Every God/dess festival will have a shrine offering where you can make an offering to the shrine to see if you'll be rewarded.
Make an offering to Hera. This can be anything from a hand drawn image of something you'd like to offer her, a poetry, a story or a mood board of some things you think she'd appreciate.
Offerings with extra effort put into them will be awarded additional tickets. Hera is pleased by effort!
There may be additional rewards for high effort entrants.
Please only one offering per person. Make it count!
To make an offering, enter the form below:
[b][color=blue][size=24]O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee[/size][/color][/b] [b]Username:[/b] [b]Preference List:[/b] [b]Offering:[/b]
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2025 2:37 pm
O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee Username: Nefarious Muse Preference List: Mautauroi mare, Bengal Doroi mare Offering: I offer Hera an acrylic painting I did of the spirit of the Hoi with the Pink clouds of creation behind. (spoilerd because its a big image)
O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee Username: dragonmonkey Preference List: Bengal Doroi mare, Mautauroi mare Offering: Short poem about horses: Always respectful and graceful, how lovely you are. Though I admit fear of heights it’s you I admire. Your patterns, markings, color, everything about you is truly inspired.
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 5:00 pm
O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee Username: NymiiNym Preference List: Mautauroi mare, Bengal Doroi mare Offering:
“It has been a long time, my Goddess.”
Atticus pressed his worn, ragged hands against the altar tenderly— lovingly. The cool, pristine stone soothed the raw, wind-whipped skin of his fingers, lapping at the sting left behind from his horse-riding days. He had traveled far for the festival, hailing from Achaia on horseback. He hadn’t the slightest clue how many days it had been— or if it had actually been weeks —nor did that matter; he had known he needed to return to Epirus one more time, for her.
He was just grateful he had made it in time.
”The last time I sought you, it was for advice.” He huffed wearily as he slowly lowered himself beside the altar, his back pressing against the stone, allowing it to cradle his weight. He rested an arm on top of a bent knee and craned his head back to the heavens above, a sigh caught in his throat. “I don’t know how much the gods see of our lives. If you paid attention, if we were worth the eye of a goddess, but I’m sure you already know. I had sworn the next time I’d bring an offering, it’d be with her, and yet— well, here I am.”
A silence lingered, fouling the air.
”Alone.”
Solitude didn’t fit Atticus— he had never been truly lonesome before. He had a large family, many friends, and a good sense of community; seldom were there lonely days, and truly, if he wished for it, he could have his people and family by his side again. But without her, it felt empty. When she had entered his life, she had changed it irreparably, and the loss of her had left a deep, festering, growing hole. There was no point in it all anymore if she wasn’t there, by his side.
But now he was alone.
”I come to you with two offerings; a symbol of love found, and a story of lost love.” He exhaled between his teeth, an uplift to the end of the sigh. “Which would you like first?”
Of course, Hera didn’t answer.
He laughed lowly. “The story it is— it’s not a long one. I wish it had been longer.”
————————
“I had been betrothed at a young age, as is custom where I come from—promised to the youngest daughter of a powerful winery so that we could combine our services with their treasures. Beautiful stuff, the wine— I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. It had a, ah, smoothness to it, like- sorry, my Goddess. It’s a delicacy, anyway.”
“I come from traders. Not just any traders, we prided ourselves in carrying only the most exquisite goods. I never cared really, but I was the heir, and my family expected something of me. Not my many brothers or my two sisters— it was up to me to carry the family business forward, and I would with my future wife at my side, bringing along her liquid gold.”
”Being a young boy, I wasn’t very happy to be promised to another so young. It made, uh, certain activities harder, and I felt stifled. I dreamed of traveling— of being free. No responsibilities, no expectations, or goals. Just me and the open land, roaming endlessly. As a teenager, I rebelled, running away from home at every given chance and giving my parents no end to the grief I caused. It didn’t change things much; it only made them angrier at me and more ready for me to marry off soon and be rid of my childish fantasies.”
“We had traveled here, to Epirus, one winter. I was, hm, sixteen? Perhaps. My father had business here, and I was not happy. We had just gotten in another row over a girl— it usually was about girls —and had not spoken a word to each other since arriving. I had stormed off, taken to the fountain to kick rocks. That’s when I saw her, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She hates how I tell our first meeting, says I have roses in my eyes. That she was an awkward, gangly creature, but to me; she was everything. Euodia is everything.”
He paused, a long sigh drawing from his lips as he reached for the pouch on his hip, undoing the drawstring. A small, thin ring rolls into the palm of his hand, glittering under the setting sunlight.
“I didn’t get her name then. I tried, but she wasn’t interested in my boyish gabbing. She had been sitting on the fountain edge, weaving together straw into something or another, I don’t remember. I was young and annoying and wanted her attention. I snatched her straw and ran with it, but she stayed firmly on the fountain edge, her arms crossed. Did you know she taps her foot when she’s angry? The look in her eyes could almost freeze the underworld during summer, but I reveled in her undivided attention.”
He stopped again and huffed a laugh. “I was, my Goddess, a ΚΥΝΤΕΡΟΣ.”
“But I had her attention, and with it I spent late into the night chattering with her once she convinced me to return the straw. I liked to think I wooed her right then and there, but I didn’t. I left without a name and returned to our temporary lodgings with a grin. I was grateful to find her there the next evening, and the evening after that, and would steal away from my family to find her by the fountain, weaving her straw, for days on end. I don’t remember when I earned her name, but eventually, I came to know her as Euodia. My beautiful, perfect, wonderful Euodia.” His voice lingered at the end of her name, wistful and longing.
“We stayed there far longer than I thought we would, and somewhere along the way, I had fallen desperately, endlessly in love with her. She told me of her dreams to travel, and we fantasized about the world outside our narrow vision. She wanted to see the ocean, and I wanted to climb the mountains. Promises were made. She had the same saddened look I did when we spoke of our futures, of how we had duties to uphold and families to care for. I didn’t pry, and neither did she. It was an unspoken rule between us: don’t discuss the inevitables we were avoiding.”
“My father found out, like he always did. He didn’t listen when he found us alone in the barn. I don’t blame him, honestly. He didn’t believe me when I said we were in love, and he didn’t even look at her when he yanked me by the arm and tossed me outside onto the farm dirt. I threw a punch, he tossed me— it was wild and barbaric, and he dragged me back to our lodgings with a look in his eyes. ‘You’re turning 18 soon,’ he told me when he sat me down. ‘This stops now.’”
I didn’t see her at the fountain anymore after that. I searched, cried, and begged— she was nowhere to be found. My family prepared for the upcoming wedding, which was to take place right there, in Achaia. I tore apart the local city in search of her, my Euodia. Then, I came to you.”
Atticus placed the ring onto the stone, lingering a hand over it.
”I asked you to help me. To bring her back to me. I offered you a pomegranate I had stolen on my way and swore I’d love her eternally, even long after we perished. I promised to bring her to your altar to provide our offerings together. I didn’t think you heard me— there were no signs, no holy light or birds like I had been told in stories. There was nothing, and I went home with a heavy heart. But you heard me, didn’t you, Hera? You left this ring in the garden of my lodgings for me to find the night before my wedding, and you led me to her. It was you who had her stand at the end of the ceremonial hall, dressed in the finest silks and glittering in heirloom jewels, absolutely radiant under the setting sun. My Euodia, my beautiful, precious Euodia, unknowingly promised to me since before we were even born, perhaps sworn to one another in past lives. She was my unknown betrothed, and we wed that night weeping your name in gratitude.”
A tear fell, marking the cool stone a dark grey. “And we were happy. We traveled together, and I continued my family business. Admittedly, it wasn’t how my parents had wanted it, but I sent home money and food, and that was enough. Euodia and I saw the ocean, traveled mountains, and explored forests. We saw everything we wanted to and more until our bones ached and hearts yearned for a hot fire beside a set table. We talked about settling, about finding our own place to carve a home. We prayed to you every night, we-“ His voice cut out, breaking under the weight of a sob.
“It should have been enough. The cottage and village we’d grown to love should have been enough, but we were greedy— I was greedy. I wanted more, and I cursed her. I wanted children, an embodiment of our love. She didn’t care either way, but I did. We prayed, we made love, we provided offerings, and the years went on. She was nearing the end of her childbearing days, but I just knew if we kept trying, we’d be rewarded, like always. And we were— she became pregnant, and I spoiled her, lavishing her with the finest luxuries I could find and procure. We dreamed of our baby and made lists upon lists of names. Drowned ourselves in our planning. I remembered my promise to you and planned our return to that very same altar I had once prayed at, with her and my new child by my side, to thank you for the love and marriage that would bring our child to us.”
His hand left the ring on the stone, drawing back to hang over his leg with a weary, ragged sigh. “She didn’t survive. She- she didn’t- I lost her, Hera. If I had just been content with what you gave us, she’d still be here. But she’s not, and I wasn’t. I had pushed for more, and now my Euodia is gone. She’s been gone for years— ten, to be exact, and I’ve missed her every day since. If it wasn’t for our child, our daughter, then I…” He trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken in the empty, chilling air. The sun had set, and he wondered how long he had been sitting against her stone, reminiscing.
“Well,” Atticus rose, pushing himself off the ground with a low grunt and click of coins in his pocket. “I came here to say thank you and tell you of what your blessing gave to us. Our story was a happy one until the end. I will forever love her and look forward to the day I see her again. But now, I think it’s time to be… someone better than I have been for our daughter. I don’t think Euodia would be very happy with me if I didn’t do the best for her, and Hades knows I haven’t been. I need to set things right. For Euodia. For our daughter. I’m not as alone as I had thought… am I?”
His eyes lingered over the ring perched so delicately on the stone altar. “Thank you, Hera. I return this in hopes it finds another lost love and brings them back together like it once did for me.”
He waited, listening to the still air. There was no holy light, no birds like the stories had told. But he knew she had heard him.
It was time to head home and be someone better for a little girl back in Epirus, waiting patiently for his return.
NymiiNym
Shy Wife
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anemosagkelos
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 9:57 pm
O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee Username: anemosagkelos Preference List: Bengal Doroi Mare, Mau Tauroi Mare Offering:
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2025 1:21 pm
O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee Username: Revel1984 Preference List: Mau Tauroi Mare, Bengal Doroi mare Offering:
O' Hera, I gift my devotion to thee Username: irishgirl1017 Preference List: Mau Tauroi Mare, Bengal Doroi mare Offering:xXx Please do not click if bones are a phobia of yours.
I leave the offering of an Aurochs skeleton, one you can bring back to life if you are so inclined. SInce ancient times the cow has been considered your sacred animal, as such I feel it is only appropriate to leave one as an offering for you to tend and care for.
Hoi Hippoi generated a random number between
1 and 12 ...
10!
NymiiNym sees something sparkling nearby and reaches over to touch a ... coin of some sort? Turning it over you feel Hera is grateful to you and would like to reward you for your devotion. Amazing! But uh... what... is it for? With that thought you hear a loud "POP" and the coin disappears into a pocket. Something in your subconscious tells you that the coin has deposited into some sort of god-like piggy bank. Mysterious. Perhaps one day soon you'll learn more about the puzzling currency.
