#doodle book: h.ylia

[serandipity]

hyrule's tired anime mom has HAD enough.

[serandipity]

On the Goddess of Shadows;;

While Hylia exists as the bright and blinding phoenix of light, there exists Sheik as the teneberous raven of shadow. She is the patron goddess of the Sheikah, and revered as the Goddess of Death, Shadows and Illusions.

Sheik was not originally divinity. She was one of Demise's underlings. A demon born of Demise's own draconic scales in the time before corruption took the Lord of Shadows and felled him. It was said that Sheik was the one who told Sheik and assisted with Demise's initial sealing after she became aware of Demise's traitorous intentions. Together the two sealed the corrupt god and his minions deep within the earth before the written records of men.

For her aid, Sheik was granted divinity to restore the balance between light and shadow. She and the people that remained were said to have an unusually close relationship with the Goddess of Light. Sheik was never more loyal to anyone than Hylia.

Despite her intense loyalty and affection to Hylia, the Goddess of Death is not known as a particularly kind Goddess, nor is she particularly cruel. The Sheikah are not known to pray to Sheik. She is simply a force that is. However, their reverence for the Goddess of Shadows informs some of the Sheikah's unique views on death and dying.

After Hylia shed her divinity, Sheik retreated to the depths of her realm where she quietly rules from the land of the dead. Grief having caused her mind to slip, but still bound by an oath she swore to the Goddess more than ten millenia ago she dutifully performs her duties and guards the gates of hell. It is customary when Sheikah come of age to journey down through the shadow temple to receive their oath from the Matron of Shadows. This oath allows them greater ability to manipulate shadows and illusions, and for some reanimate the dead. Her powers came at a price which was an oath to the Royal Family of Hyrule. One that was almost impossible to break without the use of dark magics.

[serandipity]

The Goddess' Lyrebirds -- ;;

In the days before the Goddess rended the land to save her people from Demise, it was common practice for young women with any type of natural talent for magic to give their lives to the church as a "Lyrebird". This was typically poor women who wanted to provide for their families-- but it could be noble women as well who for varying reasons decided to join the church. The church made sure to provide and protect the family of women who decided to become lyrebird's, and so it became a reliable avenue for them.

Once one decided to become a Lyrebird you were stripped of your name and given a new one-- typically bird related. While you weren't forbidden from seeing your family or acquaintances, there was no guarantee you'd ever see them again depending on where you were sent.

A Lyrebird was essentially a wandering priestess with magical talent who's duty it was to protect and serve the Land of Hylia. They were well educated, and taught to fight so that they may tackle any problem presented to them. However, Lyrebirds were more than just simple wandering priestesses. They were as the name suggests, "liar birds". Fakes. Mimics, stemming from a belief that the Goddess walked among them, and by acting as fakes they could keep danger away from the Goddess.

Once Demise invaded the land though, they were all slaughtered, and while few records remained of the practice, it was never resumed after Hylians returned to the land