THE GODDESSES and THE GODS

The society of the goddesses and gods is matriarchal, just as all societies on the planet Ayandoh used to be and dwarven society still is. In the Daughter of Venus universe, the goddesses are stronger than and superior to the gods.

Ayanella, the Mother, the creator of Ayandoh and everything in it, controls aether and therefore life itself. The four lesser goddesses control the physical elements (earth, air, fire, water). Each goddess, including Ayanella, is paired with a god whose powers rely upon hers. These are not romantic pairings. They were chosen by Ayanella based on worthiness and compatibility.

While the five goddesses control the five elements, the five gods are in control of the blessings we typically ask for in prayer, such as wisdom, courage, justice, and protection. To ask for a blessing requires prayer to both the god and their goddess. Together, they decide if a prayer will be granted. The god draws upon the associated goddess’s power in order to grant the prayer, and the goddess acts as a gatekeeper to that power. The best way to describe this is through the example Kiandra gives Lexi in A Journey Unveiled:

 “If you want to access water—to alter a river’s flow, perhaps—you need only address Joasis, the Goddess of Water. However, if you’re seeking protection and peace, it is the god Esion’s domain. He consults Joasis, and together they decide whether you and your request are worthy. If they agree to grant the blessing, it is Esion who has the ability by drawing upon Joasis’s raw power.”

Lexi sums this up with four points:

1. Goddesses control physical things—the elements of nature—while gods control concepts/blessings. 
2. Goddesses can work alone, but gods can’t.
   
3. Anyone can receive a god’s blessing/have their prayer answered because it doesn’t require you to possess magic, but only Vedosh are able to borrow a goddess’s power, and only… 
4. …if they have an affinity to the goddess’s element.

So, who are the goddesses and gods and what are some examples of what they control?

GODDESS	ELEMENT	GOD	BLESSING
Ayanella	Aether	Nebdos	Healing, life, death.
Tarathiel	Earth	Dextarr	Strength, courage.
Kyilla	Air	Cebris	Wisdom, fate.
Aventa	Fire	Uxarus	Justice, battle.
Joasis	Water	Esion	Protection, peace.

 

When the names of the goddesses and the gods are combined, you get the names of the continents of Ayandoh:

Nebella = Nebdos + Ayanella

Taratarr = Tarathiel + Dextarr

Kybris = Kyilla + Cebris

Avrus = Aventa + Uxarus

Josion = Joasis + Esion

Images created on Canva

 

THE MAGIC SYSTEM

Earth. Air. Fire. Water. Aether. These are the words that begin An Enemy Defined, and they’re also the five elements of Elemental magic. Although Elemental is not the only type of magic you’ll encounter in Gowerland, it is the type I focus on.

Elemental is the most powerful and prestigious of the magics. Vedosh (witches) cast spells by reaching out through the aether to connect with and manipulate the physical elements (earth, air, fire, water). Think of aether as my version of the Force from Star Wars. It exists within and between every object and being on the planet, connecting everything and everyone together. 

Each Vedosh has affinity for one or more physical elements, to varying degrees of strength. No wands or tools are required, and only humans and Loinnai (light elves) can perform it.

It is believed that access to the elements is granted by the goddesses, which is why traditional Elemental magic involves complicated poetic spells rather than one or two spoken words. Because Traditionalists, including the character Kiandra, consider their spellcasting to be a form of prayer, they believe short, unpoetic spells show a lack of reverence and gratitude and are an affront to the goddesses. Traditionalists have become the minority. Most Vedosh no longer possess the patience or the inclination to compose wordy spells when one or two words will do.

Casting non-verbally and/or without the use of one’s hands is extremely difficult and few Vedosh are capable of doing so. Fire magic is the exception to this rule. Unlike earth, air, water, and aether, fire doesn't normally exist in the environment; it is created/conjured by fire Vedosh, not merely accessed. However, verbal spells can be used to alter the height of flames, the burn pattern, the temperature, and even the density of the flames. Magical fire is not immune to the effects of the other elements. It can, for example, be extinguished by water.

The most basic feats, such as unlocking a door, operate separately from the elements. They usually include a simple movement and a word or two in Oldspeak, the original language of Gowerland. All Vedosh can use Basic magic, but not all Vedosh can use Elemental magic. Those Vedosh who can’t manipulate the elements are sometimes referred to as Basics by those who consider them inferior, and as such it is considered an insult or slur. 

The final type of magic is Runic, of which the Loinnai (light elves) and dwarves are masters. They frequently engrave runes on weapons and other items to enchant them. Sadly, most of this knowledge has been lost by the dwarves in Gowerland thanks to centuries of enslavement and segregation in work camps, their culture and knowledge suppressed. 

SPECIAL TALENTS 

Some Vedosh possess special talents, each of which works through aether. 

One such talent is animal communication. Animal communicators can speak to non-humanoid mammals verbally and mentally as well as understand animals' thoughts, often perceived as images. Skilled animal communicators can, for lack of a better word, "warg" with the animal, seeing and hearing what the animal does in real time. 

Telekinesis allows Vedosh to move objects with their mind.

Seers can, as the name implies, see and predict the future to varying degrees, and Mind Vedosh can read minds. Both skills are exceedingly rare.

As for healers, any Vedosh with potion-making skills can make tonics and potions to treat ailments, but anything more complicated requires the hands-on work of a healer.

Necromancy is the rarest of the rare, and because of the stigma and judgment necromancers face, they often conceal their powers, making them even more difficult to identify. Being a necromancer doesn't make a person evil. They do not choose their magic any more than other Vedosh do. Like all magic, their character is defined by how they choose to use their magic.

HUMANOIDS AND SELENITES 

So what about non-humans? And the Selenites (dark elves)? Can they perform magic? If so, how?

Some members of the humanoid races (dwarves, halflings, and grotts) can indeed perform magic. However, they require a wand or other tool, and they cannot perform Elemental magic or cast non-verbally. But don't expect anyone in Gowerland to know this. Because of the country's centuries-long oppression and enslavement of, and disdain for, non-humans, their capacity for magic has been forgotten. 

To understand Selenite magic, you must understand where Selenites come from. They are not a natural-born species. They are created from the most evil and cruel humans using a ritual called Transcendence, a process that is quite similar to our vampire myths. This takes place where they live, on Selith Island, which was formed when the goddess Selenia fell from the heavens: her body created the island, while her life force/aether created violet crystals. 

Because Selenites are not a natural species, they cannot perform Elemental magic. Instead, they draw upon Selenia's life force within the crystals. In order to do so, they must be in physical contact with at least one crystal, eventually draining it. The higher the Selenite's status, the more crystals they wear and the more powerful they become. Their casting is non-verbal.

THE CREATION of AYANDOH

To refresh your memory, the name of the planet on which the Daughter of Venus series takes place is Ayandoh, derived from the name of the goddess who created it, Ayanella.

The story of the planet’s creation relates to the origin of the Selenites (dark elves) and the Selith crystals that power their magic.

Goddesses rule the universe that is parallel to ours, just as the countries on Ayandoh were once all ruled by women. Once each generation, there is a competition between the of-age daughters of families descended from The Olds (the original goddesses). Eligible princesses create a concept for a new world and submit the design to the Council of the Olds for judging. The Council not only judges the design but the princesses themselves. If a design and the princess are considered worthy, the princess is granted goddess status. Of the worthy designs, the Council chooses an overall winner and that new goddess is allowed to make her world a reality.

If a family has more than one eligible daughter, the daughters must collaborate on one single design. This was the case with Ayanella. She had a twin sister, Selenia. They may have resembled each other physically, but their personalities could not have been more different. Ayanella preferred beauty, kindness, and free will, whereas Selenia wanted an ordered world in which she was worshipped and obeyed without question. Ayanella proposed a compromise, a blend of their concepts, but Selenia refused. It was to be Selenia’s world or none at all.

Aware of Selenia’s shortcomings, their parents used their magic to spy on their daughters’ planning sessions. As Kiandra explains in A Journey Unveiled:

“They knew every word the two princesses had exchanged, every argument made by Selenia and every compromise proposed by Ayanella. Ultimately, Ayanella refused to support Selenia’s creation. She could not ignore her beliefs even if it meant losing the opportunity to become a goddess. Instead, the sisters broke tradition by proposing both of their ideas to their parents ahead of time, hoping they would decide which idea should be presented to the Council.”

Ultimately, given Selenia’s behaviour and tendencies, their parents brought her before the Council, where she was forever stripped of her status and forced out of the family palace.

When the Council of the Olds chose Ayanella’s design for creation out of all those submitted, it was more than Selenia could bear. She sneaked into the family palace and slaughtered their parents. After cleaning herself up, she went to Ayanella’s sacred space, planning to use smiles and fake apologies to trick Ayanella into letting her guard down, then she would attack. Unfortunately for Selenia, the moment she appeared before Ayanella, Ayanella noticed that her sister's aura had been altered by evil and immediately went on the defensive. Selenia had expected an easy battle from her gentle, forgiving sister, but she underestimated Ayanella’s strength.

As they fought, Ayanella begged her to stop, out of love not fear, but Selenia was beyond reason. With deep regret, Ayanella dealt her sister a death blow. Selenia’s final act was one of sabotage. To make herself forever a part of Ayandoh, and in so doing corrupt her sister’s creation, she jumped. Her body formed an island and her life force, her aether, formed violet crystals: Selith crystals.

Selith Island became home to the Selenites, who draw upon Selenia's aether within the crystals to perform their magic.