Worship: Arthemis, Goddess of the Moon, the Wilderness and the Hunt. Patroness of Huntresses, Archers and Virgins.
Sacred animal: The Wolf and the Stag.
Attire: A midnight blue cloak over simple robes. They also carry a staff made of ancient tree roots.
Bodyguards: Arthemisian Ulfsarks
Main Temple: The Sacred Grove of Arthemis, in Arthemisia.
Scope: The wilderness and the wild animals. Arthemis watches over them, so it is her priestesses' sacred duty to preserve the forests and protect the wildlife from overhunting.
Powers: The Priestesses of Arthemis know the forests and the mountains like no one else. They can calm down wild animals and even tame some of them, being one with the wilderness.
Priestesses of Arthemis
As the Goddess of the Moon, the Wilderness and the hunt, Arthemis is intensely worshiped in densely forested or vastly mountainous regions, where close contact with nature is more commonplace. Every forest village and hunting camp has at least a small shrine to her name, while the larger towns bordering the wilderness or possessing vast orchards always preserve large and beautiful Sacred Groves in her honour.
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All this because Arthemis is the goddess who watches over the wild animals, protecting the amazon huntresses from dire predators and granting plenitude of preys to be caught. It is believed that her divine powers are far stronger wherever nature is preserved and left untouched, so virgin forests and high mountain ranges are where people most worship her.
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As such, the Priestess of Arthemis have an equally strong presence on those regions, using all their influence and authority to preserve nature and establish safe limits for hunting the wildlife. They also promote reforestation of devastated areas, the replanting of every tree chopped down for wood, and the sustainable foraging of the bounty of the forest.
Their commitment to their noble cause is so fervorous that they also practice complete sexual abstinence, preserving their own bodies just as virginal as the wilderness they protect. The Goddess Arthemis herself is also believed to be a virgin herself, and that only further emphasises the importance of this harsh doctrine.
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On the other hand, their devotion to Arthemis and the close contact to nature grants those enlightened priestesses rather unusual skills. They can calm down and tame wild animals, understanding their hearts and developing a really tight bond with them. They also know every plant and animal species of the ecosystems they protect by heart, having such a wide knowledge of herbs, roots and mushrooms that they can be great healers if needed. Some of them even come to the point of specializing themselves in herbal medicine, becoming Druids that still act as pristesses, but with a heavy focus on alchemy and healing.