Ioun
Ioun is the deity of knowledge, prophesy and skill.
Ioun instills structure, order, and discipline in the pursuit of history and the arcane. She aids mortals in understanding ancient relics and maintains her divine archive, the House of Knowledge, inherited from Oghma. Renowned for her wisdom, she assists other deities in recording and preserving knowledge, including enhancing the Weave with Ervenius.
Ioun communicates through subtle omens and signs, such as books falling into hands at opportune moments or candles appearing in darkness. Rarely displaying displeasure, she may afflict narrow-minded scholars with temporary blindness or those who destroy knowledge with misfortune.
Holy Books & Codes
The Sagacious Libram is a sacred tome that elucidates methods of information gathering, knowledge preservation, and fostering learning. Its unique characteristic lies in the perception that its meaning varies for each reader. Written in a language rich with hints, legends, and rumors, the Libram is believed by clerics to hold divine inspiration and magical properties. It unveils secrets and valuable insights to followers of Ioun, but only those dedicated and vigilant enough to uncover its truths.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Clergy, Temples and Worshippers
If one were to liken the church of Ioun to a university, its clerics would resemble its professors. These clergy members are often engaged in original research, akin to the wizards who also worship the goddess. They fulfill the roles of educators and evangelists within the clergy, while also serving as esteemed healers. Devotees of Ioun exhibit discipline and a dedication to knowledge in various forms. Scholars, seers, and wizards seek wisdom and counsel from the Knowing Mistress, with many temples resembling libraries or museums. Monastic followers of Ioun pursue truth and integrity, while strategists and leaders seek her guidance for clear judgment and insight.Temples
Found more in urban settings more than in the wilderness, Ioun's temples resemble bustling libraries, with acolytes engrossed in study amidst desks laden with books, maps, and scrolls. These establishments often sustain themselves by offering writing tools, services, and cartography, catering especially to adventurers. Most temples boast extensive binderies to aid their clerics in producing religious texts, which will contribute to their growing library collections. While Ioun's temples are scattered across Theras, the largest one resides in the city-state of Sophia-Hold as a tribute from Sophis to his master. Despite the myriad rumors surrounding this place, a little-known truth is that an avatar of Ioun maintains a constant presence there. This divine figure patrols the area, stationed at the gates to uphold the law.Rituals
Clerics devoted to Ioun commence their day with morning prayers to invoke spells. Each day, they observe two sacred rituals known as the Cornerstones of the Day. The first, called the Binding, involves silent prayer while inscribing mystic symbols. The second, known as the Covenant, occurs in the evening and entails the sharing of wisdom, songs, and newfound knowledge. Upon reaching the age of twelve (or its equivalent for non-human devotees), young followers of Ioun undergo a private ceremony called the Naming, facilitated by local clerics. During this rite, the youth is bestowed with their "True Name," a sacred identifier representing their inner essence. This name is exclusively used in personal prayers to the Knowing Mistress and is to be kept confidential.Iounish believe that knowing one’s True Name gives power over the person, and hence do not mention it even to their closest friends or relatives.Tenets of Faith
- Seek the perfection of your mind by bringing reason, perception, and emotion into balance with one another. For a cleric of Ioun, the mind is the ultimate treasure. All followers are tasked with devoting themselves to learning and imparting their knowledge. The faith aims to guide individuals away from emotional extremes, prioritizing foresight and readiness over impulsive reactions. Many Ioun clerics possess proficiency in multiple languages and are regarded as knowledgeable, if not authoritative, in various fields of study.
- Accumulate, preserve, and catalogue knowledge in all forms. Books, scrolls, and even oral traditions hold sacred significance for Ioun and her adherents. While always central to the faith, this reverence has intensified since The Great Retreat. Numerous texts have vanished, suffered damage, or slipped into oblivion. It is incumbent upon Ioun's clerics to salvage and safeguard knowledge, meticulously documenting their discoveries. This principle reflects a core tenet of Ioun's belief: the more knowledge is meticulously recorded and preserved, the more resilient it becomes against destruction or distortion.
- Be watchful at all times for the spread of corrupt information. Stand against the machinations and reveal the secrets of those who disseminate false, corrupted, or deceptive information. Illuminate the deceivers with the clarity of truth and rationality. The world has already suffered the loss of countless volumes of knowledge and history; further texts must not be tainted by falsehoods. While Ioun's doctrine does not endorse intense emotion, when her priests confront deliberately misleading documents, their reaction inevitably turns to anger. Deception is abhorrent to the Guardian of Knowledge and her followers.
Holidays
Ioun's clerics honor Midsummer and New Year as sacred events, as they symbolize the formation of new agreements or alliances, often accompanied by the drafting of contracts, deeds, and bonds.
Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
Ioun manifests as an elderly woman with flowing, black hair and a complexion of olive hue. Her eyes, almond-shaped with yellow-orange irises, exude wisdom. She is clad in robes of white and tan, reminiscent of parchment scrolls.
Her avatar bears a significant feature: a vast, swirling void, dark and consuming, within her abdomen.
While Ioun shows kindness and reverence to her devotees, she maintains strict discipline in her teachings. Those who withhold secrets or knowledge from her face years of silence from the Knowing Mistress, a punishment severe enough to result in exile from certain austere monastic communities.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Myths and Legends
The Firsts
It is said that Ioun emerged after the first Primordial, Nyx. Some even claim them to be siblings and that puts her also a primordial according to this theory.The Gift of Knowledge
According to the legends, there were two gifts to the primordials from the creator, whoever he is... Knowledge and choice, i.e. the ability to distinguish between good and evil. The first was given to Ioun , the second was given to Ashmedai. The former didn't use this gift to become a deity, but rather learned all, observed all. They say that his gift of fate and prophecy, enabled him to foresee his death many times, always changing it. Others say that while Ioun became a god only after Oghma's demise as the damage to knowledge of the world and he stepped in, giving divine powers to the mortals and immortals alike.Social
Titles:
The Sage of Enlightenment;The Illuminated Scholar;
The Keeper of Truths;
The Oracle of Understanding;
The Guardian of Knowledge;
The Seer of Secrets;
The Wise Chronicler;
The Enlightened Sage;
The Mistress of Clarity;
The Oracle of Wisdom;
The Keeper of Lore;
Divine Classification
Alignment
Neutral
Realm
Children
Other Affiliations
Related Myths
Ruled Locations
| LG | NG | CG |
| LN | N | CN |
| LE | NE | CE |
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