Goddess of Cities and Empires

The Birth of Iptar:

It is said that long ago, in the first years of Ianis’s existence, there was a small village on the banks of a clear, blue river. The village enjoyed incredible prosperity thanks to not only the abundance of fish in the clear, blue river but also the strong stones mined from the clear, blue river. One day a fisherman, whose name is lost to time, happened upon a stone more magnificent and strong than any other that had been found in the clear, blue river. Much to his surprise, the stone spoke to the fisherman. It told him that the village was to be greater than any other, and that the fisherman was to play a role in that. It told him to build a great watchtower on the banks of the clear, blue river, providing a beacon to all those passing by and safety to the nearby village. But, the stone said, it was imperative that it be used as the cornerstone of the watchtower, its strength would be needed. The fisherman agreed and was overjoyed.

But he betrayed the stone, enchanted by its magnificence and beauty. The fisherman convinced the village to construct the tower, but did not provide the stone for its construction. When the tower was completed, the stone was enraged. Using its power, the stone caused the clear, blue river to swell its banks. Lacking the strength of the stone, it collapsed into the clear, blue river. The fisherman, who had a tongue of silver, convinced the village twice more to build the tower on the clear, blue rivers banks; and twice more it collapsed. After the third time the stone grew further enraged, exploding. Breaking free from the stone, fully formed, was Iptar, Goddess of Cities and Empires. She revealed to the village what the fisherman had done and once they had turned against him, she built the watchtower herself. The village and the watchtower have both been lost to time, but Iptar and what she inspired, has endured.

Appearance:

Iptar, perhaps more than any other God, has her appearance fluctuate. She will appear to mortals as a high ranking official from their home town, wielding a spear and shield. Perhaps a little more noticeable however is the extra 4 arms sprouting from her back, wielding a quill, book, torch and a hammer. Iptar will often appear before great rulers or to observe significant events in the history of empires. There has been more than one cancelled coronation after the Goddess has not made an appearance. Occasionally Iptar can find herself dragged to sights of great importance to record them in her book, or perhaps to lend aid.

Temperament:

Iptar is responsible for the continued existence of hundreds of cities and multiple empires, as such she has little time for frivolity and chit chat. If and when she appears to mortals, it is always for a reason and she considers time wasted to be a crime. Iptar is fairly neutral when it comes to who she provides aid to, considering all cities and states to be equal in her eyes. However, she has no time for those who would tear down in order to build.

Worship:

Iptar is seen as the balancing, protective force that watches over all cities and their surrounding lands and is worshiped widely. She does not however have any priests or large scale temples. In the very early days of Ianis it is said that Iptar herself outlawed overly public displays of worship towards her. She considered such things a waste of time and resources, content to let the cities themselves speak for her. As such, the most one might find is a small shrine to the Goddess in a city where one may pray for the good fortune of the city, or protection towards its lands. Many larger cities, such as Roravale or Ulanyovisk in the north will hold a sacred artifact known as the Hand of Iptar. This artifacts appearance varies greatly, but is supposedly a gift to the city from Iptar herself, intended to ensure the cities prosperity.

Art by MenasLG!
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