Istishia (is-tish-ee-ah)
Istishia is the elemental embodiment of water. Among the elemental deities revered in Theras, he commands a modest following, much like his counterparts excluding Kossuth. His concern for his followers is minimal, and his behavior is characterized by an unpredictable and enigmatic nature. Istishia symbolizes the essence of water, embodying its gradual transformative power. Mortals find his actions baffling, and like other elemental lords, he shows little regard for his worshippers.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Clergy, Temples and Worshippers
Istishia is revered by sailors, pirates, water elementals, Water Genasi, and certain Aquatic Elves, as well as others who feel a connection to the ocean's formidable power. His responses are remarkably unpredictable, lending a peculiar predictability to his unpredictability. The rationale behind Istishia's actions remains inscrutable to most inhabitants of Theras, including his devotees. The faith of the Water Lord comprises four main sects: the Church of the Magnificent Storm, the Church of the Sacred Sea, the Church of Watery Paths, and the Church of the Eternal Transformation. While these sects collaborate, occasional disagreements arise. Overall, the Istishian faith undergoes constant evolution, with new sects emerging or merging with older ones over time. A unified ranking system within the church ensures that members of different sects understand their relative positions.- The Church of the Magnificent Storm venerates the Water Lord's purifying influence, seeing thunderstorms as his cleansing agents. Followers, known as "Stormers", actively seek out these tempests to witness Istishia's power in action.
- The Church of the Sacred Sea regards vast bodies of water as manifestations of Istishia's divine essence. They pray for serene seas to protect ships and harbors, yet also invoke the oceans to unleash Istishia's fury upon those who defy the church.
- The Church of Watery Paths perceives rivers and streams as the arteries of Istishia, embodying his pervasive influence across Theras. They emphasize that water shapes every corner of the world, whether through its presence or absence
- The Church of the Eternal Transformation draws parallels between the fluid nature of water and the cycle of life. They believe that just as water transitions between states, life transitions between planes of existence, symbolizing the eternal cycle of existence across the cosmos.
Priestly Vestments
Priests of Istishia attire themselves in ceremonial robes adorned with coral motifs, typically in shades of blue and green. While the exact design is left to individual preference, they often feature rippled dyeing, intricate embroidery, or layered construction to evoke a water theme. The symbol of Istishia, typically a wave, is commonly carved into gemstones adorning medallions, brooches, or rings, with jade, emerald, malachite, aquamarine, or water opal being popular choices. For adventuring, priests have the liberty to choose their attire, often opting for garments in white, blue, green, and blue-purple shades. However, heavier armor than chain mail is discouraged by the church and prohibited for waterwalkers.Hierarchy
Novice practitioners in the Istishian faith are known as Searchers. Upon completing a series of at least three individualized courses under the guidance of experienced Istishian senior priests, these novices ascend to full priesthood. The titles within the priesthood, ranked in ascending order, include Essential Servant (full priest), Spring of the God, Tidal Messenger, Cephalian, Full Flood (senior priest), Monsoon, Oracle (leader of a temple or significant shrine), Grand Oracle (senior or elder leader of a temple), Stratus Primae (head of regional temples and shrines), and Delphine Regent (hereditary leader of the faith). Additionally, a priest who successfully defeats a significant adversary of the church, often a high-ranking Kossuth priest or a powerful fire-based creature, earns the honorific "True" at the beginning of their title. Practitioners specializing in Istishia's teachings are referred to as Waterwalkers.Temples
Istishian temples are renowned for their mastery of pottery craftsmanship. Utilizing water, priests of Istishia shape clay into desired forms, air-dry the creations, and then fire them, often repurposing the finished pots for carrying water or other liquids. Through pottery-making, the interplay of elements is showcased, highlighting water's fluid nature and eventual triumph. Priests devoted to Istishia commonly erect shrines along the shores of water bodies, while larger temples are predominantly found in port cities. Some Istishian places of worship are submerged underwater, inaccessible to surface dwellers and often omitted from historical accounts. However, such underwater sanctuaries feature prominently in the oral and written traditions of aquatic races. Typically constructed from quarried sandstone or marble, Istishian temples boast clean, elegant designs and are often situated on piers or waterfronts, incorporating numerous streams, decorative pools, and fountains to integrate water seamlessly into their surroundings.Rituals
Every morning and evening, priests commence and conclude their day with a solemn prayer in honor of Istishia, accompanied by a drink of water. Festivals mark the spring and neap tides, where new followers are dedicated to Istishia through lively rituals, such as being joyously tossed into bodies of water or diving into fountains and pools. These celebrations often witness exchanges between surface-dwelling and water-dwelling congregations, fostering unity and mutual respect within the faith. Waveriding, a ceremonial rite observed by Istishian specialty priests upon attaining a certain level of expertise, involves summoning a water elemental from the Elemental Plane of Water. Preceded by an hour-long responsive reading and chant, the ritual sees the elemental carrying the celebrant on a majestic ride across the waves. Upon the priest's return, the elemental is showered with garlands, fine wine, and exquisitely crafted tokens of appreciation before departing back to Istishia's realm. These ceremonies are occasions of gratitude and celebration, echoing the harmony between the faithful and the elemental forces of water.Tenets of Faith
Embrace the interconnectedness and cyclical nature of all things, recognizing water's dominance as it dissolves earth, extinguishes fire, and transforms air. Embody your true nature, excel in your strengths, and spread the message of personal excellence, maintaining flexibility while upholding reason and restraint. Allow truths to naturally permeate like rainwater, revel in life's mysteries, and understand that some answers lie beyond this world. Acknowledge the cyclical nature of fate, accepting the consequences of past and future actions.
Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
Istishia manifests in various forms, from a mere droplet to a colossal water elemental or wave. When he appears, it is typically as a towering column of water, 40 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet thick. This form moves effortlessly, resembling the sound of crashing waves as it navigates obstacles. Istishia may split into multiple parts to confound adversaries. His voice echoes the sounds of rushing water, babbling brooks, and gentle rain when he speaks.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Istishia embodies an enigmatic and indifferent essence, with motivations and reasoning beyond comprehension for most. While providing sustenance for life and a vital resource, he displays indifference towards how his gifts are employed and shows scant regard for his devotees. His interactions with them seem whimsical and random, reflecting an aloofness marked by a consistent unpredictability.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Istishia, one of the four elemental lords, remains seemingly untouched by the passage of time, standing apart from history. His connections to other water-related deities, such as Deep Sashelas, Soryna, and Bailshar, are present but not particularly strong. He consistently opposes the destructive tendencies of Kossuth and engages in battles with Merabyss in the Water Elemental Plane, emerging victorious in each encounter. Notably, Merabyss doesn't seek outright victory but rather utilizes the elemental plane for her own purposes.
Istishia's opposition to Kossuth is steadfast. While observing the struggles between the water archomentals Ben-Hadar and Olhydra, he remains passive, intervening only if one gains a significant advantage in controlling elemental water.
Titles:
The Water Lord;King of Water Elementals;
Sovereign of the Tides;
Monarch of all Deeps;
Divine Classification
Alignment
Neutral
Children
Other Affiliations
| LG | NG | CG |
| LN | N | CN |
| LE | NE | CE |
Orders
The order of Istishian crusaders are known as the Cavaliers of the Seven Seas, whose members are natural water-breathers, and the Cavaliers of the Ever-Changing Truth, whose members are natural air-breathers. Istishian crusaders guard holy sites, escort emissaries of the faith, and pursue the ongoing feud against the church of Kossuth on a personal level.Mystics of the faith belong to the Order of Cryptic Transformational Purity. The symbol of this order is a human shapechanging into a fish. Because this symbol looks somewhat like a merman and the name of the order itself is so lofty, mystics of this order are often referred to colloquially as "fishtishians" or "the Water Lord's fishmen"—much to their chagrin.
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