Hydana

Hydana
Domain	Oceans
Symbols	Trident
Parentage	Vuh
Spouses	Throff (first wife)
Children	Farigiss; Atlan; Aqualis.
Siblings	Sukh; Pangara
Affiliations	Gods of Wind and Water; Celestial Court; Ichthys; Lord Whale.
Significant Cults	Fish Men believe he is the chief god.
Priest Colours	Blue/Green
Holy Day	25th Winds (25th Birds Chatter) 21st Close (25th Sun's Hiding)

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Hydana is the god of the Oceans.

Origins

It is believed that he is a member of one of the original families of the Gods created by the Primal Deities. In his case, his family is believed to have been created by Vuh. In the writings it is noted that he has brothers and sisters, however, his sisters have not yet been identified.

Relationships

He was the first husband of Throff, However, his retreat to the ocean realms at the dawn of Titan's creation led to Throff remarrying when she wedded Filash. After suffering many wounds in the First Battle, Hydana decided to retreat to the seas once more. To this day he resides deep in his watery kingdom, only very rarely visiting the Celestial Court.

The remarriage of his wife to the god of Fire enraged Hydana who swore that he would gradually destroy her creation. Hydana's wrath can still be seen today as the waters of his ocean still slowly erode the land she created. His rage with Filash is thought to be symbolised by the fact that Fire and Water are opposing elements. Hydana has many children. From his union with Throff were born the three powerful gods Aqualis, Farigiss and Atlan.

Creations

It is believed by some that Hydana created the Brain Slayers before the First Battle, but that they were later subverted by Ishtra. However, there are also strong arguments for Brain Slayers being Humans who were corrupted by "Death's Finger" in the region now occupied by the Inland Sea in Khul.

In the Legend of Throben, Hydana is one of the six gods who created this mystical land to prevent the loss of the wisdom of magic after the First Battle. The people who were invested with magic by Hydana in this tale were the Lake-Goblins. This race was not Evil and was of an intellect to rival that of man. It is said that all that remains of them now are their distant ancestors the savage Marsh Goblins. It was the six gods who together brought about the existence of the Theomancer to unite the six peoples of Throben in this tale.

Hydana depicted at the Nautical Academy of Kallamehr

Peoples of the Sea

It is certain though that it was Hydana who created the various peoples of the sea and they still worship him with sometimes fanatical devotion. Hydana abducted several species in Godtime and created new, sea-dwelling versions of them. These included the Sea Elves, created from Wood Elves Hydana had kidnapped.

Worship

Known by many names but most commonly referred to by this, his Old World name, he is one of the most powerful deities among the Greater Gods. Sailors will often make brief visits to the temples of his brothers, Pangara and Sukh, before embarking on their voyages but this is not to say that they ignore Hydana. Far from it, the ocean is his realm and many sailors therefore treat it as his temple. For this reason you will find that most ships will have a small area dedicated as a shrine to Hydana. For long or unusually dangerous sea voyages, ships on Titan will usually have a priest or priestess of Hydana on board as part of their crew. There are some temples to Hydana on land but these will more normally be found overlooking the sea from cliff tops, rather than in the centre of cities and ports. There is a large temple to Hydana in Arion, on the west bank of the Nekros River. There is an underwater Sunken Temple of Hydana in the Devilfish Rift, west of Femphrey. The practice of having large temples within ports has diminished significantly over the centuries. There were such temples in more ancient times and the relics of these will be found in those cities whose history goes back that far. Fishermen also pray to this god and you will likely find a small shrine to Hydana in most fishermen's abodes. The Sea Elves venerate Hydana; along with Erillia and Ichthys, he is the main god of their pantheon. Hydana is also worshipped by the Fish Men, who maintain a temple to the deity under Port Blacksand. In fact, the Fish Men, regard Hydana as the supreme, if not only god. They believe most of the other gods to be evil because they portray themselves as a "Dry One", the name given to any land living being. Notable exceptions to this are Ichthys and his fellows and Lord Whale and his clan. The Fish Men reserve a special loathing for the Sun goddess, Glantanka, who they call Quuosshreeggaa meaning the "Stealer of Water".

Hydana

Portrayal

Hydana is often portrayed as a powerful man with blue to green skin, covered in limpets and other sea crustaceans. In his hair and his beard crabs and lobsters roam and dolphin and fish play and swim around him. Often a large fish tail replaces his legs. Some statues to the god display him also with head of a fish. The typical pose for such a statue will be Hydana perched upright with his tail curled beneath him, holding a trident and a net. In those temples still regularly attended there will be a large urn next to the statue, filled with clean seawater.

Further Notes

• The magical creatures known as Water Sprites often serve Hydana.
• Hydana was responsible for sending the huge tidal wave that helped destroy Atlantis after the island had fallen under the influence of evil.
• Skotas is the god of the Oceans in Shabak, and therefore another name for Hydana.

See Also

References