Of course Ellayania has read, and remembers, every book in her library. Ranata shouldn't be surprised. 

"I don't mind a little verbosity; it can't be as bad as some of the doorstoppers I've read over the years." Are they leaving yet? They should be setting sail pretty soon. 

Lines are being cast off and sails raised and so forth.

Ellayania taps her chin thoughtfully. "I remember the geologist. Came to investigate the abandoned mountains to my north. Quite passionate, in her own way."

"I'll look forward to it."

As interesting as this discussion is, Ranata is briefly distracted when they finally start moving. 

She'll be home in just a few days! 

"You seem excited to be returning."

"A little, yes," she admits, blushing slightly. 

"This is the longest I've been away from home in more than a decade. I'll be glad to be back." 

"Long trips can be tiring," she agrees.

Ranata nods thoughtfully.

"I - 'tiring' might not be the best way to describe it," she says, haltingly. "I..."

She takes a deep breath.

"I miss Littenvale," she admits. "More of my life has been spent there than not, by at least an order of magnitude, and...I miss it." 

"Tell me more about it."

And so Ranata leans on the railing next to a god, watching the water flow beneath the ship and talking about Littenvale. 

She describes her childhood, growing up in the streets around the university and knowing that she was safe if she ever fell in the river, because the water would help her swim to shore. "- I wasn't born there, but I don't remember a time before we came."

She talks about school, about the day she first met Merilakian, and he sat down with her and they talked about how she could work on her social anxiety. She talks about the day she realised there was too much knowledge in the world for her to take in given only a human lifetime. 

Mostly, she talks about Merilakian. He is a constant presence in her stories, threading through every anecdote about his city or his university, only rarely appearing in person. 

The god listens with a willing ear, following and tracking the threads of Merilakian to weave a more coherent picture for herself.

The picture that emerges is one of a kind, personable god who focuses on helping people to help themselves, and supports them in pursuing their own goals rather than pushing his own standard of excellence. 

However, he does seem to favour particular types of people as his acolytes. As Ranata talks about her fellow servants, it becomes apparent that she is something of an outlier. Most of the other acolytes are teachers at the university, or have otherwise put themselves in positions where they can directly help and advise other individuals as Merilakian does. Not only does Ranata not teach, she has no interest in doing so, and no particular aptitude for it. Instead, it seems to have been her love of learning which led the god to choose her. 

Acolytes tend to complement their god or match their strengths. She thinks she knows which Ranata is.

And so the travel passes. Eventually, they arrive.

Littenvale is pleased to welcome the goddess Ellayania! 

As soon as her avatar sets foot on solid ground, Merilakian himself greets her.

"Welcome to my domain. I hope you enjoy your stay," he says cheerfully from the air. "Oh, and Ranata - welcome back."

"Thank you for having me. I too hope my time here is fruitful."

Perhaps Ellayania would like a guided tour of Littenvale, provided by a young and eager acolyte?

She would, in fact.

He is delighted to walk through the streets with her and ramble about everything in sight! Like everyone she's seen so far in Littenvale, he is respectful but doesn't seem particularly overawed by the presence of a goddess. Either they get a lot of godly visitors and the novelty has worn off, or - more likely - Merilakian dislikes standing on ceremony. 

Here is a market square, bustling and lively. It is bordered on three sides by buildings, and on the fourth side by the river. Over there is one of the main bridges, designed for bringing animals to market. 

This way, towards the centre of the town, is the university. Her guide enthusiastically explains how the town grew up around the original university buildings as a means of providing the students with food and other essentials. Over the seventy years since then, Littenvale has become a prosperous town in its own right, and no longer a mere accessory. 

The university itself appears to be constantly growing and being rebuilt. Very little of the original structure remains visible, the buildings having been extended and renovated so many times over the decades. The overall layout remains surprisingly easy to navigate, considering, and she could probably manage without a guide if necessary. 

She prefers respectful but not overawed, having seen too much gods that aim to overawe.

It's interesting to observe the strata of architecture and note the ways in which the various personalities and philosophies interact.