In the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

, Ioun is the unaligned goddess of knowledge, prophecy and skill, and is a patron of the study of magic and mental power. She is revered by wizards

Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)

The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...

, scholars and tacticians. Ioun is a member of the 4th edition core pantheon.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

Ioun appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for fourth edition (2008).

History

In the time before the Dawn War, Ioun's dominon in the Astral Sea was a vast lagoon, surrounded by beaches of white sand, used by Ioun as a scrying pool. As the conflict between the gods and the primordials erupted, Ioun fused her dominion with those of Erathis

Erathis

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Erathis is the unaligned goddess of civilization. She is a founder of cities and writer of law, revered by warlords, rulers and inventors...

 and Pelor

Pelor

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Pelor is the god of the Sun, Light, Strength, and Healing. Pelor is also a prominent member of the third edition of the game's default pantheon, and is a popular choice among player character clerics because he...

, forming the Bright City of Hestavar. The primordial Heur-Ket lay siege to the city shortly after.
After the war Ioun relinquished her rule of Hestavar and retreated into the Hall of Enlightenment at the Swan Tower of Kerith-Ald.

Ioun is an ally of Corellon, Erathis and Pelor. She is the antithesis of Vecna

Vecna

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Vecna was a powerful wizard who became a lich. He was eventually destroyed, and his left hand and left eye were the only parts of his body to survive...

, as she urges her followers to share all knowledge that he would keep hidden.

Temples

Ioun is worshiped in the Temple of the Mind of Zerthadlun alongside Corellon, Vecna

Vecna

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Vecna was a powerful wizard who became a lich. He was eventually destroyed, and his left hand and left eye were the only parts of his body to survive...

 and the Raven Queen

Raven Queen

In the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Raven Queen is the Unaligned Goddess of Death, and Doom. as well as the Seasonal Goddess of Winter. Her real name was long forgotten.-Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition :...

. Ioun has a shrine in the Temple of Erathis in Fallcrest.

Worshippers

Ioun is the second most popular deity among metallic dragons

Metallic dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)

The following is a list of the metallic dragons, fictional creatures from the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons. In this setting metallic dragons are of good alignment. Bahamut is the deity of good dragons...

, second only to Bahamut

Bahamut (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Bahamut is a powerful draconic deity, who has the same name as Bahamut from Arabic mythology....

. Among Ioun's exarchs is the mithral dragon Athearsauriv, known as the Eye of Heaven.