Iomedae

Iomedae (Eye-Oh-Me-Day) is the goddess of righteous valour, justice, and honour. She is considered the epitome of virtue and patron of knights, whom she tasks to defend the weak and carry out courageous acts for glory and honour. Among Iomedae's followers are many guards, soldiers, and members of the justice system - those who respect duty and law, but who tend to use the sword or shield to uphold it rather than words and gestures.

When it comes to alignment, Iomedae is very much in the Lawful Good category and is considered to be one of The Seen gods by those who follow that religion. To the south, in Cad'Lear, she is also part of the Divine Triune and is known by the name Gravitas. In Torlund, Iomedae is one of the most revered and highly regarded gods. The knights of Torlund all look to her as a shining example of what they should be and, although worship of her isn't required, it is common.

Iomedae's favoured animals include lions, eagles and other symbols of leadership, and migratory birds.

## Relationships

Iomedae is pretty black and white when it comes to her relationships: good gods are her friends and evil gods are her enemies, but she knows the danger of starting a war with the evil gods.

She is close to Pelor, as well as the Metallic Dragon Deities, and is known for fighting alongside the gold dragon Parnoneryx in a number of battles. She is quick to jump into fights against evil but she tends to avoid Gorum. Iomedae is strangely close to Erathis - not only does she teach the importance of laws that are dictated by the government and tout the glory of a knight in service to a leader, it is also said that when Iomedae talks of Erathis, she talks about her like she is a younger sister.

## Alternative Worship

In Cad'Lear, Iomedae is worshiped as one of the three gods of the Divine Triune, where she is called Gravitas along with Civilitas (Gozreh) and Libertas (Desna).

As Gravitas, she is heralded for her justice and ability to fairly judge those who have done wrong; this is so innocent people can live a life free from fear, knowing that even if they are the victim of some crime or injustice, the perpetrators will be justly punished.

## Appearance

Iomedae manifests as a valiant sword-mistress in full plate mail, wielding a longsword and a heraldic shield. Her shield casts a holy light, blinding evil beings, and her aura causes malevolent forces to tremble and falter.

## Providence

Iomedae makes her favour known by reshaping ordinary objects into sword-like shapes, through the appearance of gold or white light around a person or object, or via the magnet-like pull of a longsword or other long, metal weapons in a particular direction. Her anger is displayed through flickering lights, the breaking of weapons against formerly yielding material, and the tarnishing and increased weight of gold or silver.

## Servants

There are tales of whole phalanxes of shining golden battle maidens appearing to swing the tide of battles in which Iomedae has a particular vested interest. These are known as the Golden Shield Maidens who live with Iomedae in the heavenly realm; when they venture to the material plane, they seem to be unaffected by any known weapon.

Iomedae's servants include a number of former mortals who have been given divine power following death.

The Hand of Justice, the herald of Iomedae, appears as a golden-skinned angel who embraces honourable combat, encourages just rulers, and promotes valorous deeds. The Hand is said to attend every trial by combat which takes place in Torlund and can lend his strength to the righteous fighter, allowing them to win against impossible odds.

Feren-Corth, also known as "Peace Through Vigilance", is a young, cheerful, and spirited gold dragon who runs an isolated temple in the Grinklik mountain range.

Saint Lymirin, a former priestess of Iomedae, sometimes appears as an eagle-headed winged humanoid.

No one knows much about The Weeping Monk but they accredit his work to the service of Iomedae. Many believe that the monk considers himself a servant of hers, even if she doesn't agree.

## Temples to Iomedae

The temples of Iomedae always house a standing force of Holy Knights and include, to some degree, combat training as a part of worship. In Torlund and Mer-Rein they are often active and assertive in vigilantly rooting out evil. In Duthgar, the worship of the Unseen gods is more accepted, so the worshippers of Iomedae can't go around simply attacking people for worshipping evil gods.

### Worshippers

Personal cleanliness and an honourable demeanor are both very important for Iomedae's followers, who are known for their sense of justice, swordcraft, statesmanship, and their desire to bring "civilization" to those "without it". Adventurers who honour Iomedae sometimes wear a narrow white, red, yellow, or gold chasuble. Within Torlund, the worshippers of Iomedae get a lot of respect but are also held to very high standards. They can walk into a town, pronounce someone guilty, and walk out with the accused bound in chains. At the same time, if they abuse this power, they can expect to be heavily reprimanded.

Young knights who are inspired by classical, courtly tales tend to follow Iomedae. They can be counted on to remain idealistic, even in the face of great evil. Their honour and faith are strong enough to overcome the vices and sins of their enemies. Iomedae's paladins are also among the most prominent and well-represented in Tanalier.

#### Obedience

Certain dedicated worshippers of Iomedae perform daily, pious acts of obedience in order to receive a divine blessing, known as a boon, from their god. Obedience to Iomedae takes the form of a ritual in which the worshiper holds their primary weapon in front of them with the goddess' holy symbol attached. They then pray to Iomedae for guidance and protection while promising to follow her teachings. When performed correctly, the ceremony is said to instill preternatural skills in diplomacy and knowledge of all things pertaining to the noble classes.

Her priests are composed mainly of clerics and paladins, who perform an hour of prayer a day, in addition to a weekly public worship service. Their formal raiment includes a white cassock with gold or yellow trim and mitre, while on non-festival days they dress in similarly coloured, if less ostentatious, clothing.

### Temples, shrines and holy sites

The temples of Iomedae function as both a church and living space for her holy knights, with large, open-air courtyards perfect for training. Temples are often painted white and feature arched entrances, pillared courtyards, fountains, and statues.

## Organizations

The most famous of the military orders devoted to spreading Iomedae's word is the Knights of Ozem,