Istha (ISS-tha)

"I am Istha. I am the fire born of the land. I am the self-evident god resplendent.
Place your faith in me, for I am to guide you.
I am Istha, and you will tell everyone of my arrival."
— Istha, to the first firewalkers in 285 YC

Istha, goddess of sunlight and flame, is the sole deity at the heart of the rapidly-growing religious movement which threatens to overturn the Dichotomist hegemony of the Circle of Nine. Her following identify themselves simply as "the Faithful", but those outside know them as "the Cult of Istha". To those who devote themselves to her, she is an embodiment of passion, community, and action: a perfect counterpart to the stoic, distant individualism of the Dichotomist faith. To the rest of the Circle of Nine, she is anything from a manipulator flexing non-existing godly power to a heretical fantasy.
Compared to other Aotran gods like the Dichotomist pantheon, Istha is an extremely active deity. She reveals her intent to her followers through omens and prophetic dreams; so thoroughly does the search for mystical hints of Istha's will pervade the culture of her religious movement that to look for omens and to perform divination is a holy practice. But Istha's activity goes beyond communicating through dreams and symbols. There are hundreds of accounts of individuals (and sometimes, whole groups) seeing her observing from a bonfire at a large gathering, or witnessing a carnival's fire dancer begin to glow from within with holy power, and other miraculous instances of her presence. But the most significant exertion of her divine power is in the fire magic she bestows upon those she wishes to empower. These chosen individuals, called firewalkers, demonstrate impressive magical control over flames from a young age, and can develop over time into terrifyingly potent mages.

"Hail, our goddess of fire and light,
Glow brilliant your form of wild gold.
May the sparks that follow in your wake
Catch and spread your glory hundredfold.

Hail, our goddess of fire and light.
Hail, lady of ash and renewal.
Hail, glow of the forge, warmth of the hearth.
Hail Istha!"

Divine Classification

Goddess

Religions

• The Cult of Istha

Church/Cult

The Cult of Istha

Divine Domains
Light (as the Radiant Sun)
Life, Nature (as the Renewing Flame)
Forge, Tempest (as the Conquering Blaze)