The Lady

The native religion of the island primarily worships a deity generally only referred to as The Lady. Whether she has another name is unknown, as the church appears reluctant to part with detailed information to non-initiates. However, it seems likely that this, or a translated equivalent, is her only moniker. The Lady is a nature-based deity and like many of that kind seems to be primarily focused on the environment, plants, animals, and conservation. Judging by the abilities displayed by her clergy, she is particularly heavily-tied to the elements of earth and wood.

The kitsune, breisleach, is her high priestess. She is known to grant druidic-style magic to her clergy, which nearly all of her clergy are trained in to the extent that their personal talents allow.

The many other deities of the island are, if her priestesses are to be believed, either servitors, her children, or facets of her will and personality. Whether this is true or not, it's common to see those who follow her specifically attending or using any of the other various local shrines or temples in apparent perfect comfort.

Symbols and Associations

The Lady's church is primarily associated with all the shades of the color green. Unlike the many minor related deities, her worship is associated with no particular place or temple. The entire island is considered her sacred ground; ceremonies sacred to her occur both in the temples primarily dedicated to other deities and out in the wild. While the tie appears to be less strong than those between other deities and their springs and creatures, she is connected to the Hunyanniichuan spring and, derivatively, foxes. The Clear Spring is often considered to be under her mantle as well, with its ability to cleanse other blessings.

When depicted in artwork, including the Yuriban Tarot, she always has dark green eyes and a matronly figure. Commonly, her hair is shown to be quite long and it is most often shown in dark colors. White wild roses and oak leaves are symbols of her church, and are commonly seen symbols on artwork or religious artifacts tied to her.

Ceremonies

The head priestess has been seen on several occasions to offer a blessing of protection, most commonly to children. (However, there have been indications that adults born outside of Yuriba may also ask for and receive this ritual.) The ceremony to do this is apparently simple, with the priestess drawing a counter-clockwise circle on the forehead of one being blessed with her right thumb, and speaking the words "Lady, watch over this child, and keep her safe in the boundaries of your heart. Remember her, and come to her aid when needed." This incantation and gesture have always been accompanied by a brief glow of green magic that traces the path of the counterclockwise circle, than lingers for a few seconds.

The intended purpose of this ceremony is both as something of an initiation into the native church, but primarily, it seems to serve as a magical mark of citizenship as a permanent resident of the island.

While presumably there are other ceremonies and rituals associated with The Lady's church, these so far all seem to be confined to the presence of other initiates or, at the least, not been performed in front of a wide public. Certainly, much of what has been seen so far indicates that the church acts primarily in a protective capacity, both of the environment and people, and that most celebratory and personal rituals are centered around the other deities.