Iallanis is the giant goddess of love and mercy. She always sought to reunite the giant races under a single banner, with the hopes that they could live in harmony forevermore.
Iallanis has worshippers among the cloud giants, stone giants, storm giants, firbolgs, and voadkyn.
Iallanis will accept any good-aligned true giant into her priesthood, treating every race as equal to the others. She would treat giant-kin such as firbolgs, fomorians, verbeegs, and voadkyn as equals as well, but this was forbidden by her father; thus, they are limited to places of lower status in her clerical hierarchy. Her clerics strive to bring the whole of giantkind into the ways of good, to show mercy to all, and to cooperate with other good creatures. Her clerics and shamans are expected to become happily married if they are to attain high rank. She sends omens to her priests in the form of floral scents, tinkling sounds, and similar gentle, pleasant events.
Even amongst tribes of evil giants, Iallanis's followers are accorded respect. While her clergy is not typically found within such tribes, lay followers of the Floral Giant perform the basic duties of the priesthood, and her priests try to make regular visits to perform their duties as well. The sole exception are tribes that honor Karontor above all others; the hatred his priests hold for the Tender One's followers cause them to exile or murder any who are found within their tribes. Formorian priests of Karontor hold an especially deep hatred for Iallanis and her clergy, and are likely to attack them on sight. Iallanis's priests are accorded influential social positions within the tribes of good giants, although they never take positions of power or authority. Her priests are amongst the most likely giants to make friends with non-giants, particularly elves, humans, and swanmays.
On a more personal level, individual members of Iallanis's clergy often pursue hobbies in gardening or the arts. Singing, dancing, and poetry are particularly favored, but nothing that creates lasting or momentary beauty is looked down upon. The clergy is often called upon to bless artistic endeavors undertaken by members of their tribe, and always oversee weddings. In tribes that do not have full priests of the Floral Giant, lay followers typically perform these duties, and such marriages are deemed no less in Iallanis's eyes, so long as the love between the couple is genuine.
Clerics of Iallanis concentrate on uniting the races of giantkind, bringing mercy and absolution to those who need it, and creating beautiful things. They forgo worldly possessions beyond those they require to do their duties.
Hierarchy
Novices in the service of Iallanis are called Buds. Full priests of the Floral Giant are called Bloomsisters and Bloombrothers, and collectively are known as Bloomchildren. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Iallanan priests are White Lily, Yellow Daffodil, Orange Poppy, Blue Violet, Purple Orchid, and Red Rose. High-ranking priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as Florani and druids. Florani tend to be associated with specific tribes, while druids wander from place to place and maintain holy sites.
Vestments
Members of the priesthood wear garments made of high quality green cloth during ceremonies. Female clergy members wear short dresses, while males wear blouses and kilts; in most cases, the garments are embroidered with colorful floral designs. Hair styles vary by individual preference, although female members of the priesthood tend to wear their hair long. Regardless of gender, followers of the Floral Giant wear garlands of flowers in their hair, and simple yet elegant bracelets or anklets are favored. The holy symbol of the priesthood is a stylized flower; it may be forged or cast from metal, carved from stone, or painted or carved into a stone disc. Such items are often created by a novice upon becoming a full priest. The item used as a holy symbol may be freely given by another, but it may never be commissioned or purchased. Some tribes view it as an honor to create an item and give it to a newly ordained member of the clergy; in such tribes, it is believed that Iallanis will bless the creator of the item with an especially deep and long lasting love. Some other tribes also have a tradition of giving the holy symbols of retired or deceased clergy to newly ordained priests.
Members of Iallanis's clergy rarely travel on their own, preferring to tend to their tribes. When they do travel, they rarely wear better armor than leather, preferring to remain unencumbered. Their clothing is typical for their tribe, it it is often embroidered with floral designs, and they like to wear flowers in their hair, either individually or as a garland. Most clergy members prefer to use non-lethal weapons or staves.
Temples
The Floral Giant's priesthood creates naturalistic temples that are built into the landscape. They are usually covered in and surrounded by plants and bushes with bright, fragrant flowers. Shrines dedicated to her are beautiful, living frames of small flowering trees that are enchanted to always flower and be healthy regardless of the season. They are often decorated with small pieces of artwork and statuary made by current and past generations of priests. These shrines are located in public places in giant communities, so any member can visit them and public events can be held before them. Large services of Iallanis are held in beautiful wilderness areas, particularly open meadows filled with wildflowers, although other areas of natural beauty are common in lands that do not contain meadows.
Rituals
Clerics of Iallanis say prayers over every gift or meal they receive. They conduct nearly all marriage ceremonies among the giants, even those involving evil giants and priests of evil deities.
Every year, on the first day of Growfest, the regional clergy of Iallanis gathers at a different tribe's hold for a grand revel, called Spring's Blossoming. This revel celebrates life, love, and beauty in all its forms. As it is considered a great honor to be wed at this time, the most important members of society wait until this ceremony is held to have their marriage (typically having multiple weddings are this time). Singing, dancing, and contests of skill precede the wedding, along with displays of local artistic talents, with a great feast following the marriage ceremony itself and many toasts to the happy couple.
Orders
The church of Iallanis sponsors no specific orders of monks or knights; however, a self-described knightly order has sprung up to protect the Tender One's clergy and holy sites. Composed of giantish warriors and rangers, the Floral Guardians observe many of the priesthood's precepts of mercy and devotion to love and beauty, although they are fanatical when their charges are threatened. They always observe rules of mercy, however, encouraging opponents to surrender rather than continue a fight, and accepting surrenders when offered. The order has only a loose hierarchy, and individuals can induct anyone they choose into the order, so long as they swear to protect the Iallanis's sacred charges and sites. It is considered an especially blessed union if a member of this order marries a member of the priesthood.
Mercy is to be honored above all else, save the gods themselves. Beauty is to be honored above all else save the gods and mercy. Punishment will naturally come to those who do evil and rewards will naturally come to those who do good. "Kindness is the milk of might; passion is the milk of life."
Iallanis appears as a graceful giant, 25' in height with fair skin. She wears a short green dress from which grows living flowers. She is always bare-legged and bare-footed. Her laugh is joyful and infectious.
Iallanis is a daughter of Annam and the younger sister of Hiatea. She is an ally of the swanmay goddess Fionnghuala. Her other siblings and half-siblings include Diancastra, Grolantor, Karontor, Shax, Skoraeus Stonebones, Stronmaus, Surtr, and Thrym. Memnor and Vaprak are also sometimes named as her relatives. Beautiful, loving Iallanis is one of her father's favorite children. Little else was known, but a good guess is that she was also allied to Sune.
At some point in history, the Seldarine under Corellon invaded Arborea from Ysgard because they wanted the giants' land. The giants fought, lost, were driven out, their land was taken, and Arvandor was founded on it once it was under the elves' control. Unlike her brothers, Iallanis did not fight the invaders but stayed at home and was not driven out like them by the Seldarine. She was not a figure the elven gods saw a lot of reasons to respect.
