewed as benevolent and caring, and sometimes viewed as strict and harsh. As the patroness of lawyers, judges and executioners, she represents the idea that performative justice is central to the functioning of community.

Alcinette is wife to Obrum the Builder and in most traditions the mother of their twin sons Zorion and Zuhaitz. Alcinette's seduction and ongoing liaisons with Scilisanthes represent the ever-present threat to the corruption of justice and the destruction of civil society.

Iodrux the Wise

Iodrux is embodied as the fifth and largest moon of Vehira, with an orbital period of 43 days. As the God of Knowledge and the keeper of all Truth, Iodrux is said to be the wisest of all gods; wiser, some say, than all the other Celestials and Infernals combined.

Iodrux is said to be father of the Mistikak; three daughters he shares with his own inversion, Uleila. These three mystical sisters maintain the knowledge of magic, protecting it from the unworthy and corruptible.

Lisaea the Gentle

Lisaea is embodied as the third moon of Vehira, with an orbital period of 7 days. As a deity, she is revered as the most benign goddess, and is widely worshipped by those who practice the healing arts. Lisaea is the universal midwife, and she oversees pregnancies. The procedures of childbirth, which vary enormously from one species to the next, are the sacred rituals of life that she taught to mortals. Many traditions hold Lisaea to be the first born of all the Siblings, and some celebrate her as midwife to Vehira, who helped bring the other Siblings into the world. For many species, the ritual act of gently slapping the bottom of a newborn to aid in clearing fluid from the lungs is referred to as 'waking the Versai', as is the act of disciplining a child with a spank.

Obrum the Builder

Represented by the fourth moon of Vehira, with an orbital period of nineteen days, Obrum the deity is worshipped as the builder god. He is the creator and patron not only of grand physical structures, but also of the elaborate social order that leads to peace and prosperity. Obrum is the god who discovered fire, and who used it to light the fires that drew all the species of the world to congregate for warmth, peace and plenty. He is often depicted with his dog Samac, a loyal hound that represents the codependency of peace, work and growth. He is the husband of Alcinette, and father to the twins Zorion and Zuhaitz. Many legends tell tales of how his inversion, Scilisanthes seduces Alcinette, leading to romantic turmoil and conflict.

Xiophoene the Fine

Xiophonene is the Goddess of Love and of Physical and Spiritual Beauty. She is generally said to be the most beautiful of all the Gods, though this is almost always said in unspoken acknowledgement that her beauty is second to that of her Inversion, Lobok.

Many claim that Xiophoene is the Goddess who most frequently manifests in the realm of mortals. Very often when some important or wealthy patron or noble is discovered to have been ill or to have recently passed, word will surface that they were seen the previous night attending some opera, concert or even sometimes a wedding. Such stories are often supported by dozens or hundreds of witnesses, lending them credibility.

Many also claim to have been cured of their longing for an unrequited love after a sudden, surprise visit from the object of their desire. After a night of bliss, the visitor is revealed to be Xiophoene herself, relieving the person of their lovesickness.