Elua and His Companions

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In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy saga, Elua is the most important deity of Terre d'Ange. Elua's Companions are seven angels who forsook the One God to follow Elua.

Contents 1 Story 2 Worship 3 Elua's Companions 3.1 Naamah 3.2 Anael 3.3 Azza 3.4 Shemhazai 3.5 Camael 3.6 Cassiel 3.7 Eisheth 3.8 Kushiel

[edit] Story

Elua was conceived through the blood of Yeshua ben Yosef, the son of the One God, where a spear from a soldier of Tiberium pierced his side, and the tears of the Magdalene, in the womb of Mother Earth herself. He was seen as a heretic by the Yeshuites, and as the enemy's offspring by the people of Tiberium. Even scorned by his own grandfather the One God, Elua started wandering the earth. In Persis he was arrested, but the tales of his travels had reached Heaven and eight of God's own angels, Azza, Anael, Camael, Cassiel, Eisheth, Kushiel, Naamah and Shemhazai came to free him. It was Naamah who went to the King of Persis and offered herself in exchange for Elua's freedom.

Elua went to Bhodistan, and the angels followed him. The people of Bhodistan did not wish to turn away from their multitude of Gods, but they saw the light in Elua and wished him no harm. When Elua was hungry, Naamah would lie down with strangers, for money. While wandering in Skaldia, Elua made friends of ravens and wolves.

They came to Terre d'Ange, a then nameless country, as the armies of Tiberium were retreating from it, during the collapse of their empire. Here the people welcomed them with open arms. Through interbreeding the race of D'Angelines was created: beautiful people, descended from the angels.

When the One God stopped mourning over the death of his son Yeshua, he saw Elua and his Companions wandering. He sent an angel to bring them back, but Elua hung flowers around his neck and filled his cup with good wine, and the angel returned embarrassed and empty handed to his God. The One God then sent his arch herald to Elua and his followers. If they stayed and followed his precept of love as thou wilt, their offspring would overflow the earth, something that the One God thought should not happen. The herald offered them forgiveness, if Elua and his Companions returned to the One God in peace. But Elua turned to Cassiel and asked for his dagger. He stabbed the palm of his own hand and his blood fell on the earth, where anemones bloomed. Elua said that he could not go to his grandfather's heaven, because it was bloodless, and he was demonstrably not, and asked for a better place, where he and his followers could love and sing and live like they wanted, and where their children could join them. The herald told them there was no such place.

But then Mother Earth spoke to her ex-husband, the One God, and said they could create such a place, together. And so the real Terre d'Ange was created, where mortals can only go by dying, but where Elua and his Companions were allowed to enter immediately.

[edit] Worship

Elua's only commandment to his followers was to love as thou wilt. The nation of Terre d'Ange takes it as their guiding philosophy, and as such embrace all forms of love. This makes them a sexually liberated culture, accepting of homosexuality, bisexuality, and bdsm. Rape is not only a crime; because of this precept, it is the highest and most severe heresy. This includes forced intimacy as well as underage sexual play or intercourse.

Temples of Elua have no roof, only four pillars to mark the corners. The centre is unpaved. Everything, from oak trees to flowers and weeds, may grow freely. There is usually a statue of Elua present, standing with unbound hair and an eternal smile, one hand extended in offering, the other scored with the mark of his mortality. Visitors have to walk barefoot in the temple. Elua's priests wear blue robes, and no mask. Anemones, traditionally associated with Blessed Elua, can be offered to him.

[edit] Elua's Companions

[edit] Naamah

She is one of two female angels, and the eldest sister. She offered herself to the King of Persis in exchange for Elua's freedom.

Her domain is that of sexuality. Servants of Naamah are prostitutes who bear marques (tattoos) on their backs as a sign of their trade. The most elite of these are the adepts of the Court of Night-Blooming Flowers, also known as the Night Court. Each of these Houses holds to a different explanation of why Naamah lay with the King of Persis, and caters to different preferences accordingly. Naamah's province in Terre d'Ange is Namarre.

[edit] Anael

Anael gave mankind the gift of husbandry and taught the growing of crops and care of the land. His province is L'Agnace, the heartland of Terre d'Ange.

Scions of Anael have the telltale scent of apples, which rises from their skin when feeling strong emotions.

[edit] Azza

Azza gifted mankind with knowledge of navigation, according to tradition. The Yeshuites name his sin as that of pride. He founded the realm of Azzalle.

[edit] Shemhazai

Shemhazai is noted for treasuring knowledge, and is credited with teaching the D'Angelines their written language. His territory is Siovale.

[edit] Camael

Camael is a martial angel, and founded the first armies of D'Angeline troops. His territory is Camlach.

[edit] Cassiel

Cassiel, alone among the seven, took no province of Terre d'Ange as his own, choosing instead to remain at Elua's side as he traversed the world, a choice for which he believed himself eternally damned. Cassiel has no temples, but the Cassiline Brotherhood was founded for him.

[edit] Eisheth

Eisheth is noted for her gentleness. Her province is Eisande. Eisheth was noted for giving humanity the healing arts, which is why so many of the best healers come from her province, and for gifting mankind with music and story, which is why Eisande gave rise to the Mendacants, traveling bards. In order to conceive, a women of Terre D'ange must pray to Eisheth to open the gates of her womb. Once such a prayer is made, it can never be taken back.

[edit] Kushiel

Kushiel was the Punisher for the One God who delivered torments onto mortal sinners in order that they might repent. He alone of the angels understood that chastisement was an act of love, a notion which displeased the One God, who desired worship above all things. Kushiel saw in Elua a soul that understood what he did, and thus left the service of the One God to follow Elua in his wanderings.

The province of Kusheth was named after Kushiel. It is the home of the Shahrizai, one of the Great Houses, who are from his line. One important member of this family is Melisande Shahrizai. According to Melisande, the sinners in Kushiel's charge refused repentance when offered it, for love of their lord.

The priests of Kushiel wear robes and full bronze masks, so that their identities are kept completely secret; atonement for sins in Kushiel's temple involves a sound flogging, to purge the guilt from one's soul.

Kushiel's Dart is the name given to a red mote appearing in the eye of one of his chosen mortals, marking the bearer as an anguissette. Series heroine Phèdre nó Delaunay bears this mark.