Mystra, Goddess of Magic and Cosmic Balance

Overview

Mystra is the sole reason magic exists on our plane. Her anchor to our world fills it with the Arcane which allows those capable the ability to draw and manipulate her power.

Worship

Mystra has come to represent the importance of balance and stability in the arcane. Folks drawn to her want Arcane to be restrained, and protected, so order and balance in the natural world remains constant. While many individuals have shrines in their houses to encourage stability; the central worship of Mystra is concentrated within the walls of the The Academy of Arcanium . While in the past religious temples in her honor were errected and filled with her faithful hoping to absorb her gift, but with the growth of the Arcanium and its influence on society, many of those temples merged with the Academy. As such, those interested in studying the magic are encouraged to join the acadmey to ensure the winds of arcane are not misused.
While many within the Arcanium favor rationality over spirituality, the influence of Mystra and Azuth, God of Wizards and Arcane Study schools of thought created conflict within the Arcanium. As a result, an entity known as the Diablerie broke off from the Arcanium, feeling the influence of Mystra was too strong. Little is known about their motives beyond its unrestrained exploration of the Arcane.

Lore

Mystra is a child of the Enternals, and was sent to our plane to to help the other gods create things to fascinate them and populate their domains. Her anchor that gave the other gods the means of creation, also became accessible to the humans created by Gond, God of Creation, Craft and Terrain . Sensing a need for her power not to be misused, Mystra selected one of the first and most promising arcane manipulators; Azuth; to be her avatar. She bestowed upon him great power, so he could influence other humans in the correct ways of the using the arcane.
During the shattering Mystra concentrated her powers on condensing the Arcane around The Pantheon to empower them in their struggle against The Condemned Gods of Terrania . Her anchor was weakened, and after the conclusion of the event, she went into a brief hibernation to recover. As a result, much of the arcane was lost, and many ancient techniques were forgotten. Eventually, Mystra awoke and humanity has been rediscovering so much of what was once lost.

Iconography

Mystra is represnted by the Orb of Mystra. Orbs were said to be the object Mystra communicated via to her faithful during the shattering. Therefore, early practictioneers of the Arcane prominantly displayed ornate orbs in the hopes of hearing Mystra's will. Also, orbs have long been a standard focus for many wizards and mages throughout history.