Gosaena

Gosaena, known as the Mistress of Eternity, is the Arkati of death.

Her servants take the form of angels.

Shrines, Statuary, and Holy Places

Cleric Guilds

Displayed in the Prayer Rooms of each Cleric Guild is a state of Gosaena. These prayer rooms are considered a holy shrine to multiple deities.

Beautiful and ethereal, Gosaena looks at you with serene impartiality. Peeking out beneath her full cloak are a pair of sturdy wings. Held carelessly in her hand is a lethal-looking sickle. The curve of her sickle mirrors the curve of her lip.

>touch Gosaena
You reach out and touch the statue of Gosaena.

Silence fills your mind, as quiet as Gosaena's embrace.

Wehnimer's Landing Cleric Guild

Located in the Antechamber of Others is a statue of Gosaena. This area is not considered a holy shrine.

This sculpture portrays a beautiful woman with pale skin, long silver hair, and ice blue eyes. She is clad in grey robes and a grey cloak that fails to completely cover her brilliant white-feathered wings. Upon the sculpture's base is her symbol, a silver sickle on a field of green.

Kharam Dzu Cleric Guild

Just inside the entrance to the Kharam Dzu Cleric Guild is a pair of statues depicting Gosaena and Luukos. This room is not considered a holy shrine.

Two statues, one carved from shimmering glaes and the other from soapstone in a sickly shade of green, glare at each other in the center of the room. The figures stand on a pedestal of black stone, words painstakingly chipped into the surface.

>look statues
A thin woman in layered robes stands rigid, hatred written into every carved line. Across from her stands a man of faintly reptilian cast, forked tongue flickering out as if to mock his opposer. Each glares at the other, obviously distrustful of what one another will do.

>read pedestal
In the Common language, it reads:
"Only in death can we truly understand the Gods."

In the room with Guild Master Kordrum is a statue dedicated to Gosaena. It is considered a holy shrine.

[Cleric Guild, Lava Room]
The room is filled with bubbling magma. A small island sits in the center of the pool, connected to the outside by a thin stone bridge. On the island stands a tall statue of a woman, her wings stretching high into the cavern. Pieces of skeletons ring both shores of the lava lake, some trying to crawl away, others towards the beautiful statue. A pedestal of stone rests at her feet. You also see a small tunnel and Guild Master Kordrum.

>read pedestal
In the Common language, it reads:
"Death is the ultimate journey."

Behind The Scenes

Gosaena was originally described as possibly an evil local goddess whose power was less than it had been in antiquity. The only reference to her was as "Empress Gosaena" on The Graveyard gate, a holdover from the Empress Kadaena who was not what we would now call an Arkati. Kadaena and Gosaena have no resemblance to each other, except for their apocalyptic dispositions. While the I.C.E. Age form of Lorminstra had a serving spirit who would cross the Gates of Oblivion, there was no one corresponding to Gosaena, making her a purely original aspect of Elanthian history.

References

• http://www.play.net/gs4/info/tomes/deities/gosaena.asp