Faerunian Pantheon

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Faerunian Pantheon

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.

• Akadi
  
• Auril
  
• Azuth
  
• Bane
  
• Beshaba
  
• Chauntea
  
• Cyric
  
• Deneir
  
• Eldath
  
• Finder Wyvernspur
  
• Garagos
  
• Gargauth
  
• Gond
  
• Grumbar
  
• Gwaeron Windstrom
  
• Helm
  
• Hoar
  
• Ilmater
  
• Istishia
  
• Jergal
  
• Kelemvor
  
• Kossuth
  
• Lathander
  
• Lliira
  
• Loviatar
  
• Lurue
  
• Malar
  
• Mask
  
• Mielikki
  
• Milil
  
• Mystra
  
• Nobanion
  
• Oghma
  
• Red_Knight
  
• Savras
  
• Selune
  
• Shar
  
• Sharess
  
• Shaundakul
  
• Shiallia
  
• Siamorphe
  
• Silvanus
  
• Sune
  
• Talona
  
• Talos
• Tiamat
  
• Tempus
  
• Torm
  
• Tymora
  
• Tyr
  
• Ubtao
  
• Ulutiu
  
• Umberlee
  
• Uthgar
  
• Valkur
  
• Velsharoon
  
• Waukeen
  
• Zuggtmoy

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Akadi
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Auril
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

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Azuth
The High One, Patron of Mages, Lord of Spells

Lesser Deity
Symbol: Human left hand pointing upward outlined in blue fire
Home Plane: Dweomerheart
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

Clergy and Temples:

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.

[Fox²]

Bane
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

Clergy and Temples:

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.

[Fox²]

Beshaba

The Maid of Misfortune, Lady Doom

Intermediate Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Black antlers on a red field
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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).

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Chauntea
The Great Mother, the Grain Goddess, Earthmother

Greater Deity
Symbol: Blooming rose on a sunburst wreath of golden grain
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

Clergy and Temples:

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.

[Fox²]

Cyric
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

Clergy and Temples:

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.

[Fox²]

Deneir
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Eldath
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Finder Wyvernspur
The Nameless Bard

Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: White harp on gray circle
Home Plane: Gates of the Moon
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Cycle 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.

History/Relationships:

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 work against Finder. Cultists who seek the rebirth of Moander, including elven cultists who are secretly backed by Lolth, oppose Finder. Reptilian deities such as Sebek, Set, and Tiamat attack Finder since he serves as the patron of saurials. Deities such as Talona and Turtrus wish to usurp Moander's original portfolio (rot) from him, and even Gargauth wants to steal rot as a form of corruption.

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Garagos
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
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Gargauth
The Tenth Lord of Nine, the Lost Lord of the Pit, the Hidden Lord

Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: Broken animal horn
Home Plane: Material
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

[Fox²]

Gond
Wonderbringer, Lord of All Smiths

Intermediate Deity
Symbol: A toothed metal, bone, or wood cog with four spokes
Home Plane: House of Knowledge
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.

Clergy and Temples:

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.

[Fox²]

Grumbar
Earthlord, King of the Land Below the Roots

Greater Faerunian Deity
Symbol: Mountains on purple
Home Plane: Elemental Plane of Earth
Alignment: 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.

History/Relationships:

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.

Dogma:

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.