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The four elemental lords, the water elemental lord.

There are many powers in Faerun who have portfolios related to water. Umberlee rules over the oceans and sea storms, Valkur protects those who travel in the storms, and Eldath rules over ponds, springs, and waterfalls.

Istishia is more abstract than all of these gods. He is a shifting and dynamic deity, emotionless and untethered. He provides the environment for life to emerge, but not life itself. He provides a vital resource, but apparently does not care how it is used.

He has been depicted as everything from a giant water elemental to a drop of rain to a ball of water that looks strange to a wave on the ocean. He represents eternal transmutation with a fixed, essential core.

He believed that his nature changed over time, just as water wears away stone, or as water, when heated, evaporates into steam, mutates from one state to another. He was the guardian of all the secret treasures underwater.

Like all Elemental Lords, Istishia is relatively indifferent to his followers on Aber-Toril. Istishia's reactions are completely unpredictable, so (in this strange logic) the unpredictability of his reactions is predictable.

The reasons behind Istishia's actions are incomprehensible to most of the inhabitants of Faerûn, including his worshippers. The strangeness and indifference of Istishia and the other elemental lords have left the wrong impression in the Realms that they are lesser powers and their followers are just eccentric cultists. During the Time of Troubles, Istishia was not found in the Realms.

Istishia always sends a representative to receive these tributes (and to give gifts to his faithful followers): fine cloth rippled in water, emeralds or sapphires (ranging in color from transparent to the darkest), fine inks or fuels, or books or papers with unsolved or unsolvable puzzles or mathematical problems. These representatives may be anything from his priests to fish to water elementals.

The gifts he bestows upon his followers are most often the ability to move easily in water, the knowledge to find things hidden in water, or a change in themselves (usually a physical alteration of a creature through a polymorph spell, but sometimes a sudden insight into a difficult problem) that allows them to accomplish goals that were previously unattainable. He seems to choose which worshippers to favor or ignore based on his whim.

Avatar of Istishia
Istishia has only appeared in Aber-Toril three times in written records, one of which occurred during the formation of the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars. Istishia appeared as a 20-30 foot thick column of water that could effortlessly pass over or through any obstacle in its path.

He has also been known to divide water into two or more parts to confuse his enemies. The sounds of his movements sound like waves lapping at the shore, and his voice is a combination of running water, streams, and gentle rain. He casts spells from the following spheres and schools: Sphere: Elemental Water, Healing, Weather; School: Elemental Water.

Special Attack/Defense:
As long as there is water somewhere between his first visit and his departure, the crystal wall of Istishia where he visits is considered native to the Material Plane. This makes him immune to the adverse effects of spells such as antimagic field, protection from evil/good, and divine word on creatures from another plane. He is also completely immune to any spell that has a negative effect on water, such as turning water to dust.

Istishia can easily flood and capsize any size ship in 1 round, and stop or slow any watercraft in the same amount of time. Istishia can use the same abilities as any elemental water creature. Whenever Istishia successfully attacks with his wave fist, the target must succeed on a saving throw vs. breath weapon at -2 or drown.

Those who do not drown take 15d6 points of damage with each successful attack. Magical items that grant the target the ability to breathe water function normally to prevent this effect, but Istishia can instantly destroy any such item by forgoing a normal attack. Items targeted for destruction do not receive a saving throw. Istishia cannot destroy artifacts in this way.

Istishia can leave the battlefield or the Material Plane at any time by spending 2 rounds merging with a large body of water.

Other Appearances
Istishiya sent manifestations to the realms more often than he sent avatars to the realms. Any significant source of water was considered by his followers to be a manifestation of the Lord of Water. Rivers, lakes, and streams were considered sacred, as were the seas and oceans, fountains, rain, and even puddles.

Istishia sometimes sends servant creatures from the Elemental Plane of Water (such as water elementals, sea nymphs, and sea creatures) to do his bidding or aid his followers. He also sends aquatic creatures such as fish, dolphins, whales, octopuses, and even leviathans. The appearance of water in a well or on barren land is seen as a sign of Istishia's favor.

(I.e.
All specialty priests, cathars, occultists, and shamans of Istishia receive religious knowledge (Faerun) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. In addition to their required proficiencies, priests of Istishia are strongly encouraged to learn navigation or to learn to read the weather.

In addition to their normal magical domains, all Istishian shamans are given the element of water as their primary domain. Istishian mystics craft special candles that can burn even underwater and will not go out due to contact with liquids, though they can still be extinguished with fingers or a candle cap.

Before the Time of Troubles, all elemental cults had clerics in their ranks. Currently, only specialty priests remain. It is unclear why Istishia has devoted so many years to converting his clerics into specialty priests, but Istishia's church teachings say that the change was made so that specialty priests could focus on their master's elements and not other tasks.

Since the Godswar, the church of Istishia has added a small order of mystics and a skitarii order to fill the gaps in the priesthood once filled by more common clerics. In primitive or nomadic societies, Istishia is often served by shamans.

There are four main sects of the Water Lord's followers: the Cult of the Great Storm, the Cult of the Sacred Sea, the Cult of the Wet Path, and the Cult of Elemental Transmutation. These sects work together, though disagreements have emerged. Generally speaking, the Istishian faith is constantly evolving, with new sects splitting off from or being absorbed by older sects every few decades.

There is a unified hierarchy of sects throughout the faith, and many of these sects dictate how the priests of a particular place of worship should view and practice their religion. The Cult of the Great Storm believes in the purifying power of Istishia. In its eyes, Istishia cleanses the land and sea of ​​impurities and purifies the air. "Stormers" (as they are called) always try to be present during storms or other severe weather.

The Cult of the Sacred Sea believes that the vast expanse of water represents the body of Istishia. Its members pray to the sea for calm and protect ships and ports from the power of the Lord of Water, but they also call upon the ocean to unleash the wrath of Istishia on those who oppose the cult.

Many sages feel that the disasters that befell Thay (where chiefs often paid tribute to the church of Kastus) were not the result of interference by Umberlee or even powerful hostile wizards, but the work of this sect of the Church of Istishia.

The Cult of the Wetpath believes that the rivers and streams of Toril represent the far-reaching influence of Istishia's power. Its members view the rivers and streams as the veins and capillaries of Istishia, noting that there is no place on Toril that has not been shaped in some way by water - or even by the lack of water.

Finally, the Elemental Transmutation Cult believes that just as water changes from one state to another and yet exists forever, so life changes from one state to another and yet continues. Life exists in bodies on the surface of the Prime Material Plane (such as Aber-Toril) and across many planes of existence, and when life ends on one plane, it simply changes into a form more suitable for that plane on another. Therefore, the water cycle is a symbol of the entire universe.

Istishian priests often establish shrines on the banks of bodies of water. Capital temples are found primarily in port towns and cities. Other Istishian places of worship are entirely underwater, and thus inaccessible to most surface dwellers for commentary on their history or legends, but Istishian sacred sites nonetheless feature prominently in the oral and written histories of aquatic races.

The typical Istishite temple is built of quarried sandstone or marble with elegant lines, often situated on a quay or by the water, or containing many streams, ornamental pools, and fountains, making water an important part of its landscaping.

Most Istishian priests serve the needs of the faithful in one region or are attached to a specific shrine, temple, or holy site. However, the church believes that staying in one place and immersing oneself in one group for too long can lead to stagnation, so all Istishian priests move to a new appointment on a rotating basis (so all priests do not travel or learn a new position at the same time).

Typically, a priest would serve in one place for five years, then move to a new post on the anniversary of the major festival nearest to the day he became a full priest (Midwinter, Green Grass, Midsummer, Harvest, or Feast of the Moon). A priest or his congregation may request an additional year of service, up to 5 years in one place.

At that point, the priest must move to a new post. Appointments are overseen by the famous Council of Elders, and much of the church politics of the Istishian faith revolve around the actions of the Council of Elders, or attempts to influence their future actions. Needless to say, these lifetime appointments to the Council are hotly contested when such positions become vacant due to death or retirement. The head of the Istishian faith—the Dolphin Regent—is a hereditary position held by the firstborn (of either sex) of the bloodline of Theldesai Dalinaris, the Great Oracle, the faith's first high priestess and the first half-elf of aquatic descent. Currently, the Dolphin Regent is Aguirre Senasira, a 12-year-old male aquatic elf living in a hidden court city somewhere in the Trackless Sea. However, the position is more of a title than a reality. The church is actually in the hands of a council of seven regional chiefs of the faith known as the Chief Priests.

Novice priests of the Istishian faith are called Seekers. After completing a series of at least three one-on-one study sessions with a senior Istishian priest (a kind of apprenticeship in the faith), an Istishian novice becomes a full priest.

In ascending order, the following titles are commonly used by the priesthood: Essential Servant (full priest), Spring of the Gods, Tidebringer, Head, Blood of the Perfection (senior priest), Monsoon, Typhoon Oracle (head of a temple or large shrine), Grand Typhoon (senior or elderly head of a temple), Stratus Chief (head of regional temples and shrines), and Dolphin Regent (hereditary leader of the faith).

Those who have slain or severely defeated an enemy of the church (usually a high priest of Kasus or a powerful fire-based creature) may add the honorific title "True" to their titles. The specialty priests of Istishia are called Waterwalkers.

doctrine:

The core of the Istishiya religion is the belief that everything is interconnected and cyclical. Each element has its place, but in the end water will triumph over the others because, although it may be altered by its environment, its fundamental essence will remain, and in the end, it will in turn alter its environment.

The Istishian faith teaches that "the earth is dissolved by water, fire is extinguished even by steam, and the air becomes clouds and then rain, completing the eternal cycle." Istishia believes that he will become the great equalizer and balancer of the elements.

All sects of the Istishian faith avoid personal conflict and direct confrontation when dealing with nonbelievers, believing that once they reach their destination, the essential truth embodied by the Lord of Water will convince everyone of his power.

This is not to say that the Faith will ignore events around it, but rather that they are quietly pursuing their goals along a more low-key path. Members of the Faith follow the path of least resistance to achieve their goals, just as water follows the most convenient path to the sea.

Novices in the Istishian faith are commanded as follows: "Eternal Istishia accepts change while remaining true to your essence. Do not try to be someone you are not; instead, transcend yourself and present your individual excellence to the world. Be flexible but do it with reason.

Just as rain flows into the sea from the valleys rather than from the peaks, so the truths of Istishia should spread throughout the world according to their natural course rather than through the forced guidance of force.

The mysteries of life are worth enjoying and pondering, but realize that some answers come not in this form but in the next, not in this world but in the next. Realize that the cycle of life just mirrors the cycle of destiny; be prepared to pay the price or reap the reward for your past or future actions.”

Daily Activities:

Many visitors to the temple wonder why the priests of Istishia teach novices to make pottery. The craft is a useful source of income for the church and also serves as a teaching tool for the faith.

Using water, Istishian priests could mold clay into desired shapes, air-dry new pots, finally bake them over flames, and (often) use the finished products to hold water or other liquids. This interplay of elements is demonstrated in the process of pottery making, as is the mutable nature of water and its ultimate triumph.

Keeping waterways clean is one of the church's main goals, a responsible, long-term goal that makes Istishians a more acceptable elemental "cult" to visiting towns. (Willful pollution of rivers, streams, seas, and oceans is not only likely to offend several other nature and water deities, but is also considered an insult to Istishia.) Other ongoing goals of the church are to foster better connections between aquatic life and between aquatic life and land dwellers.

Many Istishian priests, all aquatic dwellers, can work together in unity under the benevolent guidance of the Church of Istishia. This goal is completely impossible to achieve, and it requires the extinction of many major faiths, but this has not shaken their dedication to this goal - but this does not mean that they bear any ill will to other major aquatic faiths.

Holy Days:

For the followers of the Lord of Water, each morning begins with a silent prayer of drinking water in the name of Istishia, and each evening ends in the same way. The church celebrates high and low tides with festivals.

During these celebrations, new members of the faith are dedicated to Istishia by being thrown violently into the sea or lake, or by leaping into a fountain or pond. During these sacraments, aquatic emissaries from Istishia's aquatic church often set up land-based communities of the faith, and in turn, the underwater church entertains surface visitors with magical accommodations.

The Wave-Shaking Ceremony is a ceremony performed by specialty priests of the Istishian sect to celebrate reaching a high enough skill level to summon a water elemental from the Elemental Plane of Water. Before the ceremony begins, there is an hour of readings and chanting, after which the water elemental is summoned.

The elemental would then carry the celebrants on a journey across a great body of water. When it returned with the celebrating priests, the elemental would be showered with garlands, given gifts of fine first-ripened wine, and given fine jewelry, pottery, or sculptures to take back to the kingdom of Istishia on its departure.

Main worship centers:

Any large coastal city will have a temple to the Lord of Water among its many buildings. Such temples are usually located as close to the docks as possible. Luskan, Waterdeep, Kal Callidir, Tesbury, and Calimport all have large temples dedicated to Istishia.

In the Inland Sea, citizens of Suzal, Starveil, and Aragon also boast temples dedicated to the Lord of Water. The most sacred site of the faith is the underwater fortress-temple in the community where the Dolphin Regent lives. It is sometimes referred to as the Castle of the Dancing Dolphins, after the dolphin motif on the Dolphin Regent's armband, but its true name is unknown to those who ride the surface of the sea. It is said to have fierce aquatic guards made up of monsters and organized, intelligent creatures of all kinds.

Affiliated organizations:

The Istishian cathars are organized under the names of the Seven Seas Knights, whose members are born to breathe water, and the Everchanging Truth Knights, whose members are born to breathe air. Istishian cathars guard holy places, escort the faith's messengers, and, on a personal level, continue their feud with the Church of Kashus.

Because their symbol resembles a merman, and the order's name itself is so high-brow, the Mystics of this faith are often colloquially referred to as "fish-like people" or "fish-people of the Water Lord" - much to their chagrin.

Priest's vestments:
Istishia priests wear turquoise robes with coral trimmings for ceremonial occasions. The faith does not enforce detail or matching of clothing, but shading or rippled shading, elaborate embroidery or beading, or layered or jagged structures are often used to convey water themes. The Waves of Istishia are often carved into gemstones mounted on necklace medallions, brooches, or rings. These gemstones are often jade, emerald, malachite, aquamarine, or water opal. (End of chapter)