Sivanah

From PathfinderWiki
Sivanah
Sivanah
(Deity)

Titles
The Seventh Veil
Goddess of Illusions
Realm
Alignment
Areas of Concern
Illusions
Mysteries
Reflections
Secrets
Worshipers
Illusionists, tricksters
Edicts
Show the beauty in illusions, pursue the nature of truth, respect the need for secrets
Anathema
Let a creature permanently labor under the falsehood of your illusions, reveal a secret you have sworn to keep
Follower Alignments (1E)
Domains (1E)
Knowledge, Madness, Magic, Rune, Trickery
Subdomains (1E)
Deception, Insanity, Memory, Protean, Thought, Wards
Follower Alignments (2E)
Sanctification (2E)
None
Domains (2E)
Disorientation, magic, secrecy, trickery
Alternate: Glyph
Favored Weapon
Symbol
Veils tied in circle
Sacred Animal
Sacred Colors
Gray
Source: Inner Sea Faiths, pg(s). 82–87 (1E)
Divine Mysteries, pg(s). 158 (2E)
Alignment details sourced from Inner Sea Faiths and Lost Omens Gods & Magic 69. In Inner Sea Faiths, Sivanah's portfolio lacked secrets.

Sivanah1 (pronounced siv-AHN-ah)2 is the patron goddess of illusion magic, tricksters, and those who keep secrets. She is also known as the "Seventh Veil", a name taken from the clothing she is most often depicted wearing. Her religious symbol is a circle made of six dull-colored veils tied end-to-end.34

Appearance

Sivanah's true form is disguised behind her seven veils, each of which is tied to an ancestry, the first six said to be human, elf, halfling, gnome,356 anadi,7 and naga—although there is some contention among religious scholars over whether her fifth form may be some other creature known for its mastery of illusion, as older tales claim the fifth veil concealed a cyclops.56 Her true form is said to be that of a member of a seventh, unknown ancestry, but she always appears as female. She can appear as any of these ancestries while wearing the appropriate veil.3 Kitsune claim that Sivanah actually has nine veils, and the final one is a fox-woman.6

Dogma

Sivanah's ultimate goals are only known to the goddess. This concealment might be a reason why her faith has not grown more.4

Providence

The goddess communicates with her faithful through mirrors, reflections in water, and sometimes even through their own shadows.3

Realm

The goddess makes her home in the most unlikely of places: the Maelstrom. Sivanah's Realm is extremely difficult to find, appearing in no fixed place, yet can always be recognized by its abundance of mirrored surfaces. Sivanah protects her realm in this way from the native proteans, who bear her much ill will. The exact origin behind this conflict is not known, although there are many speculations, including that Sivanah once stole something from them, or that she once was a keketar, risen demon, or fallen azata.8

Relationships

Sivanah has a rivalry with Zon-Kuthon as she loathes the dark god's corruption of shadows, and sometimes uses her influence to cause darkness to act unexpectedly for Zon-Kuthon's clerics.56 Sivanah also has an incomprehensible interest in Razmir despite most deities denounce him as a false-god, she and her priesthood friendly with his own.9 Her followers, most often veiled witches from Irrisen, are her most commonly utilized emissaries to Razmiran.10 Is speculated that Sivanah may find Razmir's scam of being The Living God endearing or that she is the only one, not even Razmir himself, acknowledges his hidden divinity or potential for it.9

Sivanah and Norgorber have good relationship built on mutual interest over secrets,11 Both also have a shared enemy of Nethys, keep tabs on him less he discloses salient magical secrets to other deities and mortals.12

Church of Sivanah

A cleric of Sivanah.

Sivanah is widely worshiped among the illusionists and especially gnomes of Golarion, who appreciate her devotion to their favorite school of magic by wearing knotted scarves.3136

Given location its believe by the Dark Archive that the Gnomish Fellowship of Guile’s Guise of Jalmeray worship Sivanah but rumors of some members taking money to impersonate specific targets suggest Norgorber's influence in the group.14

The worship of Sivanah is also worshipped by others that wish to hid something about themselves like thieves or for less criminal reasons. she is popular in the countries of Nex, who's illusion is considered on par to the Queen of the Night, Mahathallah, Irrisen, were Veiled witches and mysterious mirrored beings honer her domain over mirrors, and in the cities of Katapesh, imported by gnomes, with veiled kholo priests, and rumored connections with the Pactmasters, while it is strictly prohibited in Nidal, due to a ban by the country's clerics of Zon-Kuthon.3136

Devout illusionists who follow her have been known to be able to mimic divine healing magic by use of the shadow conjuration spell.15

Given Sivanah and her small number of worshipers being hush on the churches inner working make them easy targets for scapegoating and sinister conspiracy theories, assuming the public is aware that they even exist. But most followers are skilled at using disguise if public opinion about them gets too heated.6

Holidays

Worshipers of the goddess celebrate a general holiday called Seven Veils, on either 716 or 2317 Neth, as one of their most sacred of days. What rituals the church of Sivanah performs on this date, however, are unknown to outsiders, for the cult enjoys its secrets. This secrecy has, unsurprisingly, given rise to all manner of sinister rumours, yet when Seven Veils rolls around each year, its eager participants are quick to set aside rumour in preference for the night's fun and games.18 The festivities include comic performances, jokes, illusions,19 and multi-racial masquerade balls.17

References

Paizo published a major article about Sivanah in Inner Sea Faiths.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. The Campaign Setting introduced Sivhana as a variant spelling of this goddess' name but also included Sivanah. Paizo has more recently been consistent in spelling the name Sivanah, and this wiki follows that lead.
  2. Erik Mona, et al. “Appendices” in Campaign Setting, 247. Paizo Inc., 2008
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 3: Religion” in Campaign Setting, 172. Paizo Inc., 2008
  4. 4.0 4.1 James Jacobs, et al. “Other Gods” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 230. Paizo Inc., 2011
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Robert Adducci, et al. “Gods of the Inner Sea” in Gods & Magic, 69. Paizo Inc., 2020
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Misha Bushyager, et al. “Other Gods” in Divine Mysteries, 158. Paizo Inc., 2024
  7. In Pathfinder First Edition, Sivanah's fifth form was an aranea, a creature that Paizo used under the Open Gaming License. In the Second Edition book Gods & Magic, her fifth form is retroactively an anadi.
  8. Amber Stewart. “The Outer Sphere” in The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse, 45. Paizo Inc., 2009
  9. 9.0 9.1 Misha Bushyager, et al. Razmiran Priest” in Divine Mysteries, 291. Paizo Inc., 2024
  10. Robert Brookes, et al. Sivanah” in Inner Sea Faiths, 87. Paizo Inc., 2016
  11. Misha Bushyager, et al. Norgorber” in Divine Mysteries, 85. Paizo Inc., 2024
  12. Misha Bushyager, et al. Nethys” in Divine Mysteries, 80. Paizo Inc., 2024
  13. 13.0 13.1 Brian Cortijo, et al. “Faith: Religions of Katapesh” in Legacy of Fire Player's Guide, 25. Paizo Inc., 2009
  14. James Case, et al. “Mirrors and Imposters” in Dark Archive, 118. Paizo Inc., 2022
  15. Sean K Reynolds. “Other Gods” in Gods and Magic, 47. Paizo Inc., 2008
  16. Robert Brookes, et al. Sivanah” in Inner Sea Faiths, 85–86. Paizo Inc., 2016 This source cites 7 Neth, while The Inner Sea World Guide and Campaign Setting cite 23 Neth.
  17. 17.0 17.1 James Jacobs, et al. Holidays and Festivals” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 248. Paizo Inc., 2011
  18. James Jacobs & Mike Brock. Seven Veils Celebration. Paizo blog, 2011
  19. Robert Brookes, et al. Sivanah” in Inner Sea Faiths, 85–86. Paizo Inc., 2016 This source cites 7 Neth, while The Inner Sea World Guide and Campaign Setting cite 23 Neth.