Espera (4e Deity)
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Lawful Evil
Domains: Poison, Knowledge
Warpriest Domain: Domination
Espera was one of the Four Deeds who opposed the Four Meditations. She was the primary nemesis of Shabast, and even earned his ire by stealing one of his eyes back in the Astral Period. It is said that she was merely a lesser deity who spawned after the Unity died. However, after stealing Shabast's eye, she ascended to that of a greater deity.
Like Shabast, she is also a god of knowledge. She likes to use wit and knowledge as weapons to construct elaborate traps. Her words were said to be like a sweet poison that charmed all who receive it. And her mental prowess allowed her to easily overpower many mortals. Those dosed with her poison become her mindless slaves, and her castle was full of them. Her followers primarily are of a cult and abide by her following tenets:
- Justice is a brute's concept. A wise person does not pursue it.
- Behind or before the curtain matters not. There is no such thing as playing dirty, really. All is fair game.
- The smartest raven is the one that lets everyone eat poisoned meat first. Acting is best when you have ascertained victory.
Description[edit]
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The symbol of Espera is a violet eye with a feathered wing uncovering from it, symbolizing the knowledge of sight without fog. Espera herself is commonly described to wear a raven wing-like hairpiece. Ravens, spiders, bats, and various animals of poison are her favored beasts and these symbols often graced the cultish temples that dotted the world.
She is commonly depicted as a beautiful pale woman with marble skin and ebon hair. The hair depends on the artist. Some believe it to be straight whilst others wavy. Her eyes are sometimes like black glass and other times violet like her symbol. The wing hairpiece is almost always on her, and her primary color is black.
Clerical Training[edit]
Those who subscribe to Espera's ways are raised from birth, often in secret. Acolytes who join must pass a trial of poison, lasting 14 days drinking poisons and enduring stings from venomous plants and insects. Upon passing, the inductee is believed to be strong enough to serve Espera. There are roughly fourteen sects within Espera's following, each devoted to an aspect of trickery and knowledge, each with an equal number of followers. Rather than solely clerics or paladins, Espera actually has a fair number of warlocks that subscribe to her power, as well as avengers that do her will.
Prayers and Rites[edit]
Followers of Espera have to commonly test their poison resistance and mental ingenuity with deadly puzzles. There are many devices within the cultish temples of Espera, as well as traps and mazes, that are just as much for followers as well as trespassers. In some fringe groups, murder is a rare rite done in the name of Espera, often to cloud the public's eyes. Within these fringe cases, public officials will sometimes be struck with sudden illness or found dead, with a raven's feather on scene.
Espera is highly receptive to prayers. These usually consist of pleas to allow ne'er-do-wells to go about unnoticed and their plans to go well. Some prayers include disgruntled people who want forbidden knowledge or access to fenced off secrets. Espera is known to reveal things to people in these cases, though this knowledge always comes with a price that is paid... with interest.
Temples[edit]
Espera's main influence is as a patron of the country Arana. She not only is seen as a knowledge god there, but also as a powerful arcane influence. Her temples within this country are most legitimately recognized of her following, with marble and ebony blended establishments, decorated with black and violet banners and silver fittings. Ominous animals like crows and ravens are known to flock here. Outside of Bevel, Espera often frequents the continent of Okut, where she once had a strong following among the nomadic drow tribes there. However, following the fall of Erunis, her following there has dwindled to fringe radicals.
Heralds and Allies[edit]
Espera's alliance within the Four Deeds is very business-like most of the time. She stands apart from the other three gods in that she ascended from a lower deity level. Despite this imbalance of origin, she is not daunted from holding herself as their equal. She finds most of her main compatriots, like Oortz, rather ugly. She commonly flirts about with the lesser members within the court of Four Deeds umbrella, using them as pawns to relieve her boredom by conducting cruel experiments on mortals. For example, the fall of Erunis is largely attributed to her handwork, along with Hek.
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