Perisophia

Perisophia
Details
Race	Centaur
Birthplace	Meletis, Theros
Lifetime	Mending Era
Sources
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Perisophia is a centaur philosopher and teacher on the plane of Theros. She is the leader of the dominant Elpidian school of philosophers. She is a Speaker of The Twelve, which is the ruling philosophical council of Meletis, making her one of the rulers of the city. She is also a Chosen of the godess Ephara.

Description

Perisophia has graying hair and wears a simple white peplos dress with a blue border.

History

Perisophia was teaching a class in philosophy in Meletis for her students, including Kyrios, Samia, Rhytho, Melia, and Salis. They talked about whether a Leonin raised by wolves would have an identity closer to a leonin or a wolf, whether identity is something others can define for you, if one's own identity is owned by oneself, and whether one can truly know oneself. They talked about the nature of the Returned and the eidolons, who could never know their own true identity. They also talked about Phelos's statement that identity is the condition of being oneself, of remaining the same over time, and of Matatios who met himself but did not become aware of himself.

Perisophia finished her lesson by explaining to the students that identity was something she could not tell them or give them and perhaps was something that could not even be known. Identity lived in the moment, and each person was the architect of that moment. Their actions, their speech, and their deeds all spoke to their identity, but it was ultimately elusive to the mind.

Later, while Perisophia was sleeping, her mind met with her god, Ephara. Ephara asked Perisophia how her city fared, and Perisophia reported that it was filled with goodness. People did Ephara's works, even if they were not aware of it, and the weaving of their fabric was firm. Ephara replied that a war was coming, as a tyrant tore at the threshold of both worlds, and he would bring out the worst in people's hearts. Perisophia's work had only just begun. Perisophia swore that with her dying breath, she would speak only words that would uplift the human mind and soul, for how could she do anything less?

In her role as Speaker of the Twelve, Perisophia was later approached by the leader of a Meletian phalanx, who told him about the presence of the Lachrymosa called the Weeping Woman at Asphodel, who was now known to be stealing children and turning them into Returned. The captain said he could not kill the children, even in that state, and despaired, seeking a penalty for failing to take action against the creature. But Perisophia named him an honored servant of their people and told him it was tenderness, not weakness, that stayed his hand.

Perisophia then addressed the assembly and suggested they end the existence of the Weeping Woman, lest she perpetrate even more evil and steal more children from the world. The assembly agreed, and so it was done. Perisophia joined the sangromancers in the salt marsh, where they performed their ritual of blood. They summoned the Lachrymosa and her children and laid their sacrifice of blood upon their brows. The Returned beings sank into the marsh and were gone from the world, and the threat was eliminated.

Later, as dawn lightened the sky, the solemn group entered the agora of Meletis once more, heads bowed. None spoke, but the silence was broken suddenly by the tinkling of innocent voices. From a nearby wall emerged an indistinct form, child-sized and misty. Dim stars glimmered through its space as the eidolon frolicked across the adults' path. Eyes and faces rose to follow its romping play.

The sparkling form danced through a patrolling guard, who turned with amazement at its passage. The giggling intensified as other shining figures chased it through the streets, winding among the assembled adults. One by one they vanished into the walls that lined the plaza.

The playful voices faded away. Perisophia looked to the sky, where the glow of Nyx was fading into the sunrise, and then she turned to the others and announced that the children were at rest and that the light of their dreams would awaken hope in the polis.

After rumors that agents of Purphoros were hunting the Oracle of Ephara, Iris, Perisophia summoned her to the council of the Twelve. As the Head Speaker, Perisophia told Iris that she would be escorted in secret by Skyguard Alexio to the garrison at Soli, where she would be safe. Unknown to Perisophia, Iris then had an oracle's insight that Alexio would fall in love with her, and then die.

The next day, Perisophia saw them both off as they rode out of the city and headed into the forest on the way to Soli. Neither of them ever arrived there, as Alexio had been killed and Iris rode off on a loyal pegasus, choosing to roam free rather than sheltering in a garrison.

Story appearances

Title	Author	Publishing date	Set	Setting (plane)	Featuring
The Nature of Identity	Adam Lee	2014-01-15	Born of the Gods	Theros	Perisophia, Kyrios, Samia, Rhytho, Melia, Phelos, Salis, Matatios, Ephara
Dance of the Flitterstep	Jennifer Clarke Wilkes	2014-02-19	Born of the Gods	Theros	Anthousa, Kruphix, Perisophia
The Oracle of Ephara	Jeremiah Isgur	2014-03-19	Born of the Gods	Theros	Iris, Alexio, Perisophia, Ephara, Purphoros

In-game references

Quoted or referred to:

• Desecration Plague
• Drown in Sorrow
• Enemy of Enlightenment
• Fate Unraveler
• Mnemonic Wall (Theros)
• Rumbling Sentry
• Staggering Insight
• Traveler's Amulet (Theros)