Lydia (LIH-dee-ah)

The Mother of Truth, The Pure Song

Music, knowledge, daylight, and women

Lesser goddess of the Town of Release from Care in Elysium, Neutral Good

Origin: Suloise
Domain: Elysium
Superior: Lendor
Symbol: a spray of vivid colors from an open hand
Allies:Pelor, Fharlanghn, Delleb
Adversaries: Pholtus
Enemies: Nerull, Tharizdun
Worshippers: Musicians, sages, scholars, and women seeking fame
Worshipper's Alignment: Neutral Good

Lydia is a wise Suel goddess favored by musicians, bards, sages and women seeking fame. She is shown as a dynamic older woman with white hair and clear blue eyes. She also wears a white gown trimmed in gold and silver. She interacts with many other gods, exchanging information and songs. Lydia commands her followers to spread knowledge to people everywhere through song and story, preferring historical accounts over fictional fabrications. Lydia supports the efforts of women who wish to be educated and travel, and most of her followers are such women. In some ways, she is the opposite of Pholtus in that she sees individual liberty of paramount importance — seeing the light of truth without being blinded by it; this pleases Trithereon, who also strives for the freedom of the individual.
Lydia is worshipped by many sages, and on occasion will answer their questions as well - but note again that any character who wants to receive answers or information directly from the goddess must be neutral good. Lydia will accept praise and worship from those of other good alignments, but she will not personally answer any questions posed to her by them.
Lydia's main attribute is her ability as a sage. She has three major fields of knowledge: humankind, demi-humankind, and supernatural & unusual. Every category in each of those fields is treated as a category of specialization for her, and she is only 0-9% (d10-1) likely to not know the answer to an exacting question in any of those fields. All other fields of knowledge are considered as minor fields to her, and she has the usual chance to know the answer to a question.
In recognition of a specific service done on her behalf, Lydia will allow a loyal and faithful follower to receive an answer to one question; however, she will only communicate in this manner with a follower (cleric or otherwise) who is neutral good. The answer she gives will generally be complete and exact, but she might withhold information that she deems it unwise for the questioner to know. Also, she does not appreciate greedy questioners whose requests for information are too broad. If she decides, upon hearing a question, that she cannot give a complete answer to it in two minutes of talking, she will offer no reply at all and will immediately break off contact with the questioner.

The Church

Lydia's church has an open policy on all records, for the goddess hates secrets and those who would hoard information to the detriment of others. Her teachings are presented in song form so that they may be easily remembered, and her church often converts current and historical texts into ballads. Her priesthood is matriarchal in nature, so her church uses education to uplift women from lesser stations in life; this tends to make her unpopular with patriarchies.

Dogma

People must gain knowledge to better themselves. Music is a key to learning, and the light of day lets one see their own ignorance.

Lydia's Priests

Clerics devoted to the worship of Lydia are usually (80%) female. They wear white vestments trimmed in gold and silver. Even at the lowest of experience levels, clerics of Lydia are entitled to additional knowledge; she will permit them one or more "knowledge spells" over and above the spells they are normally allowed. These spells must be prayed for in the normal manner, and each of them can only be used once per day.
Lydia's clerics discover and spread information wherever they travel, and are often found in the company of clerics of Fharlanghn. They are also used as messengers between remote locations. They are required to help women in need of education, and they spend much of their time in villages teaching women and children how to read and acting as midwives. They travel to discover lost caches of information and song, preferring historical accounts of actual deeds rather than fictionalizations and hearsay tales.
Her priests may use the commune spell to have three questions answered; though the goddess allows this no more than once per week, she will answer the questions completely and exactly (if briefly), although she will withhold knowledge she deems unwise for the questioner to know.
When praying for spells, her priests are required to give updates on what they have Learned to keep their goddess informed of new knowledge and goings on in the world; this means they take 30 minutes longer than normal when praying for spells.
A commune spell cast by one of her clerics is special and powerful; only three questions are allowed, but if she is addressed directly, Lydia will answer all three questions fully and willingly, subject to the general restrictions described above; note that the questions are not limited to those that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," but (as described above) only a cleric of neutral good alignment can commune directly with the goddess. Lydia prefers to not be communed with by the same cleric more often than once per week; using the spell more frequently than this will cause her to give incomplete answers or (probably) no answer at all. If the commune privilege is abused to the extreme (such as asking repeated questions day after day about the same subject), Lydia may become so displeased that she reduces the offender to first level and expels the character from her clergy. Of course, the commune spell can also be used to contact a minion or agent of the goddess instead of communicating directly with Lydia. When used in this manner, the commune spell can be used by a cleric of any good alignment, and the magic acts normally: one question per level of the questioner, but only questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" will be responded to.
Required Proficiencies:
Bonus Proficiencies

Requirements

Abilities: Intelligence 11, Charisma 12
Alignment: Neutral Good
Armor: as bard
Raiment: white robes trimmed with gold and silver
Major Spheres: All, Astral, Charm, Divination, Elemental Healing, Protection, Summoning
Minor Spheres: Travelers
Additional Spells: none

Granted Powers

1) Detect Magic
2) Comprehend Languages
3) Color Spray
4) Augury
5) Continual Light
6) Divination
7) Rainbow Pattern
8) Locate Object
10) Rainbow
13) Commune
14) True Seeing
Turn Undead: yes
Command Undead: No

Major Centers of Worship

A large wooden temple of Lydia can be found in the city of Leukish north of the business district, greeting those who enter the city from the lake. Apart from that, Lydia has few churches in the Flanaess, except for five that are notable. These are located in Lo Reltarma (Spindrift Isles), Niole Dra (Keoland), Gryrax (Ulek), Nellix (Urnst), and Pitchfield (Sunndi).