Pyrah

Pyrah is 1 of 4 deities who specialize in elemental powers, who take turns lording over the mortals of their world.

The rule is that every decade, the next in the order must take command (Water -> Air -> Fire -> Earth -> repeat). When that happens, the other deities have options. They may either retreat to their hidden temples to wait their turn, or travel the world. But under no circumstances may they interfere with the work of the deity in-charge, or perform any of their own powers. Humans do not know this fact (Examples: forest fires are blamed on the fire deity having fun jumping tree to tree, and floods are blamed on the water deity becoming enraged).
In this off-time, the deities also choose a new human form to present themselves in, and they may choose to switch genders between decades.

Humans are aware that their deities change every decade, and mark the event with celebrations and ceremonies which the deities attend. As such, many have taken it upon themselves to become followers of specific deities, eagerly awaiting their next decade of reign. Generally, this leads to certain families in certain trades praying to the deity most connected to the success of their profession. At times, this can mean praying to more than one deity, but there is a preference.

A common belief is that the deities are spirits that inhabit people's bodies for a decade, which is not the case. This makes some humans attempt to murder the 'host body' to bring about a change in deities before a decade has passed; a real problem as the deities are aware they can die (just not by natural causes). Generally, this is avoided by not deliberately causing natural disasters and not involving themselves in wars between the bickering deity-following factions humans have put themselves in.

Water Deity: Lycel / ???

• Title: "Lord of Life"
• Has never taken to a female form
• Followers: Fishermen, Sailors,
  • Refer to themselves as "Drowned" or "Of the Abyss"
  • Represented by Tridents (usually on either side of their doors)

Air Deity: Haris / Hanna

• Title: "The Heir" - Joke for being 2nd in-line
• Followers: Entertainers, Healers
  • Refer to themselves as "Winged" or "From Above"
  • Represented by a Pair of Wings (usually above their doorways)

Fire Deity: Pyre / Pyrah

• Title: "The Phoenix"
• Followers: Blacksmiths, Prostitutes
  • Refer to themselves as "Spared" or "Of the Ash"
  • Represented by a Circlet of Thorns (either tatooed or worn as jewellery)

Earth Deity: Dustin / D'Arcy

• Title: "The Restless" - For constantly cleaning up the problems from the others before another cycle
• Followers: Warriors, Merchants
  • Refer to themselves as "Grounded" or "From Below"
  • Represented by a Sythe (usually a small replica is buried under their front step to ward off malice, the tip poking through the ground)

It is not unusual to be married within the same faction, but not a requirement. In some cases, families with certain occupations will pray to more than one deity, but generally there is a preference. In most cases, the *family name's choosen deity prevails
*NOTE: This is not always the husband's name, generally whoever is from the better social status will provide the family name

Changing the deity in power is quite a celebratory affair.
It is the one time that all four deities come together, mingle around humans, and may all provide miracles.

The celebrations officially begin with The Choosing. As humans believe their deities' spirits hop from person to person, they allow the deity to 'let themselves be known' in their own time. Every person is required to attend the celebrations, which could last for weeks. Every large city and village hosts their own, waiting for a deity to appear among them, as it is a great honour, and provides an economic boom for the foreseeable future.
To 'let themselves be known', a deity need only touch a piece of the Heart Stone - a large crystal that a shaman found hundreds of years ago that reacts to their powers.

When a deity is 'found', messengers go far and wide to spread the news, and a large party begins to make their way to Pinnacle - considered the most holiest place, the birthplace of humanity. Once all villages with their found deity arrive, the Changing of Power ceremonies can begin.
The village which found the current deity must present gifts to the village that found the next deity, in a symbolic gesture of passing over the power. For the deities, it could be a simple handshake, but they allow humans to exaggerate.
They celebrate with feasts and gifts for 3 nights, all the while the deities give their own gifts and miracles to the travelling parties. On the 4th morning, the deities are gone, either off to their temples or hidden among the humans.

Generally, things are quiet. However, there are natural disasters, wars, and other imbalances of power that the deity in-charge may choose to interfere with. Often, it is in their best interest to remain a silent and watchful as humans settle things themselves.

One of the main priorities is to keep power out of the hands of those who would use it maliciously.

The Heart Stones were a byproduct of creation, unknown to the deities until the Shaman found them. As they pose no real threat in the small chunks strewn through the cities, the deities don't worry about them.
However, together in a big enough mass, they begin to attract more pieces together. With remnants of their old power trapped in the crystals, enough together could be used by a human without their body being the storage vessel of the energy (which would kill them under normal circumstances).