Fiction:The Firmament/Aldirei

Aldirei is the goddess of honour, valor, justice and order, who is considered the patron of humankind and one of the greatest forces of good in the Firmament, with the first paladins being created in her name.

Appearance
Aldirei resembles a radiant, angelic human woman always seen wearing a suit of plate armor which reveals her face. She wields a longsword on her right hand a steel shield on the other, and two pairs of metallic wings grow from her back.

History
Worship of Aldirei is an old one. She appears to date back to the time of the Primordials, with certain inscriptions mentioning her being a mortal - presumably also a Primordial - who ascended to godhood, though due to her sheer age, it is difficult to pinpoint any origins for such a being.

There is evidence found in Primordial ruins that Aldirei was involved in the Great Gap as one of the gods who fought Varagarash Narahil, leading to his eventually imprisonment at the Abyssal End. While these inscriptions are vague, they hint at Aldirei being the leader of the gods who opposed Varagarash and the demon lords during their reign of terror in the Material Plane.

Realm
Aldirei's realm is called the Court of Paladins, a great fortress in the highest spheres of Ziana where the goddess' chosen reside and train in order to defend the upper realms from the forces of darkness. Aldirei herself often hold great tournaments where warriors prove their valor and honour in friendly sparring, and welcomes all those from the plane of Ziana to participate, provided they behave themselves. When the forces of darkness, such as the demon lords, become too bold, Aldirei often directs the Court of Paladins to launch crusades into Irkalla in order to put the demon hordes down and keep them from causing havoc across the realms.

Personality
Aldirei is a being of pure righteous order, dedicating her existence to the protection of all that is good and just in the Firmament. She shows respect to all who follow the codes of conduct of their homelands and partake in honourable activities, but looks down on those who use law to instill tyranny or revel in destruction. She makes her favour known in the Material Plane by reshaping ordinary objects into sword-like shapes, or by the appearance of gold or white light around a person or object they are particularly pleased with, while their wrath takes the form of previously fine quality weapons rusting rapidly.

Relationships

 * Allies
 * Skasdrumri - Aldirei and Skasdrumri are old friends, but the latter often calls the former too soft for her own good.
 * Shenryundi - The old dragon god is Aldirei's mentor and one of her dearest friends.
 * Saz'giras - Aldirei greatly encourages Saz'giras in his path to redemption and the two collaborate very often.


 * Ambivalent
 * Aether - While respecting her role in the cosmic order, Aldirei is bothered by Aether's neutrality in the face of darkness and chaos.


 * Enemies
 * Varagarash Narahil - Aldirei has vowed to keep the World Worm in chains for all eternity.
 * Vealdimar - Before betraying her, Vealdimar was once one of Aldirei's closest servants.
 * Druacath - Druacath has proven to be one of the Lady of Valor's most persistent foes.

Cult of Aldirei
Aldirei has one of the largest followings among mortals, being present in the pantheons of many humanoids, most primarily humans in the modern era. She is the head deity of the Lechnerian Pantheon, with its fellow gods serving among her closest confidants. Aldirei is a deity of righteous valor, justice, and honor, making her particularly well received by the knights of the country of Aynach. Her followers are assertive and vigilant in rooting out evil, and many a crusade was launched in the name of Aldirei with the objective of purging the world of forces of darkness such as cultists of the Cult of the Worm and the Skitterfall Under-Empire.

The priests of the Lady of Valor are composed of clerics and paladins, who dedicate themselves to protecting the world of evil. Her clergy is one that welcomes all, regardless of race, gender or background, so long as they remain loyal to Aldirei's ideals. Her temples, spread through many cities across the world, function as both a church and living space for her holy knights, often being painted white and featuring arched entrances, pillared courtyards, fountains, and statues.