Aetea

Aetea is a goddess concerned with the protection of children, and punishing those who cause children harm. Her motives, while not entirely clear, appear benevolent and forward-looking. Aetea wants to shape a future better than the present, and the guardianship of new generations is her means of achieving this.

Despite her noble goals, Aetea is rarely worshiped - children build few temples and adults are wary and fearful of her. Tane and Iphazia are generally considered more accessible deities for those concerned with justice and fairness.

Aetea's scary and fearsome image originates in stories of her alleged interventions on behalf of mistreated children. These legends are all similar; Aetea manifests in a form that only the children and the abusers can see, typically as a ragged girl with no face. Abusers are tormented by this apparition to the point of madness and eventual suicide.

Stories also tell of Aetea's angels, the spirits of children murdered by their tormentors. These spirits serve Aetea as messengers, delivering praise, rewards, warnings and threats. Aetea's angels can be male or female, of any race - and unlike Aetea herself, have visible faces, recognizable to those that knew them in life.