Clerics of Greyhawk: Cleric of Istus

Art by Natalya Saloshmat

Istus is the Baklunish goddess of Fate, Destiny, Divination, and the Future. Her symbol is a golden spindle with three strands. Istus is aloof and considers both mortals and other immortals beyond her concern. The fate of the universe is the only thing that draws her attention. Istus is represented by three aspects, the young, the mature, and the old, and can appear as one of them at will. Regardless of her appearance, she always carries a golden spindle with her. She uses her spindle to spin the future into the present, thus weaving the web of fate.

In the doctrine of Istus, the threads of fate are woven throughout the multiverse. Your fate might be predestined, but you can alter the weave enough to alter your path slightly, thusly altering your destiny. Because of this, even those who can see the threads of fate through can never see it with one hundred percent accuracy. Despite this, clerics of Istus teach that one should embrace your destiny as it has already been determined by Istus and laid out before you to simply discover.

Istus has few faithful followers due to the god's lack of interest in her followers. However, many still make small sacrifices to her in a vain attempt to win her favor. Clerics of Itus have a natural talent for divination. Because of this, they are in high demand amongst the rich and influential. Honesty is a virtue that must be upheld, and lying is considered a form of blasphemy.​

Clerics of Istus wear gray garments, many with web motifs, symbolizing the weave of fate that connects all the planes of reality. While there are men who faithfully serve Istus, nearly all who heed the Goddess of Fate's call are women.

Unknown Artist