====== Varda Elentári ======

Queen of the Heavens, Light Giver, Elbereth Star Kindler, Wife of [[manwe|Manwë Súlimo]] a Valië of [[church_of_eru|Eru]].

===== Nature and History =====

Varda, also known as "Queen of the stars" is said to be too beautiful for words; within her face radiates the light of Ilúvatar. She resides with Manwë with whom she shares a complementary power. When they are together Manwë "sees further than all other eyes, through mist, and through darkness, and over the leagues of the sea" and Varda "hears more clearly than all other ears the sound of voices that cry from east to west". Varda created the stars before the Valar descended into the world, and later with the dews from the vats of Telperion she made the constellations, most significantly The Sickle of the Valar (The Big Dipper).

She raised the lamps, poured her light into the two trees, hung the stars, and set the sun and moon, fashioned from the last fruits of the Two Trees, in the sky.  The light of the two trees was caught in the Silmarils, in Galadriel's hair, in Frodo's vial, an ethical vector of goodness diminishing but proceeding through all of History.

When Melkor first began to create his discord, Varda saw his mind, and rejected him. Melkor fears and hates Varda the most out of the Valar.

===== Modern Involvements =====

Clerics with Varda as a patron often receive light as a free once daily spell at first level and continual light as a free once daily spell at fifth level.

Many elves take Varda as a patron whether clergy or layity: waking under the stars is still reverenced.  

In the [[free_kingdom_of_harnia|Free Kindgom of Harnia]], [[king_cormach|King Cormach]]'s human kingdom, an undead hunting temple, The [[order_of_radiance|Order of Radiance]], has been operating for a few years.  Paladins known as Radiant Blades and Fighter/Priests known as Light Bringers run cooperative branches of the Order.  The Sunkeeper Monastery runs the grounds and provides extra manpower as needed.  The original temple is in [[cormachia|Cormachia]], and has done well enough that daughter temples are being planned.

Near [[in30|Imperial Navy Fort IN#30]], on the Eastern Seabord of Middle Earth, an observatory temple has been operating for almost a decade.  The Monastery of the Million Stars is somewhat famous for their Starry Night Absinthe.

The [[starfarers_of_elbereth|Starfarers of Elbereth]] are specialty priests who maintain small towers near SpellJamming Yards, although their time is spent with the ships.  They cast at one level lower if inside an unconsecrated building, and and two levels lower if underground, but cast at one level higher outside of planetary atmosphere, two levels higher outside the asteroid belt, and three levels higher when within a day's travel of a star.  These bonuses do not apply outside of Arda's Crystal Sphere.