[ Eladrin ] [ Aestetica | Paragons | Court of Stars ]
Reymenda
Lady of the Martyred Womb, the Black Rose, the Final Duty (planar lyrakien eladrin empyreal lord [she/her] / CG)
Portfolio: Childlessness, endings, responsibility
Realm: Arborea / Pelion / The Garden of Withered Blooms
Reymenda is certainly one of the more poignant of the eladrin empyreal lords. They call her the Lady of the Martyred Womb, for she is the patron of childlessness, endings, and the heavy weight of responsibility. If you’re looking for a patron who understands sacrifice that leaves a mark deeper than any blade, Reymenda’s your blood.
The eladrin call her the “Mother Who Chose Not,” a moniker that carries both reverence and sorrow. She’s the paragon for those who, by choice or fate, walk their path without children. Her followers see this as their most sacred vow, believing that the sacrifice of potential parenthood sharpens their focus on greater responsibilities—carrying burdens and taking risks that those with the responsibilities for dependents dare not.
Reymenda also represents endings. She’s the hand that closes the book, the gentle voice welcoming you home at the end of a journey. Her touch brings closure—whether that’s the end of a life, of a relationship, or of an era. Endings, to Reymenda, aren’t to be mourned as losses, for they create the space that is necessary to allow new beginnings.
Thirdly, Reymenda embodies somber responsibility. If you’ve ever felt the crushing weight of a duty, you’ve brushed against Reymenda’s domain. She teaches that true virtue is knuckling down and shouldering what must be done—especially when no one else will do it. Her followers are the brave bloods who choose to step up when everyone else steps back, and she gives them the strength to see it through.
Reymenda appears as an eladrin with mkre years than most, her beauty weathered by sorrow and resolve. Her hair is streaked with silver, and her eyes carry the wisdom—and pain—of countless lifetimes. She’s often seen with a black rose, her symbol, pinned over her heart or woven into her hair. Her presence is soothing, like the hush after a storm. She’s not one for empty comfort or false hope—Reymenda will tell you the truth, even if it stings. But there’s a gentleness in her, too; she knows grief intimately and offers solace without resorting to platitudes.
Reymenda’s aestetica is somber but resolute. She embodies the beauty of endings well-met and responsibilities fulfilled. Her presence is felt in the final notes of a song, the closing of a gate, and the last embrace before parting. Her eladrin followers, especially those of the lyrakien aestetica, are valued for their ability to bring closure and comfort where it’s most needed.
Philosophy
Reymenda’s take on goodness is all about sacrifice and acceptance. She teaches that sometimes the greatest good comes from letting go—whether that’s of dreams, of people, of what could have been. Her followers are expected to act decisively against evil, and to work to bring things to their proper end rather than let suffering drag on. But unlike some of the archons, she’s no martyr for martyrdom’s sake. Reymenda insists that her followers avoid being exploited. If someone starts taking advantage of their generosity, she urges them to move on. After all, there’s always another soul in need, and endless suffering helps no one.
While she’s the patron of childlessness, Reymenda doesn’t dislike children—quite the opposite. Her followers are bound to protect and nurture the young, precisely because they themselves have chosen not to bear that responsibility directly. And if a follower ever decides to have children after all, Reymenda releases them from her service with a blessing, understanding that every ending is just another beginning.
—Eschericha Dox, a grateful cutter from the Hive Ward
I met one of Reymenda’s lot in Sigil once, cutter—a quiet sort with a black rose tattoo. Helped me family through the worst of the plague, then vanished before my thanks could catch up with her. She left behind a note: ‘Your strength is your own now. Pass it on.’
Among the eladrin, Reymenda is viewed with quiet respect, and a touch of sadness. She’s the cutter you turn to when you need help letting go or when the burden’s too much to bear alone. While she’s not as flashy as some of the Court of Stars, her wisdom is sought in times of crisis and transition. Her followers—often lyrakien eladrin—serve as counsellors, undertakers, and responders to crises. They’re the ones who show up after the disaster, helping to pick up the pieces and show the survivors how to carry on.
The Garden of Withered Blooms
Her realm in Pelion is the Garden of Withered Blooms. It’s a tranquil valley nestled between dunes, an oasis in the perpetual shade of twilight, where black roses grow in abundance. Each flower represents a sacrifice, an ending, or a duty fulfilled. The dry air here is heavy with the scent of memories, and the paths wind between memorials to lost causes and completed quests.
At the heart of the garden stands the Shrine of the Last Embrace, where grieving bashers can come to say their final farewells to loved ones and find the strength to move on. It’s a place of healing, not despair—and a reminder of the Unity of Rings: Every ending, no matter how painful it may seem at the time, is necessary to allow the next beginning.
Source: Chronicle of the Righteous [PF1e] p54; Inner Sea Gods [PF1e] p322; Divine Mysteries [PF2e] p198,311-312; Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: Reymenda’s realm is homebrew, other details from Pathfinder lore.