Ephara
God of Cities
Ephara's worshipers generally pray at midday, with her temples located near the centers of areas of production or art, especially places of poetry, sculpture, and architecture. Ephara is also highly concerned with civic wisdom and justice.
Compared to other gods, Ephara is quite distant to her worshipers. Clerics rarely hear her voice, and she has not been seen in the Overworld in living memory. This is, of course, because Ephara is not in the Overworld. She, like humanity, is native to Atum, and Atum is dying. The storms that savage the cities and kingdoms of the world affect Ephara's power and ability to manifest. If nothing is done, Ephara will die along with her world.
Divine Domains
Official Cleric Domains
- Light
- Knowledge
- Order
Other Domains
- Cities
- Law
- Art
- Scholarship
- Industry
Artifacts
Tenets of Faith
- Justice: Laws keep society functioning, and I must see to it that they are enforced.
- Community: We are stronger together, and I must improve and support my community.
- Scholarship: I serve my community and my god by learning new information or creating art.
- Civic Duty: It is my responsibility to serve my city.
- Protection: I must keep my city safe from threats both external and internal.
- Tame the wilderness to make it fit for habitation.
- Defend the light of civilization against the encroaching darkness
- Seek out new ideas, new inventions, new lands to inhabit, new wilderness to conquer.
- Build machines, build cities, build empires.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
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.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Relationships
Relationship Reasoning
Ephara and Nylea are almost polar opposites, and there is no shortage of bad blood between the god of the cities and the god of the hunt. Nylea resents the construction of every building in a place that once held plants and animals, and Ephara has no patience for any wild creature that encroaches on a settlement. Ephara looks at the wilderness and sees only wasted potential, while Nylea looks at cities and sees only destruction.
Relationship Reasoning
Ephara is on good terms with Thassa, the god of the sea, because Ephara recognizes the necessity of water for a thriving polis. Thassa has little use for the gods who oversee work she believes best left to mortals. To her mind, her peers are building castles in the sand, unaware or unmindful that the tide will sweep them away.
Relationship Reasoning
Ephara admires Moradin's craft, realizing the essential role of the forge and other forms of industry to build a city. Ephara is, like Moradin, deeply involved in the project of civilization. Moradin's desire to overturn the established order with violence stands in stark contrast to her measured ways. As a result, Moradin stands aloof from her.
Relationship Reasoning
Ephara and Pelor have aligning interests, since they both value structure and justice. Ephara works toward establishing judicial systems that enforce the laws and uphold the values that Pelor holds dear. Pelor represents a divine, natural, moral law; Ephara gives those laws a concrete manifestation by establishing mortal society in the cities.
Relationship Reasoning
Ephara has a deep-seated hatred for Vecna. While Ephara can appreciate the perspective of most of her peers, she has no such understanding for those who would deliberately try to undermine a thriving social structure. Ephara opposes Vecna and what she sees as his utter disdain for everything she stands for.
Relationship Reasoning
Ephara's relationship with Yondalla is a difficult one from either perspective. Ephara approves of agriculture and fertility, a key ingredient for the development of cities, and both gods are concerned with defense of settlements. Even so, although Yondalla and Nylea have their own complicated relationship, Yondalla strongly favors Nylea over Ephara.
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