Istus (ISS-tus)

the Colorless and All-colored, the Lady of Our Fate

Fate, Destiny, Predestination, Divination, Future, and Honesty

Greater Goddess, Neutral

Aliases: None
Domain Name: Unknown
Origin: Baklunish
Superior: None
Allies: None; Incabulos (Bakluni religions only)
Enemies: None
Symbol: Golden spindle with three strands
Worhipper's Alignment: Any, but neutral preferred
Istus is the most powerful of the Baklunish deities. She appears as a Baklunish woman of any age or stature, always carrying her mystical gold spindle (her holy symbol) with which she creates the strands of fate. She is aloof from all other gods, even those of her own pantheon, as she concerns herself solely with the fate of the universe and its inhabitants. Her occasional companion is a cloudlike being believed to a prince from the Plane of Time.
Istus is honored and feared as the controller of foreordination. While she has relatively few faithful devotees, many persons will call upon Istus in time of want or need. She may or may not heed this call; no one knows. Because fate is so often cruel or unkind, only very cynical or unfeeling persons tend toward service of Istus.
No one knows where (or when) Istus makes her abode. Some savants postulate that there is a nexus linking the other planes of existence to a pocket universe which only she, and her webs of fate, can enter or exit. Istus does certainly make appearances on other planes, including the Prime Material. Sometimes she is an old crone, other times she appears as a noble dame, then again as a lovely lady or even as a shepherd girl.

The Church

Clerics (85%), Specialty Priests (10%), Mystics/Shamans (5%)
Most of the clerics of Istus are female (80%). Clerics of Istus tend toward stoicism. They regard honesty as an absolute virtue. Many are cold, unfeeling folk, given the vagaries of Fate, although a few kinder souls may be found who feel that Fate has been uncommonly generous to them and wish to serve Istus in return.
Clerics of Istus have seen the extremes of fate, from innocents dying horrible deaths and sadists controlling kingdoms to children recovering from mortal illness and despots felled by simple accidents. Because of this, most her clerics are cynical or stoic, but some kinder individuals serve her because they feel they were rewarded by fate. They are called upon to make predictions and divinations for important personage all over the world.

Dogma

Everything is connected to every other by invisible strands that push and pull over time. The choices a person makes in life affect the pull of some strands, allowing one to alter fate in a small way, but some of these webs of fate have a strong and inevitable pull that cannot be escaped. The perceptive can come to understand these strands and watch them to predict the future. Accepting your destiny is the greatest service you can make to yourself, for dishonesty about your role in the world leads to ruin and disaster.

Day-to-day Activities

Because Fate has been unkind to so many in the Flanaess, offerings of incense, candles, and the like are often ambivalent. Istus' priesthood is small, but often sought out by rulers and nobles for divinations.
Divinations play a key role in the determination of the actions of these priests.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days

Services to Istus include gauze hangings, clouds of incense, woodwind music, chanting, and group meditation.

Major Centers of Worship

Some prognosticators and seers venerate Istus. Her cult is strongest in Ekbir, Dyvers, the City of Greyhawk, Rauxes, Rel Mord, and Stoink, places where people tend to count on good fortune to sustain them.

Priestly Vestments

Istus' clerics wear gray or black robes. Specialty Priests will wear robes of these same colors, but adorned with web patterns.

Specialty Priests (Fortune Tellers)

Requirements Abilities: Int 14, Wis 14
Alignment: Neutral
Weapons: any nonedged weapon
Armor: leather or chain
Major Spheres: Astral, Divination, Necromantic, Thought, Time
Minor Spheres: Charm, Guardian, Healing, Numbers, Protection

Granted Powers

• at first level, all priests cast all divination spells as if two levels higher
• third level priests can cast augury once per day (does not count against available spell slots)
• sixth level priests can cast divination once per day
• at seventh level, priests can cast a strand of binding (1/day, maximum range 40 yards, one creature affected, saving throw versus spells negates; affected creature is rendered immobile for 1 round per level of the priest, minus 2 rounds per creature's HD or level; creature can make one attempt to free itself using half the normal Bend Bars/Lift Gates chance to break the strand

Turn Undead: No
Command Undead: No

Istus Spells

Fourth Level

Strand of Binding

Suxth Level

Enmeshment