Mythnera, Patron of the Taneiri
Mythnera
Holder of a Locked Chest
Domains: Secrets, Forbidden Knowledge, The Sea
Holy Symbol: A Waning Crescent Moon
“Not everything is to be known.”
Mythnera, as an Eternal, is entirely shrouded in mystery. Even their Saints and their Avatars know little about Mythnera. The story goes that upon first coming to Aelamos, Mythnera took to the sea. There they found solace and peace. It was that same reprieve that gave rise to what would eventually be the Taneiri. They were blessed with a marking to remind them that their creator is always with them, and intrinsic knowledge of the way Mythnera wished for them to live their lives. The tenets of the Church have always been known by the Taneiri, but were only discovered by non-Taneiri after decades of research and learning, as any priest with knowledge of the religion is tight-lipped. The only insight the non-Taneiri received was the phrase “Not everything is to be known”.
Tenets
The first of these tenets came primarily from the Taneiri’s experience with the Church of Aria. Their great debates, their classes, and their great research was all witnessed, and out of that, one thing in particular stuck out to the priests. The scholars of the Church of Aria were so committed to the process of acquiring information that they never stopped to think of what to do with it. They would simply hoard and catalogue without thought as to its proper use. This hoarding led to an inflated ego that many Taneiri call “The Curse of Knowledge.” Taneiri are taught from a young age that mastery comes from experience, not from research. Through the years, common knowledge of the tenet and its origin came to be known by those outside the Taneiri.
“The most dangerous part of a knife is knowing when to strike.”
The second of the tenets comes from an old Taneiri proverb stating “No one is bled by a hidden knife.” This was a favoured proverb of many teachers and parents, explaining to their children why they were not allowed to handle dangerous things. The Church adopted the proverb as a tenet, and since then the interpretation has shifted ever so slightly. It was always about protecting those who do not understand from something that can very easily harm them, but many give it the dual meaning of protecting yourself from things that can be used to harm you. This is the meaning that the Church as a whole has adopted, and what they believe is one of the values attributed to Mythnera’s only words. Rather than adopt a children’s proverb into the religion, a new one was formed to better encapsulate their preferred meaning.
“No one is cut through a cloak of the unknown."
The last of the tenets comes from a bit of common sense about the nature of secrets. There comes a time where eventually even the biggest secret will be exposed to the light of day. The Church does not deny this, nor do they fight against this truth. They keep secrets for as long as possible. If a secret can no longer be kept, it is only revealed at a time where it can do the least harm. Those tasked with keeping secrets are taught and endlessly reminded that one must be careful when exposing sensitive information, as more than your intended target will find out in one way or another. It has never really been put to proverb as succinctly as the phrase that was adopted by the Church as the last tenet.
“Words carry like birds on the wind."
Clergy
The Clergy of the Church of Mythnera are exceedingly tight-lipped about most things regarding fate, and tend to guide their flock through asking leading questions of those that seek their guidance. Most have a tendency to not serve as formal religious leaders of any sort, and instead carry out roles as local spiritual leaders.
The Church
Before The War for Supremacy, The Church of Mythnera was not a formal entity. It was a set of loosely held beliefs that every Taneiri knew intrinsically through upbringing or common sense. The Church sprung forth from these beliefs around the time of the forming of The Black Wardens. Those not from the Taneiri Isles clamoured for unity, and the priesthood begrudgingly agreed. The extent at which they formed and preached was not to assist in worship of Mythnera, but to inform which methods of worship were incorrect. When asked to elaborate, they refused. The Church mostly retained this role outside to modern day outside the Taneiri Isles. The exception is within the Taneiri Isles, where it is the closest thing they have to a government.