Oneiste

Goddess of Dreams and Fate

Domains: Arcana, Twilight
Weapons: Flail, Bolas; Force, Psychic
Symbol: A weaver's spindle trailing stars; the constellation Arachne
Dominion: Nod, Dreams, Meditation, Night, Stars, Time, Fate, Prophecy, Spellcraft, Doors, Liminal Spaces, Transitions, Protection from Spirits, Big Picture, Spiders, Oracles, Exorcists
Oneiste is the weaver, the goddess of dreams, fate, prophecy, the protection of the mortal world from spirits, and heka (magic or witchcraft). She maintains the fabric of reality, which is woven not only from physical law but also mortal thoughts, mediated by the threads of all things that have happened throughout history leading up to the present. As such, Oneiste never speaks in the present tense; her mind is always on the past, the future, or other realms, and she prefers to communicate through the strange but telling iconography of dreams rather than in directives and conversation.
The stars and celestial bodies above and the patterns of the Astra hide the secrets of the fate of all things within them, and it is Oneiste who reads and interprets this fate. She and her nymphs weave starlight on her great loom into the tapestry of destiny, which beyond merely fortifying the fabric of reality shows the paths allotted to mortals, spirits, and gods alike. It is important to understand that in as they are understood in Iroa, fate and destiny are not the same thing. Fate is the sum of all of the factors, mortal and cosmic, acting upon a person, thing or event from outside of it, and largely beyond the direct control of that central actor; it is the hand you are dealt, such as coming upon a bridge washed out in your path. Destiny is the future that is extrapolated from how you are predicted to act in accordance with your fate, that which is most likely to happen. Fate is largely unchangeable, being established from all that has brought the present to this point; Destiny, on the other hand, can be manipulated, but generally only by those with the insight to be aware of the direction that things are headed and the reasons things are headed that way, and with the will to effect a change in course. Oneiste, then, reads the path of destiny, but does not decide it nor is she infallible. She may, however, influence destiny, by the means in which it is communicated and the direction in which it is woven into the warp or weft of the weave. For a god or mortal to attempt to defy or change destiny is often regarded as hubris, but mostly because such attempts so often fail or prove only to self-confirm a prophecy that one failed to avoid; to be able to successfully defy destiny is one of the true marks of a hero whose legend may stand the test of time.
This weave not only maintains the separation of the Astra, the mortal world, and Crixos the Underworld from each other, but excludes the titans, the daemons and other such entities and their servants from conventional reality. However, there are always thin and frayed spots in the weave, where things may slip through the ward that is supposed to protect the cosmos. Mortals and spirits sometimes glimpse their destiny in dreams, for Nod exists within the warp and weft of this fabric of reality, and souls and time flow through it in strange ways like water wicked through cloth. Dreams arise on their own but can also be guided by Oneiste and her handmaidens to convey information and prophecy. Likewise, Oneiste is not the source of magic, per se, but it flows across this weave as it touches every part of every level of reality, and so Oneiste has influence over its flow. Her hand touches and skims across much of history and much of how the world is, but it is a light touch; she does not have the time or even the inclination to directly shape all of reality, and is forever at work simply recording the course of present and future as it is codified into reality and history, so she always but influences and rarely more.

Oneiste's Tenets

Oneiste holds that the greatest power is awareness, and being able to see the big picture and willing to acknowledge the lack of being able to control all that you see, so that you may focus in on those things that you are able to control with an understanding of how they interact with those things that you have no power over. Stay calm in the face of chaos and adversity so that you can make sound decisions, and not miss perceiving those details that are important. Know that you might have far more impact on the world by guiding the destinies of others than by striving to make your own self the center of the story. Accept that the march of time is inexorable and that all things eventually pass. Do not bargain or deal with titans, fiends, or even celestials, for they are all out to reshape reality into something more amenable to them and their own goals and desires, and have no concern for the world as it is.

Oneiste's Relationships

Oneiste was responsible for maintaining the wards that kept daemons out of reality, and it is a blind spot in those wards that allowed the daemons to sap the strength of the gods - and which made it possible for the former mortal Embrys to slay Polemares, the one-time king of the gods. This has left her relationship shaky with many of the other gods, not all of whom trust that the famously percipient Oneiste could simply overlook such an important flaw in reality by accident. It is especially tense with Embrys, whose existence as a god she sees as emblematic of her one great failure, and whose wild magic slips through the weave of reality to channel primordial power in contrast to the more ordered flow she guides across the weave. Embrys, for his part, is entirely friendly and kind to her in contrast to his reputation as destroyer, appreciative of his good fortune, which in some way twists the knife in her feelings more.
The twins Nykos and Stratia similarly vex her, as they were born of the same mistake. Battle and war are highly uncertain affairs, and have perhaps the greatest potential to dramatically alter the destinies of a great many peoples and places at once. Moreover, each also is associated to a moon with a pull on peoples' hearts and on broad kinds of magic. When these were all consolidated in Polemares, it was more possible for Oneiste to plan around the actions of this one deity, and to advise him in his role as king of the gods. But now sundered into the Three Faces of War, the twins and Embrys are somewhat beyond Oneiste's abilities to manage or predict by herself, and she is well aware that disorder is increasing within the mortal world as a result.
Katabis and Persereka are more keenly aware of and respectful of Oneiste's read upon fate and destiny than any other deities, for it helps to inform their decisions when they judge the souls of the dead for their actions or inaction. Oneiste has forever found them her staunchest allies and friends, and is highly respectful in turn of their grim but important role. As such, she refuses to in any way directly change or advise how to change a fate that leads to death or judgment, and so the responsibility to enact such a task falls entirely to mortals with the will to do so, without any help from the goddess of destiny.

Worshipping Oneiste

As goddess of dreams and spiritual protection, Oneiste is prayed to by those who have troubled sleep, those who are bedeviled by supernatural forces, and those who hope for their dreams to provide some clarity on the confusing and troubling events that they are living through. As goddess of fate and destiny, she receives entreaties from those who seek to understand their fate, those who want to change the course of their future, or those who want to safeguard the future of another person or of a community so that they do not come to an ill destiny. As goddess of heka and doors, she hears the prayers of those trying to understand or master the magical forces in their life, those whose business or destiny takes them to another realm, and those for whom a door or window or the surface of a pond are all that stands between them and something without.

Olamaat

In Nubir, Oneiste is known as Olamaat. Following the great war with Those That Went Before, it is Olamaat who wove the wards and crafted the seals that keep the losers of the battle for reality tucked away and unable to establish a new beachhead in the world. It is Olamaat who tamed the wild magic that raged across the world and guided it into the regular patterns depended upon by spellcasters to this very day. It is Olamaat who read and interpreted the dreams of the Yahre-Nesyt, the great Court of Sun and Moon, and guided each member of the court to understand their fate and what they were good at, so that they could find their destiny and leave their legendary mark upon the world. She has continued to advise them as one of the Eternals to this very day.

Oneiste's Champions

Suggested Classes: Cleric, Druid, Monk, Ranger, Warlock, Wizard
Suggested Backgrounds: Acolyte, Folk Hero, Hermit, Outlander, Sage
Oneiste's champions are called to remain apart in some way from other mortals, to step back and assess all people and all things even when sharing their space. They prize both the wisdom to understand and accept things as they are, as well as the intelligence to see where things are going and to know how to navigate and steer the course of events. They have vivid dreams and are the subject of portentous omens. They above all are called on to protect mortals and reality itself from the depredations of spirits, titans, and other such entities and their servants.

Oneiste's Favor

What brought Oneiste's path together with yours? You may roll or choose on the table below for ideas, or develop an idea of your own with the GM.
d6 / Circumstance

1. Followers of Oneiste claim you were born under a bizarre yet portentous omen, but can't explain exactly what it actually means.
2. You swore yourself to Oneiste, offering your service in exchange for reprieve from a mundane or depressing destiny.
3. Beset by strange dreams, you consulted an oracle of Oneiste. Since then, they've only gotten stranger.
4. Your life changed or you narrowly escaped death within a liminal space.
5. You have seen the depredations of evil spirits, and have trained as an exorcist or other specialist in confronting them.
6. You have no idea why Oneiste showed interest in you, and you might sometimes wish that she hadn't.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score with Oneiste when you expand or shore up her influence in a concrete way, including but not limited to:

• Revealing a critical truth at an important moment
• Mediating a major dispute or conflict
• Aiding the weak or impeding the strong
• Repairing a wound dealt to destiny by the Gods' ambitions

Your piety score to Oneiste decreases if you diminish her influence in the world, contradict her ideals, or make her look ridiculous or ineffectual through acts such as these:

• Willfully destroying or pillaging a natural wonder
• Assisting a creature in undermining the natural order or subverting destiny
• Eschewing sleep in favor of forced wakefulness to "get stuff done"
• Calling fiends, celestials, or other such otherworld entities into the world

As a champion of unusual standing in the world, you receive benefits as your piety score rises. If you are a cleric or paladin of Oneiste, you start with a piety to Oneiste of 3.

Initiate (Piety 3+)

You gain Inspiration when you make effective use of esoteric knowledge or attain a good result following oracular advice, or you perform an act that gains you piety. You also have advantage on rolls to know about Oneiste, her servants, and her works, and you know (the DM warns you) before you commit to an act that would displease Oneiste.

Devotee (Piety 10+)

As a devotee of Oneiste's mysteries, you gain some sense of the flow of destiny. You learn either the guidance cantrip or the mind sliver cantrip (choose one), and learn either the detect magic spell or the detect evil and good spell (choose one). Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to be your casting modifier for these spells. You can use the cantrip at will, and the spell a number of times per day equal to your casting modifier. If you are a spellcaster, treat the cantrip and spell as bonus spells known of your class that are always prepared.

Votary (Piety 20+)

Oneiste's blessing gives you the power to subtly tug at the threads of fate that make up the fabric of reality. You may choose to take 10 on any roll you make on a d20 instead of rolling, meaning the result is calculated as if you rolled a 10 on the die, even attack rolls and saving throws. You must decide whether to use this power before you roll. You may use this ability a number of times per day up to the higher of your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), and regain all uses after a long rest.

Disciple (Piety 40+)

Oneiste bestows upon you the secret of Oneiste's Protection to aid you in serving the role of protecting mortals from fell spirits. You enjoy a permanent protection from evil and good effect upon yourself without having to maintain concentration, and can cast magic circle as a ritual once per day. The higher of your Intelligence or Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier if relevant.

Champion (Piety 60+)

Oneiste's surpassing favor allows you to reweave the skein of fate to a limited degree. You may use your Votary ability after rolling, instead of before. 
Additionally, increase your Wisdom or Intelligence score by 2, and also increase your maximum for that score by 2.