Leucothea
Leucothea is an undying deity and the mother of Sirenia's Selkie. She resides in a once-desolate region of Uraheim on a vast sheet of ice which separates her from the realm's sea below. She is situated above a reflection of Yama, who guards the coral gates all sirenians must pass through in death, accepting a tragic state of existence where she considers herself 'reunited' with her father regardless of the divide between them. She sorrowfully longs for his words and guidance. Deep within, she professes that she is 'by his side,' despite the divide between them.
Deeply regretting abandoning her children, she wished to follow the example of Yama, watching each one of them in life as Yama watches her children in death. For many years she lamented unable to walk the Selkie in their myriad numbers, until the plea of her chosen songstress brought together solidarity sown in the stars. Nemea imparted a gift upon her, gifting her domain with a beautiful grove and a pond at its core, granting Leucothea the ability to oversee her children living within the lands of Delphina.
History
Leucothea was the first sirenian, created by the primordial Yama, known as the Shapeshifting Serpent, who was made to assist in forming the oceans. She was made from mud, and salt from Inki's tears. She was the first creature that somewhat bared the image of him and his brother, Inki, born with a brilliant ivory porpoise tail. Some say Leucothea's beautiful voice was to soothe the Great Whale Inki, who created the fish of the sea, mountains and valleys, and the riverlands with his tears, but became disheartened with his efforts after being mocked by his brother, Yama. Nonetheless, her voice brought peace to Sirenia's first children, all except Inki.
Inki found no place among the land, nor no place in the sea swarming with Yama's children, and provoked the people of the land to wage war with the sea. Leucothea felt guilty, blaming herself for all the chaos, those of land and sea poisoning the waters, sinking boats and killing indiscriminately. Leucothea was stolen away by Inki during the war, cursed with the fur of land mammals they had grown to hate, and deprived of her ability to breathe underwater. Her final days of life were spent in fear and guilt, the songstress leaving her children behind to brace the seas in an attempt to find her father, Yama.
The Selkie
The Selkie are the children of the first Sirenian, Leucothea.
Nearly all Selkie live inland, in rivers and mainly the swamp. Their creatures are of aquatic mammal nature, seals, otters, walruses, manatee. Sea Selkie often have traits of orcas or dolphins, and are the rarest of all Sirenia. They are the only Sirenia who cannot breathe underwater, with many being unable to hold their breath much longer than a human. While the Selkie vary, they are said to be the most beautiful of Sirenia, with a gift for singing. Those with the traits of orcas and dolphins are said to sound deeply sorrowful when they sing.
The Selkie historically found it easier to take up practices of dark magic such as occult, attributed to the fact Leucothea drowned in the sea after her gift of water breathing was taken away. Even now after Leucothea's grief has been lessened the Selkie are deeply emotional and empathetic, prone to worry and regret. Some have an exceptional yearning for peace, owing to the fact Leucothea died in the middle of a clamorous war out of her control, and her regret her song could never soothe Inki.
Inki's Curse
The war between Land and Sea's certain consequence.
Inki's curse took Leucothea's breath and cursed her with the fur of mammals, a curse which extended to all of her children. Leucothea herself was also inflicted with a piece of the Great Whale's vengeance, intending to turn Leucothea gainst Yama, believing the Shapeshifting Serpent would come to save his beloved daughter. Not foreseeing the length of Leucothea's love and devotion, watching her trying to reach her father even without her gills, this vengeance was locked away. After her agonising death, Leucothea locked away her overpowering grief, regret and sorrow so she and others would not be consumed by her miasma of self-destruction. When she did this, that piece of vengeance Inki had cursed her with was locked away with it, leading to the emotions intermixing and compounding upon each other deep within her troubled heart.
A ritual on Nereides, Delphina's isle where the Temple of Yama lives and Sirenia thrive, saw these feelings unleashed as a dual-minded and dichotomous simulacrum of Leucothea's sadness and Inki's rage. The songstress was given the task of consoling and cleansing this creature of suffering, the magi in attendance helping to keep it at pay and also assuage its grief, lending to the songstresses' melody. This melody was empowered by Delphina's King, Camino de Caewynn, it lending Nemea's aid -- the Goddess who knows grief the most intimately -- so Leucothea could be consoled. Following this act of appeasement the Selkie's penchant for occult found itself weakened, her children no longer able to easily attune to the dark art through the leverage her grief previously provided.
The First’s Wardens
A highly niche sect of religion within Sirenia.
It is the direct worship of Leucothea, the first Sirenian. Believers perceive Leucothea as a martyr of love, sacrifice and empathy, and sympathize with her want for resolution of hurt and suffering. Wardens aim to be her eyes and ears, ritualistically overlooking the Selkie and Sirenia, upholding her desire to watch her children in life, as her Father, Yama, looks over her children in death.
Wardens are guardians of the land in essence. So that the Selkie may thrive in-land, they pursue peace. Wardens practice scholastic pursuit of the land's many truths, so that there can both be education and mediation. For the Selkie, especially one that is bound to the land predominantly by their curse, the world is full of different cultures and people deriving from the very Land Gods that Inki encouraged to wage war. To continue mediation and empathy through understanding, knowledge of them is important.
Wardens also have an appreciation of inland swamps and rivers, and may collect various artifacts from them, alongside meditating within their confines. Protection of them is paramount.
Like how a worshiper of Yama might send one's soul to him so that they may help him count the stones to weigh the sins of life with, a worshiper of Leucothea often etches sentiments and memories into the face of stones and other artifacts of land, and casts them to the sea so that they may reach her drowned spirit and appease her with their story.
Wardens are often songstresses, songsters and bards, often looking to mitigate strife and chaos through song.
Leucothea's Grove
A gift from the Goddess of Grief.
Nemea gifted Leucothea a grove where she might overlook her children on land. Many wardens send the grove flowers in rites, such as singing and casting their gift to the sea, hoping it might glide along the right currents. It follows the rhythm of the seasons, allowing Leucothea to experience the world beyond the sea and shore her children live upon. It is said when a sirenian passes through the coral gates a flower representing them blossoms within the grove, the spirits of Leucothea's wardens tending to this vast array of blossoms.