Elves worship the goddess Ilar, who they believe created the world, the people in it, and the other gods. However, the elves of Blimnor do not worship her directly, but her avatars. These avatars embody central aspects of the person of Ilar, but do not date to any firsthand experience of the goddess. In fact, earliest records from followers of Ilar indicate an injunction against any personal worship. As such, her avatars are numerous and wildly contradictory. The Snow Elves of Ibania refer to an avatar of the sea as Erdwë, but for the Sand Elves of Sëaxh, their female-presenting avatar of Industry goes by the same name. There is only one record of a temple on the High Elvish continent, one to an entity known as "Yrrwë: They of the Void". It is unknown if this being was considered an avatar of Ilar or a separate thing altogether, but most scholars prefer the former theory. The temple of Yrrwë was destroyed in SA 2920 by the First Dennic Tank division of the Dwarvic Army.
Modern believers are found among all races, not only elves. This is largely due to new belief that an Avatar of Ilar can in fact be incarnated as a mortal, indeed any person on Blimnor. As a result countless claims have arisen across the world of people who claim to be Ilar, or one of the original avatars, or even just a descendant of an avatar. Since there is no universal temple to verify these claims, the validity of an avatar is mostly a judgement of the community of other devotees who live close enough to make the pilgrimage.
The most popular Avatar among Wood Elves, followers of Arwë tend to be interested in avoiding conflict, and furthering themselves through acts of mutual benefit and philanthropy. Arwë is typically depicted as a young, slender woman with knee-length blonde hair, wearing flowing green robes and a silver pendant. The symbol of Arwë is an outstretched hand in supination. Shrines to this avatar tend to be simple, wooden monuments, and full-on enterable temples are rare.
Domain: The Avatar of Peace and Charity
Commonly worshipped by Sand Elves, followers of Dandwë concern themselves with innovation and progress as the primary forces in creating a better world. Dandwë is usually depicted as a short, stocky elf in rough clothing, holding a hammer or burlap sack. While followers of Dandwë rarely meet to worship, what temples do exist tend to be stone monstrosities, often marvels of architectural prowess. The symbol of Dandwë is an iron hammer.
Domain: The Avatar of Industry
Worshipped by a minority of all Elvish subraces, followers of Erdwë see exploration and discovery as deeply important to Elvish flourishing. Rather than have standing temples, they construct ornate ships as places of worship, and typically perform religious rites at sea. Erdwë is rarely depicted in Elvish form, but is usually thought of as male. His symbol is a pair of silver sails.
Domain: The Avatar of Discovery and the Sea
A common Avatar among Snow Elves, followers of Gherwë believe in the redemptive and restorative powers of cyclical destruction and rebirth. Temples to Gherwë are usually small, simple, and constructed of limestone. Depictions of Gherwë tend to show a powerful, imposing male figure, dressed in platemail with a large scimitar in one hand and a buckler in the other. The symbol of Gherwë is a torrent of blue flame, often emblazoned on the armor of his followers.
Domain: The Avatar of War and Destruction
Unlike the other Avatars of Ilar, Hyylar is anthropomorphized as two elves, one male and one female, usually engaging in sexual intercourse. Followers of Hyylar see love, pleasure, and the act of procreation as the most important aspects of life. A commonly-followed Avatar among Sand and Wood Elves, religious rites among worshippers of Hyylar often include ritualistic sex, and altars doubling as beds is common as a result. Their temples were once constructed of Silwë wood, but its shortage as resulted in other construction materials in recent decades. The symbol of Hyylar is two gold rings linked with one another.
Domain: The Avatars of Love and Sex
Commonly worshipped among Snow and Wood Elves, followers of Nuunwë see the majesty of nature as the primary avenue for achieving spiritual fulfilment. Temples to Nuunwë are often carved into mountains or large trees, and are almost never found as freestanding structures. Nuunwë is depicted as a huntress with long black hair and dark eyes. Her symbol is a tree growing atop a mountain.
Domain: The Avatar of Nature
Yrrwë is never depicted in Elvish form, and does not have a gender or symbol. Followers of Yrrwë are few, but they usually see detachment from the world as the way to achieve spiritual enlightenment. While Temples of Yrrwë are rare, they are typically simple stone structures, completely unadorned in the interior. Gurus of Yrrwë often meditate for weeks on end without contact with the outside world, and so their temples often lock from the inside.
Domain: Avatar of the Void