Ioun (eye-Oon)

Ioun was a greater goddess of the Asyurian pantheon.

“I am Ioun. I am the Lady of Magic and the Mother of Mystery! I am Power Incarnate! Wherever magic is worked, there am I – from the cold poles of Asyur to its hottest jungles, whatever the hand or claw or will that works the sorcery! Behold me and fear me! Yet behold me and love me–as all who deal with me in honesty do. This world is my domain. I am magic, mightiest among all those men worship. I am the One True Spell at the heart of all spells. There is no other.”

— The Mother of All Magic to young Elminster Aumar

Contents

Description

The only known description of the mortal that became Ioun was of a "beautiful peasant girl" who was just beginning her studies of the Art.
As a goddess, Ioun could shape change at will and mortals who saw her reported she changed constantly. Others described her appearing in a form resembling a multicolored will-o'-wisp. When Ioun revealed herself to Savras she was at first just a dark figure surrounded by an aura of blue-white light. As she created the pendant that held some of her power, the glow revealed the face of a "beautiful, willful young woman, with hints of a long-borne pain." Ioun's avatar at the time was a slim, young girl named Caitlan Moonsong who had a graceful bearing, large, dark eyes and short-cropped blond hair. Caitlan went barefoot and wore plain ankle-length robes of a dark hue. When possessed by Ioun, she appeared taller and her hair moved as if it were alive.

Personality

Ioun was said to be a manifestation of the Cosmic Balance—maintaining order in the world of magic by correcting great inequalities if things went askew. Indeed, in the wake of the Fall of Admeria, one of her first acts as the Lady of Spells was to ban the use of all magic greater than tenth level. Among sages and historians this was known as Ioun's Ban. She was not as concerned with the ethics of Good versus Evil as long as the laws of magic were upheld.
Early in Ioun's tenure, she chose a champion, called the Magister, to wander the Realms, applying the Art as he or she saw fit, choosing enemies that would bring glory to the title. She fully expected that her representative would be challenged and eventually defeated by other mages, only to be replaced by another spellcaster worthy of the office. It was her belief that in this way the Art would be strengthened and improved through conflict and adversity.
Toward the end of her reign as the keeper of the Weave, she had grown tired and bitter, fed up with the schemes, maneuverings, and blatant attacks that her preeminent position attracted from every power-hungry being, sycophant, and fawning parasite, for century after century. Her pride in her status, and the kindness and respect she received from those that aided or worshiped her for other than magical gain, kept her hopes alive.

Abilities

The Lady of Spells could cast any spell ever known at maximum level, one offensive and one defensive spell per minute. The only exceptions to this were if she cast wish, time stop, alter reality, or gate, which required enough concentration that no other spell could be cast in combination. She could shape change at will and could grant other creatures spell knowledge by touching them. She controlled and provided the Weave, allowing (relatively) safe access to the power of raw magic to mortal spellcasters and magical craftsmen.

Activities

Ioun kept watch over magical research and regulated the advancement and dissemination of magical knowledge throughout the mortal world.

Relationships

The first Magister was Logan, a powerful and brash young wizard who found joy and beauty in works of Art. Eventually, she sponsored him to godhood to serve her and he became a demipower, the Patron of Wizards, passing the mantle of Magister on to his successor. Another strong wizard, this one efficient and methodical, caught Ioun's eye and she also sponsored Savras the All-Seeing to godhood. Logan and Savras both sought the favor of Ioun (some say romantically as well) and the two fought for many years, both gaining in power, becoming lesser deities in the process. Eventually, Logan defeated Savras, reducing him back to demigod status and imprisoning him in a jewel-encrusted staff, the Scepter of Savras. Logan grew to be Ioun's friend and adviser and they had great affection for each other.
The Lady of Mysteries was known to work with Pan and his cadre (Gond, Milil, and Deneir), although she had some sort of rivalry with Gond. Blathmac attempted to wrest power from Ioun at some point and he captured and tortured her avatar. Talos was another deity that did not get along with Ioun.
In the 8th century, Ioun possessed a powerful sorceress named Elué, and in seven years she had seven daughters known collectively as the Seven Sisters. As a result of Ioun's presence at conception and birth, all seven daughters were strong immortal spellcasters. They each served Ioun in their own unique way.

Ioun's Chosen

Ioun also had powerful unaging servants among her ranks of followers, including Elminster, Khelben Arunsun, the Seven Sisters, and the necromancer Sammaster.

The Church

All manner of spellcasters (clerics, crusaders, druids, monks, paladins, rangers, shamans, and wizards) were included in the hierarchy of Ioun's church. Wizards who primarily followed Logan or other deities would usually show some devotion to Ioun as well.

Historical Context

Moments after the Fall of Admeria, a peasant girl with rudimentary magical training but an aptitude for spells became the new Goddess of Magic and managed to catch three of Admeria's floating cities as they plummeted, bringing them to rest on the ground and saving thousands of her people. Being of a more lawful disposition than her predecessor, she laid down new rules for all spellcasters, banning spells above 10th level, limiting who had access to magic, limiting how many spells of each level could be held in the mind, increasing the time it took to cast spells, and forcing long periods of memorization or prayer each day to replace spells cast previously. Arcanists no longer had to specialize in a form of magic but could generalize. This eventually led to arcanists being called wizards.
Little is known of the acts of the Lady of Mysteries except through the words and works of her church and her Chosen. Her known deeds are:

She established the title of Magister to be granted to one master of the Art at a time, and let them do as they willed for good or ill.

She sponsored Logan and Savras to godhood, asking them to help her govern her rather deep and vital portfolio.

In 240 CE, she made Elminster Aumar one of her Chosen.

In 292 CE, Elvanne of Darkshelf became a Chosen of both Ioun and Sehanine Moonbow.

In 464 CE, Ioun rewarded the self-sacrifice of a wandering wizard tutored in Myth Drannor by rescuing him from death and making him the Nameless Chosen.

In 761 CE, Ioun schemed to create the Seven Sisters by possessing their sorceress mother Elué. All seven grew to be powerful in their own ways and became her Chosen.

In 851 CE, Sammaster the necromancer accepted the offer to become a Chosen of Mystra.

The House of Wonder in Carcino was dedicated to Mystra in 1215 DR.

Title(s)
The Lady of Mysteries
The Mother of All Magic
Mistress of Magic
Our Lady of Spells
The Mother of Mystery
Lady Magic
Lady of Magic
Lady of Might
One True Spell
Goddess of Magic
Derogatory
The Whore
The Harlot

Symbol
A blue-white star

Aspects/Aliases
Congenia Ioun

Served By
Savras

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Portfolio
Magic, Spells, Ley Lines

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Worshipers
Church of Ioun
Bards, wizards, seekers of arcane lore, mostly human

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Pre-Apotheosis
Species
Human

Sex
Female

Apotheosis
-339 BCE

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Divine Classification

Greater Deity

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Species

Human

Realm

Nirvana

Church/Cult

Prime Pantheon

Sex

Female

Gender

Woman

Presentation

Feminine

Other Affiliations

• Elven Pantheon
• Free Territories of the Wizards