Adrasteia

One of the primary daughters of Betshaba, Adrasteia is the goddess of rivers and streams. Those few priests who worship Adrasteia directly are typically attached to the nearest Temple of Betshaba, working as servants and handmaidens to Betshaban priests, as their deity works as handmaiden to Betshaba herself. Despite her subservient role and small priesthood, Adrasteia is often called upon by those who rely on fresh water, including those who participate in shipping via river, subsist off of fresh water fish and in dry areas where agriculture relies irrigation fed by rivers. Though riverside shrines are not uncommon, true temples to Adrasteia are extremely rare.

Adrasteia

Goddess of Rivers and Streams

Descriptive Info

Gender: Female

Avatar: Elisar of the Plains, Serena

Consort(s): Virtus (husband), Alcyoneus and Cebren (lovers).

Allies: Betshaba (mother), Pavor (son), Alcyoneus (lover), Virtus (husband), Podalirius, Cebren (lover), Orestea, Minos (grandson), Luna and Themis

Foes: Alcina, Taltos, all Taltosian deities, but especially Orthus, Epimetheus and Podarge

Spiritual Info

Rank: Major

Nature: Chaotic

Ethos: Benign

Major Influence: Rivers, streams

Minor Influence(s): Travel (especially by river), Fish, servants; some minor interest in agriculture, especially in dry, irrigated regions.

Symbols

Adrasteia's symbol is that of two blue, wavy lines over which is superimposed a nine pointed star.

Dwelling Place

Though Adrasteia has a riverside home in the Celestial plane, she spends most of her time in the Empyreal plane with her husband, Virtus. She enjoys a great deal of private time, and has taken at least two Entital lovers (Alcyoneus and Cebren). When visiting her lovers, she can be found either in her riverside home or in their chambers.

Servants

St. Orem of the Red Heart, St. Catrine of the Barge, St. Claire the Handmaiden

Doctrine

No information available on the doctrine of Adrasteia

Mission

No information available on the mission of Adrasteia

Geography

No geographic information available on Adrasteia

History of the Church

No historic information available on Adrasteia

Organization

No information available on the Organization of the Church of Adrasteia

Garments

Members of the clergy are required to wear light blue and gray robes adorned with the symbols of their faith. They may not wear lavish adornments, as humility and service is paramount to the faith.

Religious Practices

No information available on the religous practices of the Church of Adrasteia

Customs

Priests and monks to Adrasteia (typically women, though there is no taboo against men in the order) primarily serve as messengers and attendants in temples to Betshaba, but they sometimes will wander the nearby countryside helping those who fish or work at a riverside. Some, particularly adherents to St. Claire the Handmaiden, will also rove slave quarters and fields where slaves are used to check on their condition. Those slave-masters who are found to own mistreated slaves often find themselves at the business end of an extremely long lecture.

Furthermore, priests to Adrasteia receive a +1 level for caster level checks and spell effects when they are standing in the waters of a stream or river .

Taboos

Priests of Adrasteia must bath in a river or stream at least once a week or they suffer a -1 level penalty to level checks . Furthermore, they must faithfully serve someone, whether it be a priest of Betshaba or a more secular person (though it need not be a noble, in the latter case). Raising a weapon against one's ecclesiastical or secular superior is one of the gravest sins those who follow Adrasteia can commit, and doing so almost always results in the loss of priestly status by the offender until he can repent his crime (unless, the victim was of an evil sort, in which case the sin is often forgiven after a day's prayer).