Corva

"Once a mere mortal, now the most powerful member of the Court, Corva is the master of Life and Death, of Fate and Destiny. She hears the first cries of newborn children, and the dying words of all mortals. She weaves the complicated tapestry of destiny, deciphering its meaning, and watching its threads twist, turn, bind, unbind, tangle, and detangle. And once a mortal's life is complete, it is Corva's pallid face that is the last they see.

She is the arbiter of fate.

The greatest of the Court."

Divine Portfolio

Corva’s primary domains are Fate and Destiny, and the cycle of Life and Death. While she is able to watch the complicated lives of mortals dance and entangle themselves in each other, Corva makes it a point to rarely ever interfere in their lives herself. Having lived as a mortal, Corva still holds that part of her past close to her chest. She does her duty as the goddess of fate and destiny following a simple mantra: mortals make their own fate.

Ultimately, she is responsible for cutting their thread— for removing them from life and carving their name into the long memory of the Tree of Fate. She performs this duty with a necessary impartiality, an obligatory apathy.

History

The history of Corva is well-known by almost all Aurians. It is common knowledge that long ago, during the ruinous time of the Dragon Age, Corva was a mortal. Yet she was no mere mortal. As the Spirit Beasts destroyed the lands and as the Dragon Lords began to tear Auria apart, every god chose Corva out of every other mortal to join their Court.

She was fed the ichor of all nine deities, and with Kophos and Adrestus’ magic, granted the Rite of Ascension. With her newfound power, Corva along with the other First Ascended and the rest of the gods, defeated the Dragon Lords. She and the other gods created the Celestial Aegis: a divine shield that stretched across the entire surface of Auria to protect it from danger, to defend it from any other threats of similar scale to the Dragon Lords.

Appearance

Corva typically appears as a pallid woman with medium-length, silky black hair, dressed in loose fitting white and gold cloth. Her most defining features are the crow wings which extend beautifully out of her back, and her four arms and four hands. 

Commandments of Corva

• “Destroy the undead, and all those that desecrate the sacred cycle of life and death.”

• “Accept your mortality and work within its bounds.”

• “Make your own fate.”

Worship

“Lady of Life,
Lady of Death,
grant this soul a peaceful last breath.
Lady of Destiny,
Lady of Fate,
guide this soul to your embrace.”
- From Words of the Eleven, a common Aurian prayer book

Most Aurians deeply respect Corva. Her presence is felt with each passing day, and it is a common thing for Aurians to say: “I’ll leave it up to Corva.” An ironic statement, considering Corva’s personal stance on dictating a mortal’s life. Similar to Kophos, Aurian prayers to Corva occur around moments of beginning but also, more specifically, moments of choice and of ending. When someone is nearing death, everyone will pray to Corva. Many believe that Corva will protect the soul, guiding it to its eventual resting place within the Tree of Fate.

The methods of worshiping Corva are vast, but most show their devotion through small gestures such as leaving behind offerings at a tomb, saying a quiet prayer during funeral rites, or seeking guidance and wisdom before a vital and life-altering decision.