The Faerunian Pantheon encompasses all deities who make up the general pantheon of Faerun.
The majority of these deities are household names across Faerun with--unless otherwise noted--shrines, temples, and active clergy throughout Faerun.
Queen of Air, the Lady of Air, Lady of the Winds.
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: White cloud on blue background
Home Plane: Elemental Plane of Air
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Elemental air, movement, speed, flying creatures
Worshipers: Animal breeders, elemental archons (air), rangers, rogues, sailors
Domains: Air, Travel, Trickery, [Illusion]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: NG, LN, TN, CN, NE
Favored Weapon: A whirlwind (heavy flail)
Akadi (ah-kah-dee) is the elemental embodiment of air. She is one of the four elemental deities worshiped in Faerun but, like all except Kossuth, has a very small following. She cares only slightly for her followers, and then only after she is propitiated (bribed) by burning precious incenses that waft to her on the winds. While appeals to Akadi may change or still the winds, provide good flying currents, or bring rains, she grants no prayers to raise or quell harsh storms, for such lies within the purview of Talos and Umberlee.
The church of Akadi is organized into small sects that follow a particularly charismatic Akadian. All sects follow the Whisper (working behind the scenes), or the Roar (working openly). Listening to the wind, traveling beneath the stars of Faerun, pursuing personal interests of the moment, and speaking to others of the glories of Akadi dominate most clerics' lives. Some clerics become almost obsessively involved in "life experiments" of a practical or esoteric nature. For instance, some may become deeply involved in breeding faster and sleeker hawks or running hounds, others may decide to see how orcs adapt to fierce and freakish windstorms, and yet others may spend endless hours trying to develop artificial wings for cats.
Clerics of Akadi pray for their spells before dawn so as to whisper them on the morning breeze. The only official holy day of the church is Midsummer. All who are able to gather in the Shaar at the ruins of Blaskaltar, which contains the site of the first known shrine to Akadi in Faerun, now obliterated by the hand of time and seasons of wind and rain. Here the chant of the heroes of the faith is recited by all present and new names are added to the roll commemorating those who have passed on during the past year. Akadi's clerics often multiclass as elemental archons, rangers, or rogues.
Akadi is one of the four elemental lords who seem to stand apart from history, unchanged by the passage of time. She has ties to other gods concerned with the element of air, including Aerdrie Faenya and Shaundakul, but no strong relationships. She opposes obstinate, unmoving Grumbar at every opportunity.
Find your own enlightenment in your interests. As soon as your interest fails, all chance of finding further spiritual growth has left that activity or place. Move from activity to activity, from place to place, pursuing a personal dream or series of interests and growing through the changing experiences each new day brings. Worry not if others of the church do not adhere to this doctrine, for all obstacles wear down over time. Few matters are so important as to require a wholesale commitment. Do not ever let yourself be fettered or imprisoned, for constrained life is little better than death.
Frostmaiden, Icedawn, the Cold Goddess
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: A white snowflake on a gray diamond (a heraldic lozenge) with a white border
Home Plane: Fury's Heart
Alignement: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Cold winter
Worshipers: Druids, elemental archons (air or water), frost giants, inhabitants of cold climates, rangers
Domains: Air, Evil, Water, [Storm]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: TN, LE, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "Icemaiden's Caress" (battleaxe)
Auril (aw-rill) is a fickle, vain, evil deity with a heart of ice who is venerated primarily out of fear. She remains untouched by any hint of true love, noble feeling, or honor. She enjoys toying with those who offend her, trapping them in snow storms and then driving them insane with tantalizing visions of warmth and the comforts of home before freezing them to death. Her beauty is cold and deadly, the flower of womanhood preserved forever in a slab of arctic ice--with sensibilities to match the ice.
The church of Auril is very loosely and informally organized, and clergy members wander and are largely independent. They seek to make all folk fear their deity and her clergy (to cut down on the attacks they face) through the fury of the winter weather. They also generate personal wealth and influence by carrying out tasks that others cannot in the worst winter weather and by magically protecting those who pay or obey froom the worst winter conditions. Clergy members make offerings to the deity of some of the wealth they amass by scattering it in falling snow during a storm or throwing it through cracks in river ice or glacial crevasses during the winter. In the cold months, Auril expects each of her clerics to force or persuade someone to pray to her in the approved manner by beseeching Auril for mercy and praising her for the "cold cleansing" she brings. This prayer must last for the length of time it takes a piece of ice larger than the "supplicant's" hand to melt against his or her bared flesh. It mustbe done out of doors and preferably at night. During the winter, Aurilian clergy are also expected to slay at least one creature with cold. This is often done so as to provide worshipers or potential worshipers of the deity with food or to slay a personal for of the cleric or cleric.
Clerics and druids of Auril pray for their spells at midnight or whenever the temperature drops to its lowest point during the day, lying out in the snow or the coldest stream available all night if possible. Midwinter Night is the most holy time of the year to the clergy of Auril. It is a nightlong festival of ice-dancing that is intended for both enjoyment and recruitment. The Coming and the Last Storm are two enthusiastically celebrated rituals, howling ice storms called up by clergy working as a group to mark the onset or last gasp of winter. Joining the clergy requires undergoing a ritual known as the Embracing, during which one runs through a blizzard all night long dressed only in boots, a thing shift, and body paint depicting the symbols of Auril, without the protective mantle of any magic. Auril accepts those who do not freeze to death. Many clerics and druids multiclass as divine disciples, elemental archons, or rangers.
Auril is one of the Deities of Fury, along with Malar, Umberlee, and her superior, Talos. Lately, Talos eroded much of her power, in response, she makes winter an increasingly fierce season in the North. She can call on Umberlee with some degree of confidence. Malar and Auril despise each other. She has begun to siphon power from the slumbering Ulutiu slowly enough to keep him from waking, and in a few years when she has killed him she plans to continue granting spells in his name.
Cover all the lands with ice. Quench fire wherever it is fund. Let in the winds and the cold; cut down windbreaks and chop holes in walls and roofs that my breath may come in. Work darkness to hide the cursed sun so that the chill the Auril brings may slay. Take the life of an arctic creature only in great need, but slay all others at will. Make all Faerun fear the Frostmaiden. Revere the Cold Goddess and sing her praises into any chill breeze or winter wind. Do not raise your hand against any other cleric of Auril.
The High One, Patron of Mages, Lord of Spells
Lesser Deity
Symbol: Human left hand pointing upward outlined in blue fire
Home Plane: Dweomerheart
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Wizards, mages, spellcasters in general, monks (Shining Hand)
Worshipers: Philosophers, sages, sorcerers, wizards
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Law, [Illusion], [Spell]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "The Old Staff" (quarterstaff)
Azuth (ah-zooth) concerns himself with the advancement and preservation of the magical arts. Worshiped by all manner of spellcasters (and wizards in particular), the crafty deity has long acted as an advisor to the sitting deity of raw magic; he and Mystra share an amicable relationship akin to that of a tutor and his favored student. Other deities find him crotchety, not understanding his dry wit or ceaseless dedication to collecting magical knowledge. Azuth most often appears as a white-bearded man wearing elaborate, antique clothing and wielding the powerful, gem-topped Old Staff.
Among the most blessed of Azuth's terrestrial servants are the Favored, thought to be a cadre of slain human wizards resurrected by the Lord of Spells himself but which are in fact magical constructs of his subconscious mind. The Favored further the development and channeling of the Weave through written formulas, a process Azuthans view as the apogee of human scientific achievement. Possessing uncanny abilities such as telekinesis and flight, these paragons of magical power deliver important messages to the flock and herald new developments in the magical sciences. Azuth has struggled desperately since the Time of Troubles to reconcile the old Mystra with the new, and with the resulting difference in the Weave that blankets Toril. Though the deity does not know it, the Favored--mental manifestations of this struggle--are tearing his church apart and may cost the Lord of Spells, and his worship, significantly.
Despite the ecclesiastical turmoil within, many outsiders view Azuth's religion as tradition-bound. To them, it adapts to the times at a glacial pace, concerning itself overmuch with abstract arcane debates while remaining blind to the problems that beset the land. Since so many of Azuth's followers take a neutral stance on matters of morality, the church often comes under criticism by the more proactive cults of Mystra.
Clerics of Azuth pray for their spells at dusk. Whenever a mage ascends to the rank of Magister, Azuth's church celebrates a holiday. His clerics recognize few other holidays of note, though liturgical readings at mealtimes play an important role in honoring the Lord of Spells. Texts composed by famous wizards make up the bulk of the church's canon. Clerics of Azuth commonly multiclass as arcane devotees or wizards.
As a mortal, Azuth coveted power, researching the arcane lore of a dozen fallen empires in an effort to further his magical study. His dedication eventually led to his being installed as the first Magister, a position created specifically by Mystra to recognize her most promising mortal pupil. Azuth then sough to carve a piece of the deity Savras's divinity and bind it to himself--an experiment that ultimately failed. This led to a series of battles with Savras, ending with that deity's imprisonment in a staff. With the help of Mystra, who had become his lower, Azuth finally ascended to divine status. Savras (now freed from his imprisonment) grudgingly serves Azuth, as does the generally untrustworthy Velsharoon.
Reason is the best way to approach magic, and magic can be examined and reduced to its component parts through study and meditation. Maintain calm and use caution in your spell casting and magic use to avoid making mistakes that even magic cannot undo. Use the Art wisely, and always be mindful of when it is best not to use magic. Teach the wielding of magic and dispense learning throughout Faerun that the use and knowledge of magic may spread. Live and teach the idea that with magical power comes grave responsibility. Learn every new spell you discover and make a copy for the temple library. Do not hoard your knowledge, and encourage creativity in magic in all ways and at all times.
Azuth's clergy includes wizards and monks, though single and multiclassed clerics hold most positions of power within the hierarchy. These individuals, known collectively as the magistrati, facilitate communications between arcane spellcasters. Magistrati tend to dress in elaborate and impractical dull-colored clothing accented by absurdly high collars, large gats, and stoles bearing arcane symbols.
Azuthan centers of worship are common in civilized nations, particularly in cities with powerful arcane guilds. There, magistrati enforce the Magebond, an informal agreement taught to nearly all wizards since the era of Azuth's reign as the first Magister. The Magebound stipulates that disputes between wizards should not spill over into the community at large--that magic is best left to those with the willpower to study and master it, and that the destruction inherent in magical duels casts mages in the worst light imaginable. (Of course, as many wizards scoff at these "rules" as follow them.) Conflicts between wizards, according to the tenets of the Magebond, should be conducted in private according to the dictates of a complicated, usually nonlethal ritual that pits mage against mage in a spellweaving duel. Naturally, the magistrati oversee such contests, and they keep the lore and ritual of these duels a closely guarded secret.
The most powerful member of a given temple community is known as the "First," and is referred to as "Revered One" by his or her inferiors. Those who have served the High One for a great deal of time are sometimes called "Master," but the clergy frowns upon more ostentatious titles. Many patriarchs live to be well over 150 years old, spawning rumors falsely claiming that high clerics of the inner circle have discovered the secret to immortality.
Azuth's Favored hold an important place in the clergy, both outside and above the regular church hierarchy. Recently, two influential Favored have ascended to important roles within the church. Meldrathar Gath of Halruaa leads the Loomwarden faction, whereas Szesoch Vurlagor of Thay leads the more accepting Spellsavants. The stern Loomwardens question the somewhat chaotic nature of Mystra, the Mother of All Magic, who is often a patron of sorcerers. They distrust sorcerers for the accident of their innate ability, at best reminiscent of the ancient arch wizards of Netheril, who through raw spell casting power brought a great empire to ruin. In cities such as Halarahh and Bezantur, influential Loomwardens work behind the scenes to bar sorcerers from positions of power and thwart what they see as a danger. The Spellsavants, on the other hand, urge cooperation between all types of arcane spellcasters, holding that through cumulative effort humanity's knowledge of magic as a whole intensifies. Since the Time of Troubles, these mutually exclusive ideologies have come into sharper and sharper conflict, with entire churches splitting apart along factional lines.
The Black Lord, the Black Hand, the Lord of Darkness
Greater Deity
Symbol: Green rays squeezed forth from a black fist
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignement: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Strife, hatred, tyranny, fear
Worshipers: Conquerors, evil fighters and monks, tyrants, wizards
Domains: Evil, Destruction, Law, [Hatred], [Tyranny]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LN, LE, NE
Favored Weapon: "The Black Hand of Bane" (unarmed strike) or morningstar
The twisted halls of Zhentil Keep echo with malign invocations chanted in shadowy temples throughout Faerun. Bane (bain), the Lord of Darkness, has conquered death itself, returning to the world to give dark inspiration to a thousand intrigues, to foment fear and hatred in civilized lands, and to reassure the common mortal that tyranny, though it may suffer occasional defeat, will never die.
Though Bane transcended mortality centuries ago, his primary goal remains notably human--he seeks nothing short of the total domination of Faerun. When his servants sit upon the throne of every land, when commoners serve their masters in fear for their very lives, and when altruism and hope have been erased from the world, then will Bane rest. Until that dark day, however, the Black Hand has eternity to hatch demented plots and vile intrigues. Eventually, he will rule all Faerun, but there's no hurry. Getting there will be half the fun.
Bane prefers to keep to the shadows, allowing his servants to carry out his intricate plans. On the rare occasion in which he appears, he takes the form of a shadowy humanoid figure--often bare-chested, sometimes wearing dark armor and a stylish black cloak streaked with red. His right hand, invariably protected by a jeweled metal gauntlet, is all the weapon he needs to dispatch the few foes brave (or foolhardy) enough to attack him. He has no tolerance for failure and seldom thinks twice about submitting even a loyal servant to rigorous tortures to ensure complete obedience to his demanding, regimented doctrine. Though possessed of an unforgiving wrath when aroused, Bane is slow to anger, existing in a perpetual state of controlled burn.
Bane's tyranny is known throughout the continent, and his is the image most seen as the face of evil. When news of Bane's destruction during the Time of Troubles made its way throughout Faerun, no fewer than twenty-seven nations declared national festivals of celebration and thanksgiving. The commoner sees Bane's clerics as petty would-be dictators unafraid to use immoral tactics and unthinkable violence to spread their influence and agenda. The adventurer sees the clergy as constant interlopers and enemies, agents of a rigid, evil philosophy who side with monsters, devils, and savage humanoids to further their wicked ends. Canny nobles glimpse the truest threat, that some of their peers pay homage to the Black Lord to gain through guile and subterfuge what soldiers cannot conquer by force.
Clerics of Bane pray for spells at midnight. Their religion recognizes no official holidays, though servants give thanks to the Black Hand before and after major battles or before a particularly important act of subterfuge. Senior clerics often declare holy days at a moment's notice, usually claiming to act upon divine inspiration granted to them in dreams. Rites include drumming, chanting, and the sacrifice of intelligent beings, usually upon an altar of black basalt or obsidian. Of late, clerics of Cyric have become a preferred sacrifice, though old favorites such as paladins, unicorns, children, and celestials remain popular with traditionalists. Clerics of Bane most commonly multiclass as fighters, monks, blackguards, or dreadmasters. Those associated with the Cult of the Dragon often multiclass as wearers of purple.
Even as a human, Bane wanted nothing more than to become the most feared, respected tyrant the world had ever known. However, doing so would required an infusion of arcane power greater than that usually accorded to mortals. Hence, the calculating despot joined forces with the similarly driven humans Bhaal and Myrkul in a pact of mutual assistance that would end in the apotheosis of the entire trio. The three villains adventured across the breadth of Faerun, defeated countless foes, slew one of the Seven Lost Gods, and traveled throughout the Lower Planes before achieving that goal. They benefited from the generosity (or, as some suggest, indifference) of the dispassionate Jergal, who had become bored with his role as a patron of strife, death, and the dead. Each gained one-third of Jergal's portfolio and dominated their area of concern for centuries.
However, even complete control over strife was not enough for Bane, whose desire for supremacy led him, in 1358 DR, to once again team with Myrkul. The pair stole the Tablets of Fate, inscribed by Lord Ao to outline the roles of the deities of Toril. This precipitated the calamitous Time of Troubles, during which Bane was slain by Torm the True in a furious battle in the harbor of Tantras. It seemed the Black Lord's ceaseless ambition had at last led to his destruction. Bane's church fragmented, with most of the faithful defecting to the clergies of Cyric, who inherited Bane's portfolios, and Iyachtu Xvim, a progeny of Bane's coupling with a powerful demon. Agents of weal and freedom breathed easier in those days, knowing that Toril was rid of perhaps its greatest menace.
Those who let down their guard, however, did so rashly, and far too soon. On Midwinter night of 1372 DR, Xvim burst in a conflagration of diabolical green light. From the smoking husk of his remain emerged a newly reinvigorated Bane, his right hand ablaze with green fire. Xvim, it appeared, had been little more than a sentient cocoon, a shell in which grew a festering larva that would, in time, become Bane. Within days, the Xvimlar clergy had converted to the worship of Bane, and a great evil once again cast its calculating stare over the lands of Faerun.
Bane hates virtually the entire Faerunian pantheon but holds special antipathy for Torm, Cyric, Mystra, Tempus, Helm, Lathander, Oghma, and Ilmater, in that order. He has established a working relationship with Loviatar, Mask, and Talona, but as these deities desperately fear him, the alliances are not strong.
Serve no one but Bane. Fear him always and make others fear him even more than you do. The Black Hand always strikes down those that stand against it in the end. Defy Bane and die--or in death find loyalty to him, for he shall compel it. Submit to the word of Bane as uttered by his ranking clergy, since true power can only be gained through service to him. Spread the dark fear of Bane. It is the doom of those who do not follow him to let power slip through their hands. Those who cross the Black Hand meet their dooms earlier and more harshly than those who worship other deities.
Bane orders his clerics and followers to achieve positions of power within their society, either through force or trickery, and to use that power to further the cause of hate, fear, destruction, and strife. The Black Hand much prefers that his clerics subvert governments and carry out their agendas under cover of the rule of law, but he tolerates a limited amount of discord and debauchery. Torture, beatings, and calculated assassinations frequently come into play in such operations, and rare indeed is the initiate of the Lord of Darkness who does not possess at least rudimentary skill in such enterprises. The church operates under a strict hierarchy--questioning or disobeying the orders of a superior is an insult to Bane's supremacy, and is punishably by torture, disfigurement, or death.
Bane's temples tend to reflect the clergy's regimented doctrines. Tall, sharp-corned stone structures featuring towers adorned with large spikes and thin windows, most Banite churches suggest the architecture of fortified keeps or small castles. Thin interior passageways lead from an austere foyer to barrackslike common chambers for the lay clergy, each sparsely decorated with tapestries depicting the symbol of Bane or inscribed with embroidered passages from important religious texts. Temples frequently include an exposed central courtyard used for military drills and open-air ceremonies, as well as a more traditional mass hall for the congregation at large. Most churches feature extensive subterranean dungeons replete with torture chambers, starvation wells, and monster pens.
Before the Time of Troubles, Bane's church was driven by internecine strife, divided into the Orthodox sect (commanded primarily by clerics) and the Transformed church (dominated by wizards). Bane himself encouraged this struggle, appreciating the value of dissention even when applied to his own servants. His long dormancy seems to have cleared his mind on this matter, however, as he has acted personally to eradicate these divisions, even going so far as to name Fzoul Chembryl, the ruler of Zhentil Keep, as his personal Chosen Tyrant and infallible mortal representative. The formerly fractious Banites have made common cause in vicious pogroms against those clerics who turned to Cyric after Bane's "death" and who have not returned to the fold; their increased cooperation can only lead to foul tidings for the rest of Faerun.
The Maid of Misfortune, Lady Doom
Intermediate Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Black antlers on a red field
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Random mischief, misfortune, bad luck, accidents
Worshipers: Assassins, auspicians, capricious individuals, gamblers, rogues, sadists
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Luck, Trickery, [Fate]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "Ill Fortune" (whip)
Beshaba (be-shah-ba) is a deity who is feared far more than she is venerated, for she is spiteful, petty, and malicious. The Maid of Misfortune is given to random behavior and bouts of extreme jealousy with regards to her sister, demanding equal veneration (or at least lip service) to that given to Tymora. Although the thought of Beshaba actually appearing is enough to make most folk tremble, she is always invited and welcomed formally in speeches or ceremonies of formal functions (such as marriages and coronations), contests of sport or martial prowess, or at the naming of children. If not invited, she may take offense and wreak endless misfortune upon those involved.
Beshaba is worshipped largely out of fear, and it is the task of her clergy to spread that fear by starting talk of Beshaba's power and latest wickedness and by instructing all in how to make offerings to her or in how to join her clergy if they would prefer to be protected against all misfortune. Along the way, the members of her clergy take care to indulge their tastes for random cruelty and sadism. They enjoy acting mysteriously to manipulate simpler folk into serving them in matters both great and small, from providing them with food, luxurious shelter, and companionship to giving them weapons to wield against their rivals in the church of Beshaba and against the clergy of all other faiths.
Clerics of Beshaba pray for their spells at midnight. Immediately before doing so, if at all possible, they must make an offering to the Lady by setting fire to brandy, wine, or spirits while uttering the name of the goddess and dipping a black antler tine into the mixture. Burning one's fingers slightly in doing so is looked upon favorably. Devotees of Beshaba observe both Midsummer and Shieldmeet with wild revels of destruction and rudeness. Otherwise, they ignore the calendar, holding special ceremonies upon the deaths of important clergy members and when one of their number ascends in rank. The former ceremony is known as the Passing and is a rare time of dignity and tender piety. The corpse of the departed is floated down a river amid floating candles in a ceremony that transforms it into an undead creature and teleports its to a random location in Faerun to wreak havoc. The ceremony of ascension is known as the Marking and involves drum music, dancing over flames, and either branding or tattooing. No spell or potion is permitted to mitigate the pain. Many clerics multiclass as assassins, auspicians, or rogues.
Beshaba was formed when Tyche, the former goddess of luck, split in twain during the Dawn Cataclysm to form her two "daughters", Beshaba and Tymora. It is said that Beshaba got all the looks and Tymora all the love, as men who have met the gaze of the Maid of Misfortune and either been consumed with lust or driven to carry out her every reckless whim can attest. In women, Beshaba's gaze inspires mania reflective of Lady Doom. Beshaba has spurned Talos's recent overtures, seeing them as an attempt to subsume her portfolio. She has no real allies, but is wholly dedicated to the destruction of Lady Luck. She also enjoys toying with Shaundakul, and masquerades under his name in Anauroch while performing malicious and mischievous tricks (such as causing oases to dry out, blinding people, and causing travelers to get lost).
Bad things happen to everyone, and only by following Beshaba may a person perhaps be spared the worst of her effects. Too much good luck is a bad thing, and to even it out, the wise should plan to undermine the fortunate. Whatever happens, it can only get worse. Fear the Maid of Misfortune and revere her. Spread the message across Faerun to obey Beshaba and make offerings to appease her. If she is not appeased, all will taste firsthand the curse that is spreading throughout Faerun: "Beshaba provides!" (misery and misfortune). Make others worship Beshaba and then they will spread the ill luck she can bring. Never falsely advise any being in how to worship Beshaba, or pay the price of being cast out and cursed with misfortune all their days.
The Great Mother, the Grain Goddess, Earthmother
Greater Deity
Symbol: Blooming rose on a sunburst wreath of golden grain
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Agriculture, plants cultivated by humans, farmers, gardeners, summer
Worshipers: Peasants and indentured servants, druids, farmers, gardeners
Domains: Animal, Earth, Good, Healing, Plant, Protection, [Renewal]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: A shock of grain (scythe)
Chauntea (chawn-tee-ah) is as old as Toril itself. Hers is the divine spark that gave life to the natural world, the vibrant, caring spirit infused with the planet at the moment of its creation. Originally a deity of wild places and animal life, Chauntea has grown with her world, changing and adapting to its many developments. The millennia have taught her patience--to the point of being at times ponderous. Chauntea loves the inhabitants of her world, and she likes nothing more than instructing Toril's denizens on how the land itself might enrich their lives. Hers was the hand that guided the first mortal wanderers to give up the uncertainty of the gatherer for the stability of the field. Today, Chauntea is worshiped as the Great Mother of agriculture, the kind benefactor who ensures a strong harvest, healthy meals, and robust country living.
Chauntea rarely manifests herself in physical form, preferring to diffuse her essence throughout the living land of Toril. Religious icons depict her as a matronly, middle-aged woman with pale white hair a welcoming smile. She wields a sturdy shock of grain as both walking staff and weapon, on the unusual occasion in which she finds herself in battle.
Worshiped by farmers, gardeners, agricultural slaves, and any who make their living off the land, Chauntea is seen by most Faerunians as an integral part of the natural cycle of life. Wealthy landowners and simple farmers alike come to the local cleric of the Earthmother for advice on bringing in the harvest or in setting next season's crop. When foul weather or disease leads to blighted fields, growers turn their gaze and prayers to Chauntea in hopes that her attentions will salvage the seasonal yield. Those who subvert the harvest for ill ends have much to fear from Chauntea's servants, who take their role as pastoral protectors very seriously.
Chauntea's clerics and druids pray for spells at sundown. The clergy holds few organized holidays, instead instructing the faithful to give thanks to Chauntea at every sunrise, and in every moment the natural beauty of the world fills them with joy. A long-standing tradition within the church holds that a newly wedded couple should spend their first night together in a freshly tilled field, which is said to ensure a fertile union. Fertility plays an important role in the Chauntea faith, and a hedonistic celebration during Greengrass encourages excessive drinking, eating, dancing, and uninhibited behavior. The clergy observe solemn High Prayers of the Harvest during a ritualized annual ceremony coinciding with the start of the harvest. Chauntea's clerics most often multiclass as rangers or druids.
Chauntea is one of the oldest Faerunian deities. Shar and Selune predate her, having given her life when they created the world of Toril. In the ensuing millennia, Chauntea has forged passionate relationships with several deities, many of whom no longer exist in any meaningful form. So too has she battled (and even destroyed) deities who schemed to befoul Chauntea's world. Some of her worshipers claim that Chauntea is the progenitor of all the mortal races, that the creatures who populate the world first emerged from her womb in the days when the air was quiet and the earth was still. In those early centuries, Chauntea was known as Jannath the Earthmother, a wild deity who ran with animal packs and rejoiced in the unhindered growth of wilderness. Though the people of the Moonshae Isles continue to worship this aspect of the Great Mother, the deity herself has moved on, changing as the world changes.
In the last several hundred years, Chauntea has become enamored with the inhabitants of her world (particularly humans) to the point at which she now focuses her attention completely on helping them live off the land. She preaches a reverence for nature and urges the folk of civilized lands to repair what they have damaged, but she long ago ceded the wildlands to other deities. This development has led to a cooling of relations with Silvanus--some of his more militant druidic worshipers believe that the Great Mother has betrayed herself and sold out the world to the all-too-rapid encroachment of civilization. Her ties to other nature deities, particularly Shiallia, Mielikki, Lurue, and Eldath, remain strong. She shares a fondness for Lathander that has at times become intimate, and the two deities currently spend a great deal of time together. Chauntea opposes Auril, Malar, Talos, and Umberlee, and she views the return of Bane as a dark omen. Talona, Lady of Poison, is the Great Mother's most hated foe, as her propensity to bring blight, poison, and disease to the natural world fills Chauntea with great fury.
Growing and reaping are part of the eternal cycle and the most natural part of life. Destruction for is own sake and leveling without rebuilding are anathema. Let no day pass in which you have not helped a living thing flourish. Nurture, tend, and plant wherever possible. Protect trees and plants, and save their seeds so that what is destroyed can be replaced. See to the fertility of the earth but let the human womb see to its own. Eschew fire. Plant a seed or small plant at least once a tenday.
Members of the Great Mother's clergy divide themselves into two factions of roughly equal size. Those clerics who minister to farmers and agricultural workers in cities, towns, and villages refer to themselves as Pastorals, while those of the wilder, older sect that caters to the wilderness call themselves, with a touch of arrogance, the True Shapers. Memebrs of both sects recognize no central authority--theirs is a highly individualistic faith. Chauntea sets out a doctrine outlining a general set of values and taboos, but how each cleric adapts this code for herself and her flock is largely a matter of personal interpretation. The church welcomes members of all races, though women vastly outnumber men, perhaps because the religion's liturgy is infused with references to fertility, motherhood, and femininity.
Clerics and druids of Chauntea often double as farmers or gardeners, and Pastorals frequently hold positions of great respect in rural communities. They were usually born in small villages or country farms, and while few eschew cities altogether, most came to the church through an appreciation of natural beauty, a feeling of peace when standing at the center of a tilled field under the light of the midsummer sun. They earn the admiration of their peers by strengthening yields and driving away natural blights or predators with magic spells. They also don't hesitate to pin up their skirts and join locals at harvest time, keeping farming families healthy and providing an additional pair of hands for even the most arduous and menial tasks. Like their deity, most who serve Chauntea are patient and quiet, slow to anger, and prefer passive diplomacy to open conflict.
Surprisingly, quite a few cities sport temples to the Great Mother, usually large, many-windowed structures that double as granaries or impressive open gardens. In the outlands, most ceremonies take place under the light of the sun or moon, with clerics holding special services in their homes, small shrines, or even barns or haylofts. In such places, clerics and druids of Chauntea instruct congregants on proper methods of planting, identification of plant and animal diseases, and herblore. Many perform marriages and act as midwives for human and animal births. They preach a respect for the natural world and emphasize programs of replanting, careful irrigation, and crop rotation to ensure that the earth is not despoiled.
Militant druids of Silvanus scoff at these lessons, however, claiming that the very act of agriculture is an affront to nature. It allows more people to live in a given area that can be sustained in the long term, and hence fosters overpopulation and environmental destruction, despite the best intentions of the Pastorals. They assert that over time, Chauntean agriculture, with its diverted waterflow, drained wetlands, and emphasis in supporting cities, will do irreparable damage to the natural balance. The Pastorals have caused a great deal of turmoil among the True Shapers (most of whom are themselves druids). Numbers of the more primal Chaunteans have become Silvanites in the last century, leading to a cooling or relations between even the more moderate members of both clergies.
Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun, the Black Sun
Greater Deity
Symbol: White jawless skull on black or purple sunburst
Home Plane: The Supreme Throne
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Murder, lies, intrigue, deception, illusion
Worshipers: Former worshipers of Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul, power-hungry (primarily young) humans
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Trickery, [Illusion]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "Razor's Edge" (longsword)
Cyric (seer-ick) is a petty, self-centered, megalomaniacal deity who holds himself above all other deities. He has an immense following throughout Faerun: The unholy radiance of the Dark Sun draws power-hungry mortals like moths to a flame and then inexorably consumes them. Cyric was once insane, but his bout with divine madness has finally ebbed, and he no longer believes himself more powerful than all other deities. The Prince of Lies delights in spinning webs of deception that lead both mortals and deities to their ruin and pit friends and lovers against one another. He has assumed many guises since his ascension: a bloody wraith, a cloud of poisonous smoke, or a sudden gloom containing the phantom images of whirling human skulls and the intent gaze of two black eyes. However, his true form is believed to be that of a slim man with blazing dark eyes and chalk-white skin.
The church of Cyric is widely (and justly) hated across all Faerun, for the Dark Sun's followers are pledged to spread strife and work murder everywhere. The followers of good-aligned deities hate Cyric's church for the wicked acts of its members. The followers of neutral-aligned deities, and even the faithless, detest the intrigues, murder, and discord sown by Cyricists that disrupt the lives of all. The followers of evil-aligned deities view Cyric's church as mad with power and a threat to their own influence--the Prince of Lies has shown himself willing to do almost anything, including kill rival deities whose power he coverts.
Cyric's clerics pray for spells at night, after moonrise, when the Dark Sun's radiance is at its height. Cyric's church has few holy days and does not even celebrate the date of the deity's ascension, for to do so would also honor Mystra ("the Harlot", to Cyric's worshipers) and imply that Cyric has not held the mantle of divinity for all eternity. However, whenever a temple acquires something or someone important enough to sacrifice to Cyric, its high cleric declares a Day of the Dark Sun to signify the holiness of the event. Eclipses are always considered holy, and are often celebrated by feasts, fervent prayers, and the murder of a high-ranking cleric or paladin of Lathander. Cyric's clerics often multiclass as assassins, blackguards, illusionists, rogues, or strifeleaders.
Once mortal, Cyric was elevated to divine status by Ao at the conclusion of the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, as was Midnight (Mystra). Upon his ascension, Cyric claimed the portfolios of Bane, Myrkul, and Bhaal, largely subsuming their churches into his faith as well. The Dark Sun then slew Leira, Lady of the Mists, with the aid of Mask in the form of the sword Godsbane.
A decade later, in 1358 DR, Cyric created the Cyrinishad, a tome of great power that proclaimed him the One True Deity. Cyric unwisely read his own book, a mistake that cost him his sanity and led to the loss of Myrkul's former portfolio to Kelemvor, a mortal with whom Cyric had once adventured. Moreover, Oghma and Mask conspired to create another tome entitled The True Life of Cyric, and with it the Dark Sun's plot was foiled--although not before the destruction of Zhentil Keep. However, caught in the web of his own plots, Mask read the Cyrinishad as well, enabling Cyric to steal the portfolio of intrigue from him, along with some of the divine power of the Master of All Thieves.
A year later, in 1369 DR, Cyric was accused of innocence by reason of insanity, thereby failing in his divine duty to spread strife and discord. Cyric's Chosen, a former Calishite merchant named Malik, arranged for his patron to read The True Life of Cyric and thus regain his sanity. A tribunal of greater deities then found the Dark Sun guilty of his crimes and allowed him to keep his divine statue.
Now Cyric continues his murderous intrigues with renewed fervor, ever striving to undermine his fellow deities and destroy all that they hold previous in the mortal realm. He has no allies, although from time to time he pretends to work with various deities in order to ensure their eventual downfall. The Prince of Lies particularly hates Mystra and her former lover, Kelemvor. He exacted a small measure of vengeance against them by engineering the rift that forever sundered their mortal bond of love. However, Cyric now views Bane as the greatest threat to his power, and the brewing war between these two lords of evil may eventually consume Faerun in a great holocaust.
Death to all who oppose Cyric. Bow down before his supreme power, and yield to him the blood of those that do not believe in his supremacy. Fear and obey those in authority, but slay those that are weak, of good persuasion, or false prophets. Battle against all clergy of other faiths, for they are false prophets and forces who oppose the One True Way. Bring death to those that oppose Cyric's church or make peace, order, and laws, for only Cyric is the true authority and all other authority must be subverted. Break not into open rebellion, for marching armies move the false deities to action. Fell one foe at a time and keep all folk afraid, uneasy, and in constant strife. Any method or means is justified if it brings about the desired end.
Clerics of the Dark Sun pledge to spread strife and work murder everywhere to make folk fear and believe in Cyric. They support rulers with a taste for cruelty and empire building but indulge in intrigue in every land. They avoid plunging realms into widespread war, which would pay honor only to Tempus the war deity. At least, this is the ideal Cyricists pay lip service to. In truth, Cyricists spend most of their time scheming against one another, each striving to strengthen his or her personal power in an endless struggle of cabal against cabal. To make matters worse, during his madness Cyric spoke often to his faithful clergy, but not with one voice. As they all fear him, and each believes what he says is the One True Way, his words set Cyricist temples at cross purposes. His clerics are at one another's throats as often as they are promoting the defeat of other religions.
Cyric's temples are festering sores of evil that vary widely in appearance, reflecting the deity's chaotic nature. Many are hidden within caves or existing structures, including abandoned buildings, crumbling sewers, and forgotten dungeons, from which terrifying screams echo at irregular intervals. Many such complexes once served as temples of Bane, Bhaal, or Myrkul, and thus resemble the grim, foreboding keeps of the Black Lord, the hidden guildhalls of the Lord of Murder, or the tomblike vaults of the Lord of Bones. All have in common a bloody sacrificial altar and a great hall where the local high cleric can rant to the assembled worshipers at irregular intervals.
When not disguising themselves to move in secret among the general populace, clerics of Cyric dress in black or dark purple robes trimmed with silver, with or without hoods. They wear silver bracers or bracelets (usually stamped with the skull-and-sunburst symbol of Cyric) to symbolize the church's enslavement to Cyric. Some clerics paint the symbol of their deity on their cheeks or foreheads on high holy days.
The Prince of Lies recognizes no single pontiff who rules over the entire faith, although a dozen or more powerful clerics believe that Cyric intends them to achieve such a role. Such conflicts stem from the time when the Dark Sun in his madness deliberately pitted his faithful against one another. Although the Prince of Lies has ceased doing so overtly, schisms within the faith have by no means healed, and the chaotic nature of his followers makes it unlikely they ever will. Clerics of Cyric dominate most factions, although powerful sorcerers, wizards, barbarians, fighters, rangers, and blackguards play important roles as well.
Currently the two most powerful factions are found in Amn. Watchful Skull Tynnos Argrim is high cleric of the Mountain of Skulls in the Cloud Peaks and founder of the devout order of assassins known as the Flames of the Dark Sun. He has consolidated his influence over the Dark Redoubt, a temple in the Tejarn Hills once led by a rival sect, and allied himself with the armies of Amn against the Sythillisian Empire. Blackwill Haarken Akhmelere, high cleric of the Twin Towers of the Eternal Eclipse, is working with the army of monsters led by two ogre magi from the city of Murann and now maintains a stranglehold over trade passing along the Trade Way. A third faction, growing in strength, wars with the clergy of Bane in Darkhold for control of the western branch of the Zhentarim. The leader of this faction is at present unknown. Some believe a charismatic cleric named Dag Zoreth has assumed the mantle of leadership, while others claim that a military commander known as the Pereghost commands the loyalty of the Dark Sun's faithful. In any event, it is this faction of Cyricists who are most likely to ignite an openly holy way with the church of Bane.
Lord of all Glyphs and Images, the Scribe of Oghma
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Lit candle above purple eye with triangular pupil
Home Plane: House of Knowledge
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Glyphs, images, literature, scribes, cartography
Worshipers: Historians, loremasters, sages, scholars, scribes, seekers of enlightenment, students
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Protection, [Rune]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: A whirling glyph (dagger)
In the realm of the ideal, a single work of writing when read, will unlock the secrets of the multiverse, catapulting its reader to the heights of godhood. The pursuit of this work, known as the Metatext, consumes the deity Deneir (deh-neer) and his followers. It is said that Deneir, a servant of Oghma the Binder, first achieved his position among the deities by glimpsing the merest portion of this text, and that the need to read the entire work gives him purpose. Deneir believes that the Metatext is reflected in the Prime Plane through snippets of every written work ever committed to paper. A word here, a juxtaposition of letters there, and (rarely) even entire sentences of particularly enlightened writing echo the ideal work. As patron to artists, illuminators, cartographers, and scribes, the Lord of All Glyphs and Images oversees all written creation, desperately hunting his elusive charge.
Deneir's church is concerned with the gathering and recording of information so that nothing written is lost. Most keep a journal of their activities, including poems, songs, and stories they hear on their journeys. Each cleric takes a vow of charity, agreeing to write or read letters and transcribe information (this is done for free for the poor, at the cost of materials plus a silver piece for those able to afford it, and a standard scribe's rates for the well-off). They teach people how to read and most learn the Scribe Scroll feat in order to be able to make magical scrolls.
Glyphscribes, as clerics of Deneir are known, pray for spells in the morning. Glyphscribes retain a written copy of every missive they record, and on the 3rd of Ches each cleric turns over a bundle of the most interesting of such copies to their local temple. High clerics pore over these works, searching for a hint of the Metatext. The most promising morsels, often no more than one or two words, are sent to the Iron Dragon Mountain temple hidden in the Earthfast Mountains, there to be added to Librarian Supreme Haliduth Orspriir's incomplete, living record of that elusive manuscript. Those glyphscribes who multiclass often do so as loremasters, capitalizing on the unusual knowledge gained while practicing their craft.
Whereas Oghma represents the spark of creativity, his scribe concerns himself with recording the epiphanies of mankind. Thus the two share a symbiotic relationship; the Binder appreciates Deneir's dedication to truth and study. He knows little of the obscure Metatext, suspecting that his servant chases shadows of the mind, following the half-imagined ramblings of a thousand mad scholars. Deneir displays few of the characteristics associated with madness; his stodgy, studious outlook on life (not to mention his interest in magical matters) makes him popular among the deities of magic such as Mystra, Azuth, and especially Savras. Lliira fancies she can scare some fun into Deneir, and gains endless enjoyment from making him uncomfortable. Those who hide knowledge, such as Cyric, Shar, and Mask, or those who destroy it, such as the Deities of Fury, fill the usually calm Deneir with rage.
Information that is not recorded and saved for later use is information that is lost. Punish those who deface or destroy a book in proportion to the value of the information lost. Literacy is an important gift from Deneir; spread it wherever you travel, that it might couch the hearts and minds of all Faerun. Fill idle hours with the copying of written work, for in such a manner do you propagate knowledge and aid the pursuit of the Metatext. Information should be free to all and all should be able to read it so that lying tongues cannot distort things out of proportion.
Goddess of Singing Waters, Mother Guardian of Groves, the Green Goddess
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Waterfall plunging into a still pool
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Quiet places, springs, pools, peace, waterfalls
Worshipers: Druids, pacifists, rangers
Domains: Good, Plant, Protection, Water, [Family]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: Net (net or unarmed strike)
Eldath (el-dath) is the guardian of groves, and her presence is felt wherever there is calm. She is a pacifist who avoids hostile action, even if threatened. Although she, quiet, and enigmatic, Eldath is possessed of unknown depths of character and unexpressed resolve that cannot be broken. She meets challenges by strategically withdrawing, a course of action that in time always leads opponents to overextend into an untenable position in which their reinforcements have been converted to her side. Recently she has been suffering many attacks from Malar and his followers, with the People of the Black Blood despoiling several of her sacred pools.
Eldathyn are organized in a simple hierarchy where a dozen or so clerics report to a senior cleric who in turn reports to a grand cleric responsible for a realm or larger region. Most dwell in forest communities with open-air sacred places of worship, spending their lives tending unspoiled places to ensure that they survive and even flourish in the face of human and other depredations. They rarely resort to any sort of open confrontation, instead working subtly. Few Eldathyn live in large settlements, but many dwell in springside cottages within an easy ride of settlements. Clergy of Eldath are all taught to swim, and often teach this skill to nonbelievers in return for small offerings of food and coins. Many learn the Brew Potion feat.
Clerics and druids of Eldath pray for their spells once per day at a time selected after great personal reflection. The only calendar-related holy day of the church is the Greening, a gathering and festival celebrated at Greengrass. It is preceded by the Firstflow, a festival held at varying times when the waters break up and begin to flow at the conclusion of winter. The Chant of the Fastness is performed at the dedication of new open air temples or shrines of the goddess, where the water is blessed and empowered with healing magic for a few days. Many clerics and druids multiclass as rangers.
Eldath is a quiet, enigmatic figure who is rarely remembered in the pages of Faerunian history. She serves Silvanus alongside Mielikki, but finds the Oakfather's robustness intimidating. Mielikki and Eldath consider each other sisters. She also maintains close relations with Chauntea, Selune, and Lathander, for they share common interests. While Eldath opposes all that Tempus stands for, she does not consider him a personal foe. He in turn considers her naïve, but respects her convictions and generally ignores her.
Peace can only come from within and cannot be taught or imposed. Seek stillness and thereby find peace. Plant trees and green-leafed things and tend such things when they need it, wherever they may be. Nurture and aid, and do not to restrict or punish. Work violence only to defend, and slay no thing of the forest except to prevent it from slaying themselves or another under their protection. Swear to take no thinking life except in direst need. Share with all beings the beneficial things that grow in or come from running water that all may know of and praise Eldath.
The Nameless Bard
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: White harp on gray circle
Home Plane: Gates of the Moon
Alignement: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Renewal, cycles of life, transformation of art, saurials
Worshipers: Artists, bards, saurials
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Healing, [Renewal], [Scalykind]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CG, TN, CN, CE
Favored Weapon: "Sword of Songs" (bastard sword)
Finder Wyvernspur (find-er wihv-urn-spur) is both the deity of reinvention and the example most commonly cited of overweening pride. Finder's temperament is slowly shifting from that of a vain and selfish man to a deity dedicated toward responsible actions and good deeds. He works not only to spread his songs among bards of Faerun, but to encourage all artists and prod them to grow by changing, transforming, and recreating the medium, a radical departure from his old determinably fixed nature.
The church of Finder is small indeed, consisting primarily of struggling young bards and artists seeking to gain fame. Its existence is seen as somewhat of a threat by the clergies of Oghma, Milil, and Lathander, despite general support from those deities themselves. Among the saurials of the Lost Vale (a hidden valley near the Dalelands), Finder's church has become well-established, as the deity is respected or venerated by most members of the race. Clerics of Finder, few that there are, spend their days creating and recreating their own art and spreading Finder's dogma across Faerun. Many make their living by teaching music, a practice strongly encouraged by the deity.
Clerics of Finder pray for their spells at dawn, when the night is reborn into day. The only official holy day of the church is the 20th of Marpenoth, the day Finder destroyed Moander's physical manifestation and then the deity's true form in the Abyss. Saurials celebrate this day as a day of emancipation, while humans celebrate it as the day Finder realized even his own music could be improved by change. In both cases, this day is observed with music, dancing, plays, and the unveiling of static art creations. Many clerics multiclass as bards.
A founding member of the Harpers, Finder was later judged to have betrayed their ideals when his overweening pride resulted in the death of one apprentice and the suicide of another. After a long period of banishment, he was freed by an adventurer and later became a god at the end of the Time of Troubles by slaying Moander and seizing his divine spark. In doing so, he freed the saurials of the Lost Vale, an act that gained him their worship. As a new deity, Finder is still finding his way, although he has formed strong relationships with Tymora and Selune. In time, he is likely to ally himself with all gods who had a hand in the founding of the Harpers.
Many deities and their worshipers have worked against Finder. Cultists who sought the rebirth of Moander, including elven cultists who are secretly backed by Lolth, opposed Finder. Reptilian deities such as Sebek, Set, and Tiamat attacked Finder since he serves as the patron of saurials. Deities such as Talona and Yurtrus wished to usurp Moander's original portfolio of decay from him, and even Gargauth wanted to steal rot as a form of corruption.
Following the seizure of the Decay portfolio by Zuggtmoy in the process of her own consumption of another fragment of Moander's divinity and ensuing ascension, the porfolio was eventually schismed between the two battling deities, divided into the Rot portfolio kept by Zuggtmoy and the Renewal portfolio recovered and fully claimed by Finder. The newly-ascended Goddess of Rot no doubt desires to reclaim the severed half of the original portfolio, but now has many other enemies of her own to deal with - including many of the gods originally pursuing Finder for that very prize - to focus all of her ire upon the Nameless Bard.
Art that is forced to remain immutable is a sign of stagnation and spiritual rot. In order to thrive, people must be willing to change and transform their art so they can be renewed by it. Art has the power to influence people and politics. Although that should not be its sole use, it art can be used to keep people free and independent from social or political tyranny, it is most proper that it be used so. All art is pleasing to Finder. Artistic expression should also be encouraged in all--children and adult, amateur and professional. While those persons who have learned and mastered disciplines of expression are much to be admired, also recognize the importance of natural talents.
The Reaver, Master of All Weapons, Lord of War
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: A pinwheel of five snaky arms clutching swords
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignement: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: War, skill-at-arms, destruction, plunder
Worshipers: Barbarians, fighters, rangers, soldiers, spies, warriors
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Strength, War
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CG, TN, CN, CE
Favored Weapon: "The Tentacus" (longsword)
The goal of every worshiper of Garagos (gah-rah-gohs) the Reaver is to be covered in their enemy's blood at the heart of a conflict they initiated. Once Garagos was an honored deity of war, a being associated more with military victory through fury than perseverance through sound tactical decisions. He eventually came into conflict with the young demigod Tempus, who vied for his dominance over warcraft. The Tome of Foehammer's Triumph, a collection of scriptures held holy by the church of Tempus, tells of a century-long battle in which the Lord of Battle finally defeated Garagos by turning the Reaver's mindless fury against him. Long though slain, Garagos reappeared in the recent past, either awakened from ageless slumber or resurrected by a devoted cult of worshipers. His newest incarnation seems utterly devoid of the craftiness he once possessed. Instead, Garagos is a being of idiot rage, a violent six-armed whirlwind of carnage that seems to exist only to destroy.
Bloodreavers pray for spells in the morning. Ceremonies to the Lord of War typically involve bloodletting as well as anointing the faithful in the blood of their enemies. Though a few well-kept clerics prefer to sow discord through guile in the courts of cities across Faerun, most of Garagos's feral clerics eschew bathing, proudly wearing multiple coats of enemy blood. The blood obsession of the cult of the Master of All Weapons has led many to conclude that services to Garagos involve soome degree of vampirism, but a direct link has never been proven. Indeed, most vampires would be more likely to treat a blood-soaked cleric of Garagos as a particularly hearty meal than consider him an ally. Bloodreavers usually multiclass as barbarians.
Though chaotic neutral, the debased, insane Garagos stands on the brink of evil. A nearly elemental force of destruction, the Reaver has no allies in the pantheons of Abeir-Toril--the other gods deal with Garagos simply by staying the hell away from him. Despite his vacant mind, Garagos still harbors deep resentment against Tempus and his catspaw, the Red Knight. Should these deities meet in the field of combat, there's little doubt that the Reaver would come out the worst for it. Eventually, however, Garagos's destructive capabilities might transcend tactical weaknesses, and on such a day, the followers fo Tempus are sure to know true despair.
Peace is for weak fools. War makes all participants strong, and only in head-to-head conflict is honor satisfied. Only cowards avoid battle. Any who strike down a foe from ambush or from behind demonstrate cowardice. Retreat is never an option, even in the face of a greater foe, for it a warrior's heart is focused on Garagos, the deity will provide strength enough to conquer any enemy.
The Tenth Lord of Nine, the Lost Lord of the Pit, the Hidden Lord
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Broken animal horn
Home Plane: Material
Alignement: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Betrayal, cruelty, political corruption, traitors
Worshipers: Corrupt leaders and politicians, sorcerers, traitors
Domains: Charm, Evil, Law, Trickery
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LN, LE, NE
Favored Weapon: "Corruptor" (dagger or darts)
Gargauth (gar-goth) embodies the inevitable decay and corruption that accompanies all self-serving, greedy, and power-hungry leaders and groups. Gargauth's malevolency and cruelty are made all the worse by the veneer of civility and compassion he wears when first encountered. Gargauth holds to the letter of any agreement, not the spirit, and relishes betraying anyone with whom he forges a pact by twisting the contract to serve his own ends. Gargauth is a master strategist, and his sense of humor moderates his temper. He can be erudite, charming, and genteel, but his true nature always reveals itself eventually. In truth, the Lord Who Watches is utterly depraved, the incarnation of evil most foul.
The church of Gargauth is a secretive faith, although there are some significant exceptions. Clerics work to increase their personal power, the power of the church, and, by extension, the power of Gargauth. Clerics are expected to be Gargauth's eyes and ears throughout Faerun. They are to entice and corrupt powerful individuals and leaders in communities throughout Faerun and bind them into strict contracts favorable to Gargauth's goals. They seek to seize positions of power whenever possible and integrate their positions into the secretive hierarchy of the faith. Gargauth has directed his followers to undermine other evil faiths and steal their worshipers rather than waste energy in conflicts with good deities.
Clerics of Gargauth pray for their spells at dusk, when night first begins to corrupt the day. The church of Gargauth celebrates two holy days. The Unveiling occurs each Midwinter night. This horrific ceremony, believed to involve many gruesome sacrifices, heralds the imminent time when Gargauth seizes Faerun as his unholy kingdom and transports it to Baator to form the Tenth Pit of Hell. The Binding is celebrated on the eve of the Feast of the Moon. It is a personal ritual in which each cleric renews his eternal contract with Gargauth, trading absolute fealty for increased power. This unholy ritual is believed to involve personal sacrifices of money, magic, and hoarded knowledge and the casting of many horrific spells. Gargauth's clergy mark all agreements with signed contracts consecrated in the name of the Lord Who Watches. Many clerics multiclass as divine disciples or sorcerers.
Gargauth is a former arch-devil whose foul nature was too much even for others of his ilk. Exiled from the Nine Hells, gargauth took to wandering the planes, returning time and again to Toril. His cult blossomed during the war between the Harpers and the malaugryms. In addition to the Dark Deities, Gargauth is also opposed to evil deities such as Cyric and Shar. He poses a particular threat to Siamorphe, given his interest in corrupting those who she holds up as shining paragons of virtue.
Life is all about the accumulation of power. Civilization is a thin veneer over the base desires that make up the core of every living being. Those who wish to survive and prosper must recognize this truth and concentrate all their resources on the pursuit of power. To achieve power one should use one's charms and honeyed words or a barbed and bloody dagger as appropriate for the situation. It is more important to rule than to sit on the throne. Keep to the letter of any agreement and the rules established by those more powerful, but be prepared to twist any contract or stricture so as to maximize the benefit you receive.
Wonderbringer, Lord of All Smiths
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: A toothed metal, bone, or wood cog with four spokes
Home Plane: House of Knowledge
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Artifice, craft, construction, smith work
Worshipers: Blacksmiths, crafters, engineers, gnomes, inventors, Lantanese, woodworkers
Domains: Earth, Fire, Knowledge, Metal, [Craft], [Planning]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: Any
Favored Weapon: "Craftmaster" (warhammer)
Gond (gahnd) is a burly smith with a mighty hammer, forge, and anvil that allow him to craft the stuff of stars. Venerated by humans and gnomes (who know him as Nebelun) alike, Gond transforms ideas into concrete form and inspires mortals to make new things. He cares only for the act of creation, playing little heed to the consequences of letting loose his inventions into the world. Some in the church of Mystra oppose the Wonderbringer for holding technology over the Art, but in truth Gond views magic as simply another tool by which he can create new devices.
The church of Gond is largely tolerated across Faerun. Its members are found in human-ruled bastions of evil and strongholds of good alike, as well as in an increasing number of rock gnome communities. Only in the island realm of Lantan is his faith preeminent, anointed as the state of religion. In the lands of Durpar, Estagund, and Var the Golden the deity is known as Zionil, patron of inventors, craft folk, and creators. Most merchants cultivate strong relationships with the local clergy of the Wonderbringer, in hopes of acquiring and selling their latest inventions at great profit. However, at times the followers of Gond inadvertently create something that upsets existing markets, earning them sudden and unexpected hostility from other faiths.
In recent years, the church of Gond has earned the ire of rulers across Faerun for introducing smoke powder and firearms to the realms. Most view such weapons as a threat to their authority, as they approximate the power of a wizard's spells yet are useble by commoners who are not invested in supporting the status quo. Only continued efforts by the church of Gond have kept smoke powder in check and, inadvertently, preserved the faith's untrammeled status in most cities. The church takes whatever steps are necessary to ensure such technology remains proprietary, eliminating rivals with sabotage, diplomacy, and financial influence.
Clerics of Gond pray for their spells in the morning before the morning meal. Daily rituals to Gond are simple: muttered prayers upon rising and retiring, which are often incorporated into dressing or disrobing, and a longer prayer of thanks at the main meal. Clerics offer a special prayer of thanks and dedication of their work before commencing any new creation (as opposed to repair or maintenance). Their one holy festival is the Ippensheir, named for Ippen, Gond's First Servant, and celebrated during the twelve days immediately following Greengrass. All clergy of Gond and his devout worshipers gather at a temple, abbey, or holy site where a famed inventor or craftsmen once worked. It is a time of feasting, drinking, and revelry, during which they show inventions to and share innovations with their fellow Gondar. Some visit as many gatherings of the faithful as they can during this time, using a network of portals maintained by the church to link major defensible holy houses.
One strange practice of the faith requires that Gondar make two copies of any new machine or tool they discover, if possible. One copy is hidden away against the prying eyes of thieves or vandals for later display to fellow Gondar, and the other is smashed--or preferably, burned--as part of the Sacred Unmaking, a prayer of offering to Gond. This ceremony reinforces Gond's dominion over both constructive and destructive engineering. Some clerics multiclass as rogues, but only out of an interest in lock picks and other small tools. Many become techsmiths.
Gond is an enigmatic deity. He serves Oghma in the thirst for knowledge, but is so independent of his superior that many forget their relationship. He is friendly with Lathander, Waukeen, and Tempus, for his inventions relate to creativity, profit, and war, respectively. His only true foe is Talos, whose unhindered destruction threatens not only Gond's inventions but also his dominion over devices of destruction.
Actions count. Intentions and thought are one thing, but it is the result that is most important. Talk is for others, while those who serve Gond do. Make new things that work. Become skilled at forging or some craft, and practice making things and various means of joining and fastening until you can create devices to suit any situation or space. Question and challenge the unknown with new devices. New inventions should be elegant and useful. Practice experimentation and innovation in the making of tools and the implementation of processes, and encourage these virtues in others through direct aid, sponsorship, and diplomatic support. Keep records of your strivings, ideas, and sample devices so that others may follow your work and improve on what you leave behind and encourage others, such as farmers and hunters, to think of new tools, improved ways of crafting and using their existing gear, and new ways of doing things. Observe, acquire, and store safely the makings of others and spread such knowledge among the Consecrated of Gond. Discuss ideas and spread them so that all may see the divine light that is the Wonderbringer.
Except on the island of Lantan, the church of Gond consists largely of itinerant clerics who move from town to hamlet to city, finding employment as master crafters, builders, smiths, and engineers. Settling in one place is frowned upon unless a cleric can show his or her superiors that the prospective home is a center for innovation that bears constant watching, such as Waterdeep, Athkatla, Suzail, or Zhentil Keep. The church encourages making a handsome living in service to the Wonderbringer, however, for how better to demonstrate the rewards of following the Way of Gond? As they travel, Gondar clergy establish caches, investments, and alliances, and grab samples of any new inventions they come across. It is their duty to assist inventors and innovators and to file regular reports with the nearest Master (one who leads a religious community or tends a holy site) by means of messengers of the faith.
Temples of Gond tend to be imposing stone structures, boxy in shape and encircled with stout-pillared porticos. Little decoration adorns the interior aside from sprawling displays of items created by members of the clergy. Some such exhibits are of historical interest, while others represent the latest creative endeavors of master crafters. The central altar of the temple always involves a massive anvil surrounded by endlessly spinning cogs in a great machine. Backrooms serve as workshops, crammed with projects both ongoing and abandoned.
Gondar clergy wear saffron ceremonial vestments with a crimson collar and stole. Over the right or left shoulder, they wear a leather sash ending in a large pouch. The sash is dotted with small metal tools, gears, wire, cord, locks, hooks, hasps, buckles, and bits of steel, tin, and wool--in short, anything that might prove interesting or useful in a pinch (including lock picks for those skilled at such things). Their vestments also include enormous sunhats and belts of large, linked metal medallions. They wear Gond's holy symbol as a pendant fashioned of bone, brass, bronze, or ivory.
The heart of the Gondar faith is the High Holy Crafthouse of Inspiration in the city of Illul in Lanthan. This large, walled monastery is run by Danactar the High Artificer, Most Holy Servant of Gond, the highest-ranking mortal cleric of the Wonderbringer. Although in theory the High Artificer's authority extends over all Faerun, in practice the church of Gond is loosely organized into three major branches. On the isle of Lantan and Suj (Lantan's southern companion isle), Danactar reigns supreme in all matters ecclesiastical and is a leading member of the Ayrorch, the council of twelve that rules Lantan. The High Artificer's word also carries great authority among lantanese expatriates, itinerant merchants whose maroon-sailed, lateen-rigged ships ply the southern seas of Faerun. The word of Danactar is typically presented by the Lantar, the chief Lantanese envoy, currently a high-ranking cleric of Gond named Bloenin. Among the rest of the Gondar faith, the High Artificer is known and nominally acknowledged, but few pay great heed to edicts from distant Illul. Such independence among the Gondar of mainland Faerun can only increase following the recent destruction of Tilverton, home to the House of the Wonderbringer, the most prominent church of Gond in central Faerun.
Outside the ecclesiastical hierarchy, most members of the church of Gond are members of one or more honorary orders and societies sponsored by the faith. These include the Order of Puissant Stonemasons and Stonecarvers, the Holy Order of Most Skilled Architects and Bridgemakers, the Armorers of the Wonderbringer, the Most Arcane Order of Gearmakers, Clockmakers, and Automationists, the Society of Creative Castle Design and Construction, and the Industrious Brothers and Sisters of Carpentry, Cabinetry, Puppetry, and Toymaking.
Earthlord, King of the Land Below the Roots
Greater Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Mountains on purple
Home Plane: Elemental Plane of Earth
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Elemental earth, solidity, changelessness, oaths
Worshipers: Elemental archons (earth), fighters, monks, rangers
Domains: Darkness, Earth, Metal, [Cavern], [Time]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: NG, LN, TN, CN, NE
Favored Weapon: A stony fist (warhammer)
Grumbar (grum-bar) is the elemental embodiment of earth. He is one of the four elemental deities worshiped in Faerun but, like all except Kossuth, has a very small following. He cares only slightly for his followers, accepting offerings of sardonyx, jasper, and other stones without complaint or comment. Grumbar's gifts are most often protective magics or knowledge of the underearth's secret places or rich lodes or ore, though he seems to mete them out without determinable reason.
The church of Grumbar is organized into small sects known as Holds, each comprising seven clerics, seven monks, and seven rangers and as many laity as can be supported. There is little dissension within Holds, and little interaction between Holds. Those who follow the Earthlord can often be found in public preaching against the evils of boarding ships and setting sail to uncharted lands, preferring exporation on the continent of Faerun. Many of the clergy members preach that "more than enough problems exist to occupy our time here at home without looking for new troubles." Grumbar's clergy members also take stances against changes in the social code, changes in government, the building of new landmarks that change the face of the land (such as dams) and changes in their own religion.
Clerics of Grumbar pray for their spells at dawn while giving thanks that the earth remained stable while they slept. The only official holy day of the church is Midwinter, when a festival is held to celebrate the completion of another year and to plan the faith's activities for the upcoming year. Once set, such plans never change. Grumbaryn faithful swear an Oath of Landwalking never to travel through air or across water unless their life depends upon it. Grumbar's clerics often multiclass as elemental archons.
Grumbar is one of the four elemental lords who seem to stand apart from history, unchanged by the passage of time. He has ties to other gods concerned with the element of earth, including Geb, Garl Glittergold, Dumathoin, Laduguer, and Urogalan, but no strong relationships. He opposes flighty, inconsistent Akadi at every opportunity.
The eternal Grumbar is perfect and unchanging. Strive to be more like the eternal one, not to change or allow change to happen. One's given word is the bedrock upon which is stable society is built. To break an oath is to cause a crack in the foundation of civilization. Go forth and spread the word of Grumbar and show through your works the stability and safety he brings.
Master of Tracking, the Tracker Who Never Goes Astray
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: White star and brown paw print
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Tracking, rangers of the North
Worshipers: Druids, rangers, troll hunters
Domains: Animal, Good, Knowledge, Plant, Travel
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: "Flameheart" (greatsword)
Gwaeron Windstrom (gwair-on wind-strahm) is the quiet, reclusive patron of rangers of the North who always appears as a tall and physically impressive human male stripped to the waist with flowing white hair and a long white beard. Taciturn and slow to anger, the Master of Tracking prefers to instruct through example, not words, and his rage, once ignited, is a terrible thing. He loathes trolls, and is known to stalk them across the Evermoors. Although Gwaeron is highly respected by rangers active in the North, his faith is more one of emulation than veneration.
There is not an organized Gwaeronan church distinct from the church of Mielikki, and the existence of his faith is little known outside the ranks of northern rangers. Rather, most shrines of the Lady of the Forest in the North include a small shrine or side altar to the Master of Tracking within their confines. Gwaeron's followers, known as Stalkers of the Silent Path, work to keep the numbers of trolls, orcs, and other humanoids in check across the North and oppose the followers of Malar at every turn.
Clerics and druids of Gwaeron Windstrom pray for their spells at dusk, when many wild beasts emerge from their dens to forage and hunt. Gwaeron's followers observe no holy days other than those celebrated by Mielikki. After a successful "stalk," those who invoke Gwaeron's name are expected to leave a circle of six footprints in the ground with their right foot, the heel of each print neatly touching and the toes facing outward. Almost all clerics and druids of Gwaeron Windstrom multiclass as rangers.
Gwaeron roamed the North as a mortal ranger many centuries ago and is said to sleep in a stand of trees just to the west of the town of Triboar, known as Gwaeron's Slumber. Along with Lurue and Shiallia, the Master of Tracking serves Mielikki by teaching her rangers the way to read forest signs. He reports indirectly to Silvanus. He has forged alliances with the deities of the elven, gnome, and halfling pantheons whose portfolios most closely match those of Mielikki, Silvanus, and his own. He opposes Malar the Beastlord. Given that his following is so small and so similar to that of Mielikki, he may be accidentally subsumed as an aspect of the Forest Queen or fall prey to Malar if he is not careful.
Intelligent beings can live in harmony with the wild without requiring the destruction of one in the name of the other. Embrace the wild and fear it not, because the wild ways are the good ways. Keep the Balance and learn the hidden ways of life, but stress the positive and outreaching nature of the wild. Do not allow trees to be needlessly felled or the forest needlessly burned. Live as one with the woods, teach others to do so, and punish and curtail those that hunt for sport or practice cruelties on wild creatures.
The Watcher, the Vigilant One
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Staring eye with blue pupil on the front of upright war gauntlet
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Guardians, protectors, protection
Worshipers: Explorers, fighters, guards, mercenaries, paladins
Domains: Law, Protection, Strength, [Planning]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "Ever Watchful" (bastard sword)
Helm (helm) is the ultimate guardian, the ever-vigilant sentry who allows nothing to compromise his duty. Often seen as cold and emotionless, he appears as a giant man in full plate armor. In truth, Helm is simply a stern disciplinarian dedicated to his appointed task. He is fond of children and more tolerant of their minor infractions than of anyone else's. Many believe that Helm would give his own life to guard something entrusted to him. He is silent on the matter.
The church of Helm was once seen as a bastion of stability and safety in the oft-dangerous North. Its members were highly respected for their pledge to defend civilization against the dangers of the wild and the monsters of the depths. However, during the past fourteen years it has shrunk greatly in numbers and influence. Helm served his duty faithfully and faultlessly during the Time of Troubles, but he played a role in confining the other deities to Faerun. The death and destruction that resulted from the Avatar Crisis earned the Vigilant One and his followers a great deal of enmity from members of other faiths, particularly those of Mystra, Bane, and Torm. In the South, Helm's role during the Time of Troubles was not viewed as unfavorably as it was in the North, but recent events have further sullied the name of the deity and his clergy. Word has begun to trickle back to Faerun of the church's activities in far-off Maztica; the brutal and unflinching subjugation of the native populace and the rape of the verdant land's riches. The church is only just starting to recover, thanks in large parts to the need for skilled guardians to defend against the waxing power of evil.
Clerics of Helm pray for their spells in the morning promptly after rising or just before retiring for the evening. Their one holy day is the Ceremony of Honor to Helm, which takes place on Shieldmeet. The most holy major Helmite ceremonies are the Consecration of a Postulant, which confirms a seeker as one of the clergy, and the Consecration of a Glymtul, which dedicates an special item to Helm's service (glymtal is an ancient word for "favored thing"). Other ceremonies of note are the Purification and the Holy Vigil. The Purification is a renewal of faith undergone by beings returning to the faith or atoning for a shortcoming in vigilance, loyalty, or worship. The Holy Vigil marks the ascension of a cleric to a higher rank. It is a nightlong ceremony that tests the willpower of the candidate, whose weapon is enspelled to levitate by a senior cleric through ritual magic, the candidate's concentration keeps it hovering. Clerics of Helm never command undead, although evil clerics may rebuke undead. They most commonly multiclass as fighters or paladins.
Helm always borne a heavy load, symbolized by his omnipresent suit of armor. As the eternal sentry, he knows that the end of the world will inevitably come on his watch. Nevertheless, he serves without complaint, willing to make any sacrifice to protect his charge. Thus, Helm is implacably opposed to the machinations of Bane, Cyric, and Shar, whose insidious plots eternally threatened Faerun. He also fights the unbridled fury and destructive impulses of Garagos and Talos at every turn. Helm is not amused by Mask's thievery or his jests, viewing the Lord of Shadows as simply another threat to be defeated. Of the good-aligned deities, only Torm truly understands Helm's unbending commitment to his charge. Relations between the Loyal Fury and the Vigilant One are strong, enough so that the two churches have grudgingly begun to heal the rift between them, at the command of their respective deities.
Never betray your trust. Be vigilant. Stand, wait, and watch carefully. Be fair and diligent in the conduct of your orders. Protect the weak, poor, injured, and young, and do not sacrifice them for others or yourself. Anticipate attacks and be ready. Know your foes. Care for your weapons so they may perform their duties when called upon. Careful planning always defeats rushed actions in the end. Always obey orders, providing those orders follow the dictates of Helm. Demonstrate excellence and purity of loyalty in your role as a guardian and protector.
Helmite clergy believe they can win back the rightful power of Helm only through demonstrating excellence of vigilance and purity of loyalty. In their roles as guardians and protectors, they have set about training bodyguards everywhere and spread the word that only Helm tested worshipers of the Vigilant One are truly reliable. The church of Torm greets such claims coolly, though, ensuring that true rapprochement between the faiths will be long in coming.
Temples of Helm are always imposing edifices built solely for defense. Many are fortified abbeys located near dangerous and evil areas, where they form a line of defense against the encroachment of powerful enemies. Major cities usually have a temple or shrine to Helm, for his clerics make excellent guards or leaders of guards. Wherever they are located, Helm's faithful watch their houses of worship with unceasing vigilance. Frequent guards are spectators, a race of smaller beholderkin, which infuriates the church of Bane and its allied beholders. At the heart of the endless barracks, armories, and training chapels is the central altar, which is always a massive suit of full plate mail. All such suits of armor are holy relics of the faith, having once been worn by one of Helm's most esteemed champions. All who seek sanctuary are welcome within a temple of Helm, but if they are accused of a crime, they must willingly submit to the local laws of the land and its justice, if lawfully executed. Despite its risks, many accept this condition, for Helm's followers always ensure that the accused receives a fair trial.
Clerics of Helm wear spotless, shining, full plate armor (often with the everbright property) and open-faced helms, often topped with plumes. They may drape this armor with red cloaks and tabards of steely gray, and such garments--or the armor itself--may be adorned with the Unsleeping Eye in the center of both back and breast. In southern regions, Helmite clergy often wear fine full plate set with gems and worked with gold filigree, accentuating great golden eyes set in the centers of both breastplate and back. In areas where heavily armored clerics are frowned on, the armor is reduced to a set of heavy shoulder plates, but the helm always remains.
The church of Helm is organized into a strict military hierarchy, and every member of the faith can easily determine his or her rank relative to the others. In centuries past all members of the faith ultimately reported to a single Supreme Watcher, but there has been no pontiff of the faith since the Year of the Watching Helm (992 DR). It is whispered, always out of range of known Helmites, that the taint of corruption had spread among the seniormost clergy of the Watcher in that era, and that the deity himself came to smite those who would betray their sacred trust. In the centuries since that purging of the faith, the church of Helm has been ruled by the Council of Helms, an assembly of the elder members of the faith. Chief among its duties is to be ever vigilant against the taint of corruption spreading in its own ranks, a practice that has proved effective in rooting out insidious threats to the faith.
Many Helmite abbeys maintain powerful church armies or sponsor orders of guardians. The Companions of the One True Vision is an order of crusading Helmite clerics and fighters, whose members were known for unswerving loyalty. Their shock troops followed orders to engage the most difficult objectives without breaking and held the most trying positions against overwhelming odds. Recently, however, members of this order, many of whom served in the Helmite actions in Maztica, have taken a beating in popular reputation. Other orders include a small fellowship of battlefield healers known as the Watchers Over the Fallen, a group of dedicated bodyguards called the Everwatch Knights whom Helmite temples hire out to generate revenue, and an order of paladins called the Vigilant Eyes of the Deity.
The Doombringer, Lord of Three Thunders
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Black-gloved hand holding a coin with a two-faced head
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Revenge, retribution, poetic justice
Worshipers: Assassins, fighters, rogues, seekers of retribution
Domains: Law, Travel, [Fate], [Retribution]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "Retribution's Sting" (spear)
Hoar (hore) is the vengeful deity of retribution invoked by those who seek to repay an eye for an eye. He is a moody deity, prone to violence and with a penchant toward bitter humor. Since the Time of Troubles, the Doombringer has been consumed with bringing about the downfall of Anhur, the Mulhorandi's deity of war, and to a lesser extent the pantheon that spawned him.
Aside from a handful of temples, the church of Hoar is composed primarily of itinerant wanderers who travel from town to town agreeing to pray for Hoar's intercession on behalf of one who seeks or fears vengeance for some attack in exchange for a small fee. Charlatans receive a fitting punishment by Hoar's hand. Hoar's clergy also seek out victims of injustice, hear their stories, evaluate the veracity of their accounts, and track down the perpetrators in order to inflict a fitting form of punishment. No injustice is too large or too small for revenge to be sought and a fitting punishment meted out, earning the church of Hoar the ire of town watches and Tyrists alike as well as the adulation of the downtrodden.
Clerics of Hoar pray for their spells at midnight, when the bells toll for those deserving of fitting justice. Clerics of Hoar are encouraged to celebrate the anniversary of the most fitting and sweetest act of revenge. Silent or thunderous praises (as appropriate) must be given to Hoar each and every time some form of vengeance is exacted. In addition, the church of Hoar observes two official holy days. On the 11th of Eleint, the Penultimate Thunder is celebrated with feasts of game, bread, fruits, and mead, marking the defeat of the Untheric war god Ramman. On the 11th of Marpenoth, the Impending Doom is observed with daylong ceremonies of rumbling drums, vigorous oaths, and exhausting acts of purification. It celebrates justices yet to be meted out, revenges yet to be carried through with, and good deeds that call to the celebrants to be remembered. Many clerics of Hoar multiclass as assassins, fighters, or rogues.
Hoar is actually the ancient Untheric deity worshipped in the eastern Inner Sea lands as Assuran. Centuries ago, he was driven from Unther by Ramman, although his cult remained strong in Chessenta. He eventually slew his rival during the Time of Troubles, but Anhur stole Ramman's unclaimed portfolio before Hoar could act, earning Hoar's ire. Both Tyr and Shar contest for Hoar's tormented soul, as the Dark Goddess seeks to turn him into a servant of blind vengeance and bitterness while the Maimed God seeks to unlock Hoar's bittersweet humor and shift his portfolio to favor irony and poetic justice. Meanwhile, Hoar conspires with Beshaba in unleashing bad luck on the deserving.
Uphold true and fitting justice and maintain the spirit of law, not the letter of law. Fitting recompense will always accrue for one's actions. Violence will meet violence and evil pay back evil, but good will also come to those who do good. Walk the line of the Doombringer's teachings, seeking retribution, but do not fall into the trap of pursuing evil acts for evil's sake, for that way is seductive and leads only to one's downfall. Vengeance must be sought for all injustices, and all punishments must fit the crime. Revenge is sweetest when it is sharpened with irony. All attacks must be avenged. Those who do not respond to attacks against their person or that which they hold dear only invite future attacks.
The Crying God, the Broken God
Intermediate God
Symbol: Pair of white hands bound at the wrist with a red cord
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignement: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Endurance, suffering, martyrdom, perseverance
Worshipers: The lame, the oppressed, the poor, monks, paladins, serfs, slaves
Domains: Good, Healing, Law, Strength, Suffering
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN
Favored Weapon: An open hand (unarmed strike)
Gentle and good-spirited, Ilmater (ill-may-ter) is a quiet, even-tempered deity who willingly shoulders the burdens and tears of a long-suffering world. Although he is slow to anger, the wrath of the Broken Deity is terrible in the face of extreme cruelty or atrocities. He takes great care to reassure and protect children and young creatures, and he takes exceptional offense at those who would harm them. The Crying God appears as a man whose body has been badly mutilated by punishment on the rack, crisscrossed with marks of torture and having broken and ravaged joints. He is short, burly, balding, and wears only a breechcloth, but his kind, homely face is warm and comforting.
Misunderstood by most, pitied and even scorned by a vocal minority, the church of Ilmater yet has one of the largest and most faithful followings in Faerun. In a cruel world, the suffering, the sick, and the poor have come to rely only on the Crying God's followers to provide succor to all. The church of Ilmater is widely loved by common folk in settled lands everywhere, and its clergy can count on generous support in their lifelong mission of healing. Those who cannot comprehend why anyone would willingly submit to the torments and cruelties that Ilmater's faithful seem to welcome misunderstand the church. Among those who hate weakness, the church of the Crying God is seen as weak and foolhardy--cruel tyrants and powerful villains alike dangerously underestimate its members.
Clerics of Ilmater pray for spells in the morning, although they still have to ritually pray to Ilmater at least six times a day. They have no annual holy days, but occasionally a cleric calls for a Plea of Rest. This allows him or her a tenday of respite from Ilmater's dictates, to prevent emotional exhaustion or allow the cleric to do something Ilmater would normally frown upon. This custom is an established tradition that some leaders of the faith rely upon, sending their best fighting clergy out to do things that the church cannot otherwise accomplish (covertly removing a tyrant rather than confronting him openly, for example). The most important ritual is the Turning: It is the duty of every cleric of Ilmater to convince the dying to turn to Ilmater for comfort, receiving the blessing of the Broken God before they expire. (This deathbed prayer does not change the person's patron deity to Ilmater.) As the veneration of Ilmater grows, even in death, his healing power becomes greater. Many clerics learn the Brew Potion feat so that they can help those beyond their immediate reach. One group of Ilmatari monks, the Broken Ones, acts as defenders of the faithful and the church's temples, as well as agents of punishment for those who cruelly harm others. These monks can multiclass freely as arcane devotees, clerics, divine champions, divine disciples, divine seekers, or hierophants.
Ilmater is an older deity who has long been associated with Tyr (his superior) and Torm, who together they are known as the Triad. The Triad work together closely, for in union they are stronger than as individuals. Ilmater is also allied with Lathander. He opposes deities who enjoy destruction and causing pain and hardship for others, particularly Loviatar and Talona, whose natures are diametrically opposed to his own. Other foes include Bane, Garagos, Malar, Shar, and Talos.
Help all who hurt, no matter who they are. The truly holy take on the suffering of others. If you suffer in his name, Ilmater is there to support you. Stick to your cause if it is right, whatever the pain or peril. There is no shame in a meaningful death. Stand up to all tyrants, and allow no injustice to go unchallenged. Emphasize the spiritual nature of life over the existence of the material body.
Ilmatari share what they have with those in need and always take time to counsel those who are upset and care for the injured. Ilmatari speak for the oppressed, guide the lost, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and gather herbs and make medicines at all times for disasters to come. They bury the dead, treat the diseased, and give food, drink, and firewood to the poor. They see life as sacred and suffering as holy, but they do not stand in the way of others' desires or condemn them for their chosen path. When war is expected and time permits, clerics of Ilmater gather in strength with litters, shovels, tents, splints, bandages by the cartload, and wagons of medicines and healing potions to tend those who will soon suffer. They also tour the wealthier cities and settlements of Faerun soliciting money to support the church.
Temples of Ilmater are typically located in the countryside along major routes, serving as waystations for weary travelers. Most are named for an Ilmatari saint, of which there are many. Most are manors of a sort, with protective walls around at least a chapel, chapter house, stable, and garden. Many have facilities dedicated to the care of the sick and injured. Others contain libraries, monks' quarters separate from the chapter house, or barracks for an affiliated knightly order.
Ilmatari wear a solid gray tunic, tabard, and trousers, or gray robes. They wear skullcaps in gray (most clergy members) or red (senior clerics). Novices who have not yet been adorned wear no skullcaps. The symbol of Ilmater is worn as a pin over the heart or on a chain around the neck and serves as a holy symbol. Some of the older members of the faith have a gray teardrop tattooed to one side of their right or left eye.
The Adorned, as the clerics and monks of Ilmater are known, are organized in an informal hierarchy centered on the leader of a large temple, abbey, or monastery to whom the Ilmatari of the region report. Abbeys and monasteries are usually tied to specific temples, often adding a second tier in the informal hierarchy. There is no one pontiff of the faith or governing body, although the senior clergy come together for informal conclaves on occasion. Although most monks dwell separate from the church in monasteries or abbeys, some reside in Ilmatari temples as teachers or defenders.
Ilmater's church has several affiliated knightly orders of paladins and warriors, including the Companions of the Noble Heart, the Holy Warriors of Suffering, the Order of the Golden Cup, and the Order of the Lambent Rose. Monastic orders are also numerous, and include the Disciple of St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred, whose most famous facility, the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, is located in Damara, high up in the Earthspurs near the Glacier of the White Worm. (Monks of this monastery specialize in genealogical studies.) Other Ilmatari monastic orders include the Followers of the Unhindered Path, the Disciples of St. Morgan the Taciturn, the Sisters of St. Jasper of the Rocks. Most Ilmatari monasteries traditionally are named after flowers that symbolize something of significance to the order, though this is not mandated.
The Water Lord, King of the Water Elementals
Greater Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Cresting wave
Home Plane: Elemental Plane of Water
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Elemental water, purification
Worshipers: Bards, elemental archons (water), sailors, travelers
Domains: Destruction, Travel, Water, [Ocean], [Storm]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: NG, LN, TN, CN, NE
Favored Weapon: A wave (warhammer)
Istishia (is-tish-ee-ah) is the elemental embodiment of water. He is one of the four elemental deities worshiped in Faerun but, like all but Kossuth, has a very small following. He cares only slightly for his followers and is almost predictable in his incomprehensible and alien unpredictability. He represents the essence of water itself, the nature of slow change over time, and the ability of water to enact change. Most mortals consider his actions incomprehensible and like the other elemental lords he is almost indifferent to his own worshipers.
Istishia's church is organized into several sects that work together in order to accomplish goals for the different aspects of Istishia's worship. New sects are constantly being created and later reabsorbed into other sects. The church uses a unified ranking system so even members of different sects know their relative positions. Most clerics remain attached to a particular temple or region, but since they believe that doing so for too long results in stagnation they change temples about every five years. The clergy work to keep sources of water from becoming polluted and intercede between land and sea races. Their temples are well-known for crafting excellent pottery.
Clerics of Istishia pray for their spells at dawn while giving thanks for a drink of water. Spring tide and neap tide are celebrated with festivals that involve the boisterous tossing of new converts into water and a great deal of diving. Visitations between surface-dwelling churches and aquatic branches of the faith are common at such festivals. Istishia's clerics often multiclass as bards or elemental archons.
Istishia is one of the four elemental lords who seem to stand apart from history, unchanged by the passage of time. He has ties to other gods concerned with the element of water, including Deep Sashelas, Eldath, Valkur, and Umberlee, but no strong relationships. He opposes destructive Kossuth at every opportunity.
Everything is interconnected and cyclical. Water alyways triumphs, for earth dissolves through water, fire is extinguished even by steam, and air becomes clouds and then rain, completing the eternal cycle. The Water Lord is the great equalizer and leveler of the elements, acknowledging change but holding to his essential nature. Do not try to be what you are not; rather, excel at what you are and carry this message of personal excellence to the world. Be flexible but not unreasonable. As the rains flow down to the ocean in the folds of earth and not up mountains, so do the truths of Istishia spread throughout the land through their natural routes, not through rank force. The mysteries of life are to be enjoyed and puzzled over, but realize that some answers do not come in this world, but rather in the next. Realize that they cycles of life are mirrored by the cycle of fate; be prepared to pay the price of reap the reward for the actions of your past or your future.
Lord of the End of Everything, Scribe of the Doomed, the Pitiless One
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Jawless skull and writing quill on scroll
Home Plane: The Fugue Plane
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Fatalism, proper burial, guardian of tombs
Worshipers: Monks, necromancers, paladins
Domains: Law, Repose, Suffering, [Fate], [Rune]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: A white glove (scythe)
Jergal (jer-gull) is the fatalistic seneschal of the Lord of the Dead who keeps records on the final disposition of all the spirits of the dead. Both bland and excessively formal, he never angers and always speaks with a disembodied, chilling voice that echoes with the dry whisper of a long forsaken crypt. The Lord of the End of Everything strives only for an orderly accounting of the fate of the world as it slowly sinks into death.
The church of Jergal is small and secretive, a rigidly organized, almost monastic order of scribes known as the Scriveners of Doom. Based largely in lifeless stone mausoleums and dry, dusty crypts, its members spend their days maintaining and extending vast archives of scrolls listing how sentients under their purview passed away and their destination in the afterlife. Only in Thay, where death is a daily fact of life, has Jergal's church undergone a small renaissance. A handful of Jergal's followers still follow the old ways of the Companions of the Pallid Mask, on order whose members specialized in combating or commanding the undead whose existence was not sanctioned by the church or who had proven to be troublesome.
Clerics of Jergal pray for their spells at dusk, a time of day representative of the end of life. On the last night of the year, Jergal's clergy cease their endless toil for a full night. On this holy night, known as the Night of Another Year, the clerics read every name whose death they have recorded from the scrolls they have carefully inscribed over the past year. With a cry of "One Year Closer!", all the scrolls are then filed, and work begins the next day. The only ritual Jergal's clerics are required to perform is called the Scaling. After recording each and every creature's demise, form of death, and destination in the afterlife, Scriveners of Doom are required to sprinkle a light dusting of ash and powdered bone over their inscribed words to blot the ink and mark another small step toward the world's end. Some seek church-sponsored undeath to allow them to continue their archiving careers. Some clerics multiclass as monks or necromancers.
Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul inherited most of the portfolios of Jergal when he wearily stepped down from his position and then faded into near-obscurity. The death of those deities left Jergal in service to Cyric and then Kelemvor. Although his nature is that he must be loyal to the office of death, he can subtly undermine the holder of that office if he or she is not true to the office's responsibilities. Jergal works well with Kelemvor, but retrains his scorn for Cyric and spends much of his efforts combating Velsharoon's efforts to prolong life into undeath.
Each being has an eternal resting place that is chosen for him or her at the moment of creation. Life is a process of seeking that place and eternal rest. Existence is but a brief aberration in an eternity of death. Power, success, and joy are as transitory as weakness, failure, and misery. Only death is absolute, and then only at its appointed hour. Seek to bring order to the chaos of life, for in death there is finality and a fixedness of state. Be ready for death for it is at hand and uncompromising. Life should be prolonged only when it serves the greater cause of the death of the world.
Lord of the Dead, Judge of the Damned
Greater Deity
Symbol: Upright skeletal arm holding the golden scales of justice
Home Plane: The Fugue Plane
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Death, the dead
Worshipers: The dying, families of the dying, gravediggers, hunters of the undead, morticians, mourners
Domains: Law, Protection, Repose, Travel, [Fate]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "Fatal Touch" (bastard sword)
Kelemvor (kell-em-vor) is the latest in a long line of Faerunian deities to command the forces of death and oversee the fate of the dead. Death has been the greatest constant throughout human history, but the way humans viewed this unavoidable force has changed considerably as different deities arose to oversee it. During the reign of the inscrutable Jergal, death and the afterlife held a great deal of mystery for the common person. Most feared what they did not know or understand. When Myrkul took the office of Lord of the Dead after Jergal tired of it, humanity's worst fears were given form. Evil cultists reminded the living of the dead's power and influence, which extended far beyond the grave. In those days the lines between dead and undead became blurred, and commoners knew that to be taken into Myrkul's embrace was no protection from being raised by some demented necromancer. Things got worse when Myrkul was destroyed during the Time of Troubles and Cyric assume the role, as the notoriously petty and flawed Black Sun seemed to offer not even the pale assurances of his forebears. Kelemvor, who assume the mantle ten years after the Godswar, has taken a decidedly different approach.
Kelemvor urges his clerics to act as stewards of the afterlife and to teach the people of Faerun that death is a natural part of life. There is nothing to be feared in the transition, for only the truly wicked, the Faithless, or the False must fear the world beyond the Fugue Plane. Kelemvor views all undead as abominations, ordering his servants to destroy them at every turn. Kelemvor is a taciturn deity, and until recently was not completely sure of himself or his role. He has placed such uncertainties behind him, however, and approaches his duty as judge of the afterlife earnestly, tempering his strong sense of justice with kindness and forthrightness. He is not, however, particularly clever, and prefers to solve problems with direct action that sometimes leads to unintended results.
Kelemvor's clerics make every attempt to minister to the common people, to demystify the process of death and help the bereaved cope in times of loss. Most folk welcome the appearance of clerics of Kelemvor, thankful for their light touch and calming demeanors--a welcome change from the days when unsettling clerics of Myrkul demanded funerary fees that seemed all too close to extortion. Children (particularly those growing up near evil kingdoms) hold militant clerics and paladins of Kelemvor in awe as undead hunters, and communities beset by the attentions of necromancers or tomb robbers often come to his clergy for aid.
Clerics of Kelemvor pray for spells at sundown. Most holy ceremonies involve blessing a soul for the transition into the afterlife. If present at the moment of death, a cleric of Kelemvor performs the Passing, a simple ritual alerting Kelemvor to the arrival of this new wanderer on the Final Road. When an entire battlefield or plague-ravaged community requires last rites, Kelemvorite devotees perform the Lament for the Fallen. This ceremony, similar to the Passing, features low, droning chants and rhythmic beating of ash staffs upon the open ground. At a private ceremony known as the Daeum, clerics of Kelemvor celebrate their deity's soothing doctrine and fund church activities with the goods of those who have died without heirs. Both Shieldmeet and the Feast of the Moon are of special spiritual significance to Kelemvor's adherents, when clerics recount the Deeds of the Dead that they never be forgotten. Rarely, powerful clerics use these days to cast "true resurrection", returning to life heroes of the distant past who are needed in the present day. Kelemvor's clerics sometimes multiclass as necromancers, rangers, or doom guides, using their knowledge to hunt down and destroy undead. Clerics of Kelemvor never rebuke or command undead.
If not for the Time of Troubles, the mortal warrior known as Kelemvor Lyonsbane likely would have died o some battlefield, alone and unmourned. He was the victim of a bewildering ancestral curse that forced him to assume the form of a violent magical panther whenever he performed a rare act of kindness. However, he fell in with a band of adventurers that included Cyric of Zhentil Keep and a young arcane spellcaster called Midnight. By the end of the Godswar, all three had become deities, through cunning plots and betrayal or purest happenstance.
As deities, the three former companions still retain what might be called a relationship. Cyric despises both Kelemvor and Midnight (who became Mystra), blaming them for his frequent setbacks. Cyric plots endlessly to regain dominion over death, a portfolio he held briefly, and instructs his mortal followers to oppose those of Kelemvor by disturbing the rest of the dead, mutilating corpses to prevent identification, and supporting all kinds of necromantic activity. As mortals, Mystra and Kelemvor were lovers, though it remains uncertain if their relationship survived the events of the past fourteen years. Mystra aids Kelemvor from time to time, but the demands of her station prevent frequent contact. Kelemvor hates Velsharoon for his support of necromancy and Talona for her poisons and diseases, which send many souls to the Fugue Plane prematurely. Kelemvor spends a great deal of time in the company of Jergal, with whom he lives in the Crystal Spire of the Fugue Plane and from whom he learns the responsibilities and requirements of his station. The Forgotten One's stark pragmatism and almost chilling lack of pity disturb Kelemvor, however, and though he respects Jergal, it is a stretch to say that hey trusts the elder deity.
Recognize that death is part of life. It is not an ending but a beginning, nor a punishment by a necessity. Death is an orderly process without deceit, concealment, and randomness. Help others die with dignity at their appointed time and no sooner. Speak against those that would artificially prolong their life beyond natural limits, such as the undead. Do honor to the dead, for their strivings in life brought Faerun to where it is now. Forgetting them is to forget where we are now, and why. Let no human in all Faerun die a natural death without one of Kelemvor's clerics at her side.
Clerics of Kelemvor perform funerals, settle the affairs of the dead, and often are called upon by local lords or magistrates to oversee the execution of last wills and testaments. They preach to the masses the doctrine of a peaceful afterlife journey, and ensure that the bodies of the dead are buried safely and according to religious tradition. They mark sites ravaged by disease with plague warnings, and attempt to cure disease wherever they encounter it. Clerics of Kelemvor consider all undead abominations, and do whatever they can to put them to eternal rest. They contend that those who create undead are fit only for swift and utter destruction (an important difference between Kelemvorite clergy and that of Jergal, who hold that certain undead have their use). Kelemvorite clergy sometimes declare crusades against the undead or against creatures deemed to have caused too much untimely death. Occasionally, this leads them to employ adventurers to solve problems with which they cannot contend alone.
Members of the clergy tend to be taciturn, even morose at times. Many came to the church after losing loved ones to undead incursions, or even after dying themselves and being so profoundly touched by the experience that they enrolled in the clergy shortly after returning to life. Many of the older members of the clergy once worshiped Myrkul, and even fourteen years after that deity's destruction, some have difficulty coming to grips with the doctrinal differences between the two faiths.
Many Kelemvor's temples used to be temples of Myrkul, and hence have less inviting or soothing architectural than their high clerics might prefer. Bone-and-skull motifs predominate, and some of the larger temples even feature now-sealed chambers once used for revivification or darker rites.
The Lord of Flames, the Firelord
Greater Deity
Symbol: A twining red flame
Home Plane: Elemental Plane of Fire
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Elemental fire, purification through fire
Worshipers: Druids, elemental archons, fire creatures, Thayans
Domains: Destruction, Fire, Suffering, [Renewal]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN, TN, CN, LE, NE
Favored Weapon: Tendril of flame (whip)
Patron to creatures of elemental fire and those entranced by the intricate dance and destructive powers of flame, Kossuth (koh-sooth) holds little affection for his followers on Toril. He does, however, reward them frequently, and his cult continues to spread at what some might term an alarming rate. A distant and alien entity, Kossuth seems to have some sort of plan for his mortal followers and rapidly growing church, but none except perhaps the highest clerics have any insight into what that plan may be. To devotees, Kossuth is the cleansing flame, the spark of innovation, the tempering force of reason, and the heart of all passion. They rank fire as the most important of the elements, and sometimes go to dangerous and damaging lengths to prove its supremacy. Kossuth is usually depicted as a huge pillar of flame boiling skyward.
Throughout Faerun, temples of the Firelord actively recruit from the ranks of the poor and the disaffected, offering a regimented program of progression through self-denial. New recruits adopt a repressive, ascetic lifestyle in hopes that, through recruiting other followers, they will advance to a higher level ("terrace") of the organization. Each new terrace offers more benefits than the one before, enticing members of the lower ranks to greater and greater acts of religious devotion to advance to the next rank. As the stakes become richer, the associated risks become greater, and the faithful often immolate themselves in display of fire's awesome power. Such a death holds little fear for the dedicated follower, however, who believes that those who die by flame in Kossuth's service will serve him as honored warriors in the hereafter.
Skeptical outsiders view Kossuth's church as a mysterious, highly complex organization that shuns critics but welcomes newcomers with a little too much enthusiasm. They cynically note the high death rate of young aspirants, suggesting that those in the upper echelons purposely send their inferiors on suicide missions to increase their own share of the spoils. The poor and desperate, who fill most of the lower ranks, angrily deny such accusations: For them, the Kossuthan church offers advancement through hardship that can lead to vast wealth and prestige.
Clerics of Kossuth choose sunrise or high sun as their prayer time. Their liturgy holds that the sacred flame originates in the south, so they conduct all prayers and holy services facing that direction. The congregation and clerics of each temple consider the birth date of their high cleric a special holiday, lighting tremendous bonfires and making great sacrifices on such occasions. When a cleric gains a level or promoted within the church hierarchy, he or she must endure the Oath of Firewalking, a secret ceremony in which the cleric walks upon a bed of burning coals. Clerics often multiclass as monk of the order appropriate to their alignment. Some clerics multiclass as wizards or sorcerers, focusing on fire magic. A rare few become elemental archons.
History Relationships:
A supremely powerful elemental being known as Kossuth has lorded over fire since the earliest moments of the multiverse, through whether or not the contemporary Kossuth is the same, primordial being or one in a long line of similarly named successors is a matter of much conjecture. The Lord of Flames rarely intervenes in affairs of the moral world, spending most of his time embroiled in the intrigues of the Inner Planes. In -150 DR, powerful Raumatharan wizards managed to summon Kossuth from his elemental home and instructed him to destroy a besieging army from hated Narfell. This he did, but he soon turned against the wizards, incinerating their city for their arrogance. The resulting conflagration consumed much of the northern coast of the Alambar Sea, and the fires of Kossuth anger burned stronger for more than a decade after his withdrawal from Toril. He appears to have paid little attention to the world since, though his faithful in Thay credit him with intervening in the disastrous Salamander War of 1357 DR and preventing that from becoming an even greater debacle. Kossuth's name is not among the deities spotted in Faerun during the Time of Troubles, which suggests either that he somehow escaped Ao's wrath or simply kept quiet as the world fell apart around him.
Kossuth's doctrine of elemental supremacy virtually ensures conflict with the other elemental lords, and the Lord of Flames harbors especial hatred for Istishia, whom he views as pathetic and weak. In response, the King of the Water Elementals instructs his followers to work against the plans of Kossuth at every turn. Open warfare between the two clergies is rampant. The Firelord interacts very little with the other deities of Faerun. Moradin and Flandal Steelskin honor him for the heat of the forge, but he barely responds. The return of Bane pleases Kossuth, however; the two deities seem to agree on the importance of a strong religious hierarchy and have a common intolerance for the ephemeral and unpredictable nature of chaos.
Those fit to succeed will do so. Kossuth's faith is innately superior to all other faiths, particularly that of Istishia. Fire and purity are the same. Smoke is produced by air in its jealousy. The reward of successful ambition is power. Reaching a higher state is inevitably accomplished by difficulty and personal pain of some sort. Kossuth sends his pure fire to cleanse us all and temper our souls so that we can achieve a pure state. Expect to be tested, and rise to the challenge, no matter what difficulty and pain it brings. Those above you proven their worth and deserve your service. Guide others to Kossuth's pure light so that he may reforge all life into its essential form.
Clerics of Kossuth divide themselves into two factions, the Tendrils and the Burning Braziers. The Tendrils make up the bulk of the order and hold most of the ecclesiastical power. They see to the affairs of the temple, officiate at holy days and ceremonies, and preach to local Kossuthan communities. The Braziers represent the adventuring and missionary arm of the church, traveling the wilderness to bring new lands into Kossuth's scalding, purifying light.
Both factions subscribe to a strict hierarchy. A temple's high cleric, called an Eternal Flame, represents the highest possible religious authority. All are subservient to the local Eternal Flame; Braziers tend to follow the lead of the nearest such leader during their travels. Below the Eternal Flame are various terraces holding dominance over the ranks below. Adherents on the lowest terraces deny themselves all worldly goods and pleasures, donating to the higher terraces all but the minimum needed to remain alive. (In the case of adventuring clerics, this minimum includes armor, weapons, and magic items.) As a cleric advances through the terraces, more and more rights and pleasures are granted to him, but only through great hardship and difficult--often fatal--tests of faith.
Kossuth's adherents tend to be fanatical schemers who wish to "cleanse" the world and rebuild it according to the Firelord's dictates. Highly motivated and easily manipulated, clerics of the lower terraces tend to 'burn out" quickly (often literally) in their efforts to advance to the next terrace. Senior clerics use their underlings as pawns, frequently sending them on missions for which they are not properly trained or equipped, so that only those of the highest skill and ambition will advance. All clerics of Kossuth share a fiery temper. They are quick to take offense and use violence to enforce the rigidity of their chosen lifestyle. The primary goal of all clerics is to acquire land, wealth, influence, and power, and few church activities involve anything that does not directly contribute to one of these goals.
The church boasts no fewer than three orders of fighting monks, each corresponding to a different lawful alignment - the Disciples of the Phoenix (good), Brothers and Sisters of the Pure Flame (neutral) and the Disciples of the Salamander (evil). The Kossuthan church has held a place of importance in Thay for generations, in part because it is one of the few agencies by which non-Mulan Thayans can raise their station in life.
Temples to Kossuth follow a ziggurat type of architecture that mirrors the structure of the church at large. Often carved from lava, these imposing edifices feature constantly burning braziers and bonfires, with several dozen adherents tasked with keeping the holy flame alive. The largest Faerunian temple of Kossuth is the Flaming Brazier, in Bezantur.
The Morninglord
Greater Deity
Symbol: Sunrise made of rose, red, and yellow gems
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Athletics, birth, creativity, dawn, renewal, self-perfection, spring, vitality, youth
Worshipers: Aristocrats, artists, athletes, merchants, monks (Sun Soul), the young
Domains: Good, Healing, Protection, Strength, Sun, [Nobility], [Renewal]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: "Dawnspeaker" (light or heavy mace)
Whenever humans embark on a new journey, enter a contract, or start a political or romantic relationship, chances are good that they whisper a prayer to Lathander (lah-than-der), deity of dawn, renewal, and vitality. Though he is among the oldest of the Faerunian pantheon, the Morninglord nonetheless retains the cherry optimism of youth that makes him the perfect symbol of beginnings. Ever willing to pass over the defeats of today to focus on the victories of tomorrow, Lathander preaches a doctrine of proactive good works and constant reevaluation of society's traditions and mores. He also urges the destruction of undead, which he views as a vile corruption that mocks creation and true life.
Critics suggest that Lathander's aggressive altruism often gets in the way of his good sense. His vanity and enthusiasm cause him to discount the consequences of his actions: He simply hopes for the best and attacks a problem head on, regardless of the ramifications. Never was this character flaw so clearly illuminated than during the Dawn Cataclysm, a catastrophe second only to the Time of Troubles, in which Lathander attempted to reshape the entire pantheon in his own image and thereby triggered a major struggle. His ultimate failure resulted in the destruction of several deities and powerful outsiders, led to the collapse of a half-dozen theocracies, and presaged the fall of Myth Drannor.
Despite the failures of the distant past, Lathander's faith remains extremely popular and powerful today, especially among idealistic young nobles (though seldom their parents). They claim to be personally tasked by the Morninglord to see to the affairs of their lessers, as though their fortuitous accident of noble birth granted them a writ to serve as Lathander's mortal representatives. For many young aristocrats, a foray into Lathanderism represents a last act of rebellion before accepting the responsibilities of the nobility. Those of truer heart, however, remain in the church and often end up making a profound difference in their community. Commoners appreciate such treatments, making the Morninglord popular among all social classes.
Clerics of Lathander pray at dawn. Most holy services take place just as the light of the sun breaks the horizon, with secondary gatherings occurring at high sun and sunset. Ceremonies are joyful but dignified and feature singing, offerings, and ritual drinking of well water touched by the light of dawn. On Midsummer morning and on the mornings of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, Lathanderian clerics perform the Song of the Dawn, a popular and complex musical ceremony that attracts even nonworshipers to the Morninglord's cathedrals. Lawful clerics often multiclass as paladins.
Lathander's friendly demeanor makes him almost as popular among other deities as he is among the mortals of Toril. The deities, however, tend to have longer memories than their followers; many appreciate Lathander's calls to action and altruistic rants but try to keep him from doing too mch damage to the status quo. He gets on well with other idealistic deities such as Eldath and Lliira, or with those such as Lurue and Siamorphe, who prefer to focus on the pleasurable and good things in life. The Morninglord's command over creativity brings him into friendly contact with Oghma, Milil, and Gond, and his unflinching hatred of the undead has made him a fast ally of Kelemvor. Chauntea seems to appreciate his exuberance more than any other member of the Faerunian pantheon, perhaps because it brightens her ancient soul. She and Lathander believe that their fates are intertwined, and while their romance has faded and flared intermittently over the centuries, they always seems to return to each other.
Lathander somewhat naively holds evil deities such as Bane, Cyric, Loviatar, and Talos personally responsible for the majority of Toril's ills. He particularly dislikes Shar, whom he views as an eternally corrupting force, the foul cancer at the heart of every shadowy intrigue against him and his church. Lathander believes that the Dawn Cataclysm occurred because of the Lady of Loss secretly corrupted his efforts, and he is hatching plans to ensure that does not happen again.
Helm harbors ill feelings toward the Morninglord that date back to the Dawn Cataclysm, when Lathander indirectly caused the destruction of Helm's lover Murdane, a lesser deity of reason and pragmatism. No doubt the Vigilant One would be chagrined to learn that Lathander has, since the Time of Troubles, been working on some of the incantations and machinations that brought about that catastrophe so long ago. Oghma, Chauntea, and Lliira know of Lathander's plans, but so far, each has remained silent. With the return of Bane, many progressive deities believe that direct action must be taken to destroy evil once and for all, and that no unintended consequences of Lathander's plans could be as threatening to the world as simply standing by and doing nothing.
Strive always to aid, to foster new hope, new ideas, and new prosperity for all humankind and its allies. It is a sacred duty to foster nw growth, nuture growing things, and work for rebirth and renewal. Perfect yourself, and be fertile in mind and body. Wherever you go, plant seeds of hope, new ideas, and plans for a rosy future in the minds of all. Watch each sunrise. Consider the consequences of your actions so that your least effort may bring the greatest and best reward. Avoid negativity, for from death comes life, and there is always another morning to turn a setback into a success. Place more importance in activities that help others than in strict adherence to rules, rituals, and the dictates of your seniors.
Clerics of Lathander tend to be ebullient utopists, "morning people" in every sense of the phrase. They encourage social, cultural, and political progress as agents of personal liberty, artistic expression, and racial harmony. Lathander's clerics sponsor athletic and artistic competitions to showcase the talents of the community, and they often finance the recovery of lost treasures or important symbols to give the people hope and encourage further good works. The tenets of Lathanderism urge respect toward one's fellows and the natural world and intolerance for evil or those who unwittingly aid evil through slothful inaction. Militant followers stand at the vanguard of efforts to clear civilized lands of harmful beasts or purge the taint of the undead from the world.
Powerful members of the church protect their communities from malign extraplanar interests by acting as exorcists or fiendslayers. The church recognizes no central authority; the head of each temple is afforded similar respect by followers everywhere. Clerics refer to one another as Dawnbringers.
The ostentatious cathedrals of Lathander, with their abundant statuary and gaudy stained-glass windows, reflect the order's great wealth. All temples include a mass hall that faces eastward, allowing the congregation to watch the first rays of the rising sun. In crowded or walled cities, temples are built for height, with ceremonies held on the third or even fourth floor of the structure. When such construction is impossible, a complex series of mirrors channels the sun's rays. Lathanderian architecture is dominated by elaborate fountains that often spill into shallow moats of holy water winding throughout the temple complex.
Within the last year, Lathander's most trusted servants have received word of their deity's secret plan. Dawnbringers refer to a mysterious event known as the Deliverance, which will have important consequences for the world, especially for those who are antithetical to Lathanderian beliefs. No mortals know the details of the Deliverance, but the prospect of the Morninglord taking a more active role in the affairs of Toril fills his already excitable worshipers with an almost unsettling glee. They have initiated an aggressive proselytizing effort to encourage others to join their church before it is too late.
Our Lady of Joy, Joybringer, Mistress of the Revels
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: A triangle of three six-pointed stars (orange, yellow, red)
Home Plane: Brightwater
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Joy, happiness, dance, festivals, freedom, liberty
Worshipers: Bards, dancers, entertainers, poets, revelers, singers
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Good, Travel, [Family]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: "Sparkle" (morningstar or shuriken)
Lliira (leer-ah) is the perpetually moving maiden of countless ballads, the archetypal dancing ingenue that has inspired poets, songwriters, and any who revel in the experience and wonderment of a life lived gaily and free. Somewhat detached from the everyday events of the mundane world, Lliira speaks to her most devoted adherents in dreams, showing by example that most slights are not worth worrying about, and that few troubles are important enough to draw one away from the Elysian Rigadoon, a philosophy that places joyful movement above all other concerns.
Lliira's clerics (known as joybringers) range from inattentive flirts to deviant hedonists. All are good-hearted, and value revelry above all else. Theirs is an aerobic devotion, and Lliirans are appreciated throughout Faerun as some of the most physically toned individuals around. Their temples raise monies by hosting grand galas and then spend these monies in seemingly chaotic fashion, perhaps to beautify this or that public place, or to throw a surprise party for a dour lord. Among the easy going of civilized lands, joybringers of Lliira find patronage and encouragement, and are among the most popular clerics in Faerun. In darker lands, or in harsh, uncivilized regions in which frivolity can lead to death from the elements or government, their religion is zealously suppressed. Curious to a fault, this only encourages the Lliirans to seek out such locales, hoping to provide happiness and joy with the step of a jolly jog or the lilting trill of a beautiful song.
Joybringers rejoice at the coming of dawn (among just about everything else) and pray to the Mistress of the Revels upon the birth of each morning. Nearly every single holiday not tied to the worship or some malign being is a cause for celebration. The most holy celebrations begin with Swords Cast Down, a ritual in which two or more weapons are cast to the ground and buried under a mound of fresh flowers. Lliirans frequently multiclass as bards.
Lliira's greatest friend in the Faerunian pantheon is the bard deity Milil, who shares her flare of performance. Once a great friend of the commerce goddess Waukeen, Lliira even went as far as to absorb many of the disaffected clerics of the Merchants' Friend when that goddess vanished during the Time of Troubles. Upon her return, however, Wauken jealously coveted those clerics who had converted to Lliiranism, and the resulting ill will has formed a sight rift between the former companions. The murder of Selgaunt's High Revelmistress Chlanna Asjros (whom Lliira had taken as a lover while in mortal form during the Time of Troubles) by forces of a local cult of Loviatar has deeply affected the Joybringer. A militant order known as the scarlet mummers now tours Faerun with her support, dispatching agents of the Maiden of Pain by means of an elaborate and deadly dance utilizing the mummers' blade boots.
Each day is another movement in the Elysian Rigadoon, the joyful dance of a life lived in rapture and without care or frustration. Seek joy always by working to bestow it upon others. Festivals are for all--gather into celebrations the lost, the lonely, the exiled and outlaw, the shunned, and even your foes. Let folk follow their own desires, and never fail to follow your own.
Maiden of Pain, the Willing Whip
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Nine-tailed barbed scourge
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignement: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Pain, hurt, agony, torment, suffering, torture
Worshipers: Beguilers, torturers, evil warriors, the depraved
Domains: Evil, Law, Strength, Suffering, [Retribution]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LN, LE, NE
Favored Weapon: "Painbringer" (whip)
Loviatar (loh-vee-a-tar) is the aggressive, domineering and fearless patron of torturers, sadist, and bullies. She has a cold and calculatingly cruel nature and an icebound heart. The Maiden of Pain has an instinct for inflicting both physical and psychological pain, always striking at the biggest chink in her victim's emotional armor. Unlike most bullies, she does not feel pain herself, but her plans often inherently rely on the innate selfishness of human nature.
The church of Loviatar, dominated by female humans and half-elves, is the strongest in large, decadent cities, where newcomers are often recruited from the ranks of the bored and wealthy and the authorities are often tolerant of degenerate activity.
Clerics of the Maiden of Pain work tirelessly to cause suffering, both widespread and personal. This work may be as brutal as flogging an encountered band of orcs until they flee or as subtle as breaking heats among young nobles by pretending to falling in love with the gallants (while disguising one's Loviatan faith), working to break up existing amours and friendships, and engaging in scandalous dalliances before coldly spurning the victims and departing. Being a good actor and of striking beauty (or experienced in using spells to appear so) are very useful traits for a Loviatan, but the most successful Loviatans are those who understand the ways and natures of folk and so know just how to cause them the most pain and to manipulate them toward that end.
Clerics of Loviatar pray for their spells in the morning while kneeling after striking themselves with a whip. (The same ritual is performed in the evening, although without praying for new spells.) Loviatans celebrate all four seasonal festivals with the Rite of Pain and Purity: a circle dance that chanting, singing clergy members perform upon barbed wire, thorns, or broken glass or crystal, where the whips of high-level clerics and the drumming of lay worshipers urge the participants to greater effort. Every twelfth night (unless such a night coincides with a Rite of Pain and Purity, which preempts it) the clergy members celebrate smaller Candle Rites wherein they sing, chant, and pray as they dance around lit candles, passing some parts of their bodies through or over their flames repeatedly until the rite ends with the highest-ranking cleric extinguishing her candle with consecrated wine. Many clerics multiclass as fighters, specializing in the use of the whip, as sorcerers, or as wizards, often specializing in enchantment or illusion.
Loviatar is one of the Dark Deities, having served Bhaal alongside Talona, whom she loves to torment and tease. Since the death of Bhaal during the Time of Troubles, both Loviatar and Talona have slowly fallen under the sway of Shar. However, the return of Bane, who was Bhaal's superior, presages a conflict of her loyalty. Loviatar gets along well with Malar, regarding his stalking of pray as a particularly delightful form of torture. The Maiden of Pain is consumed with hatred for Ilmater, who shields her victims from the torments they deserve, and hates both Eldath and Lliira for the peace and joy they promise without the necessary suffering to achieve it.
The world is filled with pain and torment, and the best that one can do is to suffer those blows that cannot be avoided and deal as much pain back to those who offend. Kindnesses are the best companions to hurts, and increase the intensity of suffering. Let mercy of sudden abstinence from causing pain and of providing unlooked-for healing come over you seldom, but as a whim, so as to make folk hope and increase the Mystery of Loviatar's Mercy. Unswerving cruelty will turn all folk against you. Act alluring, and give pain and torment to those who enjoy it as well as to those who deserve it most or would be most hurt by it. The lash, fire, and cold are the three pains that never fail the devout. Spread Loviatar's teachings whenever punishment is meted out. Pain tests all, but gives strength of spirit and true pleasure to the hardy and the true. There is no true punishment if the punisher knows no discipline. Wherever a whip is, there is Loviatar. Fear her--and yet long for her.
The Unicorn, the Unicorn Queen, the Queen of Talking Beasts
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Silver-horned unicorn head before a crescent moon
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Talking beasts, intelligent no humanoid creatures
Worshipers: Druids, entertainers, outcasts, rangers, travelers, unicorn riders
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Good, Healing
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: A unicorn horn (shortspear)
Given to wanderlust, Lurue (luh-rue) can be whimsical, but she is infinitely loyal once she takes someone into her trust and never abandons her worshipers in times of need. When faced with no other option but combat, Lurue is a dedicated and intractable foe, but she prefers light banter, clever riddles, new discoveries, and the joyous exploration of life.
The church of Lurue has no formal hierarchy, nor temples dedicated in her name. While some entire species, such as unicorns, pegasi, and talking owls, venerate her as Queen, most of her worshipers (such as those that were the targets of an awaken spell) are outcasts from their own kind due to their unique abilities. Clerics of Lurue spend their days providing aid and comfort to the needy, lending support to dreamers so that they can achieve their aspirations, and rescuing all who need aid from whatever assails them. Few stick to a single duty for any length of time (though they are very good about seeing a single particular task through to the end), and most are periodically struck with wanderlust. Many of Lurue's clergy are adventurers who travel about Faerun seeking wrongs to right and finding a good balance of merriment, new experiences, and self-improvement in such a profession.
Clerics and druids of Lurue pray for their spells at midnight, in a sylvan glen or moonlit glade if available. Lurue's twin holy days are Midsummer's Eve and the Feast of the Moon. The former holiday is celebrated in a night-long festival of revelry, wild antics, and muck hullabaloo. Such events are marked by wild rides through the countryside and sky, numerous theatrical skits, humorous oratories, mock duels, grand songs in which everyone joins in, and romantic declarations. Many unicorns take a mate for life on this night. The Feast of the Moon is a quiet ceremony marking the onset of winter and serving as a time for remembering those who have passed away. Many great works of art and epic song are unveiled during the Feast of the Moon to quiet applause, particularly in the city of Silverymoon, which celebrates its founding on this day. Many clerics and druids multiclass as rangers.
Said to be the daughter of Selune, Lurue serves Mielikki as ally, friend, and steed, and through her Silvanus. She works closely with Shiallia and Gwaeron Windstrom, has a long-standing alliance with Nobanion, and considers Chauntea a friend. The Unicorn Queen is an ardent foe of Malar the Beastlord, whom she blames for helping the Red Wizards of Thay create black unicorns. Malar, in turn, would be more than happy to tear out her throat, considering her a prize creature to be hunted.
The Unicorn is a symbol of hope, joy, salvation, and protection for the needy, forlorn, and forsaken. Life is to be relished and lived with laughter. Quests are to be taken on a dare and gifts are to be made on a whim. Impossible dreams are to be pursued for the sheer wonder of the possibility of their completion. Everyone, no matter how unique, is to be praised for their strengths and comforted in their weaknesses. Evil melts quickest in the face of a rapier wit and unshackled joy. Search for the unicorn and in the pursuit find happiness.
The Beastlord, the Black-Blooded Pard
Lesser Deity
Symbol: Bestial claw with brown fur and curving bloody talons
Home Plane: Fury's Heart
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Bloodlust, evil lycanthropes, hunters, marauding beasts and monsters, stalking
Worshipers: Hunters,evil lycanthropes, sentient carnivores, rangers, and druids
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Evil, Moon, Strength
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: A beast's claw (unarmed strike or kama)
Malar (mahl-arr) is a primordial, savage deity who revels in the hunt and the blood of the kill. Appearing as a sleek and supple catlike beast with blood-spattered ebony fur, Malar delights in instilling fear in his victims, for her can literally smell and taste the essences of their terror. The Beastlord is known by many names in many lands, including the Stalker along the shores of the Vilhon Reach, the Render across the Endless Ice and the Great Glacier, the Blue Bear among the Uthgardt, and Herne among the orcs of the High Forest.
In civilized settings, the church of Malar is widely loathed, for its members--often evil lycanthropes--are some of the most dangerous threats to the safety of the local populace. Along the frontier and in wilderness settings, however, those who must hunt for food reluctantly pay homage to the Beastlord, even as they fear his cruelty. Outsiders sometimes differentiate between "Hunts," as Malarite bands are known, that operate openly and those that stalk the night. Some realms, such as Cormyr, legally recognize the former as having dominion over hunting while considering the latter to be little more than dangerous predators to be driven off or slain.
Clerics of Malar pray for spells at night, preferably under a full moon. They also offer prayers to the Beastlord before the chase, during pursuit, and while drinking a toast over the slain quarry (sometimes with its blood). The droning Bloodsong is intoned over the bodies of all creatures slain during a hunt, and specific ritual prayers and chants accompany feasting on any prey. Two great rituals are the Feast of the Stags and the High Hunt. In the former, clerics and worshipers of Malar hunt plenty of game before Highharvestide and then invite all (especially those not of the faith) to join them at a feast, where they pledge to hunt in the coming winter to provide for the needy. (This is one of the few things the church does that pleases the common folk.) During the High Hunt, held each season, worshipers adorned in kill trophies hunt a humanoid, who can win his or her life and a boon by escaping or surviving a day and a night. Malar's clerics often multiclass as barbarians, rangers, or druids. Many are evil lycanthropes such as werewolves.
Malar is an ancient deity who dates back to the days when the first beasts stalked the land. He has always hated the Fair Folk and maintains a long-standing alliance with Lolth against the Seldarine. Over the centuries, he has tried to usurp power from other deities with varying degrees of success. He is one of the Deities of Fury, along with Talos (his superior), Auril, and Umberlee, and he is allied against the deities of peace, civilization, and nature, but harbors a particular loathing for Nobanion since that deity defeated him in a fierce conflict, known as the Roar of Shadows, during the Time of Troubles.
Survival of the fittest and the winnowing of the weak are Malar's legacy. A brutal, bloody death or kill has great meaning. The crux of life is the challenge between the hunter and the prey, the determination of who lives or dies. View every important task as a hunt. Remain ever alert and alive. Walk the wilderness without trepidation, and show no fear in the hunt. Savagery and strong emotions defeat reason and careful thought in all things. Taste the blood of those you slay, and never kill from a distance. Work against those who cut back the forest and who kill beasts solely because they are dangerous. Slay not the young, the pregnant, or deepspawn so that prey will remain plentiful.
Clerics of Malar indulge in hunting as often as possible. They drive the hunt to make it as dangerous as possible to prey and predator alike, and try to ensure that its bloody finale takes place in a settled area. Common folk do not appreciate having desperate wolves, displacer beasts, and the like chased through town, and they tend to hate and fear Malar's faithful--which is the whole idea. Malarite clergy also preach the joy and bounty of the hunt and work to thwart the expansion of civilization to preserve as much wilderness as possible. To this end, they stage raids and acts of vandalism that are popular with outlaws and bored young nobles. Malarites oppose druidic circles dedicated to Eldath, Mieliiki, Silvanus, and similar deities and their allies, such as the Harpers. Such groups promote and maintain natural balance, which Malarties see as interfering with the rightful triumph of the strong over the weak.
Temples of Malar are rare, as most Hunts eschew formal buildings for shadowed wilderness glades. Unlike most druidic circles, those of Malar's worship consist of inwardly curving, fang-shaped stones arranged in a ring. In more civilized settings, where the activities of Malarites are viewed with loathing, the sacred area may be hidden within extensive limestone caverns accessible via a sinkhole above the center of the stone circle. The twisting subterranean passages serve as hunting grounds through ruthless Malarties stalk sentient prey (particularly humanoids) captured from the surrounding region.
Ceremonial headgear is made from the pelt and head of the most impressive beast the cleric has killed with bare hands (usually a bear or great cat, but sometimes an owl bear, displacer beast, or a stranger creature). Malarties carry hunting horns at their belts and are never without several daggers sheathed in boots and belts, strapped to either forearm, or hidden in a stealth at the nape of the neck under the hair or in an armpit. Woodland garb of red or brown is the favored dress for hunts, often concealed by day under a wood cloak of mottled black, gray, and green. Clerics looking to make an impression may also wear necklaces of animal bones, fangs, and claws and a variety of pelts.
The church of Malar is loosely bound and without a central hierarchy. It is organized around the concept of the Hunt and consists of local, independent cells. This makes it all the more difficult to counter or remove, for as soon as one den of Malarties is contained, another arises. Huntmasters are the informal religious leaders of the church and may be clerics, druids, rangers, or shape changing predators. They decide the locale, time, and prey of the ceremonial hunts of the faithful. The office of Huntmaster is won by challenge--a fight to the death if the incumbent does not resign.
Master of All Thieves, Lord of Shadows
Lesser Deity
Symbol: Black velvet mask tinged with red
Home Plane: Plane of Shadow
Alignement: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Shadows, thievery, thieves
Worshipers: Assassins, beggars, criminals, rogues, shades, shadow dancers
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Luck, Trickery
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: TN, LE, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "Stealthwhisper" (longsword)
Mask (mask) is self-possessed, confident, and fond of intricate plots, though his schemes are always getting him in trouble. The Lord of Shadows is wary but cool, never losing his temper, and he always seems to be holding back a mocking comment. Mask's ever-changing appearance serves him well: His true form is unknown.
The church of Mask is widely feared, not so much for its supposed cruelty as its penchant for thievery and stalking the shadows. Most outsiders view it as little more than an organized guild of rogues cloaked in the veneer of religion--a surprisingly accurate depiction. In political circles, the Lord of Shadows' reputation for intrigue lingers on, and astute observers have noted that his church often acts as a network of spies for hire as well.
Clerics of Mask pray at night in darkness or shadows. At least once a month, each major temple performs the Ritual of the Unseen Presence to acknowledge Mask's constant scrutiny of all deeds, no matter how well hidden. This involves hymns, chanted verse, and offerings of wealth. Lay worshipers and Maskarran also participate in daily Sunset Prayers, in which they kneel, worship before the central altar, and proffer coin. In recognition of the wry humor of Mask, who so often makes the high low and the low high, junior clergy give money to senior clergy, and the highest-ranking cleric gives coin to the lowest-ranking. Clerics tend to multiclass as assassins, bards, divine seekers, guild thieves, rogues, shadow adepts, or shadowdancers.
Mask's penchant for intringues and larceny has cost him not only potential allies but, of late, a great deal of power as well. During the Time of Troubles, the Lord of Shadows assumed the guise of Godsbane, the sword the mortal Cyric wielded to slay Bhaal, Lord of Murder. After the Avatar Crisis, he betrayed Leira to Cyric, enabling the Dark sun to seize the portfolio of illusion. Mask's multilayered plots ultimately resulted in his reading of the Cyrinishad, a mistake that nearly destroyed him, cost him much of his divine power, and allowed Cyric to seize the portfolio of intrigue. To make matters worse, the Lord of shadows earned the enmity of Kezef the Chaos Hound, a powerful extraplanar entity. Mask finally got Kezef off his trail after acquiring Houndsbane, a powerful magic sword crafted by the Lady of Mysteries. Should Mask ever lose that weapon, however, Kezef will renew his pursuit immediately.
Mask has made overtures to Bane since his return regarding a possible alliance, but the Black Lord is well aware of the true nature of the Master of All Thieves. Mask hates Cyric for stealing part of his portfolio and endlessly schemes to regain that which he considers rightfully his. Ironically, Shar, who wishes to steal the portfolio of shadows from him, is now watching him. By nature, Mask is opposed to Waukeen and Helm, although deities such as Deneir, Oghma, Torm, Tyr and Selune work to thwart his plots as well.
All that occurs within shadows is in the purview of Mask. Ownership is nine-tenths of what is right, and ownership is defined as possession. The world belongs to the quick, the smooth-tongued, and the light-fingered. Stealth and wariness are virtues, as are glibness and the skill to say one thing and mean another, twisting a situation to your advantage. Wealth rightfully belongs to those who can acquire it. Strive to end each day with more wealth than you began it, but steal what is most vital, not everything at hand. Honesty is for fools, but apparent honesty is valuable. Make every truth seem plausible, and never lie when you can tell the truth but leave a mistaken impression. Subtlety is everything. Manipulation is better than force, especially when you can make people think they have done something on their own initiative. Never do the obvious except to conceal something else. Trust in the shadows, for the bright way makes you an easy target.
The church of Mask is second only to the church of Waukeen in wealth. Members of the clergy can call on untold wealth stolen in the past and hidden away in secret places. Maskarran do not hoard and gloat over their takings like dwarves croon over gold; they actively use it to buy agents, bribe officials, sway agreements, and manipulate folk. Clerics work behind the scenes to achieve mysterious ends. This may take several attempts, perfectly acceptable as long as it does not become too obvious who is behind them. It is to the advantage of such seasoned conspirators that many gullible folk think Mask is dead and his worship reduced to scattered cults.
From day to day, Maskarran typically tend to their plots and provide support to and collect tithes from individual thieves and thieves' guilds. Each temple has its own policy about reporting unaffiliated thieves: Some provide aid but covertly inform the local guild, others refuse aid and inform, and still others help whoever pays the proper tithe and inform no one. Maskarran strive to keep hidden, sometimes holding services in underground shrines beneath local thieves' guilds. In areas with a single strong guild, the temple is usually connected to the guild hall via underground tunnels or sewers. In large cities with competing guilds, the temple is recognized as neutral ground by all sides. The central Altar of the Masked Deity is always a massive stone block with a mask of black velvet, fur, or silk floating above it or a wall mosaic inlaid with precious gemstones behind it.
Ceremonial Maskarran dress consists of tunics and trousers in a colorful motley. The tunics sport ballooned sleeves and cuffs and bright embroidery to display wealth. The entire outfit is covered with a full-length, hooded gray cloak that can be drawn shut to hide the colors beneath. A black cloth mask is worn beneath the hood. In areas where Mask's worship has fallen on particularly hard times, only the gray cloak and mask are worn as a symbol of his favor. Inside the temple, the masks are of black gauze and do not conceal the identity of the wearer; in public, such masks are usually heavy, black wool or double-thick silk and cover most of the face (and beard, if necessary.)
Historically, the church of Mask has consisted of a loosely linked web of independent operators, individual temples, and regional organizations. While that structure has not fundamentally changed, recent reverses suffered by the faith have prompted leading clergy to work towards greater cooperation within the church as a whole. As a result, many secrets are being passed along to where they can best be used to the church's advantage. This has, at least for the moment, stemmed the faith's loss of influence to the church of Cyric.
Out Lady of the Forest, the Forest Queen
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Gold-horned, blue-eyed unicorn's head facing left
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Autumn, dryads, forest creatures, forests, rangers
Worshipers: Druids, fey creatures, foresters, rangers
Domains: Animal, Good, Plant, Travel
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: "The Hornblade" (scimitar)
Mielikki (my-lee-kee) is a good-humored deity who is quick to smile and confident in her actions. She is fiercly loyal to and protective of those she calls friends but considers carefully before including someone among them. While she knows death is part of the cycle of life, she is not as hard-hearted as Silvanus and often intervenes to cure the injuries of a creature because she finds them hard to bear. Mielikki appears as a robust, russet-haired, brown-eyed woman of shapely form and lithe grace, garbed in leather armor of muted green and brown.
The church of Mielikki is well-regarded in wilderness areas, where rangers are often the only shield against the dangers of the frontier. Correctly or not, most see its clergy as far more willing to seek an equitable balance between settlement and preserving nature than the faithful of Silvanus or the elves who have long stalked the forests. Moreover, her church is seen as a necessary counter to the bestial savagery of the Beastlord's followers.
Clerics, druids, and spell casting rangers of Mielikki pray for spells in the morning or evening but are required to observe both. They listen to and understand the whispers of the woods after a period of meditation and extended introspection. Once a month, each cleric or druid is required to perform the Song of Trees, a ritual that calls forth a dryad or treant, and then serve the creature by performing small tasks for a day. The church's most holy rituals, called the Four Feasts, take place on the equinox and solstices. They celebrate the sensual side of existence and involve singing praises to the Lady in forest depths wherever possible. Celebrations on Greengrass and Midsummer night are similar to the Four Feasts, but they also include planting rites and the Wild Ride, where herds of unicorns gather and allow the faithful to ride them bareback through the forest. On years when Shieldmeet follows Midsummer, the Ride continues for that day and night if desired. Almost all clerics of Mielikki multiclass as rangers or (to a lesser extent) druids. Her druids may use armor and weapons allowed to rangers and not be in violation of their sacred oaths.
Mielikki is the daughter of Silvanus and sister of Eldath. Gwaeron Windstrom and Shiallia serve her, and Lurue the Unicorn is her mount when she rides into battle. Mielikki is friendly with Shaundakul and Lathander and opposes evil-aligned deities, particularly Malar, Talos, and Talona.
Intelligent beings can live in harmony with the wild without requiring the destruction of one in the name of the other. Embrace the wild and fear it not, because the wild ways are the good ways. Keep the Balance and learn the hidden ways of life, but stress the positive and outreaching nature of the wild. Do not allow trees to be needlessly felled or the forest burned. Live in the forest and be a part of the forest, but do not dwell in endless battle against the forest. Protect forest life, defend every tree, plant anew where death fells a tree, and restore the natural harmony that fire-users and woodcutters often disrupt. Live as one with the woods, teach others to do so, and punish and curtail those that hunt for sport or practice cruelties on wild creatures.
Clerics and druids of Mielikki are oriented toward protecting nature (especially forests) from the forces of evil and ignorance. They often wander among small communities nestled at the edges of forests both great and small, encouraging the inhabitants to care for and respect the trees and the life beneath their leafy boughs. They try to prevent further encroachment by civilization on the remaining great forests by teaching careful forest husbandry. When called upon, they defend the trees with force of arms if necessary. Rangers of the faith protect and support the clergies of Eldath and Silvanus, and they aid the Harpers in defending, renewing, and even extending forests and forest life. They oppose those who deal in fire magic (notably the Red Wizards) and encourage both city and farm-dwelling folk to view woodlands as pleasant refuges for renewal and enjoying natural beauty, not deadly wilds to be feared and fought.
The members of Mielikki's church are widespread and rarely collect into large groups for any length of time. There are few temples to the Forest Queen; most worship takes place in glades or at small shrines. Temples always include a small stand of trees if not actually constructed in a grove. Most have at least one oak, which serves as both altar and the home of a dryad. Small forest creatures are always welcome within such houses of worship, and many reside therein year-round.
Mielikkian ceremonial garb consists of trousers, brown boots, a short cape (woven by dryads from spider silk and tinted with natural dyes), and a tabard that is long-sleeved in winter and sleeveless in summer. Capes cover armor (typically chain mail) in times of war. Colors vary with the seasons, each season having a base color and an accent. Winter is white with green accents, spring green with yellow accents, summer yellow with red accents, and fall red with white accents. The unicorn's head of Mielikki, carved of ivory or bone or stitched in silver thread, is always worn over the heart.
Much like the Harpers, the church of Mielikki has no formal hierarchy but is instead led by the most senior clergy of the faith. Elder clerics, druids, and rangers gather about them a network of allied individuals who share information and come together to achieve the church's ends. In recent years, the church has organized into three branches: the Heartwoods (dryads and treants), Arms of the Forest (clerics and druids), and Needles (rangers). Mielikki has dictated this to ensure the continued vitality of the faith and preserve the ancient ways of the forest.
Lord of Song, the One True Hand of All-Wise Oghma
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Five-stringed harp made of silver leaves
Home Plane: House of Knowledge
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Poetry, song, eloquence
Worshipers: Adventurers, bards, entertainers
Domains: Charm, Good, Knowledge, [Nobility]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: "Sharptongue" (rapier)
Milil (mil-lill) is the ultimate performer, self-confident, inspired, possessed of total recall or anything he sets a mind to remember. He is able to improvise facilely out of desire or necessity; well-educated in general theories of conduct and broad areas of knowledge; and masterful in all sorts of performance technique, especially within his sphere of knowledge--music, poetry, and elegant speech. However, he is also self-centered and egotistical and likes to be the center of attention. If not the center of attention, he bores easily, and his mind wanders or he leaves. He is also given to flirtation with both deities and mortals for his own enjoyment, to the deep annoyance of more sober deities.
The church of Milil is organized, with all churches paying heed (or at least lip service) to the Patriarch of Song in Waterdeep. Most clerics of Milil, known as Sorlyn, spend their time learning lyrics, tunes, and how best to perform them on a slowly expanding repertoire of instruments both in their temples and on the road. They take care to write down both original compositions and those they have learned, using magic to record such works for those as yet unborn. Some Sorlyn also work as tutors to all who profess faith in Milil or who pay for the training, as well as judging many bardic contests and adjudicating bardic disputes between individuals, companies, or colleges. More adventuresome clerics roam the roads of Faerun, rescuing or protecting common minstrels and great bards alike when such individuals fall on hard times or into peril and accompanying adventurers of other faiths on deeds of heroism so that they can compose ballads about what befell. Some embark on adventures of their own to recover music, instruments, and the like from old ruins and tombs, or learn of music long gone by using legend lore spells and similar magics.
Clerics of Milil pray for their spells upon awakening at sunrise, calling out to their deity with the Song of Praise, which is also sung after every victory in battle or great thing that benefits them. Other rituals include the solemn, beautiful polyphonic chord-singing of the Song of Sorrowing, performed at the funeral of any faithful of Milil, and the Song of Welcoming, sung when someone is welcomed into the faith. The calendar-related festivals marked by rituals sacred to Milil are Greengrass, when the Call to the Flowers is sung by all faithful, and Midsummer, when the Grand Revel is held. The Revel involves a feast, dancing, and much roistering, and is marked by parodies and wickedly satirical song. All shared rituals of worship to Milil involve a sung or played opening call, a prayer and solo song while kneeling before the altar, a unison hymn followed by a sermon or supplication to the Lord of Song (and the proffering of any offerings), and then a closing song that rises to a thunderous, grand crescendo that typically makes devout listeners or participants weep with joy--and those of other faiths stop and listen in wonder. Most clerics multiclass as bards.
Milil and Deneir faithfully serve as the Hands of Oghma, although Milil's relationship with Gond, who also serves the Binder, is somewhat strained. He is on excellent terms with Mystra, Sune, Lliira, and the Seldarine, and considers Finger Wyvernspur to have some promise, although the feeling is not reciprocated. He has earned the enmity of Cyric for his ridiculing ballad about the period of madness the Prince of Lies experienced.
Life is a song, beginning at birth and only silenced with the final chord. Strive always to make the whole song, not just the lyrics and music, more beautiful. Destroy no music or instrument, nor stop a singer before the tune is done. Listen to the world around as well as filling it with your own sound. One singer's music is another's noise, so still no bad music if its making be joyful. Spread the teaching of song and musicianship always. Sing to Milil every day. Music is the most precious thing folk can create--so encourage its training, use, and preservation at all times and in all possible ways. Awaken a love of song in all folk you can, and offer its performance freely around campfire or on the trail. Cease not in your own seeking for new tunes, new techniques, and new instruments to master.
The Lady of Mysteries, the Mother of All Magic
Greater Deity
Symbol: Circle of seven blue-white stars with red mist flowing from the center
Home Plane: Dweomerheart
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Magic, spells, the Weave
Worshipers: Elves, half-elves, incantatrixes, mystic wanderers, sorcerers, spelldancers, spellfire channelers, wizards
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Magic, [Illusion], [Rune], [Spell]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN, CG, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: Seven whirling stars (quarterstaff or shuriken)
Mystra (miss-trah) provides for and tends to the Weave, of which she is effectively the embodiment. The Weave is the conduit that enables mortal spell casters and magical crafters to safely access the raw force that is magic. Mystra is also the deity of the possibilities that magic can bring about, making her one of the most powerful beings involved in Toril. Although she favors the ethos of good, she has learned that as deity of magic, she must preserve the Balance. While she can prevent the creation of new spells and magic items that her philosophy opposes, she rarely exercises this ability unless they threaten the Weave or magic in general. Mystra appears as a beautiful human woman with dark, flowing hair and radiant skin.
The church of Mystra is very powerful across Faerun and includes many adherents among the populace. Were more wizards and sorcerers devout worshipers of the Lady of Mysteries, the faith would undoubtedly be the most powerful in all Faerun. Mystra's followers have lost a great deal of influence since the Time of Troubles, when magic ran amok and caused great destruction. The deity's actions over the past decade have only driven more worshipers, particularly evil wizards and sorcerers, into the arms of Shar.
Clerics of Mystra pick one time of day or night to consistently pray for spells. They celebrate the 15th day of Marpenoth, the anniversary of the ascension of the current Mystra from her mortal form, but otherwise have few calendar-related rituals, focusing more on a personal style of worship. For some devout arcane spell casters, this never goes beyond a whispered prayer of thanks with each spell they cast, coupled with some thought as to the moral consequences of its use. Two ceremonies of great personal significance are Starflight and Magefire. The former centers on a fly spell that permits flight for as long as the stars are visible in the sky. It is often used as an initiation when an individual joins the church of Mystra or a celebration when two worshipers are wed. During Magefire, great magic power surges through one's body, blazing in flickering blue fire as it spills forth in cleansing and renewal. The Hymn to the Lady is a solemn ritual performed mostly at funerals. While the living clergy intone a plainsong dirge, visions arise of dead mages and Mystran clerics; Mystra often inserts her own guiding scenes. Mystra's clerics usually multiclass as arcane devotees, dweomerkeepers, sorcerers, or wizards.
Mystra is the third deity to hold the position of Lady of Mysteries and Mother of All Magic since the rise of Netheril. The first was Mystryl, who died saving the Weave from the arrogance of the Netherese arch wizard Karsus. The second Lady of Mysteries was the first to create the Chosen of Mystra, including Elminster, Khelben, and the Seven Sisters. She died at the hands of Helm during the Time of Troubles while trying to return to the planes. At the end of the Avatar Crisis, a mortal wizard named Midnight assumed the name of her predecessor upon ascension to divinity. Like Cyric and Kelemvor, it took the new Mystra some time to grow into her role as a deity. For a decade, she battled her old enemy Cyric on many occasions, and for a time, withheld the use of magic from deities and mortals alike. However, since then she seems to have learned her role as guardian of the Balance and impartial arbiter of the Weave.
Mystra's customary advisor is Azuth, although the Lord of Spells is less close than he was with the previous Lady of Mysteries. Savras and Velsharoon, who thus indirectly report to Mystra as well, serve Azuth. The Mother of All Magic maintains close alliances with deities of knowledge, such as Oghma, Deneir, and Milil, as well as the deities of magic in other pantheons, including Corellon Larethian, Isis, and Thoth. Although she still hates Cyric with a passion and views the return of Bane with burgeoning hatred, Mystra's chief antagonist is Shar. Shar secretly created the Shadow Weave long ago in response to Selune's creation of Mystryl and the Weave (to which Shar inadvertently contributed as well). Mystra sees Shar's actions as a direct threat to her own portfolio and a grave danger to the integrity of the Weave, and her ties with Selune are strong and growing. It is Mystra's aim to eventually subsume the Shadow Weave into her own portfolio, even if that means sacrificing her last remaining vestiges of humanity and inherent goodness and absorbing more of the darkness that is Shar.
Love magic for itself. Do not treat it just as a weapon to reshape the world to your will. True wisdom is knowing when not to use magic. Strive to use magic less as your powers develop, for often the threat or promise of its use outstrips its actual performance. Magic is Art, the Gift of the Lady, and those who wield it are privileged in the extreme. Conduct yourself humbly, not proudly, while being mindful of this. Use the Art deftly and efficiently, not carelessly and recklessly. Seek always to learn and create new magic.
Mystran clergy work hard to preserve all magical lore so that magic can flourish in the future regardless of what befalls the thinking races of Faerun or the powers of the planes. They maintain secret libraries, private safe holds, well-guarded research laboratories, and small, hidden stashes. Mystrans also search out beings skilled in spell use and keep watch on the power and behavior of individuals likely to become magic-wielders of importance. The clergy actively seek out sources of old magic, often from tombs, dangerous ruins--even liches. They consider it more crucial to know the precise location of artifacts and items of magical power than to possess them, but wherever possible, they work to wrest control of such things from the aggressively evil, the irresponsible, and the unsound of mind. While some of Mystra's clerics follow the teachings of the older, lawful neutral incarnation of the deity, most have changed alignment in accordance with her current incarnation or have left the faith. All clergy of Mystra are expected to devise their own new magic (whether it be spells or items) upon gaining sufficient experience. In this way, magical study remains a growing, vibrant thing, and magic is not merely seen as a handy tool for rulers and engineers to tame Faerun, but remains a thing of wonder.
Temples of Mystra can be almost any size and style of structure; some shrines are natural caves or grottoes. All are living works of art--or rather, Art--raised with magic and enwrapped in countless spells. Most are filled with magic items, many of which are of an esoteric rather than practical nature. Most include an open central courtyard in which daily services are held and from which one can see the stars at night or a magical representation of them. Lesser rooms house libraries of magical lore or serve as work shops and laboratories for experimentation in the Art. Sites dedicated to the deity are enhanced by the Weave to augment spellcasting power. Any spells cast within by her clerics can benefit from one met magic feat without needing to take up a higher level spell slot; the benefit ends if the recipient leaves the location of the temple.
The ceremonial garb of Mystran clerics consists of simple blue robes, sometimes trimmed with white, accented by a cloak of deep blue in colder climates. Some form of blue headgear is required, though this may range from a plain skullcap for the scholarly orders of the Sword Coast North to wide, ornate hates and helms in southern lands.
Mystra's symbol was a blue-white star before the Time of Troubles, but both old and new symbols are still in use. Mystran clerics are very tolerant of the older worship of Mystra, as they feel that progress comes only by learning about the past. They let established symbols of the old faith stand, but when creating new symbols, they always use the new sigil of their deity.
All wielders of magic and seekers after arcane lore of any race are welcome in the service of Mystra. The hierarchy of the Mystran faith is wide and varied, separating into orders concentrating on one form of magical energy. Relations between the various orders and subgroups of the faith are very good. Both divine and arcane spell casters fill its ranks without regard to experience level or origin. The general rule of the Mystran faith is that talent and ability outweigh social rank or legendary feats.
The church also sponsors a knightly society of paladins, a small order of rangers, and an assembly of bards. The Knights of the Mystic Fire often accompany members of the clergy on quests to locate lost hoards of ancient magic. These paladins also form the cadre of leaders for small groups of armed forces who guard Mystra's larger temples and workshops. The rangers, known as the Order of the Shooting Star, serve as long-range scouts and spies for the church. They also deal with magical threats against the natural order of things, such as unloosed fiends and creatures born of irresponsible arcane experimentation. Bards of the Children of the Starry Quill often work as information gatherers and rumormongers for the church or spend time in libraries unearthing magical knowledge and preserving it for posterity. Some members of the Starry Quill are Harpers.
Lord Firemane, King of the Beasts
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Male lion's head on a green shield
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Royalty, lions and feline beasts, good beasts
Worshipers: Druids, fighters, leaders, paladins, rangers, soldiers, teachers, wemics
Domains: Animal, Good, Law, [Nobility]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN
Favored Weapon: A lion's head (heavy pick)
Nobanion (no-ban-yun) radiates both power and gentleness. His roar is deafening, and when he chooses to exert the full force of his charisma, his regal majesty is overwhelming, yet the tiniest creature who approaches him in good faith finds itself comfortable in his presence. Lord Firemane tries to lead his pride to do what is noble and right, but does not force his faithful to pursue that path. He deeply wants those under his rule to willingly choose good over evil, action over inaction, and order over chaos. He does not command from the rear and would never ask someone to do something he would not be willing to do himself, including laying down his life for another.
Worship of Nobanion is scattered throughout the Vilhon Reach, the Dragon Coast, and Shining Plains regions, by Lord Firemane is venerated primarily within the confines of the Gulthmere Forest, in the city of Nathlekh, and among the wemics of the Shining Plains. Aside from his followers in Nathlekh, Nobanion's followers are strictly ordered in rank but not otherwise organized. The Pride of Nobanion fill leadership roles in many communities where he is revered. Many serve as benevolent monarchs, judges, militia, constables, or as guardians against evil. The vanguard of armies loyal to Nobanion is typically filled with clerics and crusaders of the Lion King. Others teach their hunting or martial skills to the young, while passing along moral instruction and important traditions both by word and deed. Among the wemic tribes of the Shining Plains, Nobanion's shamans are typically powerful leaders, second only to the chieftain or king. They are responsible for choosing which creatures to hunt, blessing the kill, and confirming the passage of young members of the pride into adulthood.
Clerics and druids of Nobanion pray for their spells at dusk, prior to the nighttime hunt. The Festival of the Pride normally takes place during the first tenday of Ches. This is a time for frolicking, dancing, courting a mate, lovemaking, and generally celebrating the bounty of life and its potential. Religious belief promises that a child (or cub) conceived this night will go on to become ruler of the church (or pride). The Newborn Celebration always takes place during the third tenday of Kythorn, marked by a great hunt or feast. This ceremony celebrates the birth (or rebirth--church teachings are vague) of Nobanion, the prominence of lions in the Vilhon Reach, and the important of the hunt in the region. Newborns undergo the Rite of the First Blooding where their right paw (or hand) is placed in the blood of prey and blessed by a cleric or druid of Nobanion. Lord Firemane's clerics often multiclass as divine champions, fighters, or paladins. His druids often multiclass as rangers.
Nobanion is an interloper deity, having only established a presence in Faerun a few centuries ago. He is responsible for driving most of Malar's worshipers out of the Vilhon Reach, and the Black-Blooded Pard has sworn vengeance on Nobanion. The Lion King has long been allied with Lurue, as well as Tyr, Torm, Mielikki, and the other benign nature deities.
Hunt only when hungry and do not gorge without need. Waste nothing and all shall have plenty. The cycle of life links all living things into one being, and that being is life itself. The law of th ejungles is that only the strong survive, but they survive best be being leaders, not tyrants, by protecting the weak, not bullying them. All creatures have their strengths in their assigned roles and should be encouraged to find their niche. From cooperation between beings of differing strengths comes the strength of teamwork and community, the strongest force of all. By demonstrating compassion and tolerance and living within the land, all living creatures may find harmony with nature and one another. By staying true to oneself and one's pride and conducting oneself with the dignity and honor, the respect of one's peers may be earned.
Wemics reduce this to the following: Only the strong survive. Live and let live unless provoked. Protect the pride and all its members, but if injury or illness bring one of them down, allow him or her a swift and painless end to suffering.
The Lord of Knowledge, Binder of What is Known
Greater Deity
Symbol: Blank scroll
Home Plane: House of Knowledge
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Bards, inspiration, invention, knowledge
Worshipers: Artists, bards, cartographers, inventors, lore masters, sages, scholars, scribes, wizards
Domains: Charm, Knowledge, Luck, Travel, Trickery
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: Any
Favored Weapon: Longsword
Followers of Oghma (ogg-mah) tell an interesting tale regarding the earliest days of existence. Not long after Shar and Selune created Toril and gave birth to Chauntea, the world's animating spirit, a traveler ventured to the world from a distant realm. He came upon a chaotic landscape of indistinct, shapeless concepts yearning to be given solidity. To each of these concepts he gave a name that would define it in the eons to come. Such was the power of these names that the concepts transcended their elusive existence, bound to physical form in the material world. Thus, did Oghma, the Binder of What is Known, give order to chaos and claim an honored place among Toril's oldest deities.
Oghma's dominion over the realm of ideas continues to this day. The Lord of Knowledge sits in judgment of all ideas, deciding whether they will be allowed to spread, or whether they will die with their originator. In this regard, the Binder exercises a great deal of caution, for the experience of countless ages weighs heavy on his heart. He prefers a doctrine of ideological conservatism, hoping that no new thought disrupts the delicate balance he has nurtured since the beginning of time. Despite this, Oghma exudes an outwardly cheerful demeanor, using his good looks, skillful debate, and peerless charm to sway even the most ardent opponents to his way of thinking. Radical deities such as Lathander and Lliira, who frequently oppose Oghma's rigid adherence to the status quo, view his orations as hidebound and manipulative. Nonetheless, all but the most vile and loveless appreciate the fine lilt of his voice and his delicate, skillful performance on the yarting (a type of guitar). Oghma's legendary musical skill and geniality define mortal impressions of the deity. He is the patron of bards, and most consider him the source of creative inspiration and the protector of accumulated knowledge. Served by sages, wizards, bards, and nay who base their lives on the exchange of knowledge or song, Oghma is honored by members of every race, social class, and creed.
Clerics of Oghma pray for spells in the morning. Every day, they perform two rituals known as the Cornerstones of the Day. The first, the Binding, is a morning ceremony of writing mystic symbols during silent prayer. The second, known as the Covenant, is an evening ritual sharing works of wisdom, song, and new knowledge. Clerics celebrate Midsummer and Shieldmeet as holy days, since these occasions traditionally mark new agreements or pacts, when many written contracts, deeds, and bonds are drawn up. When a child follower of Oghma achieves his or her twelth year (or equivalent for nonhuman worshipers), local clerics perform a private ceremony known as the Naming. They reveal to the youth his or her "True Name," a secret signifier that represents that being's true essence. One's True Name is used only in personal prayer to the Lord of Knowledge and should not be shared with anyone. Oghmanytes believe that knowing one's True Name gives power over the person, and hence do not mention it even to their closest friends or relatives. Oghma's clerics often multiclass as bards and sometimes as wizards or lore masters.
Most Oghmanyte myths date to the earliest centuries of human existence. Some claim that Oghma gifted the world with written language, others that the Binder is responsible for all concepts. While such theological pedantry incites endless debate among the scholarly classes of Faerun, nearly everyone agrees that Oghma is ancient and has been widely worshiped since before the dawn of history. Together, Oghma, Denier, Milil and Gond are known as the Deities of Knowledge and Invention. The Binder has a somewhat patronizing relationship with Deneir and Milil, whom he treats as his servants in the preservation and promulgation of knowledge. He appreciates Gond's enthusiasm and creativity but frowns at the Wonderbringer's constant desire to push technology further and further, putting innovation ahead of introspection. Oghma dislikes Mask, Cyric, and bane, viewing them as the most credible threats to his beloved balance.
Knowledge, particularly the raw knowledge of ideas, is supreme. An idea has no weight, but it can move mountains. The greatest gift of humankind, an idea outweighs anything made by mortal hands. Knowledge is power and must be used with care, but hiding it away from others is never a good thing. Stifle no new ideas, no matter how false and crazed they seem; rather, let them be heard and considered. Never slay a singer, nor stand by as others do so. Spread knowledge wherever it is prudent to do so. Curb and deny falsehoods, rumor, and deceitful tales whenever you encounter them. Write or copy lore of great value at least once a year and give it away. Sponsor and teach bards, scribes, and record keepers. Spread truth and knowledge so that all folk know more. Never deliver a message falsely or incompletely. Teach reading and writing to those who ask (if your time permits), and charge no fee for the teaching.
Clerics of Oghma are known as Namers. The church welcomes members of all races and philosophies, provided prospective clerics swear to the doctrine of the Binder of What is Known and dedicate themselves to acquiring, administering, and protecting knowledge. Members of the church might remain cloistered in temples (usually academics or sages more at home among stacks of books and scrolls than among their fellows) or travel the land, recording their experiences and periodically reporting to the temples they encounter on their travels. Wayfaring clerics and bards within the church tend to be adventuresome and curious, bon vivants who occasionally come into ideological conflict with their academic counterparts. The two branches need each other, however, and such reprobation seldom escalates beyond mild disapproval.
Far more common in cities than the wilderness, temples of Oghma resemble libraries filled with acolytes huddled over desks covered in books, maps, and scrolls. Many support themselves by selling writing implements, services, or maps, often to adventurers. Most temples include extensive binderies to aid cloistered clerics in producing religious tracts and volumes that will form the basis of future temple libraries.
The church is currently experiencing serious factional disagreement along hierarchical lines. Before the time of Troubles, adherents swore by the word of the Grand Patriarch Cullen Kordamant of Procampur, a pontiff recognized as the terrestrial Voice of Oghma. Kordamant vanished from his home amid the chaos of 1358 DR, however, and since then most temples of Oghma have aligned themselves with one of two factions. The Orthodox Church of Oghma, based in Procampur, holds that Kordamant has ascended to a semi divine state and serves Oghma on the planes. Until the Binder tells his followers otherwise, they believe that no new Voice should be named.
Sembia's powerful and deeply conservative Oghmanyte Church claims that the Binder himself recently declared their high cleric Undryl Yannathar to be Great Patriarch, a contention the Orthodox Church intensely refute. The factions refuse to find common ground and press temples throughout Faerun to declare themselves for one side or the other.
Lady of Strategy, Grandmaster of the Lanceboard
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Red knight chess piece with stars for eyes
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Strategy, planning, tactics
Worshipers: Fighters, gamesters, monks, strategists, tacticians
Domains: Law, War, [Nobility], [Planning]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "Checkmate" (longsword)
Calm and logical in demeanor, the Red Knight displays a great wealth of compassion, though she is unafraid to send her worshipers to their deaths when necessary to secure the object of a plan. She rarely raises her voice and is said to love a good joke and have a throaty laugh. She dislikes flighty behavior, and looks unfavorably upon those who switch alliances often or capriciously.
The church of the Red Knight, known as the Red Fellowship, is an offshoot of a monastic order within the hierarchy of the church of Tempus that concentrated on planning and strategy and has only emerged from the shadow of the temple of Tempus since the Time of Troubles. Members of the Red Fellowship serve in armies throughout Faerun, often as high-ranking commanders of elite squads. Others are well-respected instructors in war colleges. A few are quartermasters skilled at obtaining and managing supplies or establishing and maintaining supply lines over hostile territory. Quite a few clerics of the Red Knight have authored tomes on military strategy. When not on duty, clerics of the Red Fellowship are known for their love of gaming. Although they avoid games of chance that require the smile of Lady Luck more than the brilliance of the Red Knight, clerics of the faith strive to constantly improve their skills in abstract games of all sorts to further challenge their development of parallel lines of thought and new stratagems and to sharpen their ability to read an opponent's intentions
Clerics of the Red Knight pray for their spells at night before going to sleep, preparing for the day to come. In addition to observing the holy days and important ceremonies of the church of Tempus, the clergy of the Red Knight honor two important holy days. The Retreat is an annual even held every Midwinter's Day. During this solemn ceremony, the clergy of the Red Knight assemble for a day-long retrospective on the previous years campaigns. Strategies are discussed, battles are analyzed, and the accumulated lore is integrated into the church's teachings. The Queen's Gambit is celebrated on the first day of Tarsakh. During this festival, the clergy of the Red Knights unwind with a day of feasting and gamesmanship. Day-long tournaments of chess (also known as Lanceboard) are held, with the tournament victors receiving recognition, titles of merit, promotions, and, sometimes, a precious gift from the temple armory. Many clerics multiclass as divine champions, fighters, of monks.
The Red Knight was elevated to divine status by Temps as a natural counterbalance to Garagos. She loyally serves her patron, whom she regards as a father figure, and seeks to undermine both Garagos and Cyric. She works closely to Torm, who holds a similar disposition, and sees Valkur the Might as her best ally in naval combat, even if he is somewhat unreliable. The Red Knight keeps her true name secret from all but the Lord of Battles, as she realizes that if any being, mortal or divine, were to gain any measure of control over her, they would be privy to all the plots and stratagems of rulers throughout Faerun and the deities throughout the planes.
War is won by those with the best planning, strategy, and tactics, regardless of the apparent odds. Any fool can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with fortune's aid. Only a master strategist can ensure lasting victory. War is a series of battles. Losing a battle does not necessarily indicate the war is lost. Seek out your opponent's weaknesses and recognize your own; avoid an opponent's strengths and play to your own. Only by focusing one's own strengths on the opponent's vulnerabilities can triumph be ensured. In times of war prepare for peace; in times of peace prepare for war. Seek out your enemy's enemies as allies, and be prepared to compromise. Life is an endless series of skirmishes with occasional outbreaks of war. Be ready---and have a contingency plan.
The All-Seeing, Lord of Divination, He of the Third Eye
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Crystal ball containing many kinds of eyes
Home Plane: Dweomerheart
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Divination, Fate, Truth
Worshipers: Diviners, judges, monks, seekers of truth, spellcasters.
Domains: Knowledge, Law, Magic, [Fate], [Spell]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: The Eye of Savras (dagger)
Savras (sav-ras) speaks in clear, precise statements and rarely says what the listener wants to hear. He always speaks the absolute truth, and, in cases where the truth is a matter of perspective, he reveals all sides of the truth. There is litte compassion or emotion is Savras's actions or demeanor, but sages speculate this seemingly emotionless facade is merely a front for a deity who cares deeply about the fate of Faerun but finds himself relatively helpless to change it's destiny. Savras almost never loses his temper, but when he does his wrath is dreadful. Recently he has become frustrated by events that he did not anticipate, and cannot fathom the meaning of a void in his own divinations of the future.
The church of Savras is small but organized. Many clerics are involved with foretelling the future or studying the past and dealing with the consequences of what they learn. Of necessity, Savras's clergy engage in extended strategy sessions to analyze the implications of future events and plan accordingly. Some followers of the All-Seeing wander Faerun uttering prophecies, while others seek out remote locations to reside and become oracles. A few are employed as truth speakers and serve the legal system of various cities and kingdoms as expert witnesses, magistrates, or judges.
Clerics of Savras begin and end their days with extended periods of peaceful meditation, praying for their spells at night in anticipation of the coming day. The Feast of the Moon is celebrated by the followers of Savras as The Vision. This holy day is observed by every devout follower of Savras with 24 hours of continuous meditation. In some temples the meditation occurs in a sauna or steambath, while in others it occurs amid a haze of incense. Each worshipper who participates in the day long ceremony is rewarded with a vision from the All-Seeing. Beneficiaries of such visions are expected to act in accordance with this prescient knowledge or risk Savras's wrath. Many clerics multi-class as Diviners or Monks.
Savras was a long-ago god of arcane spellcasters in the south who shared much of the same portfolio as Azuth: mages in the service of Mystra. The two contended before the Dawn Cataclysm, and Savras fell, although his church claims he did so deliberately after having foreseen the future. Azuth became the one deity of wizards, and the All-Seeing's essence was imprisoned in a staff of Azuth's construction. Recently Azuth freed Savras after extracting an oath of fealty, although Savras resents his position. He is largely indifferent to the actions of Velsharoon, and spends the bulk of his efforts unmasking the lies of Cyric. The All-Seeing seems unsurprised by Shar's actions of late and bitterly opposed her use of the Shadow Weave to disrupt the efficiency of his divinations.
The blindness of mortals is the origin of all folly. Search for the truth in all things great and small and conceal nothing. Speak only the truth, for lies and misdirection, even for benign motives, are the root of all sorrow. Be not paralyzed by indecision, but take no action without analyzing the implications. Hasty actions and decisions are rarely more beneficial than well thought out strategies that are revised as necessary. Mortals who employ only their two common eyes are essentially blind. Savras provides the third blessed eye, allowing both foresight and hindsight, so that mortals can access to omniscience of the gods. It is not wrong to use the knowledge that Savras gives to help yourself and your church, but caution should be used in furthering the goals of others as part of their agenda may be hidden. Seek for the hidden motive before you act, and damage not the whole of the realm in which you live out your mortal life.
Our Lady of Silver, the Moonmaiden
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Pair of female eyes surrounded by seven silver stars
Home Plane: Gates of the Moon
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Good and neutral lycanthropes, moon, navigation, questers, stars, wanderers
Worshipers: Female spell casters, good and neutral lycanthropes, navigators, monks (Sun Soul), sailors
Domains: Chaos, Good, Moon, Protection, Travel
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: "The Rod of Four Moons" (heavy mace)
Selune (seh-loon-ay) represents the mysterious power of the moon, the celestial force that influences the tides, changes lycanthropes, orders of reproductive cycles, and pulls at the edges of sanity. An incalculably ancient deity, Selune approaches existence with the placid calm of dappled moonlight. Like the moon itself, the quietly mystical Lady of Silver has many faces. At times, she seems distant, cloaked in the sadness of past defeats and tragedies. At others, she dances joyfully, her lithe form glowing with majestic radiance. A chaotic being well-accustomed to change, Selune can be count on for at least one constant--her ceaseless war against her archnemesis Shar. Together the two created Toril and infused it with life, and ever since, they have battled over the fate of their creation.
Many of Faerun's residents live according to the dictates of the night sky, and hence Selune boasts a highly diverse body of worshipers. Seafarers turn to the star-speckled canopy above their nocturnal voyages to navigate the seaways, often offering prayers to the Moonmaiden to protect them from Umberlee's attentions. Nonevil lycantrhopes honor Selune as the master of their fate, as do astrologers and fortune tellers, albeit for different reasons. The common folk know servants of Selune as mysterious agents of good, enemies of evil were beasts and undead, and caretakers of lunatics and the infirm. Though few understand the intricacies of her ancient religion, most good-hearted Faerunians respect her clergy and pay homage to her when the moon is full.
Clerics of Selune pray for their spells at night, always facing in the direction of the moon when visible. Women heavily outnumber men, and many of the church's rituals honor the woman's role as a teacher and role model in the home and in society at large. Selune's doctrine suggests that the moon exerts a subtle influence upon the natural cycles of a woman's body. A female cleric of Selune believes she is closest to her deity during the full moon, and during that period, she conducts morning ceremonies to open herself to special visions, insights, and intuitions. Milk, as a symbol of motherhood and the sustaining power of the feminine, plays an important role in most Selunite ceremonies. All clerics observe two annual holidays, the Conjuring of the Second Moon and the Mystery of the Night. The Conjuring of the Second Moon, held every Shieldmeet, is a coordinated chant at every Faerunian temple of Selune. This confluence of devotional energy summons the Shards, a cadre of blue-haired female planetars, to do the bidding of Selunes terrestrial clergy for a single night--usually battling the forces of Shar. On the following dawn, the Shards elevate one moral cleric to their order. The Mystery of the Night must be performed once every year by each cleric of Selune. During the ritual, clerics fly high into the air to commune with the Moonmaiden while in a deep trance. Selune's clerics often multiclass as bards, silverstars, or sorcerers.
According to the oldest myths, Lord Ao created the universe that now holds the world of Toril. Through this act of creation, protoplasmic raw existence took the form of twin deities, one representing light and one representing darkness. These deities, Selune and Shar, birthed the heavenly bodies, in the process creating Chauntea as the animating spirit of the world of Toril. Chauntea begged the sisters to grant her world warmth and light that life might flourish upon it. Selune relented, igniting the sun with elemental fire. Shar, who treasured the primordial darkness and resented Chauntea's concept of life, lashed out at her sister, initiating a conflict that has endured to the present day. Enraged, the Lady of Loss snuffed out the lights of selune, greatly weakening her in magical battle. Finally, the Moonmaiden tore a piece of her magical essence from herself and flung it at Shar. When the blast hit the Dark Deity, it ripped away some of her essence as well. From the meld of light and dark energies came Mystryl, a being of pure magic who went on to shepherd the Weave blanketing all Toril. Mystryl more closely identified with Selune, granting the Moon maiden a powerful ally--at terrible cost. Selunes magical onslaught cast Shar into the darkness for centuries and allowed warmth and light to grace Toril, but the assault wounded her to the core. Since then her power has waxed and waned with the passing of epochs, while Shar, ever waiting to strike from the shadows, retains much of her ancient strength.
Selune's power seems to be on the rise. Prior to the Time of Troubles, her potency had ebbed to the point that she was a servitor to Sune Firehair. In the last decade, however, she has once again branched out on her own, forging new alliances in her eternal battle against her dark sister. Among her strongest allies in this cause is Mystra (the second deity to follow her ancient, long-dead friend as protector of the Weave), especially since Shar created the mysterious Shadow Weave, a force antithetical to Mystran doctrine. Lliira and Eilistraee share Selune's love of moonlit frolics. She respects Lathander's passion and hopes that by working together the two can cast destroying light upon Shar's ever-present darkness. Selune struggles with Umberlee over the fate of ships at sea, and with Mask over the evil he commits in the moonlight's dark shadows.
Let all on whom Selune's light falls be welcome if they desire. As the silver moon waxes and wanes, so too does life. Trust in Selune's radiance, and know that all love alive under her light shall know her blessing. Turn to the moon, and she will be your true guide. Promote acceptance and tolerance. See all other beings as equals. Aid fellow Selunites as if they were your dearest friends.
The Moonmaiden's clergy believe that "anywhere the full moon shines is the place for Selune." Her worshipers tend to be patient, accepting all with an understanding ear and a healing hand. Selune's lessons of compassion and guidance through observation of the heavens resonate strongest with sailors, nonevil lycanthropes, and especially female casters. Her church possesses a very chaotic hierarchy, which occasionally shifts with the phase of the moon or other less predictable heavenly phenomena. Clerics of Selune value self-reliance, humility, and practical application of common sense far more than rigid adherence to stodgy ceremonies. Clerics frequently arm themselves with a special kind of mace known as the Moon's Hand, which replaces the standard head of the weapon with a representation of the moon (those of different temples prefer different phases). Moon's Hands come in heavy and light varities, and are in all other ways identical to maces.
The appearance of Selune's temples vary as much as her clerics, from small shrines in the wilderness to huge open-air or skylit buildings the size of great mansions. Reflecting ponds, small gardens, and feminine zymology dominate Selunite architecture.
Itinerant clerics wander Faerun in search of potential worshipers, always keeping an eye out for those afflicted by lycanthropy or madness. Those with the capability to heal sufferers do so; others accompany them to the nearest temple of Selune, where they are cared for by senior clerics. Wanderers of the church also subtly spread an ideology of female empowerment entwined with Selunite homilies, which is growing popular among alewives, laundresses, seamstresses, and servants. Those clerics who remain bound to temples (usually but not always due to age) dispense healing, earn coin for the church by telling fortunes from star charts, and minister to residents of the sanitariums and asylums that frequently abut Selunite temples. Both types of clerics unite when evil lycanthropes threaten the community, doing everything within their power to root out the magical affliction and cure or destroy it.
Mistress of the Night, Lady of Loss, Dark Goddess
Greater Deity
Symbol: Black disk with deep purple border
Home Plane: Plane of Shadow
Alignement: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Caverns, dark, dungeons, forgetfulness, loss, night, secrets, the Underdark
Worshipers: Anarchists, assassins, avengers, monks (Dark Moon), nihilists, rogues, shadow adepts, shadow dancers
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Knowledge, [Cavern]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: TN, LE, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "The Disk of Night" (wind-fire wheel or kama)
After Lord Ao created the universe, the swirling chaos coalesced to form twin deities: Selune, a being of light and creation, and Shar (shahr), a power of darkness and destruction. Shar's existence, paradoxically, is tied to the shrouded nothingness that existed prior to Ao's act of creation. Shar reflects the primal dark, the flawless void erased at the beginning of time by a distant, unconcerned over deity. Her heart longs for a return to the calm of nonexistence, and she schemes from the shadows to tear down establishments, destroy order, and undermine all creation. Religious art depicts Shar as a black sphere outlined in a magical purple flames or a beautiful human woman with long, raven-black hair dressed in swirling dark garb. In this guise, her haunting purple eyes have coal black pupils that reflect the primeval void.
Since her earliest battles with Selune (which continue to this day), Shar has gained dominion over pain hidden but not forgotten, carefully nurtured bitterness, and quiet revenge for old slights. Deeply twisted, the Lady of Loss favors secrets, underhanded dealings, and subterfuge. She uses her mortal worshipers as pawns in a perverse game against everything that has been, is, and will be. Patron of the Shadow Weave, a corrupting magical force based upon nothingness and mad secrets, the Mistress of the Night bolsters her impressive power with temptation and guile.
Shar's love of secrecy serves her clergy well, and most residents of Faerun know very little about her mysterious cult. All regard her as a dark and vengeful deity, but many seek out her servants in times of grief or bereavement. There is a pervasive belief that her clergy aids those who have been wronged or who have suffered a great loss. Instead of offering release from the pangs of grief, though, Shar's clerics reinforce supplicants' regrets and feelings of betrayal, turning their focus to bitterness and revenge. Good clerics (particularly those of Mystra, Lathander, and of course, Selune) warn of the dangers of seeking such solace, but desperation often gets in the way of better judgment, and the ranks of Shar's clergy swell with each passing year.
Clerics of Shar pray for their spells at night. Because most of her followers keep their devotion a secret, the religion has but one fixed holiday. During the Festival of the Moon, Sharrans celebrate the Rising of the Dark, when the directors of local cults outline the dark plots of the coming year over the quivering body of a live sacrifice. Once a tenday, followers must engage in an act of wickedness, ideally after a nocturnal dancing and feasting ritual known as a Nightfall. Shar's clerics often multiclass as rogues, with her most debased and accomplished servitors becoming nightcloaks. Those clerics associated with the Cult of the Dragon often multiclass as wearers of purple.
Shar's ceaseless battles against her bright sister have caused the creation and destruction of several deities throughout history. Though Selune strikes openly and forcefully against her twin at every opportunity, Shar prefers subversion, using her mortal worshipers to attack Selune's clergy and those things Selune holds dear, rather than at the deity herself. Still, she occasionally moves directly against minor enemies. During the Time of Troubles, Shar killed Ibrandul, a lesser deity of caverns, dungeons, and the Underdark, as an act of pure opportunism. She continues to grant spells to clerics in the name of Ibrandul, reveling in the deceit of the entire affair. Shar may attempt to consume Mask as well, for she nurses a cold anger for his dominion over shadow. Shar's love of dark spaces bring her into frequent conflict with deities of light and fire, and her desire to dominate the concept of revenge sets her against the ancient, dwindling power of Hoar. Her only frequent ally is Talona, who may eventually serve Shar in return for the Dark Goddess's aid in murdering her hated enemy Loviatar.
Reveal secrets only to fellow members of the faithful. Never follow hope or turn to promises of success. Quench the light of the moon (agents and items of Selune) whenever you find it, and hide from it when you cannot prevail. The dark is a time to act, not wait. It is forbidden to strive to better your lot in life or to plan ahead except when directly overseen by the faithful of the Dark Deity. Consorting with the faithful of good deities is a sin except in business dealings or to corrupt them from their beliefs. Obey ranking clergy unless it would result in your own death.
Shar's doctrine of vengeful nihilism appeals to those who have suffered great loss or betrayal. Her dominance over darkness and night makes her popular with the blind (especially those accidentally or intentionally blinded due to the actions of others), nocturnal or subterranean humanoids, and creatures who shun the light, including many types of goblinoids. All who favor the dark or who do their business by night (such as cutthroats and thieves) curry her favor, as do many whose deranged world views might be interpreted as insanity. The insane seem to have a natural affinity for Shar's teachings, which may be why so many of Selune's clerics seek out the mad and attempt to cure or imprison them.
The church is made up of independent cells that have strong, authoritarian rulers. Few adherents know the real names of others in the local cult, and almost no one knows the name of the leader of the larger regional organization. In areas where Shar's cult is strong, wars of assassination against Selunites are common. This keeps the church fairly small, since many Sharrans die in these attacks or are put to death by local magistrates shortly afterward. Temples of Shar vary in description but usually double as a place of business or residence. Most feature at least one room bathed in deeper darkness, which is used in religious ceremonies and ritual killings.
Shar's clergy revel in secrets. In civilized lands, they frequently establish exclusive social clubs or false cults to further corrupt the foundations of mannered society. Cultists work to overthrow governments, promote vengeance, organize cabals, and foment unrest through calumny and sedition. Sharrans believe that all that matters is the freedom to live by one's own dictates; the state exists to limit freedoms and is hence an inherently immoral institution that should be crushed. To them everything deserves to perish, and their duty in life is to encourage the process of destruction. The Dark Moon, an elite order of sorcerer-monks, employ the power of the Shadow Weave to further the Dark Goddess's agenda.
The Dancing Lady, Mother of Cats
Faerûnian Demigod
Symbol: Feminine Lips
Home Plane: Brightwater
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Hedonism, sensual fulfillment, festhalls, cats
Worshipers: Bards, hedonists, sensualists
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Good, Travel, Trickery
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: A great cat's paw (unarmed strike or kama)
Sharess (shah-ress) is a radiantly beautiful goddess, rivaled only by Sune. Her voice is said to be a throaty purr and to give the listener the feeling he or she is being brushed by the softest fur or velvet when she speaks. She is a fickle, flight deity, who prevents anyone from getting too close to her true spirit. She has the willful independence and pleasure-seeking nature common to felines and is constantly preening and grooming to maintain her appearance. She is often depicted (especially in Mulhorand, where she is known as Bast) as a voluptuous human female with the head of a cat. Sharess enjoys toying with beautiful mortals and she cannot resist casually flirting with anyone she encounters. However, when her ardor cools and her passion is sated, Sharess is easily distracted and quick to move on to new pleasures. She dislikes snakes intensely.
The church of Sharess is casually organized, although its members often work and play together. The clergy of Sharess often run festhalls in large cities or directly serve decadent rulers. These festfalls cater to all the senses and include fantastic feasts, heavenly baths and massages, and every other pleasure imaginable. Wealthy festhalls often employ one or two mid-level Sharessan, and some Sharessan wander the countryside with Sharess's blessing seeking new pleasing sensations to add to their repertoire.
Clerics of Sharess pray for their spell at dusk, when the lure of the night first beckons. The church of Sharess celebrates more festivals than possible any other faith in Faerûn. They are known collectively as the Endless Revel of Life. The daily rising and setting of the sun, the yearly passage of seasons, the appearance of a full moon, or nearly any other event is cause for celebration and wild revel to which the general populace is always invited. Each such festival has several outlandish titles and new festivals are added all the time as old ones are forgotten. Without comparison, however, Midsummer's Eve is the time of greatest rejoicing among Sharess's faithful and an occasion for the most extreme pursuits of boundless pleasure. Many clerics multiclass as bards.
Bast was a Mulhorandi deity who served as patroness of cats and Anhur's lieutenant in the eternal struggle against Set. At the height of Mulhorand's second empire, when many beast cults were popular, Bast subsumed the portfolio of Felidae, a beast cult deity of felines, sensual pleasures, and nomads. Struck by wanderlust, Bast traveled across Faerun, leaving numerous cults in her wake, many of which knew her as Sharess. Sharess eventually began to experiment with the darker side of pleasure and fell under the sway of Shar. She would have undoubtedly been wholly subsumed by the Dark Goddess if Sune had no freed her during the Time of Troubles. Since that time, Sharess has restored her ties of friendship with Anhur, Hanali Celanil, Lliira, Milil, Nobanion, Selune, and Sune. She now works to oppose the evil of Set, Shar, and Loviatar, and Shar has never forgotten that Sharess escaped her clutches.
Life is to be lived to its fullest, in decadent sensual fulfillment of yourselves and others. That which is good is pleasurable and that which is pleasurable is good. Pleasure is to be sought out at every opportunity and life is to be lived as one endless revel. Spread the bounty of Sharess so that all may join in the endless revel of life and bring joy to all those in pain. Infinite experiences await those who would explore, so try the new as well as savoring the old.
Rider of the Wings, the Helping Hand
Lesser Deity
Symbol: A wind-walking bearded man in traveler's cape and boots
Home Plane: Gates of the Moon
Alignement: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Travel, exploration, portals, miners, caravans
Worshipers: Explorers, caravaneers, rangers, portal-walkers, half-elves
Domains: Air, Chaos, Protection, Travel, [Portal], [Trade]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CG, TN, CN, CE
Favored Weapon: "Sword of Shadows" (greatsword)
Shaundakul (shawn-da-kul) is a lonely deity of few words who lets his deeds speak for him. He is kind but stern, with a rugged sense of humor that sometimes comes to the fore. His faith is on the upswing in part because of his willingness to personally recruit worshipers while manifesting in the world in physical form. Clad in his dark, swirling cloak, leather armor, and boots that never quite touch the ground, the Rider of the Winds cuts a regal figure with his massive great sword ever at the ready. Tall and handsome, Shaundakul walks in silence but is surrounded by the ever-present keening whistle of the wind.
After falling into obscurity in the wake of the fall of Myth Drannor, the church of Shaundakul has been greatly revitalized since the Time of Troubles. The decade-long absence of Waukeen and near collapse of her church in the wake of the Avatar Crisis caused many merchants, particularly caravaneers, to turn to Shaundakul for a time. Although many merchants have since returned to the church of the Waukeen, others, particularly those infected with wanderlust, have stayed faithful, and the church has continued to grow. Today, the church of Shaundakul attracts many brave adventurers and daring explorers to its ranks, and word of their latest exploits is eagerly awaited in the cities in which they are based.
Clerics of Shaundakul pray for their spells in the morning right after the wind shifts from the changing temperature. Their holy day is the Windride, which is celebrated on the 15th day of Tarsakh. On this day, Shaundakul causes all his clerics to assume gaseous form at dawn, if they cannot wind walk on their own, so that they are carried with the wind. They return to normal (and are lowered safely to the ground) at dusk, usually in some place they have never been before. Shaundakul's clergy members have a few simple ceremonies they practice when appropriate. They are to utter a simple prayer every time the wind changes significantly. Whenever they discover previously uncharted territory (such as an undiscovered valley, lake, or island), they are to create a small throne of rocks marked with Shaundakul's symbol near the location where they first made the discovery. If capable, they are to create a shrine to Shaundakul using stone shape. Shaundakul's clerics commonly multiclass as rangers or windwalkers.
Shaundakul is an old deity, once an intermediate deity popular in the Moonsea, whose divine status predates the creation of Beshaba and Tymora from Tyche. Shaundakul's church collapsed and his followers dwindled in the aftermath of the fall of Myth Drannor, and he dwindled in status to the rank of demipower. Beshaba later used his name to promote discord among the nomads of anauroch, who now curse him as the Treacherous Lurker in the Sands. Since the Time of Troubles, Shaundakul has risen back to the level of lesser power and allied himself with deities such as Akadi, Mielikki, and her allies, Selune, Tymora, and the more daring members of the Seldarine. He opposes Shar because he dislikes secrets and enjoys spreading the word of hidden places. He battles with Beshaba for the suffering she has inflicted in his name.
Spread the teachings of the Helping Hand by example. Work to promote him among traders, especially trailblazers who seek out new lands and new opportunities. Unearth and reactively ancient shrines of Shaundakul. Ride the wind, and let it take you wherever it blows. Aid those in need, and trust in the Helping Hand. Seek out the riches of the earth and sea. Journey to distant horizons. Be the first to see the rising sun, the mountain peaks, the lush valleys. Let your footsteps fall where none have tread.
Members of the clergy are expected to live off the land and work as guides and protectors of travelers, caravans, and mining expeditions. Many serve as guides for adventuring companies or as explorers. A very few are Harpers. All seek to visit the scattered shrines of Shaundakul (particularly the great one in Myth Drannor) as frequently as possible and to construct new ones when they acquire sufficient resources. Ever since Shaundakul added portals to his portfolio, his clerics have been tasked with locating and identifying portals that would be useful for trade and exploration.
Shaundakul prefers to be venerated at shrines, most of which are uninhabited and in remote places. Typically, a shrine to Shaundakul is a stone dais built atop a high place, crowned with a stone seat or throne, and accompanied by one or more stone pillars pierced with holes through which the wind whistles. Many such shrines exist throughout the Moonsea and the Stonelands, some of them over a thousand years old. Shaundakul is not commonly worshiped within cities and he has few formal temples as a result. Because the clergy members love to wander, his few temples constantly have new clerics arrive as others leave.
Shaundakul's clerics wear a dark swirling cloak over a garb appropriate for the trail, and favor dark colors and silver in general. Many wear their holy symbol on the back of their gauntlet (usually leather or chain mail).
Shaundakil's church is loosely organized, and its branches are largely independent. There is little in the way of formal hierarchy, although those who served the Rider of the Winds prior to the Godswar hold positions of great respect in the church. Since the Time of Troubles, several military orders have been founded in the name of Shaundakul. The Fellowship of the Next Mountain is an order of rangers and clerics who typically work alone, blazing trails in the uncharted wilderness areas of the Sword Coast North and Moonsea North. The Knights of the Shadow Sword are an elite order of fighters and rangers based in Shaundakul's Throne and dedicated to cleansing Myth Drannor of the evil that haunts its streets and ruins. Initially, they are fortifying the ancient Myth Drannan temple as a base of operations and sending out scouts to reconnoiter the ruined city. The Riders of the West Wind are an order of clerics and a few rangers who hire themselves out as a mercenary company to guard caravans heading through uncharted wilderness to distant lands.
Dancer in the Glades, Daughter of the High Forest, the Lady of the Woods
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Golden acorn
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Woodland glades, woodland fertility, growth, the High Forest, Neverwinter Wood
Worshipers: Druids, farmers, foresters, gardeners, nuptial couples
Domains: Animal, Good, Plant, [Renewal]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG, TN
Favored Weapon: "Forest's Friend" (quarterstaff)
Shiallia (shee-al-lee-ah) is winsome and earthy, delighting in dancing and frolicking in the woods and playing with woodland creatures when she is not tending to their needs. She has a low, throaty voice, and enjoys retorting with clever (and often crudely suggestive) rejoinders when engaged in conversation. At times she seems to behave like a satyr, but she has a more mysterious quality and unexpressed depths that a satyr would find incomprehensible. She is fiercely protective of her charges, but lets matters outside her purview go unchallenged, since they do not directly involve her, unless she is ordered to act by Mielikki or Silvanus.
The church of Shiallia is casually organized, with little in the way of a formal hierarchy. Shiallia's followers are husbands of nature, spending their days planting and nurturing, calling upon the weather, and tending to the ill and injured. They are not purely oriented to forest creatures, though that is their focus, and they extend their philosophy and favors to nonevil humanoids who enter or live within the forest, as well. Shiallia's clergy are sometimes known as the Silent Helpers, and tales tell how they watch over lost children and the foolish who wander through the reaches of the High Forest unaware of the dangers contained within.
Clerics and druids of Shiallia pray for their spells whenever the moon is highest in the sky, for the moon governs the reproductive cycle. Days that mark the passing of seasons are the most important of the year to followers of Shiallia. In particular, Greengrass and Highharvestide are celebrated as holidays of birth and fruition, respectively. On all holy days (including Midwinter, Midsummer, and the Feast of the Moon) the faithful invite all friendly creatures to revel with them in feasting, singing, and dancing. Weddings are welcomed and even solicited upon the change of seasons, and Shiallia's followers always enliven such occasions with as much faerie charm magic and romance as they can muster, creating a fantasy atmosphere under the stars. Therefore, many nonworshipers set their wedding dates on Shiallia's holy days in hopes of receiving her blessings and hospitality. Her clergy do not often multiclass.
Shiallia is said to be the sister of Tree Ghost (the collective spirit of the High Forest and one of the beast totems of Uthgar) and the daughter of Tapann the Undying Lord of the Korreds (satyrlike creatures). She serves Mielikki, along with Lurue and Gwaeron Windstrom, and through her, Silvanus. Shiallia is also allied with Chauntea and Eldath. She opposes those who seek to destroy the things she protects: Auril, Malar, Talona, and Talos.
The only true goal of any living thing is to procreate. Nature dictates the shape of the world, for good or ill, so the only concern of the creatures that inhabit it is survival. Death is not to be feared, for it is part of the natural cycle of life, but life, particularly the birth of new life, is to be encouraged and nurtured whenever and wherever possible.
The Divine Right
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Silver chalice with a golden sun on the side
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Nobles, rightful rule of nobility, human royalty
Worshipers: Leaders, lore masters, nobles, those with inherited wealth or status
Domains: Knowledge, Law, [Nobility], [Planning]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "Noble Might" (light mace)
Siamorphe (sigh-a-morf) is kind and quiet with individuals, but firm and charismatic when dealing with large groups. Her soft voice is tinged with great wisdom, but she brooks no argument when she gives an order. She likes to think of her duty as one of building a sturdy skeleton of continuity in government through a noble infrastructure so that the body politic can grow and develop properly under the leadership of a royal ruler.
The church of Siamorphe is strictly ordered but small, confined primarily to the nobility of Waterdeep and Tethyr. Siamorphe's clerics are expected to serve as advisers and councilors to noble rulers if not of noble birth and as rulers if of noble birth. When confronted with a ruler of noble birth who does not keep himself or herself fit for the task and responsibilities of rule, a cleric of Siamorphe must either seek to rectify that ruler's shortcomings through counseling and education or engineer the ruler's succession by a more fit ruler of noble lineage.
In practice, many Scions of Siamorphe spend their days presiding over various advisory councils, researching genealogies and histories of noble families, coordinating ceremonies of investiture, and determining who is next in line for various titles. Those Scions of Siamorphe who have truly taken Siamorphe's message of responsibility to the common folk to hear spend their days serving the people, providing advice, arbitrating disputes, giving leaderless folk direction, and preaching the rights and responsibilities of the nobility and the duties and rights of commoners.
Clerics of Siamorphe pray for their spells at noon, when the Chalice of Siamorphe (i.e. the sun) is directly overhead. The church of Siamorphe has lost many of its ancient ceremonies and traditions over time, and clerics of the faith are only slowly rediscovering them, often by exploring ancient castles in which mortal descendants or ancient clergy of Siamorphe or her predecessors served various forgotten rulers. Religious services tend to be simple convocations of nobles discussing the social order and current difficulties in governing the masses. Siamorphe's name is invoked at the beginning and end of such services with a short prayer. Siamorphe's clergy have crafted many unique ceremonies for the various noble families of Waterdeep. All the rage among the nobility, the ceremonial baptism of a newborn heir presided over by a Scion of Siamorphe can cost as much as 10,000 gp. In Waterdeep, Siamorphe has a holy day in Sea Ward and North Ward where the nobles take over Heroes' Walk and Heroes' Garden and the road from skulls Street and all along the Street of Glances to the Street of the Singing Dolphin and hold a huge festival. Known as the Divine Pageantry, this fashionable revel is always held during the summer, but the date varies according to the will of Siamorphe (and, some critics claim, the year's current social calendar). Waterdeep's nobility dress in archaic costumes and wander the area throwing coins (usually copper or silver) to commoners, addressing each other with their full titles and speaking in a highly stylized, stilted speech that has been abandoned for several centuries. Some clerics multiclass as loremasters.
The current incarnation of Siamorphe is one in a long line of deities, the last of which was male. Siamorphe has no allies among the gods, but opposes the tyranny and corruption of gods such as Bane, Cyric, and Gargauth. This leaves her in a vulnerable position and she must be careful about openly supporting any act against them.
Nobles are the rightful rulers of the bulk of humankind provided that they keep fit for the task and responsibilities of rule. Nobles have the moral obligation to rule in the best manner possible for the people who serve under them even if their obligations conflict with their personal desires.
The descendants of noble bloodlines inherit their charisma and potential for wisdom from their noble ancestors. Their family fortunes provide them enough leisure time to be properly educated as rulers. The regular inheritance of noble titles by strict inheritance rules reduces the potential for power struggles between rival claimants to leadership. A strong noble class that cares for the commoners of Faerun and looks out for their best interest is the most stable, fair form of government.
Oak Father, the Forest Father, Treefather
Greater Deity
Symbol: Green living oak leaf
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Wild nature, druids
Worshipers: Druids, woodsmen, wood elves
Domains: Animal, Plant, Protection, Water, [Renewal]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: NG, LN, TN, CN, NE
Favored Weapon: "The Great Mallet of Silvanus" (maul)
Although wise and beneficent, the paternalistic Silvanus (sihl-vann-us) can be emotionally distant when it comes to the necessity of having a balance in nature and wrathful toward those who threaten wild places. He appears as an old, bearded, incredibly wise human male face floating in midair among trees or sprouting from the trunk of an especially old and large specimen.
The church of Silvanus is spread everywhere across Faerun and is far stronger than many might think. Nevertheless, most outsiders view the church of Chauntea, as patrons of agriculture, as being favorably inclined towards the expansion of civilization, while the church of Silvanus is the implacable foe of those who would settle new lands. Neither impression is correct, yet the church of the Oak Father is often perceived as little different from those faiths that venerate the Deities of Fury.
Clerics and druids of Silvanus prepare spells at sundown or in moonlight. Holy days are Greengrass, Midsummer night, Highharvesttide, and the Night the Forest Walks. This last holiday takes place when the deity grows restless. He then causes trees to move, streams to change course, caves to open or close, forest creatures to stir, and forest magic to strengthen. His clerics always turn undead rather than rebuking them.
Many rituals of worship to the deity take place in a crown stand or tall, ancient trees on a hilltop. The deity must always be worshiped by sacrifice, but never by blood sacrifice. Instead, something made from material taken from a wood must be ceremonially broken and buried--not burned. For example, a cart, wagon, or chair fashioned from the wood of felled trees could become a sacrifice to Silvanus. The simplest prayer to Silvanus is the Call of Oak, Ash, and Thorn, wherein a cleric gathers leaves of the three named sorts of trees, floats them on water, and entreats Silvanus to hear a prayer. For deeper concerns (a conversation with a servant of the deity, or the receipt of godly favors or magical powers) a Vigil is often employed: The worshiper anoints his or her own body with a powder of crushed acorns and mistletoe leaves mixed with rainwater or spring water and lies down on, or in contact with, a growing tree for most of a night. Some part of the bare flesh of the faithful must touch green, growing moss, so moss-covered giant trees are most favored for use in Vigils.
The two most powerful and holy rituals of Silvanites are the Song of the Trees and the Dryad Dance. The former is a haunting repetitive chant that draws woodland creatures to gather and be healed. The latter is a wild revitalizing ritual of piping and dancing that calls dryads out of the woods to wander, even far from their trees, to mate with humans. Sadly, it seems the most often performed ceremony in the Silvanite canon is the Thorncall, a ritual magic that raises thick walls of deadly tearing thorns out of the forest soil. These barriers are permanent and as labyrinthine as the presiding cleric desires, but they can only be called up when a servant of Silvanus (a worshiper or a servitor creature, such as a stag) has been slain or shed much blood in the vicinity. The Thorncall ritual is used to keep our those who would burn or despoil the forest in such a way as to upset the Balance. Many of his clerics multiclass as druids, forest masters, hierophants, or rangers.
Like Oghma, Silvanus is an old deity with many ties to other planes. He is closely allied with Chauntea, and is served directly and indirectly by Eldath, Mielikki, Gwaeron Windstrom, Lurue, and Shiallia. He is bitterly opposed to the activities of Malar and his church, as the Beastlord is consumed with bloodlust and his followers would hunt every creature in existence to extinction if given leave. Likewise, although Silvanus recognizes the role that both disease and natural acts of destruction play in the Balance, the Oak Father hates both Talos and Talona, for both care nothing for the natural order and seek only to indulge their most destructive impulses.
Silvanus sees and balances all, meting out wild water and drought, fire, and ice, life and death. Hold your distance and take in the total situation, rather than latching on to the popular idea of what is best. All is in a cycle, deftly and beautifully balanced. It is the duty of the devout to see this cycle and the sacred Balance as clearly as possible. Make others see the Balance and work against those that would disturb it. Watch, anticipate, and quietly manipulate. Resort to violence and open confrontation only when pressured by time or hostile action. Fight against the felling of forests, banish disease wherever you find it, defend the trees, and plant new flora wherever possible. Seek out, serve, and befriend the dryads and learn their names. Kill only when needful, destroy fire and its employers, and beware orcs and others who bring axes into the forest.
The church of Silvanus endlessly strives to preserve the sacred Balance, despite population pressures that lead to too-heavy hunting or farming. Members of the clergy work to redirect development and control populations through covert sponsorship of brigands, breeding and selective placing of predators, and other means. It is essential that such work be as secretive as possible, so that most folk view the servants of Silvanus as essentially benign lovers of trees. Wildlife breeding, nursing sick animals, and replanting trees and wild shrubs are all work that should be done as publicly as possible to support this perception--and as necessary work to redress the slipping Balance, of course. Silvanite clergy make a lifelong study the intricate workings of the life-cycles of all living creatures in Faerun and learn to take the long-term view so that the manifold implications of every action and combination of actions can be seen clearly well into the future. By planning for the long term, Silvanite clergy hope never to take a serious misstep and worsen any shift of the Balance. Superior patience, natural knowledge, and anticipation are the hallmarks of a worthy servant of Silvanus. They are also the qualities that make any Silvanite cleric a deadly foe. A Silvanite should never be surprised at an unexpected turn of events and always be three or four steps ahead of an opponent, prepared for victories well beyond the battles that an enemy can see.
Silvanus's church largely eschews formal temples and favors small communities over large cities, although clusters of his clerics work in large cities to create gardenlike walled areas of wild forest within the city limits. Most of the faithful worship the Oak Father amidst stands of forest giants, particularly ancient oak trees, or within rings of standing stones set deep within the great forests of Faerun.
The ceremonial dress for both clerics and druids of Silvanus is a suit of armor made of overlapping leaves. For clerics, the leaves are made of metal plates and the suit functions as a set of scale mail. For druids, the leaves are made of green-tined leather and the suit functions as leather armor. Either set is worn with green breeches and shirt. The outfit is topped with a large helm with oak leaf-shaped wings. The church of Silvanus consists of a central hierarchy dominated by druids, but many members, particularly clerics and rangers, stand outside the formal hierarchy. The structure of the church is patterned after the circles of the ancient druids. A highranking druid, called an arch druid, leads most Circles and members are all considered an initiates of varying level. Each arch druid in turn reports to the grand druid of the region, and all the grand druids in turn report to the great druid of the faith. The last is a difficult office that is never held by any one individual for more than a few years. Former officeholders are considered elders of the faith.
Firehair, Lady Firehair
Greater Deity
Symbol: Face of a red-haired, ivory-skinned beautiful woman
Home Plane: Brightwater
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Beauty, love, passion
Worshipers: Lovers, artists, half-elves, adventurers
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Good, Protection
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: A silken sash (whip)
Fairest of the deities, Sune (soo-nee) is benevolent and sometimes whimsical. She always appears as a radiantly beautiful red-haired woman of incredible charm. She alternates between deep passions and casual flirtations and has been romantically tied to many of the other Faerunian deities. Sune enjoys attention and sincere flattery, and avoids anyone who is horrific or boorish. Lady Firehair loves and protects her followers, who in turn manifest and protect the beauty of the world.
Aside from those who despise love and beauty as a manifestation of weakness, the church of Sune is widely loved throughout Faerun and has many adherents to its teachings. However, as most Sunites are seen as flighty, vain, and superficial but basically harmless, the church of Sune has less influence than its prominence might otherwise suggest. Sunites have an intense rivalry with the followers of Hanali Celanil, the elven deity of beauty.
Sune's clerics pray in the morning after a refreshing scented bath (or after at least washing their hands). Greengrass and Midsummer Night are both Sunite holy days, celebrated with a great deal of outdoor frolicking and with night-long flirtatious chases through forests and parks. Individual temples celebrate numerous local holy days as well. At least once a month, the church of Sune holds a Grand Revel, a large party with dancing, poetry recitation, and heartrendingly beautiful or soulfully rousing music to which outsiders are invited with the intent to attract converts. A Feast of Love is a more intimate, quiet affair, open only to the faithful, who lie on couches and indulge in liqueurs, appetizers, and sweet pastries while lone dancers perform. These dances are interspersed with readings of romantic verse, prose, and songs of love sung by skilled minstrels. Such rituals always break up into private gatherings, though bards are always on hand to relate tales of courtly love or mysteries of Faerun for those who do not feel like socializing more privately. Sunites also offer personal prayers to Sune by standing in a pool or bath and looking into a mirror lit only by natural light or candles. Sune sends guidance to them by visions visible in the mirror, often by altering the reflection of the worshiper in some way. The influx of adventurers into Sune's clergy in recent years has reduced the huge former gender disparity in the church so that now females only outnumber males four to one. Sunite clerics tend to multiclass as bards, heart warders, or rogues.
Sune shares the waters of the Evergold, a sacred pool, with Hanali Celanil, the elven deity of beauty, and Sharess, the lusty feline temptress whom she rescued from Shar's shadow during the Time of Troubles. Sune is also allied with similarly minded deities such as Selune, Milil, and Lathander. Sune is served by Lliira and was once served by Selune, but the Moonmaiden has now once again gone her own way. Sune's nature makes it difficult for any being to be angry with her for long, and so she has no true enemies, although she dislikes Auril, Malar, Talos, Umberlee, Talona, and Tempus, for they are often responsible for the destruction of beautiful things. Tempus finds her dislike not worth reciprocating, since he considers her irrelevant, flighty, and not worth the conflict. Sune earned the enmity of Shar during the Time of Troubles, for the Nightmaiden did not appreciate being denied her conquest of Sharess, and so the Lady Firehair now quietly supports Mystra in her brewing battle with the Mistress of the Night.
Beauty is more than skin deep. It issues from the core of one's being and reveals one's true face to the world, fair or foul. Believe in romance, as true love will win over all. Follow your heart to your true destination. Love none more than yourself except Sune, and lose yourself in love of the Lady Firehair. Perform a loving act each day, and seek to awaken love in others. Respond to love at least once a day. Encourage beauty wherever you find it. Acquire beautiful items of all sorts, and encourage, sponsor, and protect those who create them. Keep your own body as comely as possible and as attractively displayed as situations warrant. Let hairstyle and clothing best suit your personal appearance, striving to stir and delight others who look upon you. Moreover, hide not away, but always seek to present yourself to those around you in a pleasing variety of garbs and activities so as to move them with love and desire. Love those who respond to your appearance, and let warm friendship and admiration flower where love cannot or dares not.
Sunites are aesthetes and hedonists, who actively seek out pleasure and beauty in all things. The pursuit of aesthetic enjoyment is their life. Sunite clergy buy beautiful items of art, sculpture, and handiwork whenever they find it, sponsoring good artists where necessary and overpaying for such items so as to drive prices up, creature more demand, and so increase the supply of things of beauty. This is to be done as often as funds afford and subtlety permits, and in disguise if need be. Whenever Sunite clergy must perform dirty tasks, the use of disguise is encouraged to protect the body as well as to conceal identity. The devout clerics always hires or supports adventurers and others to destroy things who vandalize beautiful creations. All clergy of Sune also strive to create beauty in a personal way, preferably as a creator of static fine art (blown-glass ornaments, paintings, or tapestries are all fashionable), but as a dancer if one fails at all else. When one of them gains expertise in crafting things of beauty, she or he is obliged to pass on such learning by training others and turning away no one who shows genuine promise. Any money made through such trainings should be given to the church to further the growth of beauty and love everywhere.
Although Sunite clergy can rebuff unwanted advances, they generally strive to build friendships and romantic feelings between themselves and others in general wherever they go so that love may prosper everywhere in Faerun. As the lonely are in most need of such things (and the most likely to join in love of the Lady Firehair), they are sought out by diligent clergy for friendship. Everyone, no matter how homely or disparate in faith from the path of the Lady, should be assisted by gifts and advice to make themselves as beautiful as possible. Sune's clerics sponsor artisans, build friendships and romances with themselves and among others, and destroy those who vandalize things of beauty. Sune has seen the benefits of Tymora's patronage of adventurers and wishes to tap into this source of worshipers, so the church supports gallant knights and explorers who are willing to search for lost jewels and priceless works of art or who are on missions to rescue their true loves.
Sunite temples are either stunningly beautiful edifices of fantastic design or classically elegant structures strategically enhanced by sculptured landscaping constructed with numerous picturesque paths and promenades and surprising and enchanting nooks in which to share moments of love, beauty, and passion. Many Sunite temples sport formal gardens with gorgeous flower beds, trellises and bowers of well-trained vines, and carefully pruned trees and topiaries. Fine sculptures and sumptuous fountains that play with soft, magical lighting provide focal points in most Sunite temple gardens.
Sunites are not bashful about their bodies. The standard ceremonial garb of Sunite clerics is monastic robes for men and habits for women, both cut to show off the figure of the wearer and dyed a deep crimson. Hair is normally worn long and allowed to fall free during rituals. At other times, clerics bind their tresses back with crimson scarves and wear clothing appropriate to the situation but always flattering to the form. While red hair is considered touched by the deity, all shades of hair and skin are welcome, provided they are unmarred and lovely.
The Sunite church's organization is loose and informal, and its leadership changes regularly with the whims of its clergy. The most attractive and charismatic Sunite clergy are usually the high clerics. Little is thought of a cleric dropping everything and going bounding off into the wild, particularly if the goal is some beautiful object or some beautiful individual, and such behavior creatures little scandal in the church.
Lady of Poison, Mistress of Disease, Mother of All Plagues
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Three amber teardrops on a purple triangle
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Disease, poison
Worshipers: Assassins, druids, healers, rogues, those suffering from disease and illness
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Suffering
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: A scabrous hand (unarmed strike)
Talona (tah-low-nah) is often depicted as a withered old crone with a scarred, tattooed face in religious texts. Where she walks, misfortune and death follow. She has the personality of a petulant, greedy child trapped in the body of a once-beautiful woman now scarred by horrific disease and ravaged by age. She alternately desires attention at any cost like a small child and becomes aloof like a wounded paramour who has been discarded by her love.
The church of Talona is organized in a strict hierarchy, but riven by factions and sects. Aside from selling poisons, antidotes, and medicines, the Talonites travel Faerun as quietly as possible, constantly seeking out new diseases and afflictions and spreading rumors so as to augment the reputation of Talona. What seems to motivate Talonites in their day-to-day behavior is a quest for respect: respect that is due Talona for her potentially devastating abilities and due them as her representatives in Faerun. Throughout their careers, Talona's clerics work with magic and study to build their personal immunities to various poisons and diseases. Thus protected, they treat the diseased, take employment as food tasters for paranoid rulers, wealthy merchants, and nobles, and bury those who have died from diseases. Whenever a realm or city-state casts out or punishes any Talonites, for any reason, clerics of Talona work to cause a plague in that place to exact "Talona's price" for such insults. Rumors have circulated that certain unscrupulous Talonites have occasionally chosen wealthy folk as targets for disease so that wealth and properties can be seized by the church upon the death of these wealthy owners, with the threat of contracting disease keeping rightful heirs and claimants at bay.
Clerics and druids of Talona pray for their spells in the evening, although they observe thrice-daily prayers to the goddess. Festivals are held every 12 and are open to nondevotees, where such visitors are encouraged to pray and give offerings to Talona to spare themselves or loved ones from death, disease, wasting illnesses, and the like. A long symphony of rolling drums, deep-voiced chanting, and glaur, shaum, and zulkoon music proclaims the power and veneration of Talona throughout the day. Younger members of the church busily sell poisons (for eliminating vermin, of course), antidotes, and medicines during the festival, assisted by senior clergy who diagnose conditions (usually with great accuracy) and prescribe treatments in return for stiff fees. Annually at the festival falling closest to Highharvestide, initiates of the faith are formally inducted into the clergy. Horrifying private ceremonies involving ritual scarring and sacred tattoos mark this ascension. Many clerics and druids multiclass as assassins, divine disciples, or rogues.
Talona is one of the Dark Deities, having served Bhaal alongside Loviatar, whom she hates for her cruel teasing. Since the death of the Bhaal during the Time of Troubles, both Loviatar and Talona have slowly fallen under the sway of Shar. However, the return of Bane, who was Bhaal's superior, presages a conflict for both lesser goddesses' loyalty. With more than a hint of jealousy and bitterness, Talona loathes such benevolent deities as Chauntea, Mielikki, Silvanus, Sune, Lliira, Kelemvor, Tyr, and Shiallia.
Let pain be as pleasure, for life and death are in balance, but death is the more powerful and should be paid proper homage and respect. Death is the true power, the great equalizer, and the lesson that waits for all. If it falls to you to drive home the point with the tip of a dagger, so be it. The Mother of All Plagues works upon you from within, and weakness and wasting is her strength. Talona's breath is forever and always with you, whomever you or the rest of the world believes in or serves. Let all living things learn respect from Talona and pay homage to her in goods and in fervent worship. If they do so, intercede for them so that Talona will not claim them--this time. Go and work in Talona's name and let your doings be subtle spectacular, but make them known as the will of the Mistress of Disease.
The Destroyer, the Storm Lord
Greater Deity
Symbol: An explosive lightning strike
Home Plane: Fury's Heart
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Storms, destruction, rebellion, conflagration, earthquakes, vortices
Worshipers: Those who fear the destructive power of nature, barbarians, fighters, druids, half-orcs
Domains: Air, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire, [Storm]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: A lightning bolt (spear)
Talos (taahl-ose) is a violent, short-tempered, and angry deity who exults in chaos and revels in destruction. Often petty and vengeful, the Storm Lord is a powerful bully and is often motivated by rage and the desire never to appear weak or compromising in any way to his followers. Known as Bhaerlros among Calishites and Kozah among the Bedine, Talos appears as a one-eyed, broad-shouldered, and bearded man clad in half plate armor and black leather gloves. His empty eye socket is filled with whirling stars and covered by a dark patch.
The church of Talos is relatively small for a greater deity and almost universally despised, for his followers bring nothing but destruction and leave only ruin in their wake. They are fanatical in their love of destruction and are unafraid to call storms upon ships, towns, or cities in the name of their crazed deity. However, many fear and propitiate the Storm Lord, ensuring that he remains one of the most powerful deities of the Faerunian pantheon.
Talassans pray for their spells at different times of the day over the course of the year, with the time varying with Talos's whim (he rarely has them stick with the same time of day for more than a tenday). Clerics of Talos celebrate his annual festivals (Greengrass, Midsummer, and so on) with great ceremonies that call down lightning and summon storms. Their most sacred ritual is Calling Down the Thunder, in which they slay an intelligent being by lightning. The most frequently seen ritual is the Fury, in which a cleric prays, then makes berserk attacks on people and items in an effort to visit considerable destruction on a place or encampment within a short time by hurling spells and burning torches while howling Talos's name, followed by praying again (if the cleric survives). It is considered most holy when performed by a lone Talassan cleric, but against formidable foes, clergy of Talos usually attack together or draw off defenders to destroy them singly. Talos's clerics tend to multiclass as barbarians, sorcerers, storm lords, and wizards. Those working with the Cult of the Dragon sometimes multiclass as wearers of purple.
Talos was formed from the first battle between Selune and Shar. He is now the leader of the Deities of Fury: Auril, himself, Malar, and Umberlee. Although he has no compunction about usurping her portfolio, Talos has a close and cordial relationship with Auril. His relationship with Umberlee is simultaneously flirtatious and filled with rivalry. However, he only works with the Beastlord grudgingly, and Malar would kill him if he could. Talos has a history of elevating powerful mortals to divinity and then forcing them to deplete themselves in his service, the most recent of which is Velsharoon. Velsharoon has been more successful than most such empowers elevated by Talos, in that he still survives and wisely shifted his nominal alliance to Mystra and Azuth. Talos tried to assume dominion over wild and destructive magic under the alias of Malyk, but he was forestalled by Mystra and has since moved on to other brazen attempts to grab power. He hates deities those that would dare to alter the weather. His list of enemies include Chauntea, Eldath, Lathander, Mystra, Sune, Deneir, Gond, Helm, Mielikki, Oghma, Shiallia, Silvanus, and Tyr.
Life is a combination of random effects and chaos, so grab what you can when you can, because Talos may take you to the afterlife at any moment. Preach the might of Talos, and always warn others of the forces only he can command--the fury of all Faerun. Walk unafraid in storms, forest fires, earthquakes, and other disasters, for the power of Talos protects you. Do so publicly wherever possible, so that others see that only Talos can protect them. Make others fear Talos by showing the destruction he and his servants can cause. To avoid tasting his fury, pray to him energetically and tell all folk that such observances--and only such observances--can protect them from the furies of gales, hailstorms, winds, floods, droughts, blizzards, hurricanes, and other natural dooms. Hurl such forces at one's foes if Talos deems a place or a person worth defending. One cannot afford to ignore Talos, but must bow down and worship him. Proclaim this message to all and show everyone the destruction even the slightest of the servants of Talos can cause.
Talos always has too few worshipers for his liking, so his clergy are sent out into the world to spread word of his might and to try to recruit others to his worship--either out of fear or because such people enjoy the wielding of raw power. As examples to all, the fatalistic clerics of Talos tend to indulge in acts of random or spiteful destruction as they travel and to make examples of all folk who stand up to them from entering a community or passing along a road. Some clerics pillage, burn, and steal as enthusiastically as any brigand, and hamlets that fight them off tend to be visited a season or so later by a gathering of Talassan clerics who try to slaughter everyone and lay waste to the place. This practice had led to some settlements fearfully hiring "adventuring bands in residence" to ward off a similar fate after one or more citizens have had hostile dealings with any Talassan clergy. Talos does not seem to mind clerics who indulge in fulfilling personal desires for wealth, food, luxury items, and wanton behavior as long as they call up a storm or engage in random, spectacular acts of violence once every tenday or so (toppling towers is always effective). As a result, some clergy have taken up a life of brigand. They pose as lunatics in order to spread the word of Talos as ordered, and the rest of the time they adopt disguises to scout out rich prizes.
Most Talassan temples and shrines are secret because of the reputation of the church. The worship of Talos is outlawed in many countries. Where there are public temples to Talos, many of them take the form of castles or walled compounds because they must often serve as strongholds that the faithful of Talos can defend against angry folk. Such sites seem to always lie in the path of great storms, on the fault lines of earthquakes, or in path of lava pouring forth from a volcano, yet Talos ensures they always survive unscathed.
High clergy of Talos have ceremonial robes of blue-white streaked with crimson that seem to crackle with lightning. All other clergy have formal dress of robes and cloaks of black shot through with teardrops and jagged lines of gold or silver--garb that has earned them the unflattering name "doom crows" in the rare times someone has survived seeing an official ceremony. The robes have jagged hems and rough, uneven sleeves. A black eye-patch is always worn, even if the clergy member has good vision in both eyes. When not performing holy rituals, they tend to dress shabbily and eclectically.
Rumors tell of a mysterious group of wizards who specialize in exotic combinations of elemental magic, known as the Lords of the Tempest, that owes allegiance to Talos. Other whispers in dark places speak of Talos's sponsorship of certain necromancers into lichdom, and of a cabal of crazed sages and mystics intent on bringing about the end of the world. Known only as the Circle of Rust and the Worm, these entropists have sought and obtained the Destroyer as a patron.
The church of Talos has no central hierarchy, and low-ranking clerics of the Storm Lord obey their masters only as long as they fear the greater might of the senior clerics. From time to time the church of Talos is wracked by internal warfare, such as was the case recently between the northern-based followers of Talos and the southern-based followers of his alter ego, Bhaelros. However, the Storm Lord generally prefers that his followers wreak devastation on the rest of the world, not each other.
Lord of Battles, Foehammer
Greater Deity
Symbol: A blazing silver sword on a blood-red shield
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignement: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: War, battle, warriors
Worshipers: Warriors, fighters, barbarians, rangers, half-orcs
Domains: Chaos, Protection, Strength, War
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CG, TN, CN, CE
Favored Weapon: "Battle Prowess" (battleaxe)
From astride his twin steeds--Veiros the white mare and Deiros the black stallion--Tempus (tem-pus) governs the tide of war and dispenses his favors at random, his chaotic nature favoring all sides equally in time. The deity of war is liable to back one army one day and another one the next. Soldiers of all alignments pray to him for help in coming battles. Mighty and honorable in battle and a strong and robust deity, Tempus answers only to his own warrior's code and pursues no long-lasting alliances. He is known to love food, drink, and the hunt, though he loves battle best. He always appears as a human giant in battered and bloodied plate armor with his face hidden by a massive war helm. He bears a great battle axe or a black sword notched and stained from much use in his gauntleted hands.
The church of Tempus is perhaps the most widely known in battle-stricken Faerun. Countless centuries of warfare have unfolded on the battlefields of the world, and followers of the Foehammer have fought ably and honorably for all sides in nearly every such conflict. The independence of the Lord of Battles and his followers has ensured that his church is widely respected by members of all faiths, and none doubt that they too might prevail in the next battle if only the Foehammer's fickle nature smiles their way again. Nearly every combatant has fought alongside a cleric of Tempus at some point or the other, and just as many have also fought against a cleric of Tempus. Only the church of Eldath truly wishes there were another way.
Tempus's clerics pray for spells just before high sun. The eves and anniversaries of great battles are the holy days of the church of Tempus, and as such vary from place to place. The Feast of the Moon, honoring the dead, is the most important fixed date in the religious calendar. Each temple holds a Feast of Heroes at high sun and a Song of the Fallen at sunset, and most also have a Song of the Sword ceremony after dark for lay folk. It is also expected that at least once a tenday worshipers of Tempus spill a few drops of blood (preferably their own or a worthy foe's) and sing the Song of the Sword in Tempus's honor. The ritual performed by most of the faithful is a prayer for valiant performance and survival in the fray ahead, made to the war deity over the weapon the praying being most often fights with. If a new weapon comes into the believer's possession before a battle--particularly in the form of hard-won booty00it is taken as a sign of Tempus's favor, and this weapon is the one used in worship. Tempus's clerics usually multiclass as barbarians, divine champions, or fighters. Most tend to be battle-minded male humans, although others are also welcome.
Tempus arose from the first battle between Selune and Shar, one of many such war deities to walk the world. In time, he defeated each and every one of his rivals in battle, the last of which was Garagos the Reaver. Some oracles claim that in years to come Tempus may find himself at war with Anhur as the Faerunian and Mulhorandi pantheons clash and (inevitably) merge. In recent years, Tempus sponsored the divinity of the Red Knight, a relationship akin to that of a fond and protective father to a brilliant daughter who works hard at the family business--war. The Foehammer is casually friendly with martially inclined deities such as Nobanion, Gond, Valkur, and Uthgar. He considers Eldath, his diametric opposite, to be naïve and weak. However, out of respect for her convictions, he punishes those of his faithful who abuse her clergy, shrines, or temples, feeling that war has little meaning without peace to define and highlight it. Sune, who considers him a foe, he regards as irrelevant and flighty and therefore unworthy of active opposition. It is unclear why Tempus tolerates the continued survival of Garagos, although some sages have speculated that Tempus knows that a new challenger is inevitable and he prefers to use the Reaver as a stalking horse to draw out such potential foes. Others claim that Garagos represents that one bit of warfare that Tempus finds personally distasteful, the savage madness of a battle rage, and that he deliberately ceded that aspect of the portfolio of war, though he is still worshiped by many barbarians.
Tempus does not win battles, he helps the deserving warrior win battles. War is fair in that it oppresses and aids all equally and that in any given battle, a mortal may be slain or become a great leader among his or her companions. It should not be feared, but seen as a natural force, a human force, the storm that civilization brings by its very existence. Arm all for whom battle is needful, even foes. Retreat from hopeless fights but never avoid battle. Slay one foe decisively and halt a battle quickly rather than rely upon slow attrition or the senseless dragging on of hostilities. Remember the dead that fell before you. Defend what you believe in, lest it be swept away. Disparage no foe and respect all, for valor blazes in all regardless of age, sex, or race. Tempus looks with favor upon those that acquit themselves honorably in battle without resorting to such craven tricks as destroying homes, family, or livestock when a foe is away or attacking from the rear (except when such an attack is launched by a small band against foes of vastly superior numbers). Consider the consequences of the violence of war, and do not wage war recklessly. The smooth-tongue and fleet of feet that avoid all strife and never defend their beliefs wreak more harm than the most energetic tyrant, raider, or horde leader.
Clerics of the war deity are charged to keep warfare a thing of rules, respected reputation, and professional behavior, minimizing uncontrolled bloodshed and working to eradicate feuding that extends beyond a single dispute or set of foes. At the same time, training and readiness for battle must be promoted if civilized human holdings are to survive in Faerun in the face of monster raids and orc hordes--and the power of Tempus to aid those he favors in battle must also be promoted. Warriors who employ poison or taint wells, sow fields with salt, kill noncombatants, indulge in torture or the wanton slaughter of innocent folk when they are not at war, or commit similar sings against fair battle are to be denied the favor of the deity, their crimes are to be publicized far and wide, and they are to be made to atone for their deeds or perish. War clerics must preserve the names of the honored battle-fallen, both on gravestones and other such memorials, in their prayers to Tempus, and in an annual chant at the March of the Dead, wherein clerics of the war deity go through the streets to call all folk, worshipers and nonbelievers alike, to the local Feast of the Moon hosted by their temple. Clerics are also charged to collect and venerate the weapons and armor of famous and respected warriors, even if these are broken or have deteriorated, for they retain something of the battle lust and energy associated with the deeds they participated in.
Temples of Tempus are usually what are more commonly thought of as walled military compounds than what most picture as temples. Aside from a central shrine to honor fallen decorated with the battered shields and rusted blades of the dead, most temples of Tempus are given over to the necessities of warfare, including armories, barracks, and training grounds. The wealthiest fortified abbeys sometimes contain libraries, but such contain only a history of warfare and an accounting of the fallen.
When not in battered armor, cleric of Tempus often wear helms or steel skullcaps, though they are careful never to cover their faces, for such close emulation of Tempus is thought to be an affront to the Lord of Battles. Some of the fanatical wandering clerics never remove all their armor at any time, but in the temples of the big cities clergy are rarely seen in armor except at ceremonies held before armies march or a siege begins. The formal robes of a cleric of Tempus always sport trim the crimson hue of fresh blood, but vary in overall color from place to place and rank to rank, with darker-colored robes are worn by those of lower ranks. Most war clerics wear ceremonial garments of brown or purple. Red or amber is worn by senior clergy, and yellow or white by those of the most exalted rank. Aside from their trusty battleaxes, many senior clerics of Tempus also favor spiked gauntlets as a mark of their station.
Given its predilection to support both sides of any fight, the church of Tempus necessity lacks any central authority that might come down in favor of one side or the other. However, within a given temple or military order, there is usually a strict adherence to military rank and a cleric chain of command. The Tempuran church also has many affiliated orders. Two of note are the Order of the Broken Blade and the Order of the Steel Fang. The former honors those warriors and clergy who are injured in Tempus's service and can no longer fight in the front lines. Broken Blades often serve in support functions at temples and shrines and take a personal oath upon joining the order to defend the holy site where they reside to the death as a final line of defense. The latter group is an elite fighting order within the church whose members are often assigned to the most hazardous duties. Steel Fang units are led by battle-hardened members of the clergy. Many mercenary companies and knightly fighting orders of crusaders also avail themselves of a connection to the church. One badge of the deity seen among his affiliated mercenaries is a rusty brown dagger, shown diagonally with its point to the upper right, dripping four drops of blood.
The Dragon Queen, the Chromatic Dragon, Nemesis of the Gods, the Dark Lady, Queen of Chaos, the Undying Queen, Bane of Bahamut, the Avaricious
Lesser Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Five-headed dragon
Home Plane: Heliopois
Alignement: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Evil dragons, evil reptiles, greed, Chessenta
Worshipers: Chromatic dragons, Cult of the Dragon, evil dragons, evil reptiles, fighters, sorcerers, thieves, and vandals
Domains: Destruction, Evil, Law, Trickery, [Dragon], [Hatred], [Scalykind], [Tyranny]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LE, NE (does not allow LN clerics)
Favored Weapon: A dragon head (heavy pick)
Tiamat (tee-a-maht) is a greedy, vain, and arrogant goddess who embodies all the strengths of her chromatic progeny but few of their weaknesses. She is entirely focused on the acquisition of personal power and wealth and views mortals as hapless pawns in her struggles with other deities. She can be charming and fey when necessary, but her self-serving, evil, reptilian nature is readily apparent to those who look.
The church of Tiamat is regimented by a strict hierarchy of ranks and titles. Clerics of Tiamat are primarily occupied by the twin tasks of acquiring an ever-increasing hoard of wealth for the faith and sabotaging the faiths of other deities. As a result, they occupy most of their waking hours with an unending series of thefts, assassinations, acts of vandalism, and arson. In Unther and Chessenta they are primarily concerned with seizing as much power as possible, while in western Faerun, the cult’s agents are focused on infiltrating and subverting the Cult of the Dragon.
Clerics of Tiamat pray for their spells at dusk, in hopes she will return the sun the following morning, as part of a ritual known as Tithing. The Tithing requires a small tithe, typically several gold coins or a small gem, which are hidden in the cleric’s cupped hands as the cleric’s prayers are offered, then buried. Tiamat’s clergy also perform numerous other daily ceremonies in homage to their mistress. The Rite of Respect is a complicated ritual of abasement and appeasement that must be performed while approaching any spawn of the Dragon Queen. This ceremony does not provide any ritualistic protection from the dragon’s fury, but failure to perform the ceremony with rigorous perfection is sure to draw the great reptile’s ire. In Unther, the Dark Scaly Ones have proclaimed the day of the first full moon after Midsummer a holy day dedicated to the Dark lady.
Known as the Festival of Vengeance, this day marks the defeat of Gilgeam by Tiamat, Nemesis of the Gods. In Unthalass the day is marked by general anarchy, rioting, and widespread mayhem incited by the clergy and the faithful and is punctuated by the consummation of long-simmering acts of revenge. During this time, the clerics of the Mulhorandi and Faerunian pantheons seek to contain the looting and destruction, but prominent officials must beware of the numerous assassination attempts executed by Tiamat’s worshipers. Many clerics multiclass as divine disciples, fighters, sorcerers, or (if associated with the Cult of the dragon) wearers of purple.
Tiamat is an interloping deity, brought to Faerun along with the rest of the Untheric pantheon. Her battles with those deities are legendary in Unther, and the Nemesis of the Gods was blamed for every setback experience by Unther. As a result, her small cult survived as the surviving Untheric gods became increasingly tyrannical, and eventually she regained sufficient strength to destroy Gilgeam during the Time of Troubles. Her foes include Bane and Ilmater, and she has no known allies.
Rival deities of all creeds and from every pantheon are inherently tyrannical. They seek only power, at any cost, despite their honeyed words. The Dragon Queen is the only being powerful enough to defy the gods and overthrow their despotic rule, as demonstrated by her overthrow of the other Untheric deities. Work tirelessly toward the day when Tiamat will banish the gods from Faerun and unite the world under her rule. Toward this goal, follow her commands unquestioningly and be willing to sacrifice yourself in her service. To overthrow the gods requires power, and power is acquired through the accumulation of wealth and magic. Power demands respect. Chromatic dragons everywhere are to be venerated as the spawn of the Dragon Queen and paid homage. When Tiamat assumes her throne, her draconic children shall serve her as dukes, and her clergy as their mortal vassals.
Tiamat accepts only evil clerics. Tiamat's clerics, like Tiamat herself, seek to place the world under the domination of evil dragons. Though most evil dragons honor Tiamat, few keep shrines dedicated to her in their lairs because they don't want Tiamat's greedy eyes gazing at their treasure hoards. Instead, they dedicate vast, gloomy caverns to their deity and keep them stocked with treasure and sacrifices. Tiamat claims not to need allies, though most believe she has bargains with many archdevils and lawful evil deities. Her enemies are numerous, including Moradin, and, of course, Bahamut.
The True, the True Deity, the Loyal Fury
Lesser Deity
Symbol: Right-hand gauntlet held upright with palm forward
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignement: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Duty, loyalty, obedience, paladins
Worshipers: Paladins, heroes, good fighters and warriors, guardians, knights, loyal courtiers
Domains: Good, Healing, Law, Protection, Strength
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN
Favored Weapon: "Duty's Bond" (greatsword)
Torm (torm) the True, patron of paladins and unswerving enemy of corruption and evil, serves the people of Faerun by exemplifying the chivalric ideal. An ascended hero who lived his mortal life in service to a just sovereign, Torm eschews the pretense of his fellow deities, instead adopting a humble position that he exists to serve the common good and the rule of law as established by honorable mortal rulers. Though a true deity with awesome power at his disposal, the Loyal Fury is all too familiar with the failings of mortal men, having fallen victim to hubris, gullibility and ignorance when confined to a mortal shell during the Time of Troubles. During that seminal event, Torm allowed himself to be controlled by his own corrupt, oppressive clerics for a short time, an occurrence that gave him perspective on his own flaws and enhanced his sense of humility. Stern, righteous, and unyielding in the face of evil, Torm's spirit lifts when dealing with his friends, the weak, the defenseless, and the young.
Torm battled Bane in the harbor of the city of Tantras during the Time of Troubles, destroying the Black Lord in personal combat (he too died in the conflict, but was later returned to life by Ao). As such, he became a hero to good-hearted people throughout the continent, a savior who in slaying Bane delivered Faerun from the machinations of the deity of strife and tyranny. Torm's destruction of Bane broke the back of Zhentil Keep by eradicating that nation's divine support, allowing the Dalesfolk, for a short while, to breathe a sigh of relief. In nations across the continent, Torm became a symbol of heroism and bravery, the ideal knight serving his followers with a transforming act of self-sacrifice appreciated even by great Ao himself. This adoration extended to Torm's church, which experience a renaissance and philosophical blooming as its numbers swelled and new thinkers and adherents joined the congregation. In the fourteen years following that time clerics of Torm have enjoyed popularity unparalleled in Faerun.
Now that Bane has returned, the people look to the Loyal Fury and his mortal agents for salvation once again. They eagerly hope that the menace of the Black Hand can be dealt with after another great battle, that the revived church of Bane can be crushed by an army of paladins with holy hearts and sanctified swords. Such has happened within the lifetime of every adult in Faerun, and many expect it to happen again. Torm and his followers take a more realistic view, knowing that the current day is far different from the Time of Troubles, when the two deities met as essentially equal mortals. They know that the secrecy of Bane's cult prevents open warfare, and that the menace of the Black Hand returned will not be quenched easily or without great loss of life. Both Torm and his holy warriors know the costs, and both are more than willing to pay them to deliver the good people of Faerun from a world dominated by the lord of Darkness.
Clerics of Torm pray for their spells at dawn. On the 13th of Eleasis, they celebrate a somber ceremony known as the Divine Death to commemorate Torm's sacrificial destruction of Bane. The 15th of Marpenoth sees a more jovial ritual in the form of the True Resurrection, which celebrates the anniversary of Torm's return to Toril at the behest of Ao. Shieldmeet, traditionally a time when Faerunians enter new agreements and compacts, is a time of great religious significance to followers of the deity of duty who take their oaths very, very seriously. In addition to the daily morning prayer, clerics are expected to give thanks and honor to Torm through quiet prayers at noon, dusk, and midnight. Torm's clerics often multiclass as divine champions, divine disciples, or paladins.
Torm serves Tyr as war leader and champion, as he once did for a mortal monarch in the days immediately following the Fall of Netheril. Scholars disagree on where Torm's kingdom was located, or even what it was called, but the most believable theories place it somewhere south of the Lake of Steam, in the area now known as the Border Kingdoms. Whole knightly orders in service to Torm's church seek the location of this kingdom, which the clerics refer to as the High Seat, or Chalsembyr. They hope that discovering the location might give them more insight into Torm's life as a mortal, one of the few subjects about which he absolutely refuses to enlighten his followers. Some interpret his reticence as a game, as if Torm keeps Chalsembyr's location a secret in order to test his faithful, who routinely go on quests to locate it. Lore of the faith holds that he who discovers the whereabouts of the Loyal Fury's mortal home will be raised up to the celestial planes as Torm's divine servant.
Prior to the Time of Troubles, Torm served Tyr as a loyal demipower. After his resurrection at the hands of Ao, the Maimed Deity elevated him to lesser deity status, and greatly enhanced his duties, granting him control of several armies of celestial warriors to use in outer planar conflicts. Torm, Tyr, and Ilmater work together frequently, and ar known as the Triad. At Tyr's insistence, Torm has of late befriended the Red Knight in an attempt to temper her lust for war with an appreciation for justice. His kinship for Helm dates back several centuries, though the clergies of the Loyal Fury and the Watcher currently find themselves at odds on several important ideological and political issues. As a pro-active enemy of evil, Torm finds that his ideals and philosophies often square with those of Lathander, whom he greatly respects.
After destroying bame, Torm turned most of his attentions to Cyric, working with Mystra, Oghma, and Mask in dethroning the Black Sun from his position as Lord of the Dead. He deeply regrets not destroying Cyric in that instance, and has vowed to remedy that regret should the two deities meet again. Torm found the alliance with Mask distasteful, and hopes to force the Lord of Shadows to reform himself by thrawting his plans as often as possible. Since the return of the Black Hand, however, the bulk of Torm's ambition and planning has gone toward defeating the dark intrigues of Bane.
Salvation may be found through service. Every failure of duty diminishes Torm and every success adds to his luster. Strive to maintain law and order. Obey your masters with alert judgment and anticipation. Stand ever alert against corruption. Strike quickly and forcefully against rot in the hearts of mortals. Bring painful, quick death to traitors. Question unjust laws by suggesting improvement or alternatives, not additional laws. Your fourfold duties are to faith, family, masters, and all good beings of Faerun.
Clerics and paladins of Torm swear themselves to the Penance of Duty, a guide of responsibilities and obligations outlined by the Loyal Fury himself after discovering the rife corruption within the church during the Time of Troubles. To repay their persecution of other goodly religions, the clergy must aid the establishment of other good faiths as part of the Debt of Persecution. The Debt of Dereliction states that Torm's agents must expend every resource possible to eliminate cults of Cyric and Bane, and to work against the insidious Zhentarim. The Debt of Destruction stipulates that the clergy record the locations of dead and wild magic areas and do what they can to heal these wounds to the Weave. Additionally, clerics and paladins of Torm stand vigilant against corruption within goodly organizations, knowing that what could infect their stalwart order is doubly likely to writhe into the affairs of less watchful bodies. Many travel the world righting wrongs and spreading the good works of Torm.
High Cleric Barriltar Bhandraddon serves as Torm's pontiff in Faerun, ruling from the impressive Temple of Torm's Coming in Tantras. Bhandraddon's reach extends far, and in the last decade he has sponsored several continent wide knightly orders, including the prestigious Order of the Golden Lion, members of which guard temples and wander Faerun in service to the Penance of Duty. The order is currently led by the affable Tantran paladin lord Garethian the Infallible (a humble man whose title is more an exercise in ironic self-deprecation than braggadocio). Since Bane's return, many important leaders and field agents of the church have been assassinated, and many of Torm's knights urge more decisive action against the Black Hand's honor-less followers.
Temples of Torm frequently double as citadels. Often constructed high on mountains to offer their residents a clear view of the surrounding area, such structures feature drilling grounds, high towers, austere quarters for resident and visiting knights, and plainly adorned, simple worship halls. White granite walls and statues of lions and armored figures predominate, with badges of knights who fell in duty lining the high-ceilinged hallways.
In order to gain the power necessary to destroy Bane's avatar during the Time of Troubles, Torm absorbed the souls of all his worshipers in Tantras. The voluntary soul-transference killed the mortals, ending thousands of lives in a matter of moments. As the city had been for centuries the center of his religion, with members of the faithful flocking to it since word spread of his arrival early in the Avatar Crisis, entire neighborhoods were left barren of life. Even though Torm required every once of devotional power to destroy his enemy, he could not bring himself to ask children to sacrifice themselves, especially as he knew many of them couldn't understand the importance of what was happening. He assured their faithful parents that the children would be cared for, and to this day those children, ranging in age from 14 to 28, are known as the Martyr's Progeny. Many have gone on to enter Torm's clergy and some have even exhibited strange powers related to bravery and strength in the years since their parents heeded Torm's desperate call.
Lady Luck, the Lady Who Smiles, Our Smiling Lady
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Silver coin featuring Tymora's face surrounded by shamrocks
Home Plane: Brightwater
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Good fortune, skill, victory, adventurers
Worshipers: Rogues, gamblers, adventurers, Harpers, lightfoot Halflings
Domains: Chaos, Good, Luck, Protection, Travel
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: Longsword or shuriken
Tymora (tie-more-ah), the friendly, graceful, and kind deity of good fortune, owes her impressive popularity to two factors. Firstly, her dominance over narrow escapes and lucky discoveries makes her the patron of choice to Faerun's burgeoning adventurer population, who propitiate her in hopes of prolonged survival and spectacular takes. The greatest boon to her church came during the Time of Troubles, however, when Tymora appeared to followers in Arabel and set up shop in the temple known as the Lady's House. As the entire continent quaked with magic gone wild, Tymora offered all-too-absent stability and the reassurances that some deity still cared about their human subjects. The ability to actually meet a deity (in exchange for a reasonable donation to the church, of course) bolstered faith in desperate times, and the ranks of her clergy and followers swelled accordingly.
Those commoners who fail to take themselves too seriously see the servants of Tymora as energetic advocates of fun and adventure. The clerics preach a doctrine that urges their followers to take chances and do something, rather than sitting around and daring nothing. Accordingly, those who choose Tymora as patron tend to possess a zest for life and a calm assurance that the Lady Who Smiles will ensure they live a long and fruitful life. Halflings consider Tymora to be one of Yondolla's Children, and consider her widespread worship in human lands as simply the greatest of Lady Luck's numerous humorous cons.
Clerics of Tymora, often called luck bringers, pray for their spells in the morning. The faithful typically greet each other by touching holy symbols, often embracing to do so. The clergy officially recognizes no set rituals, with religious observances varying wildly according to the dictates of each temple. Tymora's clerics most commonly multiclass as bards or rogues, but they have been known to try almost any class combination. A rare few become auspicians.
Prior to the Dawn Cataclysm, a single deity, Tyche, controlled both good and bad luck. A fickle deity whose attention just as often brought calamity as calm, Tyche wandered through her existence controlled only by her whims, seldom concerning herself with anything or anyone for more than a moment. As luck would have it, the amorous deity found herself embroiled in the war between deities initiated by Lathander, who attempted to restructure the Faerunian pantheon according to his own sense of propriety. Deciding quickly that her paramour had become altogether too serious, Tyche kissed the Morninglord with misfortune and left him to his fate.
During her travels, she came upon a beautiful rose, which she attempted to pluck from the earth. Curiously, the flower would not budge, so she cursed it with bad luck, whereupon its stem broke and it fell to the ground. Thinking little of the incident, she placed the rose in her hair and continued her roaming, oblivious to a dangerous corruption on her very person. The rose had been an aspect of Moander, deity of rot and decay. In short order, Moander worked its corruption into Tyche's ear, eagerly draining the deity's lifeforce and withering her form within. When she finally returned home, the oblivious Tyche came upon her friends Lathander and Selune, as well as Azuth, who had been warned of Moander's attack through consultation with the Pale Tesseract. Before the disgusting creature that had once been Tyche could greet her former companions, Selune lashed out with a bolt of purifying light. Tyche's form split right down the middle, and from the husk emerged a completely new deity.
A bright, somewhat smaller version of Tyche arose first, looking upon the three deities with a bemused expression of confused recognition, as if she had known these figures in dreams even if they had never met. Bold, beautiful Beshaba was second to arise.
After a brief battle in which the good and evil aspects of the fallen Tyche nearly destroyed each other if not for the combined effort of Azuth, Lathander, and Selune, Beshaba cursed the four deities, decrying them as murderers and luckless villains unworthy of both her presence and her good will. Swearing to bedevil their followers with ill fortune for eternity, the Maid of Misfortune left the assembly in a torrent of acrid smoke and foul language. The newborn deity, Tymora, simply shrugged, a small frown her only display of emotion.
Since that day, Tymora and Beshaba have continued their struggle. For Beshaba, their battle is one of wholehearted destruction. Tymora, for her part, seeks to stave off the Maid of Misfortune's depredations, occasionally punishing her cruel ambition with a particularly choice humiliation.
Though it would not be fair to call Tymora cruel, she does delight in practical jokes, often attempting to bring good humor to stern deities such as Helm and Tyr through the careful application of gentle teasing and playful trickery. Though she inherited all the good qualities of her progenitor, she also retains much of Tyche's romantic fickleness--she's seduced dozen of deities and countless mortals, seldom staying with a single paramour for more than a year or two. She shares a somewhat casual, long-running romance with the Halfling deity Brandobaris, whose passion for daring-do and ribald shenanigans rivals her own.
One should be bold, for to be bold is to live. A brave heart and a willingness to take risks beat out a carefully wrought plan nine times out of ten. Place yourself in the hands of fate and trust to your own luck. Bear and conduct yourselves as your own masters, showing your good or bad fortune as confidence in the Lady. Chase your own unique goals, and the Lady aids the chase. Without direction or goals, you soon know the embrace of Beshaba, for those on no set course are at the mercy of misfortune, which has no mercy at all.
Clerics of Tymora favor gaiety and spontaneity, believing that those who enjoy the greatest fortune are those who take the greatest risks. They position their temples as refueling stops for adventuring bands, often offering such staples as holy water and healing potions. Some churches take this a step further, offering excessive secret aid to the most daring of adventurers in a public relations effort to "prove" the value of Tymora's doctrine. Clerics hail the miraculous success of these heroes upon their return from dangerous dungeons and haunted tombs, declaring their survival and plunder the reward of Lady Luck. When such groups are consumed by walls of living tentacles or walk into a sphere of annihilation set into the mouth of giant bas-relief demon faces, Tymoran clerics are notably silent.
Each Tymoran temple is an independent operation with its own hierarchy and doctrinal interpretation, which usually boils down to the whims of the high priest or priestess informed by a baseline collection of beliefs and customs. This longstanding tradition has recently encountered a challenge in the form of Daramos Lauthyr, high priest of the Lady's House of Arabel, who seeks to unite the church under a single pontiff--himself.
The Even-Handed, the Maimed God, the Just God
Greater Deity
Symbol: Balanced scales resting on a war hammer
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignement: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Justice
Worshipers: Paladins, judges, magistrates, lawyers, police, the oppressed
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law, War, [Retribution]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN
Favored Weapon: "Justicar" (longsword)
Before every criminal trial in civilized lands, good-hearted magistrates whisper prayers to Tyr (teer) the Even-Handed, asking that he guide their judgments with temperance and resolve. A utopian interloper deity who long ago came to Toril from a foreign cosmos, Tyr sees himself as a father figure working to craft a perfect society among the people of Faerun, whom he views as his wayward children. The pain of knowing that his mortal charges cannot hope to initiate and protect a flawless, completely just orderly existence tinges Tyr's philosophy with an undercurrent of resigned sadness.
Religious iconography depicts Tyr as an aging one-handed warrior, often with a bloody bandage covering his wounded eyes. The so-called Maimed God lost his right hand in battle with the ravenous entity known as Kezef the Chaos Hound. Tyr's blindness dates to the Time of Troubles, when Ao himself scoured his eyes for failing to witness the theft of the Tablets of Fate and for allowing discord among the gods of Toril. Worshipers have allegorized Tyr's wounds as emblematic of the blindness of justice and the price the truly just must endure on the path of righteousness and stern defense of the law. Particularly radical Tyrran sects advocate self-mutilation among their adherents, a practice condemned by the large majority of the faithful, who nonetheless ritualistically don gauze eye coverings and an off-colored glove on their right hands to honor the Blind Overlord.
Commoners view Tyr and his clerics as stern arbiters of justice, often missing the paternal philosophical nuances of Tyrran doctrine for its more obvious black-and-white teachings on the nature of morality. They tend to view Tyr as something of a divine constant--they know that Tyr expects fairness, good judgment, and kindness toward the innocent from his followers, and hence afford Tyr's clerics a great deal of trust.
Clerics of Tyr pray for spells at dawn. In addition to numerous minor holidays, Tyr's priesthood follows a strict regimen of monthly high rituals. On the first of each month, Tyrrans celebrate Seeing Justice, at which specially chanted prayers elicit the appearance of a white-hot war hammer that glows with heat and light. The thirteenth day brings celebration of the Maiming, at which the congregation sings loud, booming hymns as an illusionary gauntleted hand surrounded by a nimbus of burning blood appears above them. A similar ritual called The Binding, which takes place on the twenty-second day of each month, involves an image of burning, crying eyes. Tyr's clerics often multiclass as paladins.
Tyr came to Toril in -247 DR in an event known as the Procession of Justice. Bursting from a gate near modern-day Alaghon in Turmish, he led a force of 200 archons across the Vilhon Reach in an effort to pacify the remnants of ancient Jhaamdath, which had fallen to lawlessness and brigandage following that empire's destruction at the hands of its elven enemies. In the ensuring battle, Tyr's host slew Valigan Thirdborn, a lesser deity of anarchy whose rise in -269 DR directly coincided with the ascendance of the bloodthirsty Exarch Thelasan IV, who spurred the Emperor into greater conflict with the elves.
Tyr's actions and sacrifices during the Procession (which lasted until -238) attracted the attention of the previously obscure Illmater, who joined forces with Tyr in -243 DR. Years later, long after the Procession had ended with most of Tyr's servants banished or killed and the deity himself taking interest in Toril at large at the expense of his initial, highly targeted campaign, Torm joined up as the Just God's war leader. Together with Ilmater, the deities became known as the Triad, by which they are still referred to this day.
Over the more than 1,600 years since his arrival, Tyr has expanded his dominance over the whole of Faerun--few are those who do not know his name or the enthusiastic ideals he represents. His is a civilizing voice, urging the construction of moral and legal codes and the administration of fair justice for sentient creatures in every land. In this regard he is both progressive and regressive, representing a force for cultural development in lands with corrupt or no legal systems and representing a stern defense of the status quo in nations with well-established codes of law.
Tyr's relatively short time on Toril has gained him a host of enemies. He fiercely opposes deities dedicated to tyranny, evil, or lawlessness, and bears particularly enmity toward Bane, Cyric, Mask, Talona, and Talos.
Reveal the truth, punish the guilty, right the wrong, and always be true and just in your actions. Uphold the law wherever you go and punish those who do wrong under the law. Keep a record of your own rulings, deeds, and decisions, for through this your errors can be corrected, your grasp on the laws of all lands will flourish, and your ability to identify lawbreakers will expand. Be vigilant in your observations and anticipations so you may detect those who plan injustices before their actions threaten law and order. Deliver vengeance to the guilty for those who cannot do it themselves.
The Tyrran faith appeals to those who seek to bring order to the disorderly, to punish the wicked, and to ensure that civilization prospers through a careful, fair system of justice. Theirs is a doctrine of justice through benevolent force and armed vigilance, a philosophy that makes the faith attractive to paladins and lawful fighters. Most adherents do not fight in the field, however, instead seeing to important battles in the courts as bureaucrats, judges, bailiffs, and merchants. Tyrrans tend to view all affairs in clear-cut moral terms, preferring to see the world ordered by just laws that provide the greatest benefit to all. They tend toward intolerance, sometimes violently so, and seldom tolerate mockery, parody, or the questioning of their faith.
Clerics of Tyr bring law to lawless lands, often serving as judge, jury, and executioner. Without a civilized legal code with which to guide their judgments, they often default to a doctrine roughly equivalent to "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." However, Tyrrans prefer to err on the side of mercy, and frequently commute otherwise harsh sentences for cases in which the offender was ignorant of any wrongdoing. Such criminals usually find their names recorded in the cleric's Book of Lawgiving, which is then shared with the nearest temples to prevent that perpetrator repeating the offense and getting off lightly. Powerful clerics frequently employ the mark of justice spell to add magical coercion to their stern lectures to convicted criminals.
In civilized lands, Tyrrans (inevitably called "tyrants" by their legion detractors) tend to become legal experts, advising rulers, judges, or powerful merchants on the intricacies of the law and arguing cases before magistrates. They view the latter as charity, donating their (sometimes lavish) "speaking fees" to the church.
Regardless of their setting, Tyrrans never enforce a law that can be shown to be unjust--defined by the church as out of compliance with the principles and definitions adhered to by other laws in the body of legal doctrine of which it is part. This sometimes forces Tyrrans to support very unfair laws that are, nonetheless, just. In many such cases, Tyrrans attempt to change the laws by working within the system. Those who break even unfair laws as a form of defiance or political dissent are nonetheless guilty, in their view, and deserve to be punished to the fullest extent the law allows.
In some cases, Tyrrans act as agents of vengeance for those who have been wronged and who cannot afford or are no longer around to defend themselves. In such cases, when the law is so broken down as to become meaningless, clerics of Tyr act openly to defy evil or corrupt forces, martyring themselves if such becomes necessary.
The well-connected, highly organized Church of Tyr sponsors an extensive system of fortified temples throughout Faerun. Each subscribes to a strict set of internal rules known as the Innumerable Edicts, which seems to grow more pedantic and onerous with each passing year.
Currently, the sprawling Fortress Faithful in Tethyr (south of Zazesspur) holds the most influential position in the church, as many faithful flocked there during that land's recent civil war, and have stayed on to ensure stability in the region. The massive House of Tyr's Hand in Thesk represents a more staid, traditionalist sect of the church, and shelters the Just Knights--clerics, fighters, and paladins who have honored the Maimed God in countless battles against their aggressive neighbors in Thay. Individual temples of Tyr offer lodging, fresh mounts, healing, spell aid, weapons, gear, and holy advice, as well as confession of sins, which plays an important absolving role in the faith.
Creator of Chult, Founder of Mezro, Father of the Dinosaurs
Greater Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Maze
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Creation, jungles, Chult, the Chultans, dinosaurs
Worshipers: Adepts, Chultans, druids, inhabitants of jungles, rangers
Domains: Planning, Plant, Protection, [Scalykind]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: NG, LN, TN, CN, NE
Favored Weapon: Tyrannosaur head (heavy pick)
Ubtao (oob-tay-oh) is the patron deity of Chult, endlessly patient and rarely emotional. The Father of the Dinosaurs maintains a palpable emotional distance from both mortals and other deities, and he seems to stand aloof from the daily doings of the world and his followers. Only since the Time of Troubles has he begun to evidence a renewed interest in the doings of his followers. The many jungle spirits worshiped in Chult are all aspects of Ubtao.
The church of Ubtao is split among three wholly independent sects, all based in the Jungles of Chult among the various clans of the humans. Mazewalkers, found only among the inhabitants of the city of Mezro, see to the general spiritual welfare of the clan, while trying to prepare the faithful for their trek through the maze of life. They teach children and adults the history and lore of the Chultan peoples, provide council about important life decisions, such as marriage, and attempt to mediate interclan and intraclan disputes, and help teach and uphold the law of Mezro. Spiritlords, based outside the city, seek to smooth their clan's passage through the spirit-infested world. They live to insure the clan does not offend an ancient ancestor or elemental deity by missing a ritual or a sacrifice. They can also coax favors and knowledge from the capricious and jealous spirits. Jungle druids attempt to get the scattered clans to learn how best to fit into the web of jungle life. They are often cast in the role of clan healer, and also accumulate and pass on knowledge about animals, animal behavior (including that of dinosaurs), and plants. Jungle druids are often the trainers of the few domestic animals that the humans keep.
Clerics and druids of Ubtao pray for their spells at noon, when Ubtao's majesty hangs over all Chult. Most native humans consider themselves religious, though they show it in ways that astound travelers from other parts of Faerun. There are seemingly scores of sacred ceremonies and holy days, many of them particular to ancestors that have passed on, the time of year, the location the people are going to hunt at, move to, or pass through next, or necessary before performing certain activities, such as hunting a certain animal or burying the dead. Yet when their small, moveable stone altars are not being used for these ceremonies, they treat them as if they were just another rock. Mazewalkers are usually clerics while Spiritlords are usually adepts. Jungle druids are druids. Many of the clergy multiclass as rangers.
Long ago, Ubtao agreed to stand guard over the Peaks of Flame against the day when Dendar the Night Serpent slithers forth and the doom of the world arrives. In exchange, the other gods granted him dominion over Chult and agreed never to extend their dominion into Ubtao's fiefdom. Over time Ubtao's essence began to fragment into numerous nature spirits, one of which was a shadow entity called Eshowdow. Shar recently absorbed Eshowdow, and her activity might mark the end of the agreement forged with Ubtao with unforeseen results. Ubtao's only ally is Thard Harr. Likewise, Ubtao's chief foe (other than Eshowdow) is Sseth, an aspect of Set acting as deity of the yuan-ti.
Ubtao created the jungle as a test for his people, a maze for them to pass through on their way to a heavenly afterlife. Learn the maze that represents your life, for you must know it when you meet Ubtao in the afterlife. Understand your place in the jungle, represented by your maze. Respect the dinosaur, for they are the Children of Ubtao, agents of his will and gifts of his bounty.
The Lord in the Ice, the Eternal Sleeper, Father of the Giant's Kin
Slumbering Demigod
Symbol: Necklace of blue and white ice crystals
Home Plane: Astral
Alignement: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Glaciers, polar environments, arctic dwellers
Worshipers: Arctic dwellers, druids, historians, leaders, teachers, rangers
Domains: Animal, Law, Protection, Strength, [Ocean]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, TN, LE
Favored Weapon: "Harpoon of the Cold Sea" (longspear or shortspear)
Ulutiu (oo-loo-tee-oo) is a long-quiescent deity who has voluntarily spent the last eon in slumber, adrift in the Astral Plane alongside a dead giant goddess known as Othea. Ulutir is sufficiently alive to continue to grant spells to his few followers scattered across Faerun's northern arctic wastes. The Eternal Sleeper has shown little interest in Faerun since Othea's demise. If a way could be found to resuscitate Othea, he would likely return to Faerun (and quickly come into conflict with Auril and Umberlee), but for the time being he seems content to rest in eternal sleep, granting spells and protection only to the few hardy people who survive in his favorite environment and venerate his name.
The church of Ulutiu is locally based, with little communication between villages. In the Great Glacier region, the clerics and druids serve as autocratic rulers of the villages. They govern with harsh, even cruel, edicts, but are rarely motivated by self-interest. The villagers believe Ulutiu's clergy receives guidance from the Lord in the Ice, and, as a result, their society is orderly, if somewhat staid. Among the Ice Hunters of the Savage Frontier, Ulutiu's clergy serve as community leaders as well, but they govern more by consensus than edict. Ice Hunter society is more open to contact with outsiders (on a passing basis) and less stratified in its social classes than Great Glacier society. Ulutiu's clergy are leaders, teachers, keepers of history and wisdom, and defenders of their people. They teach their clans' children, induct youths into adulthood, and pass along both clan traditions and practical survival knowledge.
Clerics and druids of Ulutiu silently pray for their spells at midday, covering their eyes with their hands and turning their heads to the sky, and offer similar prayers at dawn and sunset. The people of the Great Glacier follow a special set of edicts called kaiurit that vary from village to village and change from year to year, determined from Ulutiu's dream fragments experienced by the clergy. The Ice Hunters have abandoned the practice of observing kaiurit, but practices a year-long ritual known as the kaitotem in which they capture a totem animal and raise it for a year, then release it into the wilderness to become a servant of the totem spirits. Many clerics and druids multiclass as rangers.
Othea was the mother of the giant races of Faerun and wife of Annam, father of the true giant races. She had children with Ulutiu, when they were discovered he voluntarily exiled himself in exchange for Annam's promise to spare his wife. He sank into the Cold Ocean with his ice necklace, causing it to freeze into the Great Glacier. Othea planned to reunite with Ulutiu but was slain by one of her sons, who could not venture onto the Great Glacier while his mother was alive. He has no allies or enemies.
No person is the superior of another, with the exception of Ulutiu's clergics, who are his representatives in this world and who are set in positions of leadership to pass on his wisdom to his people. Because animals share the same emotions, thoughts, and morals as people (but express them differently), they should be respected on pain of Ulutiu's wrath.
The villagers of the Great Glacier also believe that magic from any source but Ulutiu is blasphemous and those that practice it should be shunned and driven away.
The Bitch Queen, Queen of the Depths
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Blue-green wave curling left and right
Home Plane: Fury's Heart
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Oceans, currents, waves, sea winds
Worshipers: Sailors, were sharks, sentient sea creatures, coastal dwellers
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Water, [Ocean], [Storm]
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "Drowning Death" (trident)
Malicious, mean, and evil, Umber lee (um-ber-lee) is the terror of sailors and coastal dwellers across the world. She breaks agreements on a whim and takes great pleasure in watching others die by drowning or in the jaws of sea predators. Vain and desirous of flattery, she is excessively greedy for power and revels in exercising it. Weresharks are her creations, and theirs is one of the few races that worship her out of admiration rather than fear. The Bitch Queen is always depicted as a female blue-green torso garbed in shells and a mauve cape made from jellyfish rising out of the waves from taloned hands, elbow fins, eyes of pale pearly death, and hair of kelp.
Like the church of Talos, the church of Umberlee is almost universally despised and propitiated only out of fear. Nevertheless, despite the promise offered by the relatively weak church of Valkur, nearly every sailor makes an offering to the Bitch Queen before heading into her domain and Umberlant clerics can walk unmolested in dockside wards in most ports. They are even welcomed aboard most ships, in hopes that their presence will help appease the Bitch Queen.
Umberlant clerics pray for spells at high tide (in the morning or evening), making offerings and self-anointing on the brow, hands, and feet with sea water. The Drowning is a private ritual, and only clergy members may witness it or take part. In the Drowning, a supplicant lies before an altar and is surrounded by candles lit to the deity, each placed with an intoned prayer by a different Umberlant cleric. The attending clergy then withdraw and release a wave of sea water to flood the room in a huge breaking wave and then flow away. Supplicants who survive are confirmed in the service of Umberlee and warned that if they should ever betray the Queen of the Deeps, drowning is the fate that awaits them. They were spared during the Drowning and so can be taken by the Sea Queen at any time to come. (Clergy whom the Sea Queen feels have failed her go to sleep one night never to awaken, dying under the night of drowning, their lungs mysteriously filled with sea water.) The two public rituals of the Umberlant faith are the First Tide and the Stormcall. The former is celebrated when the ice breaks up in a harbor and involves a parade through town with a caged animal, which is then tied to a rock and hurled into the sea. If it reaches shore alive, it is treated as a sacred animal for the rest of its days. Stormcall is a mass prayer to send a storm to devastate a specific harbor or ship or to turn away an approaching storm or one that has already broken upon the worshipers. Its participants pray around pools upon which float candles on driftwood planks, and throw sacrifices into the pools. A doused candle is a sure sign of the Bitch Queen's anger. Umberlee's clerics tend to multiclass as druids, fighters, rogues, divine disciples, or waveservants.
Umberlee is one of the Deities of Fury. She serves Talos, along with Auril and Malar. Talos has been encroaching upon her portfolio, and since she lacks the strength to fight him, Umberlee has been trying to distract him with romantic intrigues. She fights Selune and Valkur (to whom sailors pray to bring them home safely), Chauntea (for her dominion over land), and Sune (whose beauty she envies).
The sea is a savage place, and those that travel it had best be willing to pay the price of challenging Umberlee's domain. All should know the Bitch Queen and fear her, for the wind and the wave can reach everywhere if sufficiently angered. Fair offerings bring fair winds to sea travelers, but those that do not pay their respects will find that the sea is as cold as Umberlee's heart. Spread the word of the might of Umberlee, and let no service be done in her name without a price. Make folk fear the wind and wave unless a cleric of Umberlee is there to protect them. Slay those who ascribe sea and shore storms to Talos.
Umberlant clergy are charged to spread respect for Umberlee by preaching of the doom she has wrought in the past and the storms to come in all coastal cities and settlements. Along the way, they seek to build up favor enough to be washed ashore by the deity if they are ever in danger on the seas and to enrich themselves by accepting offerings, selling the safety of their own presence on shipboard, or by casting certain spells.
Temples of Umberlee are always located along the coast or underwater. Many lie within sea caves, while free-standing structures are usually are constructed from flotsam, surf-pounded rocks, and the shells of great sea beasts. Umberlant temples are mainly vehicles for sailors and merchants to make offerings of candles, flowers, candies, or coin to appease the Bitch Queen's wrath.
The ceremonial garb of the Umberlant clerics consists of a skintight blue or green body stocking worn with a voluminous cape of blue or green trimmed with white fur (to represent foaming breakers). A tall collar, similarly trimmed, rises from the back of the cape's neck. A popular badge of rank is the skeletal hand of a drowned victim.
The church of Umberlee is disorganized and run differently in different locales. The only organized hierarchy is that imposed by a particularly favored and powerful cleric, and such regimes are inevitably washed away in time by the ever-fickle Bitch Queen. Clerics of the faith are even given to dueling each other to settle disputes of rank or ability, although such combats are rarely fatal. Instead, the loser is usually thrown aboard the next ship to leave port, regardless of the destination.
Father of the Uthgardt, Battle Father
Lesser Deity
Symbol: That of the individual beast totem spirit
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignement: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Uthgardt barbarian tribes, physical strength
Worshipers: The Uthgardt tribes, barbarians
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Strength, War, [Retribution]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: Varies with beast totem (see below)
Favored Weapon: Appropriate beast totem spirit (battleaxe)
Father of the Uthgardt barbarians of the Savage Frontier, Uthgar (uhth-gar) is a proud, fierce, and independent warrior. According to some legends he is the son of Beorunna (a Netherese warrior hero whose followers became the barbarian tribes of the North), while others claim he is the divine offspring of mighty Tempus. The Battle Father has few friends and has remained relatively uninvolved in divine politics. Uthgar's full and hearty laugh rings out whenever he hears a good joke. He enjoys sensual pleasures of the flesh, even in his divine state, and likes to hunt, eat, drink, and be merry in his feast halls with the warrior spirits he has called to serve him. Although he is a tireless and methodical tactician, his battle strategies are not terribly inspired. He is driven to win in the long run, however, especially if the Uthgardt barbarians (his people) are threatened. Uthgar has many faces, in his guises as the various beast totems, but in his hall he is always depicted as a tall, burely, bearded, blond-haired warrior with eyes of piercing blue dressed only in a battle harness, leather breechcloth, and furred boots.
Little known outside the harsh realm of the North, the church of Uthgar does not exist per se outside the collected ranks of those who venerate the various beast cult shamans. Although generally seen as savage and frightening by other inhabitants of the Savage Frontier, in truth the character of the church of Uthgar varies greatly from tribe to tribe. In recent years, Uthgar's people have worked to remove the stain of their reputation caused by the cruel actions of the now-defunct Blue Bear Tribe (whose totem was defeated and absorbed by Malar the Beastlord), and that fact has increased acceptance of Uthgar outside the barbarian tribes. Religious fervor within the tribes has increased because several infants in each tribe have been born with a beast-totem birthmark, which has been taken as a sign of great favor. These two factors have caused Uthgar to rise to the level of a lesser deity.
Clerics of Uthgar pray at dawn or sunset. They are almost exclusively male, and each worships the beast totem spirit of his tribe. The spring equinox and both solstices are holy days, and all tribes converge upon their ancestral mound (or Beorunna's Well, the holiest of the ancestral mounds) during the autumn equinox to perform ceremonies, make agreements, and commune with ancestral spirits.
During the Runemeet, Uthgardt youths desiring to be adults (and warriors of all ages) participate in the ritual of the Runehunt, in which those involved seek victory over the tribe's ritual enemies--usually orcs. When youths complete a Runehunt successfully, Uthgar's clerics hold a ceremony, known as the Telhut, to initiate them into manhood. Uthgardt clerics of Chauntea initiate Uthgardt girls into womanhood at this time as well.
Rather than follow the one step rule, clerics of Uthgar (and those who take him as a patron deity) must abide by the somewhat broader alignment guidelines of the beast totems who mediate between Uthgar and his people. Any alignment that fit's the guideline for a beast totem is suitable for a cleric of Uthgar of that totem. The names and alignment guidelines of the totems are Black Lion (CG), Black Raven (CE), Blue Bear (CE), Elk (CN), Gray Wolf (CN), Great Worm (CG), Griffon (N), Red Tiger (CN), Sky Pony (CN), Tree Ghost (NG), and Thunder beast (CN). Uthgar's clerics often multiclass as barbarians, druids, or rangers.
Uthgar was once a mortal Northlander from Ruathym named Uther Gardolfsson, brother to Morgred (the "Morgur" of Morgur's Mound), who gained fame by invading the fabled realm of Illusk before moving into the northern interior. There, his followers united with Netherese refugees who had reverted to a primitive way of life to form a dynasty of barbarians, the Uthgardt. As he lay dying of wounds received in battle with Gurt, Lord of the Frost Giants, Uthgar was raised up as a demipower by Tempus, who admired his fighting spirit. Uthgar counts only the Lord of Battles as an ally. The Father of the Uthgardt dislikes Helm, Ilmater, Torm, and Tyr, for they have stolen away the devotion of all but one cleric of the Black Lion tribe. He holds Malar responsible for the destruction of the Blue Bear tribe (a fragment of which survives as the new Tree Ghost tribe), and he hates Auril for turning the Elk Tribe away from his worship. Other than enmities stemming from encroachment upon his followers, Uthgar holds himself aloof, unconcerned with divine politics and struggles.
The dogma of the Uthgardt religion varies slightly from tribe to tribe as each beast cult emphasizes different "barbarian" virtues. In general, shamans are charged as follows when they are initiated into the Uthgardt faith: Strength is everything. Civilization is weakness. Men should fight, hunt, and raid from the weak to provide for their wives and families. Family is sacred, and its bonds are not cast aside lightly. Arcane magic is effete, self-indulgent, and ultimately leads to weakness. Reliance upon arcane magic is an evil and false path that leads to death and ruin. Revere Uthgar, your ancestors, and your tribe's beast spirit. Study the beast so that you know its virtues and its weaknesses; claim its virtues as your own and weed its weaknesses from your spirit. The beast holds wisdom and raw power that you can make your own. Make the others of your tribe fear and respect your power and knowledge so they heed the wise words your ancestors speak through you to them.
The church of Uthgar is divided among the eleven beast totem spirits that serve Uthgar as intermediaries to the Uthgardt tribes of the Savage Frontier. Uthgar is not worshiped directly, but each tribe venerates one of these servant spirits as the divine embodiment of the spirit of their tribe--the symbol of its vitality, wisdom, mystical ability, endurance, speed, and moral nature. Uthgardt shamans tend to the respective needs for their tribes, teaching tribal history and customs passed down by heroics tales and lineage chants in an oral tradition spanning centuries. They provide healing for their tribes, initiate youths into manhood after they complete their tribal quest (often missions against a tribe's ritual enemy), and provide counsel to the tribe's chieftain and elders. When the tribe faces a new situation or a quandary, shamans consult with the ancestral spirits and totem animal great spirit to find guidance. All Uthgardt shamans believe that personal strength can demonstrate purity of purpose, and so arguments are often settled by a test of strength or a battle to first blood, to surrender, or to the death-if the matter is serious enough. At Runemeet, shamans officiate over the tribal rites of passage.
Uthgar has neither temples nor shrines, and his clerics can perform necessary ceremonies in any location, though their tribes' ancestral mounds are their most holy sites. (Each tribe and its beast totem are tied to a particular ancestral mound.) These huge earthwork mounds, often shaped like the totem beast of the tribes that gather at them, are sacred burial grounds where only the greatest shamans and chiefs are interred. Most tribes believe their tribal founders are buried in their ancestor mound. Although there are many lesser burial mounds and shrines revered by smaller clans within the tribes, it is to the large mounds devoted to their most ancient and holy ancestors that the Uthgardt tribes return each fall to spend their winters near the protection of their ancestors. The ancestor mounds are all roughly similar. Two mound rings called cairn rings surrounded a large central altar mound. The ancestor mounds of large tribes may also be surrounded by smaller, nondescript burial mounds. Usually all mounds are formed of turf-covered earth. The Uthgardt correctly believe that the spirits of dead ancestors protect the graves from harm.
For high rituals at the ancestral mound or when honoring the appointment of a new chieftain for the tribe, clerics of Uthgar dress in a high holy regalia of leather-and-fur tunics, breeches, breechcloths, and boots covered in intricate, mystic designs and ornamentation and thongs and fringes to which are attached beads and holy relics of personal importance (usually revealed to them as objects of power by spirits in visions). When a shaman dies, his relics are buried with him in his ancestral mound. Rather than a holy symbol, Uthgardt shamans carry a sacred bundle, a leather satchel containing spell components, objects too holy for others to see, and small carved miniature depictions of the shaman's totem animal, all of which have been gained by the shaman at the request of his ancestral spirits.
There is no church wide hierarchy among the faithful of Uthgar. Rather, worshipers of each tribe (totem) revere their religious leaders, with the eldest and most charismatic garnering the greatest respect and influence. Many beast totem clerics consider the church of Uthgar to be greatly threatened by the encroachment of foreign deities and a consensus is emerging among the remaining clerics that the foreign deities must be cast out and their clerics driven off.
The Mighty, Captain of the Waves
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Cloud with three lightning bolts on a shield
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignement: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Sailors, ships, favorable winds, naval combat
Worshipers: Fighters, rogues, sailors
Domains: Air, Chaos, Good, Protection, [Ocean]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: "The Captain's Cutlass" (scimitar)
Valkur (val-kurr) can pilot any sailing craft in any conditions, and he never shies away from a challenge. His moods are as mercurial as the weather, but he is always incredibly loyal to his crew. He is usually jolly, always lucky, emphasizes his points by shaking his fist in the air, and has a great belly laugh. Valkur never holds a grudge, but when angered, his voice cracks like rolling thunder. Valkur epitomizes the daring sea captain who can sail his ship through anything the Deities of Fury can unleash.
The church of Valkur is only loosely organized, with clergy members coming together to worship only when serving on the same ship or in port at the same time. Some clerics of Valkur captain sailing ships that sail the length of the Sword Coast or across the Sea of Fallen Stars. Most serve as officers on some ship or other. Few clerics of Valkur serve on pirate ships, but many enjoy serving their homelands as privateers. While in port, Valkur's clerics provide care and small amounts of monetary support to sailors down on their luck and to families whose chief breadwinner has been lost at sea. Other clerics run shipyards or administer fleets of merchant ships. Valkur's clerics are also fond of contributing to (if not totally sponsoring) seaborne exploration and long-distance trading expeditions because of the challenges and opportunities they present.
Clerics of Valkur pray for their spells at around dawn, whenever the first hint of a breeze begins to stir. The church of Valkur celebrates only one holy day per year. The Shattering is always held in early spring, but the exact date varies from year to year. The festival is held to mark the end of winter and the beginning of the sailing season in the North and is celebrated even in the South where the winter ice does not block or trouble ocean travel. Valkur is said to communicate to his High Captains the exact date of the festival each year, and it often varies from city to city. The Shattering is marked by the unfurling of many new sails throughout the port districts or coastal cities and the christening of at least one new ship that then departs for its maiden voyage crewed by Valkur's clergy. Valkur's clergy regularly perform over a dozen separate ceremonies in the course of their duties. Most of these rituals are related to ships and voyages, including ceremonies at a ship's christening, before departing on a voyage, when arriving at a new port, and when returning to the home port, among others. Many clerics multiclass as divine champions, fighters, or rogues.
Valkur is the sworn foe of the Deities of Fury and looks to Selune to guide hime across the oceans and seas of Faerun. He may have once been a sea captain from Mintarn who dared challenge Umberlee and won. The Red Knight, and through her Tempus, is trying to persuade Valkur to take more of an interesst in the dispostion of naval conflicts, but he feels his primary responsibilities lie the protection of sailors.
There is nothing more invigorating than challenging the elements. The feel of wind and spray on one's face and the deck pitching beneath one's feet is the greatest feeling in the world. If humankind is to expand its reach, daring men and women must defy the odds and dare the impossible. The thrill of exploration is sweeter than wine or rum. There is always risk, but without risk life is empty. Life is to be lived and damn the consequences. One's loyalties are first to one's mates, then to one's ship, and then to Valkur, who protects all sailors. Rely not on Valkur's hand to always extract you from difficulties, for such is coddling and leads to a lack of challenge and the room to grow. Rather, Valkur helps those actively solving their own problems by helping their plans work.
The Vaunted, Archmage of Necromancy, Lord of the Forsaken Crypt
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: A crowned laughing lich skull on a solid black hexagon
Home Plane: Dweomerheart
Alignement: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Necromancy, necromancers, evil liches, undeath
Worshipers: Liches, necromancers, seekers of immortality through undeath, Cult of the Dragon
Domains: Death, Evil, Magic, [Undeath]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: TN, LE, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: "Skull Staff of the Necromancer" (quarterstaff)
Velsharoon (vel-shah-roon) is a vain, selfish, petty, but very canny deity consumed with vengeance, obsessed with experimenting on living and dead beings, and unconcerned with the fates of lesser creatures. In many ways he continues to act like the mortal he recently was, albeit with far greater power at his disposal than before.
The church of Velsharoon is a new one, and what hierarchy exists is found within individual temples. Many clerics of Velsharoon spend their days in necromantic research, seeking to understand and expand the faith's collective knowledge of life, death, and undeath. Most have created hundreds of undead servitors, some of them unique. When an undead creation has served its purpose, these self-involved researchers often brand the symbol of their deity on its chest and then order it to wander randomly across Faerun. Other clerics of Velsharoon are involved in "support" activities for the faith--grave robbing, embalming, or teaching. A few of the more congenial low-level clerics sometimes cure the minor ills of the populace to bring in funding or worldly supplies for the church and to more easily gather information about its enemies.
Clerics of Velsharoon pray for their spells at midnight, when the secrets of the night are best unearthed. For a relatively young faith, the clergy of Velsharoon have quickly established a large number of holy days and rituals. The faith has yet to coalesce into a homogeneous creed, however, and widely varying rituals are found not only in different temples but within individual temples as well. Two rituals have become fairly widespread. The Binding of the Crypt and the Pact of the Everlasting are two rituals performed by powerful clerics, allowing them to return as an undead creature or be raised from the dead automatically if they are slain. Both rituals involve numerous other horrible incantations and the foul sacrifice of numerous good-aligned sentients. Prominent theologians of the faith claim that these rituals are merely the two of seven to be revealed by Velsharoon along a path to achieving immortality. Many clerics multiclass as divine disciples, necromancers, or (if part of the Cult of the Dragon) as wearers of purple.
As a mortal, Velsharoon was a renegade Red Wizard of Thay whose chief rival was Szass Tam. He discovered a method laid forth by Talos for a mortal to achieve divinity, but quickly realized that the Storm Lord would simply exploit him until he was destroyed. Velsharoon then shifted his allegiance to Azuth, who, with Mystra's help, blocked Talos from seeking vengeance. Velsharoon has since secretly renewed his alliance with Talos and has begun flirting with Shar, although he still nominally serves Azuth. Velsharoon loathes Cyric, Jergal, and Kelemvor, for all three routinely upset his plans.
Life and death are the twin faces of eternal existence. To surrender to either one is to resign oneself to obscurity. True power lies in the twilight zone between life and death. By seeking to explore and extend the mortal condition and form--even mortal life itself--knowledge of the world and its infinite complexity are extended. Let no one interfere with the pursuit of such research, for the end result will more than justify the necessary sacrifices along the path. Knowledge is power, and knowledge of life and death brings power over all beings, living and unliving.
Merchant's Friend
Lesser Deity
Symbol: Gold coin with Waukeen's profile facing left
Home Plane: Brightwater
Alignement: Neutral
Portfolio: Trade, money, wealth
Worshipers: Merchants, traders, the wealthy, rogues (those who learn the thiefly arts in order to fight thieves)
Domains: Knowledge, Protection, Travel, [Trade]
Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: NG, LN, TN, CN, NE
Favored Weapon: Cloud of coins (nunchaku)
Vibrant and vivacious, Waukeen (wah-keen) is a relatively young, hardworking deity who loves wealth not for itself but for what can be done and acquired with it. She enjoys bargaining and the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. She rules over deals done above and below the table--legitimate as well as black market commerce. She is interested in innovation, but can also be stubborn and persistent, which sometimes gets her into trouble. The Merchant's Friend appears as a slim, beautiful woman with golden eyes and long, luxuriant hair the hue of spun gold. Her gowns are woven of gleaming, gem-studded strips of precious metals and her gold-soled boots made from links of laced pearls.
Widely admired and envied before the Time of Troubles, the Merchant's Friend's church suffered greatly during the Interdeium of Waukeen, a span of several years in which she was missing and presumed dead. Although Waukeen has begun revitalizing the faith of her worshipers, the opinion of the outside world may take far longer to recover. All sorts of rumors about Waukeen's disappearance and return are still being banded about, with allegations that she is really dead or that she consorted with fiends being the most damaging and persisent tales told.
Clerics of Waukeen pray for spells just before sundown and must initiate their prayers by throwing a coin into a ceremonial bowl or a body of water. The church celebrates a dozen high festivals spaced over the course of the year that honor accounting (Cold Counting Comfort on Hammer 15), textiles (Great Weave on Alturiak 20), wealth (High Coin on 30 Ches), generosity (Spheres on Tarsakh 10), benefactors (Sammardach on Mirtul 12), finery (Brightbuckle on Kythorn 21), deal-making (Sornyn Flamerule 3-5), bounty (Huldark on Elesias 17(, magic (Spryndalstar on Eleint 7), guards (Marthoon on Marpenoth 1), craft (Tehennteahan on Uktar 10), and the dark side of wealth (a solemn rememberance of the evils of excess) (Orbar on Nightal 25). Clerics often multiclass as bards, goldeyes, or rogues to enhance their contacts and negotiating skills.
At the time of the Time of Troubles, Waukeen was still a relatively young deity with few enemies other than Mask, whose portfolio was naturally opposed to hers. As such, it was quite unexpected that Waukeen was never seen during the Time of Troubles and never reclaimed her mantle following its conclusion. The truth behind her disappearance is that she conspired with Lliira to leave her divine mantle behind and escape to the Astral Plane with the aid of a deity from another world. Once on the Astral Plane, she intended to make her way back to her realm via the Abyss through the purchased aid of the demon lord Graz'zt. However, Graz'zt betrayed her, making her his prisoner, and it was not until she was rescued by daring adventurers in 1371 DR that she regained her divinity. Waukeen has since revitalized and reassured her worshipers of her existence and her restored divine power. She is very closely allied with Lliira (who held her portfolio in trust while she was imprisoned), Gond (whose inventions she appreciates), and Shaundakul (whose portfolio complements hers). Aside from Mask, her only true enemy is Graz'zt, agaisnt whom she has sworn her eventual revenge.
Mercantile trade is the best road to enrichment. Increasing the general prosperity buys ever greater civilization and happiness for intelligent folk worldwide, bringing people closer to the golden age that lies ahead. Destroy no trade goods, raise no restrictions to trade, and propagate no malicious rumors that could harm someone's commerce. Challenge and refute unproven rumors that could negatively impact trade when heard. Give money freely to beggars and businesses, for the more coin everyone has, the greater the urge to spend and trade rather than hoard. To worship Waukeen is to know wealth. To guard your funds is to venerate her, and to share them well seeds your future success. Call on her in trade, and she will guide you in wise commerce. The bold find gold, the careful keep it, and the timid yield it up.
Waukeenar travel the world aiding merchants or staff temples in large cities that serve as money lending and changing houses, safe storage warehouses, and (covertly) fences for stolen goods--all in exchange for fees. Waukeen's clergy members are under orders to donate 25% of their monetary income to the church, to invest in all enterprises that have any reasonable hope of succeeding if they are run by devout worshipers of the deity, and to consider other investments if approached by entrepreneurs willing to make substantial offerings to the deity. Waukeenar are not above manipulating trade by means of rumors, buy-ups, hired border brigands, and the like, but strong public criticism of such unsubtle tactics in the past has led the church to officially deny undertaking such things and to order its clerics to do such work only with the greatest subtlety, so that no one who suspects their hands at work will be able to prove anything. Personal enrichment is the sign of a wise cleric, but this must be done through arms-length investments, not openly unlawful acts.
Temples of the Merchant's Friend are almost always located in cities where commerce is in its fullest flower. Temples of Waukeen are built in many architectural styles, but a preference for ornate decoration is prevalent no matter whether the building is a soaring cathedral or a classical temple featuring a large portico and many columns. Such houses of worship are always constructed with the finest materials and with no expense spared. Decoration in Waukeen's temples covers the floors, walls, roof pillars, and ceiling if possible. The decorative elements are baroque, intricate, brightly colored, and feature as much precious metal and as many gemstones as can be fitted into the design. However, despite their lavish adornment, inside and out, typically underneath the gold leaf is an all but impregnable fortress more secure than a king's treasury. Such temples provide wealthy merchants who give generous tithes to the temples sumptuous cleric-guarded accommodations in town during their stays. Such temples can also be rented by the faithful for lavish fetes, useful for impressing potential trading partners and upstaging rivals.
Waukeen's clergy members are among the most lavishly dressed, rivaling those of Sune, Milil, and Lathander in their rich robes. Waukeenar ritual garb is gaudy and ornate, with white silk undergarments, slashed and fluted sleeves and boots, pince-nez and lorgnettes (if the clerics have any weakness of vision); various useful items dangling from silk ribbons, and tall gilded and gem covered miters. Tunics, trousers, hose, or tabards may be worn as desired (or as the season makes practical), but these are always of the finest, most costly fabrics and furs, dyed and arranged for the most vibrant display possible. The entire ensemble is be covered by a gilded scarlet cloak heavy with the weight of thousands of wheels, plates, clasps, and flourishes of various precious metals. The costume is finished off with white gloves and a gilded rod or staff, which is either magical or ornately carved and set with gems. High clergy usually wear coronets with their miters, and outshine many monarchs with their garb.
The Waukeenar faith is a hierarchical one that has traditionally been led by a single pontiff, known by the rank of Holycoin. Through the long years of the Merchant's Friends absence, Holycoin Voice of the Lady Tharundar Olehm held Waukeen's church together from Goldspires, the great abbey overlooking the Merchant's Bay of Athkatla. Now that Waukeen has returned and the church is well on the road to recovery, the aged patriarch's thoughts have tuned toward retirement, and many seek the honor of replacing him when he does decide to step down. In the true tradition of Waukeen's faith, such competition involves forging alliances, cementing trade deals, and other forms of mercantile activity in preparation for the day when the counting of the coins is begun. Chief among the contestants are five ambitious, beautiful women of various ages and backgrounds, the "Five Furies": Barasta Cleeith, Daerea Ethgil, Faerthae Garblueth, Halanna Jashire, and Sariila Tebrentan. These women are all clerical sisters holding the rank of Overgold who pursue a vicious game of quiet in-fighting to become Thardunar's successor as the supreme head of the church of Waukeen in Faerun.
Lady of Fungi, Demon Queen of Fungi, Lady of Decay, The Rotting Goddess, The Darkbringer, Moander
Lesser Deity
Symbol: A broken jawless skull with a sickly mushroom growing from a hole in its crown
Home Plane: The Abyss
Alignement: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Rot, fungi, parasitism
Worshipers: Evil druids, clerics, wizards
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Plant, Travel
Nature Deity: Yes
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: Warhammer or Heavy Mace
The foul demoness Zuggtmoy (ZUG-tmoy) was the Demon Queen of Fungi and the living embodiment of the death and virulence that fungi represented, and fully willing to subvert the natural order for her own ends. The Lady of Rot and Decay did not use decomposition for the higher purposes of renewal or rebirth, desiring destruction purely for its own sake. Despite technically engaging in the many facets of mortal life, much like her artificial form, this was a soulless parody of such existence. Zuggtmoy was alien in both body and mind, her only desire being to infect living creatures with her spores, turning them into her mindless slaves before they were reduced to naught but rotting and decomposing hosts for her fungi, mushrooms, and molds. Ultimately she sought to become the master of all life, the dominant mind of one great organism melded from all other living things.
Despite this simple objective, Zuggtmoy was not to be taken for a mindless mold, and in fact, she delighted in deception, treachery, and subversiveness. Befitting her nature as the Lady of Decay, she took glee in the slow rot of her foes from the inside out, being patient and subtle compared to her peers and delighted by the slow transformation of enemies into allies. She was desperate to avoid any setbacks in her quest for power and would go so far as to beg for mercy and offer to serve obviously more powerful foes, immediately and inevitably attempting to turn such a situation to her advantage and secretly wither the bonds of her opposition.
Zuggtmoy resembles a human only from the torso up. This portion of her body is composed of thick rancid sheets and coils of fungus that just happens to have grown into the shape of what would otherwise be an attractive woman. Four fibrous antlers grow from her brow, and her hands bear cruel talons. Her lower torso is coiling pillar of lashing ropy tentacles and other fungus growths. Her skin is a nauseating swirl of grays, blues, purples, and blacks.
Zuggtmoy has long struggled with maintaining viable cults on the Material Plane; as it turns out, most humanoids have little interest in worshiping fungi. To combat this, she often establishes cover cults that are subservient to her actual worshipers. Her greatest triumph (and possibly her greatest error) in this arena was the creation of the Temple of Elemental Evil. This facade cult consisted of four cults dedicated to the intrinsic evil within the four elements. These four cults would work together against their enemies, yet had a built-in competition between themselves that ensured they would never grow too powerful for Zuggtmoy's true cultists to manipulate.
The Temple of Elemental Evil's popularity among local humanoid cultures proved to be its undoing; they grew too potent too quickly and attracted the attention of the potent Circle of Eight, a consortium of powerful wizards. The Circle of Eight defeated the temple's army at the Battle of Emridy Meadows and imprisoned Zuggtmoy in the temple's dungeons. She escaped many years later, but not without being forced to abandon a significant portion of her essence on the Material Plane. This absence from the Abyss also resulted in a lapse in her ongoing conflict with the demon lord Juiblex, the Faceless Lord of Slime, who shared her layer Shedaklah; this disturbance allowed Juiblex to gain a stronger foothold within their realm, one Zuggtmoy would be unable to dislodge until her ascension.
Zuggtmoy often found herself at odds with other demon lords who share similar interests in the Material Plane. For some time, Lolth was her greatest competition for dominance of the Underdark, but the Spider Queen's ascension as a deity had, for a while, effectively elevated her out of contention. Cultists of the two still clash now and then, but these are minor skirmishes rather than a war.
In 1384 DR, Zuggtmoy ascended to godhood by claiming the dead Moander's last remaining divine spark - formerly sealed within the lost elven city of Tsornyl, where it was known as the Creeping Evil - and seizing its Abyssal realm, taking along with it the cultists who had been praying to Lolth through Moander's name, in the act diminishing the Spider Queen's power whilst also taking half of Finder Wyvernspur's portfolio of decay as the rot portfolio. Her church is in a nascent state, with her previously-existing cultists and Moander's faithful not yet coalesced into a unified following.
As a result, combined with her overt sleight against the Dread Mother of Drow in seizing away her surface worship and improved divine status, the conflict between Lolth and Zuggtmoy is inevitably to grow more heated and hostile, especially if or when the new goddess seeks to spread her faith among the Underdark as well as the surface. She likewise has taken the attentions of many of the enemies of Finder Wyvernspur who sought to seize the Decay portfolio as she did, such as Talona, Yurtrus, and Gargauth, who now may turn that hostile focus away from the Nameless Bard and to the newcrowned Darkbringer. Furthermore, she has gained many if not all of Moander's prior enemies, including the entire Seladarine, Selune, Tymora, Chauntea, Jergal, Arvoreen, Sheela Peryroyl, and many more.
Moander's prior allies were few and far between: most notably Ghaunadaur, Talos, and Shar. It's uncertain if any of these alliances will be reforged by Zuggtmoy; a possible allegiance between her and Ghaunadaur is both potentially viable given their mutual disdain for Lolth and desire to spread their influence through the Underdark at her expense, but also fraught with potential for betrayal or hostility due to the Elder Eye's theorized connections to the lord of slime Juiblex, Zuggtmoy's most ancient enemy.
Likewise, it has yet to be seen how the other forces within the Abyss will react to another of their own claiming the mantle of godhood. Zuggtmoy was known to be loosely allied with Demogorgon; it's uncertain how the Prince of Demons will react to this sudden change in the dynamic of their respective powers, or how his enemies Graz'zt and Orcus or his other allies such as Malcanthet will perceive the Rotting Goddess's new place in the Abyssal pecking order.
Zuggtmoy is a force of nature in the truest sense. She is the embodiment of life’s endless will to grow and endure irrespective of its impact on other living things. She is decay, she is parasitism, and she is disease. According to the Oerthian wizard Mordenkainen, Zuggtmoy wants nothing more than to infect the living with spores, transforming them into her mindless servants. In her grand design, all life will eventually be transformed into an extension of herself. She is a patient and cunning adversary, content to bide her time and strike at the ideal moment, and her schemes are as varied as the molds and fungi through which she enacts them.