Istara

General Info
the Gnomes worship her as their Patron, almost to the exclusion of other gods. The humans consider her their patron, though they worship other gods too, sometimes equally so. Other than that, she is generally worshiped by all cultures worldwide, though sometimes by different names, and with different levels of importance/significance in their culture.
 * Name(s): Istara, Ah-Mi, She
 * Titles: Mother, Mother of Invention, Goddess of Creation, Mother of the Gnomes, Mother of us all, the Great Teacher, the Questioner
 * Alignment: CG
 * Portfolio: Creation, Invention, Inspiration, Learning, Motherhood,Obsession
 * Domains: Artifice, Community, Madness, Healing
 * Realm: Istara's Field and Istara's Laboratory
 * Patron of Inventors, Parents, and Teachers. She is also considered somewhat of a kitchen god.
 * Cleric Training: Clerics of Istara become clerics to help people, usually as healers, teachers, or creators of some sort. Many are tinkerers, researchers, crafters, and sometimes artists and teachers, or simply generally nice people. It is very inclusive, accepting anybody who dares to speak up and question their world. Training is not done by rote, rather, clerics learn on their own, forming their own personal connection with their god, though guided by their superiors. Clerics of Istara who meekly sit and absorb information will not go far- they must ask and question and think for themselves, and later discuss it with others. The resulting clerics are a unique and enlightened breed of individualists, eager to share their discoveries, personal and otherwise, constantly in wonder at the world around them, and resistant to forces that seek to suppress their questioning. There isn't an official head cleric so much as a cleric that is well respected as someone to listen to and learn from. The temple often offers tutoring and debate services.
 * Worshippers:

In general, her worshippers include parents, Inventors, Teachers, and Students. However, worship of her is very widespread, and she is given respect by many.

Paladins are technically associated with her, though their philosophy often goes against hers. They give her respect, but often endear themselves to other gods.

Philosophy:
You were given a brain. You were given the gift of rational and irrational thought. Use them. Ask. Do not sit around and let the world float by, do not seek to gain the answers to everything in a convenient book. Ask. Reach for the information, grasp it on your own terms. Challenge everything that needs challenging, let no established thing stay unchallenged forever. And with this, the power of questions and change, forge forward.

Prayers:
Prayers differ based on personal preference due to each person's personal path to her worship. However, they usually take the form of a question or a conversation (Which can sometimes end up two sided), as one would have with another, wiser mortal. Other than this, there is no rigid structure to prayer, and even the official prayers and services can differ wildly. Often, though, worshippers will kiss the altar or statue (on the cheek) or bring flowers or items they crafted themselves as offerings.

Rites:
Istara presides over the administration of birth rites and many celebrations. Birth, Marriage, Completion of Exams, a Major Scientific/Theurgical/Theological breakthrough... all of these can be followed by religious celebration backed by the Istaran Temple. The beginning and end of an educational institution's school year may also be celebrated by the Istarian Temple, usually involving good food and study tips.

Otherwise, other rites are personal and not officially structured. Generally, you can do whatever you want, so long as it does not defile or damage the temple and is approved by a cleric.



Attitudes (Good and Bad)
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Good:

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Knowledge and the Pursuit thereof.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Free Will

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Rebelliousness

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Love

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Children

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Life

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Mischief

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Gods Allied: Merrasat, Alyssa, Tademos and Vinsi, Brobbet

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Bad:

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Needless Wanton Destruction

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Cruelty

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Blight

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Rigidity (Law)

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Blind Acceptance

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Surpression of Ideas/Progress

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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Gods Disliked : The Blight Dukes, Vikin. She is often frustrated by any diety with lawful attitudes, and dislikes Niatha Moraven

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Symbols:
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Cradled hands holding a ball of energy or a set of linked Gears. Colors tend to whites and pastels.

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Known Relics:
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Istara's Tear: a palm-sized teardrop gem that is said to hold the great joy and sorrow of the eternal mother watching her children grow up. It is light blue in color and shimmers with white flaws, giving it a sparkle that relaxes the eyes and mind.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Istara's Superblaster: In theory, an invention of the goddess's that was somehow removed from her lab (likely stolen) and lost. Her concern over it has sent groups of clerics and 'crusaders' to find it and retrieve it before someone gets hurt. It has been described as a large ranged mechanical weapon that shoots energy.

Favored Weapon:
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The mind. Failing that, a Wrench (1d4 bludgeoning for the average medium-scaled wrench) or other tool. Maybe a club.

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Favored Appearance:
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Istara can take many forms. She could be the beggar on the street, the nice fiend lady offering you candy, the Elf that pointed out an error, the sslik who helped you find your way home, the visiting saris professor who's advice helped you figure out something that was bugging you, the kindly dragon who took you in when you were lost in the Dralk storms. Almost anybody.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">However, she has a preference for the female or equivalent gender and for white eyes and grey/white hair, scales or feathers, and prefers to appear elderly. Her favorite form is that of an Elderly, grandmotherly gnome, though she sometimes appears as an elderly human, and occasionally as a young woman of either species. She is often decked out in bizzare gadgets that she powers with her own energy, though she tries to maintain an approachable and kindly appearance. Her clothes are either typical for an elderly female of the species, for an academic, or for an inventor, depending on what she feels like wearing. When not in disguise, she often has a set of mechanical spiderlike legs that are fitted to her favored gnome form, which help her move around her realm and the prime despite that form's reduced size; a set of special multi-lensed glasses; a glove that enables her to create controlled and temporary portals, as well as analyze objects and be used to some effect in self defense. She also often carries a wonderous cane that incorporates many machinery and has many secrets, usually used for amusing effect.

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Personality:
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Istara loves mortals and loves to interact with them on a surprisingly regular basis, usually in disguise. She is very chatty and gossipy and very willing to teach mortals her secrets. She never tells the secret straight out, but instead gives them the means and inspiration to find it for themselves.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">She seems to consider mortals to not be inferior or lesser beings, but to be her equals, albeit as young children, maturing as a collective slowly, but with potential.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Those who have talked to her find her very doting and motherly, like a grandmother or species equivalent, very old and wise and kind, and very talkative.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Often, conversations with her, in disguise or not, turn into academic discussions that often lead mortals into revelations, personal or otherwise, or simply make clear something that was not clear before.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">She is also known for being playful and mischevious, and pranks are not uncommon, whether done by particularly revelrous members of her clergy or by the goddess herself. Laughter is appreciated.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">She rarely has god-born children (She considers all mortals to be her children, as well as most gods, so the idea of reproducing with a mortal has never crossed her mind), though her influence is potent can sometimes cause god-blooded mortals to be born even without the usual requisite liniage. She is known for artificially creating half gods, either by infusing a developing child of mortal parentage with her essence or by crafting Titans, constructs that are half divine essence and half mechanical being that can reproduce with mortals to an extent.

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