Nylea

Nylea's History

Nylea is the God of the Hunt on Theros. She is associated with hunting in all its forms, the seasons, and forests. Her reign over the hunt extends to predation and hunger, while with her rule over the seasons, she is also a patron of metamorphosis and rebirth. At the center of her grove, there is a chrysalis, in which Nylea usually sleeps to receive strength and peace.

Nylea is usually aloof and thoughtful, but she is playful and joyful with her loyal companions. However, she has a feral, animalistic side and bears the responsibility of keeping the forest a haven and safe for animals, preventing the spread of humans into her domain, and letting the natural world have free rein. Nylea is quick to anger and vengeance if something threatens her realm. She has complete dominance over the seasons, that she can change at her whim and delay if angered.

She is allied with Purphoros and permits him to unleash fires on the forest to grow new life or to keep humans away when they are encroaching too far into the wilds. However, she has a tumultuous relationship with Karametra, the God of the Harvests. Karametra is infuriated by Nylea's interference in the seasons. In turn, Nylea is disgusted by agriculture, which she sees as an aberration from the natural cycle of the world.

Nylea dislikes the construction of temples and cities in general. For this reason, she has no temples, buildings, or holy sites, save for trees surrounded by clouds of butterflies. When a similar tree is spotted, people know that Nylea is near. Most of her human followers are loners and outcasts. Nymphs of all kinds pay homage to her, as do sentient humanoids such as satyrs, centaurs, and many citizens of Setessa. Some city dwellers come into the forest to honor her, especially to pray that the seasons will change on time. Nylea hates sacrifices and is notoriously hard to please: worshippers could as easily anger her as win her blessing. One thing she likes is acts of kindness and protection of creatures both domesticated and wild.

During Xenagos's ascension, Nylea attempted to stop him by firing an arrow through his heart. The arrow arrived moments too late and only managed to harm and not kill the new god. The arrowhead became permanently lodged in Xenagos's godly form and would become his undoing during the fight with Elspeth as the Sun God's chosen was able to detonate the arrowhead with her blade Godsend.

When Heliod declared war on the rest of the gods of Theros, Nylea fought back and raised up Renata from the underworld as her champion in the conflict.