Faction name: Church of Istishia
Faction type: Faction
Status: Defunct
Former township: New Thalos
Istishia, Elemental Lord of Water, had a varied and scattered following around the Realms. Folk of all walk of life came together to revere the God-King of the Undines and furthered His goals. Because of their diversity, Istishians were most often found in a number of cults, though time had seen the occasional rise and fall of a unified church. They could be identified by their devotion to their God and by their symbol, a cresting wave.
Perceiving that the balance has been shattered due to the influence of Kossuth, the Fire Lord, the Istishians believed that the natural balance of power had shifted and skewed the way of the Realms. His following, known as the Flame, had grown strong and altered the very nature of things. Their work, while good in intention, caused disruption and had to be stopped before things spiraled out of control. Heeding the call of their God, the members of the Church of Istishia pooled their strength to wear down the Flame and return things to the way they were before. Like the tide ebbing and flowing, so they believed the balance would be returned so that the Realms might live peacefully once again.
Istishia's church was varied and chaotic since she took no interest in its structure. As a result it was a collection of cults with each faction coming up with its own ethics, codes, morals, and teachings. Istishia's symbol varied greatly from faction to faction, but was generally a wave of water. It was believed that if Istishia's following (or any of the other Elementals) were to somehow become unified she could become a very powerful force in the Realms. Something the other gods disliked.
Priests of Istishia can be of any alignment. They dressed in whatever their faction deemed appropriate for the representation of their god. This was usually flowing robes and capes in deep blues, greens, and purples. They tended to use light armor and shields, and used tridents, spears, javelins, nets, and bludgeoning weapons.
