Ephara, God of the Polis

As god of the polis, Ephara sees herself as the founder of civilization. She watches over cities, protecting them from outside threats. She is credited with establishing the first code of law, which Metrol had preserved until The Mourning saw its ruin, and many other poleis have imitated. Even more important, she helps cities reach their highest potential, becoming centers of scholarship, industry, and art.
Ephara appears as a huge animated statue wearing a stone crown, resembling the capital of a column. When she chooses to walk about her cities at human scale, she often takes on the form of a human woman. In either form, she is always dressed in blue and white, and her expression is usually serious, but not unkind. She often carries a large urn on one shoulder, with the dark, star-studded sky of Nyx pouring from it and dissolving into mist as it hits the ground.

Divine Domains

Ephara’s sphere of influence is the polis. Although worshiped in many places, she was most beloved in the now ruined Cyrean city of Metrol, whose citizens credited her with the city’s founding. Many city walls bear Ephara’s face, fashioned thus in the belief that each of her images watches over the part of the city it looks upon.
Ephara is strongly affiliated with the daytime, when cities are awake, alive, and at work. Her followers generally pray at midday, with the sounds of the city forming an appropriate backdrop to their rites, as industry itself is sacred to Ephara. Many aspects of city life and culture fall under Ephara’s influence. Scholarship is closely connected to Ephara, as is art—particularly poetry, sculpture, and architecture. Ephara is also highly concerned with civic wisdom and justice, and many politicians and other leaders seek her guidance in how to rule.

Artifacts

The Seaside Walls: Lying now in the ruins of Cyre, Seaside was a prosperous trading port on the southern coast of Khorvaire that gained fame throughout the continent after being rescued by Ephara from the attack of a kraken. With the beast appearing upon the horizon, the devout citizens gathered in the main market square and beseeched Ephara to come to their aid. In response, the flood barrier that bore her likeness rose out of the sea to connect in the middle and stand more than 100 feet tall, blocking the kraken from pursuing its attack. The walls still stand tall to this day, with a slight gap parting shortly after so a small ship at a time might pass through.
The Fair Lady's Gavel: A man from Wroat named Aristhenes once committed many murders, targeting members of the government and some of their family members. When he was arrested and put to trial, he claimed that no one could fairly judge him because every qualified judge was personally affected by the case. Legends speak of Ephara herself coming to the city to serve as judge for the trial, since no one could accuse her of anything but perfect impartiality, and she found Aristhenes guilty. The gavel that she used to held court is still held in the supreme court of Wroat and is wielded by any judge presiding over a case deemed of enough importance.
The Law of Metrol: Ephara is credited with having founded the Cyrean city of Metrol and even having written its first code of law. The laws enshrined in that document went on to inspire many other Cyrean cities traditions and institutions as well as those of the other human nations. Widely credited as the birth of Helleyan civilisation, the document is highly regarded and many efforts have been made to reclaim it from the Mourning. Alas, whilst it is believed to still be in tact within the mists of the calamity, no attempt has, thus far, proved successful.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Ephara's face: As with many of the gods, Ephara's own visage, particularly her iconic large hooped earrings, are often used to denote her prominence in a citizenry's mindset. Whilst more common in Cyre than other cities, her face is usually adorned along the walls of any house of political debate or courthouse, the belief being that no falsehood told in front of her would be left unpunished.
The Urn of Ignorance: It is said that Ephara could sometimes be seen walking the streets of Khorvaire's great metropolises. Over one shoulder she would usually be carrying an urn that she would empty into a well or public bath. Always a believer in the important of knowledge and learning driving forward a people's progress, it is said that this from this urn pours all knowledge that the mortals have not yet gleaned. In emptying it into a well or bath-house, it is said Ephara wishes to provide moments of inspiration to those who drink from or sit in these so that mortals may move forward and, one day, the urn will run dry.
The Scroll of Civility: In her other hand, Ephara holds the scroll of civility. It is a record of all that has been achieved by mortals through civility, cooperation and community. It is her pride and joy that each day it grows longer and heavier.

Holidays

The fifth month of the year, Epharan, is dedicated to the Goddess of the Polis. In the midst of summer, each village, town and city come together to celebrate their own history and achievements. The from this celebration takes varies greatly from settlement to settlement but usually involves reenactments of their greatest moments or a recital of an epic poem or story about one of their most celebrated former citizens.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Ephara seeks always to further cities: establishing them, protecting them, and seeing them grow. She supports those who build new cities and those who free others from tyranny. Ephara knows that not all threats to a city come from outside it, and she encourages her followers to watch out for tyranny and injustice from within. She seeks for justice to prevail in civilized lands.
Ephara seeks far more for her cities than mere safety. She drives every city to aspire toward efforts that help its people thrive. Civic responsibility is essential in Ephara’s eyes, and having an engaged citizenry is important. The pursuit of knowledge is also a vital task, and she encourages advances in philosophy and science. As the scholars in her cities obtain or derive new knowledge, Ephara’s magic scrolls grow ever longer. Finally, art is of critical importance to a thriving city. Ephara particularly supports architecture, the creation of which often drives industry and sculpture, though she doesn’t scorn other varieties of artistic expression.

Divine Classification

God

Realm

Asteria