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The demihuman races form the most important single group in the Dungeons & Dragons worlds. These races (elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings) do not have a shared racial origin by any means, although the dwarven and gnomish peoples are judged by many sages to be closely related. Yet, what unites them is much more significant than what divides them. They frequently face the same enemies, most obviously the goblinoid races. They all stand in the shadow of teeming humanity and are faced with the painful necessities of having to come to terms with this.
Dwarven Pantheon
For the Duergar and Derro pantheons, see Underdark Deities.
Collectively, the dwarven pantheon is referred to as the Morndinsamman, which translates as either "shield brothers on high" or "high dwarves". The pantheon is led by Moradin, the Soul Forger, who hammered out the bodies of the Dwarf-Fathers from iron and mithral hewn from the very core of the world.
The ripple of stone in the torchlight, the glitter of gold in the sun, the strength of a well-worn axe, and the foam of a good ale, these are the jewels of dwarvish life, and their deities see to it that their worshipers get only the best. Long before humans dared the mountains, chant is the dwarves already lived there, mining their tunnels and seeking their gold. Forged from the strength of a dwarvish arm and the spark of metal on stone, the race's gods hold a piece of this antiquity within themselves.
The truth of it's that the dwarvish pantheon sprang from the soil itself, beginning with Moradin. The point is that these are deities of stone and earth, seemingly hewn from the very heart of the living rock, and they're as tough a bunch as a person can find just about anywhere.
Moradin (pronounced MOR-a-din or MOAR-uh-din) is the creator god of the dwarven race and leader of the Morndinsamman. Moradin is held in many dwarven creation myths to have been incarnated from rock, stone, and metal, with his soul eternally present in the form of fire. That same fire fueled the forge in which Moradin created all dwarves, forging them from metals and gems, and breathing souls into them when he blew on his creations to cool them. All dwarves appease Moradin, even if they do not wholeheartedly support him. Lawful good dwarves support and work openly to serve the Soul Forger, even if they also worship another deity. His name is invoked by dwarves involved in smithwork or craftsmanship of any sort, and they give him homage by doing their best work and seeking to emulate his stonework and craftsmanship. Moradin is said to inspire dwarven inventions and seeks constantly to improve the race, increasing dwarven good nature, intelligence, and ability to exist in harmony with other living things. At the same, time he battles the pride and isolationist tendencies that occur naturally in his elite creations.
Moradin rules the other dwarven deities sternly. It is he who banished the derro, the duergar, and their cowardly gods (as other dwarves see them), smiting them with his hammer and driving them squeling from his own home while his avatars drove the errant races from the lands of the dwarves. Moradin loathes Gruumsh, Maglubiyet, and the other goblinkin deities, and he detests the evil giant deities as well. Moradin has little patience for the elven deities, but he has worked effectively with them in the past when it was necessary.
Moradin is a supremely physical deity. He is strength and force of will embodied, and his weapons, armor and tools are almost extensions of his own incarnate being and are unusable by any mortal beings, and even by most other deities (Clangeddin, the war god, is an exception).
Moradin shares his realm, Erackinor, with Berronar Truesilver, his wife and his love. They dwell in the deep tunnels of a huge mountain in Solania, the fourth layer of Mount Celestia. A site of darkness and secrets, the realm is truly a place of joy for any dwarf or miner. The worthy and diligent try to dig up the truth of Erackinor, truths known only to Moradin and Berronar.
All of the realm's burgs lie within the mountain, as all true dwarven villages should. There, dwarves can live without fear of goblin raids or monsters from the earthen depths, and they thrill to the discovery of new veins of ore and gems sparkling in the torchlight.
Most importantly, though, Erackinor's home to the gleaming Soul Forge, where Moradin tempers the spirit of the dwarf race. Watchful petitioners keep the forge free of dust and soot, and chant is it's a gate that opens into every single dwarven realm, though only Moradin knows how to send a person through. Any dwarf who doesn't make himself useful might end up in one of these other realms. 'Course, any other person who's not careful might find themselves pounded into the shape of a dwarf instead, twisting and squirming beneath Moradin's great hammer.
- Big Good: Moradin is a stern and uncompromising defender of the dwarven people he created and of the principles of law and good. Moradin is a harsh, but fair, judge, and he judges the dwarves on their achievements. He teaches the value of making goods that last, of loyalty to clan, leader, and people, and of meeting adversity with stoicism and tenacity. He tolerates no taint of evil among the dwarves; it was he who drove the derro and duergar out of the dwarven community. It is Moradin's influence that leads the dwarves toward excellence in craftwork and staunch defense of what is theirs.
- The Blacksmith: Moradin is the master of every craft practiced by the dwarves and the patron of artisans. He expects his children to follow in his footsteps, studying his techniques and aspiring to one day match his expertise. Dwarves speak in hushed tones of the stonework and craftsmanship within Moradin's home, which surpasses anything they could ever hope to make. But doing their very best is a basic form of homage to their creator, and such work is never to be rushed.
- Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity: Moradin, as the god of the dwarves, has as his favored weapon and tool is a huge, glowing warhammer called Soulhammer.
- The Flame of Life: Moradin's soul is believed to be an ember of fire, which fueled the forge in which he created the dwarves. For this reason, forges always burn in Moradin's temples. Should the fire ever be extinguished, and the priests will go to almost any lengths to prevent this happening, the temple must be abandoned, torn down stone by stone, and entirely rebuilt and re-consecrated, usually on a new site.
- Happily Married: He's in a loving marriage with his wife Berronar, who is the only one who can regularly bring a smile to his face.
- The Maker: Moradin forged the first dwarves out of metal and gems and breathed life into them.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Moradin is supremely crafty, but doesn't let that side be seen too often. Fact is, he often likes to fool others into thinking he's soft in the head, and then trip them up once they drop their guard.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Like Corellon, he commands his followers to wipe out orcs and the followers of Gruumsh.
- Super-Strength: Moradin's a very physical and forceful deity, regarded as strength and force of will embodied.
- Top God: Moradin is the leader of the dwarven pantheon, whose deities, whether good or evil, look to him for leadership. Though they may not agree with his policies, they recognize his abilities, both physical and spiritual. Anyone who disagrees does so in private. When Moradin catches them in something he doesn't like, they've got some fast talking to do, though they usually end up punished, anyway.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: Moradin's weapons and tools, all of which he crafts himself, are virtual extensions of his own incarnate being and are unusable by any mortal beings, and even by most other deities. This equipment cannot be removed from his body by any save Moradin himself. If Moradin is slain, his weapon, bracers, and armor vanish and reappear on the Soul Forge within Mount Celestia.
- War God: Moradin acts in this capacity in order to further the survival, renewal, and advancement of the dwarven race. He is dedicated to the defense of existing dwarven holdings and the carving out of new dwarven territories. However, he seldom appears in the Prime, since dwarves must work for their own place in the world and their own salvation. Only if oppressed by a numerically overpowering enemy will dwarves receive such aid, but prior to battles Moradin may well give such blessings as strength spells to favored warriors.
Abbathor (pronounced AB-bah-thor) is the dwarven god of greed, venerated by most evil dwarves and nearly all evil dwarven thieves. He has an insatiable lust for treasure, especially gold. He represents the worst aspect and major weakness of the dwarven race. Many dwarves and even nondwarves consumed with treasure, lust and greed, or those who seek to steal valuables, make offerings to him.
Abbathor wasn't always evil. The creature that would become known as the Wyrm of Avarice originally concerned himself with the natural beauty of gems and metals, but became estranged from his pantheon when Moradin named Dumathoin the patron of gold dwarves, a position Abbathor had coveted since birth. Thereafter he traded the tradition and honor of the dwarven race for trickery and stealth. He had been denied the thing he wanted most, and swore never to be in the same position again. Henceforth, if something appealed to Abbathor, he took it. Since dwarves are prone to greed without any help from their deities, many have fallen to Abbathor's seductive call. The Trove Lord now seeks to pervert the whole of the dwarven race to his way of thinking, the greatest offense he can imagine to thumb his nose at his distant patriarch. Abbathor covets valuables and gems with intensity best described as sensual, and goes to any length to get what he wants.
The Trove Lord maintains an uneasy truce with the god Vergadain, but he is otherwise estranged from the dwarven pantheon. Abbathor particularly hates Dumathoin and Moradin for denying him his rightful place in the pantheon, and he secretly works against both. He hates Clangeddin for Clangeddin's self-righteous noble stance and certain past insult, and Clangeddin returns the favor. Berronar loathes Abbathor's deceitfulness, and Dumathoin shields treasures from the Great Master of Greed, to Abbathor's unending frustration and fury. Unlike Laduguer, however, Abbathor is tolerated by the other dwarven gods, although none trust him. Despite the fact that he embodies everything they teach their followers to avoid, he has sided with them in epic battles of the past and is still a valued member of the group. Abbathor never helps any nondwarven deity or being, however, with the notable exception of Task, draconic deity of greed.
Abbathor's realm is a deep cavern known as the Glitterhell, and it's one of the few colorful spots on the Gray Waste. It shines like a gleam of burnished gold in its ashen surroundings, drawing travelers and treasure seekers alike. But woe to the person who doesn't know the way in; the realm has enough false entrances to write them into the dead-book before they know it.
Inside, the realm's divided into several parts. First off, of course, is Abbathor's Hall, where the god jealously guards his treasure and everything he's accumulated over the millennia. And he's got a bundle. Chant is anyone who brings riches into the Glitterhell draws the immediate attention of Abbathor. Truth is, the god sees every bit of money in his realm is rightfully his, and any fool who holds out deserves to be scragged and punished.
The second part of the realm is the Mines, from which Abbathor's petitioners (some call 'em "slaves") draw forth ore and gems for their deity. The third section is the Village, where they all stay when they're not serving the whim of their god.
The tunnels of the Glitterhell extend far back into the rocky hills of Oinos, and it's whispered that creatures from the wasting plain outside occasionally sneak into the caves to steal whatever Abbathor hides there.
Unlike some deities, who hoard their abilities and keep no proxies, Abbathor maintains far more than the average. He figures that if he's got plenty of cutters doing his job for him, he can concentrate on acquiring the really big treasures.
- The Almighty Dollar: Inverted, a wealth god of greed and misfortune.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Although he teaches his followers to seek to acquire all that shines or sparkles, and revel in the possession of such, Abbathor also instructs his followers to not seize wealth from fellow dwarves or conspire against those favored by him, for such strife in the name of avarice weakens the clan.
- Gold Fever: He has an insatiable lust for gold and is willing to use any means, no matter how evil, just to acquire more.
- Greed: As the god of greed, Abbathor's thought to represent the worst in the dwarvish character. Instead of working for the common good, he sacrifices all for his own lust for treasure, not caring whom he hurts or betrays along the way.
- Necessarily Evil: The dwarves and their gods tend to view Abbathor like this. While greed and ambition at the cost of others are seen as vices, they also have their place in society. Merchants, for instance, are expected to keep Abbathor's tennets in mind while haggling, since they want to make the best deal for them. Abbathor's ambition also feeds innovation, which is important since dwarves usually are traditionalistic.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Part of the reason he tells his followers not to steal from fellow dwarves is just to preserve at least some semblance of a clergy, since dwarves did not tend to tolerate thieves that worshipped Abbathor any more than common thieves.
- Start of Darkness: The Great Master of Greed was once interested purely in the natural beauty of gems and metals, but became embittered when Moradin appointed Dumathoin the protector of mountain dwarves, a position Abbathor felt should be his. From that day onward, Abbathor has become ever more devious and self-serving, continually trying to wreak revenge on the other dwarven gods by establishing greed, especially evil greed, as the driving force in the lives of all dwarves.
- Token Evil Teammate: He's the only evil member of the pantheon who hasn't been banished. He's tolerated by the other gods because he has sided with them in epic battles of the past, but none trust him. The pantheon has no clue that Abbathor plots to modify the entire race of dwarves into his greed-obsessed followers. Most see him as a distasteful, obsessed, spiteful brother who nonetheless aids the pantheon in times of strife and who remains, at the end, a steadfast ally.
- 5e's sourcebook Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes has him tolerated because, for all his jerkassery, he serves a legitimate and good purpose in promoting innovation and change in the generally-traditionalistic dwarves.
Berronar Truesilver (pronounced BAIR-roe-nahr TROO-sihl-vur) is matriarch of the dwarven pantheon. As the wife of Moradin, she'd seem to be relegated to a secondary position in the pantheon. Not true. She may be called the Matron, but she's not one to take any nonsense; as the goddess of safety and healing (not to mention marriage and partnerships), her dominion extends throughout dwarvish life. The Revered Mother is the defender and protector of the home, not a passive homebody. She is seen as the patron of marriage and love, and her name is often invoked in small home rituals for protection against thieves and duplicity. Berronar is also the goddess of healing. Lawful good dwarves who value their families, clans, and the common strength and security of dwarven society revere her for her caring and loving service to the entire race. All dwarves of any alignment who seek a safe refuge or who want their loved ones or relatives kept safe offer her appeasement as well.
She guards it well, too, Berronar settles any disagreements among the pantheon without involving her husband. Her skills at persuasion are such that she can make two foes understand each other and set aside their differences. At least, that's usually the case. Her major "failing" was in not reaching a compromise with their dark cousins, the derro and the duergar. She couldn't have won them back, really, but she grieves for them nonetheless.
Berronar is the gentle side of dwarvish nature, merciful and generous. But any person who thinks she can be pushed around had better think again. Like any dwarf, she's hard-headed and practical, and she goes to any extreme to protect her charges. Chant is she got that way because, long ago, the exiles Laduguer tricked her into aiding him by playing on her sympathy. Nowadays, Berronar gives no quarter to anyone.
She shares the realm of Erackinor with Moradin. Her influence there is more subtle than her husband's, but just as pervasive. Berronar stops the more stubborn dwarves from rushing out to smite imagined evils, and keeps Erackinor a place that any Dwarf'd want to return to after a hard time of it.
Fact is, her influence is what makes the realm a place of beauty as well as strength. She's the one who provides for the comforts of the dwarvish spirit, the one who gives her people the shining edge they need to keep themselves joyful in their work.
- Apron Matron: Berronar sees it as her duty to act as an authority figure for the dwarven gods, using her keen negotiation skills and calm demeanor as a balm to keep the sometimes fractious pantheon unified.
- Body to Jewel: If a braid of Berronar's hair (or beard, depending on edition) is cut off, it regrows in a single day. At the end of that day, the lock that was cut off turns to gold (worth 10,000-40,000 gold pieces). Both the goddess herself and her avatar form have this ability.
- Carry a Big Stick: Her favored weapon is a huge mace called Wrath of Rightiousness.
- Girls with Moustaches: In her original lore, she has a massive, multibraided beard of rich silvery hair, which she can transmute into gold as a gift for dwarves in sincere need. Come third edition, this lore was dropped, and the golden hair transmutation was instead shifted to her braided scalp-hair instead.
- Happily Married: She's in a loving marriage with her husband Moradin, she is the only one who can regularly bring a smile to his face.
Clangeddin Silverbeard (pronounced CLAN-gehd-din SIHL-vur-beerd) is the Father of Battle and primary dwarven war god. All dwarves who must fight, especially dwarves who are warriors by profession or preference (which is most of them), honor the Lord of the Twin Axes in word and deed, pledging to honor in battle, mastery in training, and wisdom in war. The Father of Battle is the deity of choice among lawful neutral dwarven warriors. Clangeddin never backs down from a challenge, never compromises, and never surrenders, even when all is lost. Clangeddin harbors a special kind of hatred toward giants, and it is said that the natural ability of dwarves to confound and defeat these enemies is a gift from him.
Clangeddin is the warlike embodiment of the dwarvish spirit. He lives, breathes, and (in a manner of speaking) dies for battle. He doesn't hold with cowardice, poisoning, back-stabbing, or other treachery, cutters who follow Clangeddin Silverbeard pledge to fight the good fight with honor and valor. On the other hand, the god's greatest foes are those who pride themselves on winning battles through dirty tricks or sheer luck.
Clangeddin us one of the few deities who simply won't negotiate. A person's either with him or against him. Still, it's possible to talk him out of pursuing a feud and even to win him over, a person's just got to learn to speak more quickly than the deity can swing his axe. And that's very fast, indeed.
The god's realm is called Mount Clangeddin, a conical mountain rising out of the plains of Abellio (the first level of Arcadia). But the place is so riddled with passages and traps that it's more like a termite hill. Dwarvish einheriar constantly drill in the tunnels, awaiting the call to battle. Clangeddin usually sends them to the cubes of Acheron, where they once again do battle with their ancient enemies, the goblins and the orcs. Other times, the petitioners head to the Lower Planes to take part in the clashes of the endless Blood War, their stirring songs and gleaming axes bringing fear abd death to the hated fiends.
Most deities wouldn't send their petitioners away to die outside the realm. Truth to tell, neither does Clangeddin. He somehow binds the einheriar to the realm before they leave so that, when they fall, their spirits return to merge with him. No one's tumbled to how it happens, but Clangeddin's the only known deity who can make it work. His petitioners don't even know the truth; they wade courageously into combat, fully ready to die far from their beloved realm.
Interestingly, Mount Clangeddin is open to outsiders, and dwarves there seem to habe a relentless desire to show just how formidable they are. The realm's full of forges, armories, and other such places of business, and all of 'em produve top-notch work.
- Blood Knight: Clangeddin is the warlike embodiment of the dwarvish spirit. He lives, breathes, and (in a manner of speaking) dies for battle.
- War God: Clangeddin is the primary war god of the dwarves, the general on the battlefield who leads from the front. He is concerned with war as a way of life, very different to Moradin in this respect. "War is the finest hour of dwarvenkind" is a saying of the god and his priests. He is a strict and ethical deity, however; one who brooks no trickery or deceit.
Dugmaren Brightmantle (pronounced DUGH-mah-ren BRITE-man-tuhl) is the patron of dwarven scholars and the embodiment of the chaotic and exploratory spirit that consumes some of the Stout Folk. He is venerated by dwarves and a few gnomes, all of whom are scholars, inventors, engineers, tinkers, and fiddlers. His worschipers are consumed with the acquiring of knowledge simply for its own sake rather than for any practical purpose. Whereas Moradin draws smiths and other craftsfolk to his forge, Dugmaren attracts those free-thinkers who want to create something truly new, not a variation on an old theme.
Dugmaren is thought to be a child of Moradin, a chaotic element split off from his father's stern lawfulness and nurtured by the favor of his mother Berronar. In fact the All-Father relares well to Dugmaren's creative and explorative instincts, but the Wandering Tinker often drifts away from projects before they are completed and usually before he has found a use for the knowledge he has gathered, a trait that irritates Moradin to no end. Dugmaren is always getting himself enmeshed in one exploit or another, and his regular accomplices include Haela or Marthammor of the Morndinsamman and Brandobaris, Erevan Ilesere, Nebelun/Gond, or Shaundakul from the other human or demihuman pantheons.
Dugmaren is a benign, inquisitive, cheerful, and optimistic deity concerned with discovering the unknown. He is an inveterate acquirer of trivia and little-used knowledge, an experimenter and a fiddler. Although he dwells within the Dwarvish Mountain in the Outlands, he often ventures into the planes of Arborea, Elysium, and Bytopia. The Wandering Tinker sometimes dispatches an avatar to act as an unseen guide for dwarven scholars and travelers, protecting them in their searches and providing hints on where to look for knowledge.
The god's home, Soot Hall, is part of the triple realm of the Dwarvish Mountain (shared with Dumathoin and Vergadain). A person won't find any fancy frippery or decorations, only libraries for quiet reflection and ruddy workshops for furious clattering. And no matter what the activity, the hall never sleeps; the petitioners have been granted unending endurance to complete their tasks. Some of 'em pause in between jobs; most leap right to another as the ideas fly into their heads. The pace in Soot Hall is quick enough to make a person drop from exhaustion just watching everyone run around. There's no room for the lazy or jobless.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Dugmaren has a tendency to wander away from a pursuit before it's finished to follow something else that catches his notoriously fickle attentions. This trait irritates his father Moradin to no end.
- Cool Sword: Dugmaren wields a broad sword called Sharptack.
- Divine Assistance: Dugmaren rarely manifests in an obvious or direct fashion. Instead, the Wandering Tinker prefers to guide his followers to new discoveries as subtly as possible. For example, he might manifest by causing a book to open to a page of particular interest or by causing a secret door to shift slightly, revealing its existence to a determined searcher.
- Seeker Archetype: He is an embodiment of the chaotic and exploratory principle, and his concerns are those of the unknown. He is an inveterate acquirer of "useless" knowledge, an experimenter and fiddler, one who favors knowledge for its own sake rather than for its practical utility.
Dumathoin (pronounced DOO-muh-THOE-in) is the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain, and he hides the secrets of the earth until deserving and diligent dwarves are ready to be guided to them. He lays veins of iron, copper, gold, silver, and mithral where he feels they will best benefit his followers. He watches over the safety and security of miners of all races and has a special role as the protector of shield dwarves and the creator of the urdunnirin.
Dumathoin created a paradise under the mountains for the shield dwarves when Moradin named him their protector. He shaped natural caverns of great beauty, studded with rich and beautiful deposits of shining metals and glittering outcroppings of crystalline gems. He was angered when the dwarves began to mine the mountains, destroying the beauty he had created. Dumathoin was pleased, flattered, and a little awed, however, when he saw the finely crafted items the dwarves produced from the ores they had mined. He no longer objects to tunneling, mining, or the collecting of treasures underground. Now, the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain emsures the safety of miners, bends precious mineral veins toward shield dwarf habitations, and safeguards the sanctity of his beautiful realm.
The Silent Keeper frowns, however, on clumsy or crude rock-cutting that does not smooth the earth, follow the narutal flows, and highlight the individual features of the rocks. Cutting that causes cavern collapses and floodings are even less to his liking, and he is openly angered by those who pillage. Pillagers, in Dumathoin's eyes, are beings of all races who take the earth's riches away (in other words, to the surface) for unfair or selfish purposes, taking more than their share and leaving rubble and other messes in their wake.
Obviously, Dumathoin doesn't sit around and keep tabs on every dwarf miner on the Prime, but he does try his best to reward those who exemplify the true spirit of rugged exploration. 'Course, it might just be that such dwarves have more native talent or luck, and that's what leads them to the right veins. But who can say for sure what comes from the god's hand.
Dumathoin's realm is called Deepshaft Hall, and it's the third part of the shared Dwarvish Mountain. Deepshaft Hall is cold and dark, made almost entirely of hewn tunnels and rough timbers, with a few areas set aside for eating, sleeping, and carousing ('course, the best carousing's found up in Strongale Hall, Vergadain's domain). The stale air makes a person antsy, but that ain't the worst of it. See, the realm's situated right near Ilsensine's Caverns of Thought, so a person traveling through the area'd best watch they don't wander down the wrong tunnel and end up as one of Ilsensine's crazy zombies.
No one really knows the nature of the relationship between Dumathoin and the illithid deity. It's a fact that the two realms intertwine, so it seems likely that Ilsensine has an interest in the dwarvish god's business. But what Dumathoin wants from Ilsensine (if anything) is anybody's guess.
- The Almighty Dollar: He's a wealth god. He's said to have placed the veins of gold and silver that riddle the mountains of the Prime, leading worthy dwarves to them.
- The Quiet One: The Silent Keeper never speaks, communicating instead with gestures. He has never been known to do more than grunt or sigh (in exertion or pain) in the presence of mortals.
Gendwar Argrim (pronounced GEND-war AHR-grihm) is the dwarven hero-god of fatalism and obsession. His symbol is a waraxe bearing the dwarven rune for destruction.
As a young dwarf, Gendwar was traveling to his apprenticeship in another clan when his home clan was wiped out by an invasion of orcs and giants. Because of the distance between the clans, he didn't find out about it for a year. When he did hear the news, he abandoned his apprenticeship as a silversmith and swore to keep no wealth and take no wife until every foe of dwarvenkind was slain. Fully expecting to be slain long before he had a chance to complete his goal. Gendwar instead experienced remarkable success and eventually achieved godhood (after a quest in which he slew a divine-descended fire giant and her minions) with the help of Clangeddin Silverbeard, dwarven god of war and battle. Gendwar is the epitome of the stereotypical dwarf: dour, taciturn, and focused on the destruction of evil humanoids. His appearance is unremarkable except for his sandy blond hair and beard.
Gendwar's clerics seek out and destroy evil humanoids, preferably those that threaten dwarven settlements. They train warriors in the best tactics against traditional dwarven foes, search for vulnerabilities in new enemies, and fortify dwarven clans against attacks. They adventure to unearth pockets of dwarven enemies and to discover dwarven weapons and artifacts useful in their fight. It is a violation of the faith's code to retain more than 1,000 gp of wealth unless it is being saved to purchase better armor or weapons.
- Dark and Troubled Past: His birth clan was wiped out by an invasion of giants and orcs while he was traveling to another clan to begin his apprenticeship as a silversmith. When the news finally came, he abandoned his apprenticeship and swore to keep no wealth and take no wife until every foe of dwarvenkind was slain.
- Deity of Human Origin: More specifically, Deity of Dwarven Origin. Gendwar was originally an ordinary dwarf who, following his clan's destruction, devoted himself to destroying all enemies of dwarvenkind. However, he managed to gain the support of Clangeddin Silverbeard, who raised him to godhood after Gendwar slew a divinely-descended fire giant and her minions.
- Destroyer Deity: His dogma teaches that the only hope the dwarven race has to survive is if its enemies are utterly destroyed. His followers are instructed to commit themselves to the task of destroying their enemies.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: He went from being a regular dwarf to a hero-god dedicated towards the utter destruction of the enemies of the dwarven race.
Gorm Gulthyn (pronounced GORM GULL-thin) is the guardian and protector of dwarvenkind throughout the Realms as well as the god of all Stout Folk who serve as guardians. Those dwarves who require protection or armed aid pay tribute in appeasement to the Lord of the Bronze Mask. Lawful neutral and lawful good dwarves in particular turn to Fire Eyes.
Most dwarven enclaves, set as they are in the lightless realm below the surface, stand in the path of aggressive, rapacious Underdark enemies. Those who protect these realms from attack give blessings to Gorm Gulthyn, patron of watchfulness and defense. Gorm, a humorless masked warrior, ensures the safety of dwarven clanhoods and seeks to defend these realms from their enemies, manifesting on the Prime far more often than his companions in the Morndinsamman. He keeps vigils on battlements, establishes traps and deadfalls in neighboring passages, and instructs his clerics on the art of planning a steady and reliable defense for the community. Those who have seen him fight on the walls of besieged communities relate his stunning battle prowess, but comment that his combat maneuvers increasingly belie not only millennia of dutiful practice, but a growing desperation, as if each battle might be the Lord of the Bronze Mask's last.
Gorm says little, but has a stern, booming voice when he does speak. He is consumed by the demands of his role as protector and has little interest in or tolerance for foolish activities that might detract from his readiness of sentimentality that might interfere with his dispassion. The Sentinel is ever on the alert for threats to dwarves, and he is a tireless defender of the Stout Folk, even coming to the defense of gray dwarves when they are beset by foes whose evil makes that of the duergar pale in comparison.
While Gorm can dispatch up to two avatars simultaneously, there are always so many battles in which his intercession is critical that the Sentinel can rarely afford for his avatars to remain in any single location for more than a turn. As a result, each avatar is nearly always resident in the Realms, teleporting from place to place to aid dwarves in withstanding armed attacks or powerful monsters, and they return to Watchkeep only when in need of the armory amassed tyhere or to use his Seal of Healing. Gorm acts only when dwarves are already engaged in combat and need his aid. At such times he appears, engaged in a frenzied, all-out attack, seeking to do the most damage to the enemies of the dwarves as he possibly can, and then vanishes again. He cannot return to a given locale in avatar form twice in a 24-hour period, but he can manifest himself between his avatar appearances in a continuing battle.
Gorm Gulthyn is dying. Somehow, as he gave his essence to avatars battling for the preservation of dwarven kingdoms over the many centuries, his very existence became tied to the fate of those kingdoms. With each fall of a clanhood, something inside Gorm Gulthyn died; the divine fire licking the eyeholes of his mask grew dimmer by almost imperceptible increments. Proud nonetheless, Gorm has confided his condition only in Clangeddin, Marthammor, and Moradin, who he considers his closest friends. All hope that the Thunder Blessing and the resurgence of ancient dwarven bloodlines will return strength to the Sentinel, but no reverse has yet been observed. With each manifestation, Gorm throws himself more carelessly into his defensive actions, perhaps seeking an end to his condition on the tip of an enemy sword.
- Can't Live Without You: His existence is tied to that of the dwarven kingdoms he's fought for. Whenever a kingdom falls, a small part of him dies with it. Attempts to reverse this have thus far not produced any observable effects.
- Consummate Professional: He's highly devoted to his role as protector of the dwarven race and is uninterested in activities that might distract him.
- War God: Gorm represents the defensive aspects of war. His dogma teaches to defend, protect, and keep safe the children of the Morndinsamman from the hostile forces of the outside world.
Haela Brightaxe (pronounced HAY-la BRITE-ax) is the patron of dwarves who love the fray, who wander the surface lands (especially in the North), who face unknown dangers, and who battle monsters. Although dwarves of all alignments venerate the Lady of the Fray, those Stout Folk of chaotic or neutral good alignment who love battle or exhibit berserker tendencies tend to actively embrace the worship of the Luckmaiden.
Haela dwells in a simple cave in the Beastlands, but she bothers none of the animals that dwell there, keeping to herself, hidden by everpresent mists in the depths of a forest. Findar Endar, as the grotto is known, is protected by her Guardians. Rarely at home, the Luckmaiden is usually to be found in wildspace or on a world such as Toril, wherever dwarves are enjoying battle but need no aid.
Haela is well known among dwarves for her ready laugh, her booming voice, and her ever-cheerful nature. The Luckmaiden is charming, resourceful, and delivers gallows witticisms with a broad grin.
Although she recognizes no superior save Moradin, Haela is the only widely recognized dwarven demideity active in the Realms today, and as such, the Luckmaiden is ever-mindful of the wishes of the more established and more powerful members of the Morndinsamman. As a goddess of dwarven warriors, particularly those who travel far afield, Haela's portfolio overlaps with that of Marthammor Duin, and she works closely with the Finder-of-Trails. Likewise, the Lady of the Fray maintains good relations with Clangeddin Silverbeard, the Father of Battles, into whose sphere of influence she also crosses.
- Amazon Brigade: Haela's clergy are the kaxanar, a term loosely translated as "bloodmaidens". Female clerics vastly outnumber their male counterparts, who seem little bothered by their feminine title.
- Blood Knight: She loves battle and her dogma teaches that dwarven warriors find validation, liberation, and exultation through battle.
- Cool Sword: She wields an oversized (for her height) two-handed greatsword called Flamebolt.
- Full-Frontal Assault: Sometimes, she manifests in naught but her long, flowing silver hair (and beard, in earlier presentations).
- Girls with Moustaches: Like all of the dwarven goddesses, she is presented as having a magnificent flowing beard in the 1st and 2nd editions of the game, but she lost this trait in 3rd edition.
- War Goddess: She is the patron of dwarven fighters who love battle or exhibit berserker tendencies. As a luck goddess, she takes great risks in battle without batting an eye.
Known as the Bearded One for the thick hair that obscures most of his face, Hanseath represents the festive side of dwarven culture. Brewers hold him in high regard, as do dwarf barbarians and any dwarf who charges headlong into battle heedless of the odds.
Hanseath's clerics often serve in dwarf military units, where they act as healers and spellcasters, urging their fellow dwarves into battle. Such units are not always a comfortable mix of personnel, though, since Hanseath's clerics also have a rebellious streak. Many dwarf armies segregate Hanseath clerics into their own berserker units.
Hanseath's followers are seemingly always off on a great crusade of some sort; they'reeither in battle or marching toward the next battle. Hanseath often orders his followers to make war against the traditional enemies of the dwarves: goblinoids, orcs, giants, and drow.
Hanseath's prayers are often chanted or sung. Many have simple rhyme schemes and frequent, repetitive choruses. In other words, they're drinking songs.
Hanseath's shrines are great festhalls dominated by long tables where worshipers feast and raise goblets to Hanseath's glory. Most have extensive kitchens and pantries attached.
Hanseath's rites look like great feasts, rich with food and drink. Most are raucous affairs performed prior to battle and after a great victory, with one exception, the Ritual of the Cleft Shield. Few events in dwarven life are more heartbreakingly solemn than this ritual, performed by followers of Hanseath for a particularly beloved comrade who fell in battle.
- The Berserker: He's revered by dwarf barbarians and any dwarf who charges headlong into battle heedless of the odds. Many dwarf armies segregate Hanseath clerics into their own berserker units.
- Drunken Song: Prayers to him are often in the form of drinking songs.
- War God: Hanseath’s clerics often serve in dwarf military units, where they act as healers and spellcasters, urging their fellow dwarves into battle. However, the 5th edition downplays Hanseath's military aspect, aside from him still granting access to the War domain.
Marthammor Duin (pronounced Mar-THAM-more DOO-ihn) is almost gnomelike in his approach to life; he's open and friendly, and he's definitely curious about what lies beyond the next horizon. As the god and protector of wanderers (especially far from home), of dwarves who've left the safety of their cities to explore, Marthammor has a keen interest in the doings of the multiverse and what's to be found there.
He's also one of the youngest of the dwarvish pantheon, and as such the other members tolerate what they call his "antics". Moradin hopes that Marthammor will settle down in a few millennia, and gives thanks, at least, that he's not as chaotic as Dugmaren Brightmantle.
Marthammor is seldom at home in his Cavern of Rest, which is guarded by the souls of those dwarves who perished while traveling aboveground and by boars and war dogs trained by the god himself. The Caverns lies in the ever-shifting underways of Nidavellir, third layer of Ysgard. He stops by Nidavellir occasionally to check on the dwarves there, but he doesn't control the realm in any way. Whoever is in charge there (some say it's Hod the Blind, the exiled Norse god of smithcraft) simply tolerates Marthammor's infrequent comings and his more frequent goings.
Marthammor spends most of his time wandering the northern reaches of Faerûn in his avatar form. Marthammor sometimes sends his avatar to act as a guide or to warn urban dwarves of trouble brewing in their homelands. More often he sends omens in the form of subsidence on trails, sudden rockfalls, or priestly divination through stone-flinging (the pattern of a fist is a common sign).
Here's the truth of it: Marthammor just doesn't give a toss about having a realm. He's more than welcome to stay Dugmaren Brightmantle's Soot Hall, and when he's not there, well, he just goes anywhere he pleases.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Marthammor is one of the youngest deities of the Morndinsamman, and as such the other members tolerate what they call his "antics", hoping that his fixation with the world under the open skies soon will pass.
- Cultural Rebel: The most conservative dwarves pledge that the Stout Folk belong underground, and that those who travel the Realm Above (known collectively among dwarven culture as Wanderers) have at worst betrayed ancient ideals and at best are somewhat disturbed fools. If the latter is the case, Marthammor Duin is the grand king of fools. His is the rare spirit of dwarven exploration embodied in divine form, the spark of curiosity his followers equate with a quick burst of lightning from the open skies.
- Deity Identity Confusion: The dwarf god Muamman Duathal was similarly presented as the god of travel, exploration, adventurers, and lightning. It was later explained that Muamman Duathal is just an alternative name for Marthammor. However, the 5th edition finally established them as being separate beings, with Marthammor as the god of explorers and wanderers and Muamman as the god of storms and travel.
- Walking the Earth: Marthammor is the patron of dwarves who have left the clanholds to explore the world under the sun. He is always curious to see what's beyond the horizon and always willing to trade stories of travels past beside a crackling campfire.
Muamman Duathal (pronounced Moo-AM-man Doo-AH-thuhl) is the dwarven god of storms and travel. His aspect as a god of lightning is unique among dwarves, and he often uses lightning as an omen.
- Deity Identity Confusion: He was originally presented as the dwarf god of travel, exploration, adventurers, and lightning, a portfolio that was identical to that of the previously introduced dwarf god Marthammor Duin. It was later explained that Muamman was an aspect or alternative name for Marthammor. However, the 5th edition finally established them as being seperate beings, with Muamman as the god of storms and travel and Marthammor as the god of explorers and wanderers.
- God of Thunder: His nature as a god of storms makes him unique among dwarves, since most of them live underground and their deities generally reflect this.
- Walking the Earth: He is also the god of travel, presumably because only dwarves who travel to the surface have need to pray to him.
- Shock and Awe: He often uses lightning as an omen.
The Mother of Wisdom represents the bonds of family and clan that hold dwarf society together. When dwarves extend their hospitality to their lost or wounded brethren, they often do so in Mya's name. Mya also figures prominently in many dwarven divinations, because she is said to have peerless wisdom. Dwarf artisans generally depict her as a middle-aged female with improbably long, braided blonde hair.
Mya's clerics spend most of their lives in temples within dwarf communities, performing the rites and organizing the holidays and festivals important to dwarven culture. Most begin their path by volunteering to help as adolescents, then gradually increasing their commitment to Mya as they grow older.
Anything that threatens the safety or harmony of a dwarf community is Mya's enemy. Her clerics often need adventurers to protect a dwarf settlement or recover a powerful magic item with divinatory powers.
Mya's prayers are distinctive, because they almost never use the singular form (except when referring to Mya). Even if alone, a follower to Mya might begin a prayer with "Mother of Wisdom, grant us succor, that we might safeguard our hearth....".
Mya's temples are sometimes even bigger than Moradin's, since they almost always include amphitheaters where public ceremonies and festivals can take place.
Mya is in charge of marriage, home-blessing, and coming-of-age rites. Many are solemn ceremonies full of long liturgies and contemplative prayers.
- Big Good: She represents the bonds of family and clan that hold dwarf society together.
- Girls with Moustaches: As a dwarven goddess who debuted in 3rd edition, she's unique amongst her peers in that she's never been said to have a beard.
- Seers: Mya figures prominently in many dwarven divinations.
- The Smart Girl: She's the goddess of wisdom and is said to possess peerless wisdom.
Roknar the Tempter claims to be Moradin's brother. Moradin's clerics say that he's not truly a dwarf at all, but an ancient evil that took dwarf form shortly after the All-Father created the dwarves. Roknar urges his followers to delve deep into the earth and takes its treasures for themselves. "Power and wealth is all that matters", teaches Roknar, "and only the weak forego the chance to grab more for themselves".
Roknar's clerics attract new followers by tempting them with promises of riches and power. In particular, they tend to prey on clans and families that have been the victim of real or perceived injustices.
If it promises vast wealth, Roknar's followers will quest for it. Roknar is particularly fond of raiding the treasure troves of powerful dragons, and the treasuries of Moradin's temples.
Many of Roknar's prayers reference the aspiration of the follower. "I’ll have enough wealth to fill the coffer room/And my rivals' bones will molder in the cave of doom", says one battle prayer.
Roknar's hidden temples are opulent to the extreme, so few followers doubt Roknar's ability to deliver on the promise of wealth. Mounds of stolen treasure are carelessly scattered across the floor, driving home the point that Roknar has more wealth and power than he can use.
Roknar's rites are few, mostly curses against rivals and pleas for successful subterfuge. Many rites are performed with all the participants cloaked and hooded, so most worshipers don't know the identity of their fellow followers.
- Ancient Evil: Moradin's clerics claim that he's an ancient evil that took dwarf form shortly after the All-Father created the dwarves.
- Greed: Roknar teaches that power and wealth is all that matters and that only the weak forego the chance to grab more for themselves. He notably doesn't have any prohibitions against stealing from fellow dwarves, unlike Abbathor, the primary dwarf god of greed.
- The Rich Want to Be Richer: His extremely opulent hidden temples indicate that Roknar already has more wealth than he can even use, but he still desires more.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: He supposedly shapeshifted into a dwarf shortly after the race was created.
Sharindlar (pronounced Sha-RIHN-dlar) the Merciful is widely known as the dwarven goddess of healing and mercy. Dwarves wounded in battle are often healed in her name. Sick dwarves, dwarven healers, midwives, physics, and lovers pray to the Lady of Life. However, her aspect kept secret from nondwarves is her most important modern role: her patronage of romantic love, courtship, and fertility. Dwarves of all alignments and races who are courting appease her, as do those who sentence others in the cause of justice. When dwarves dance, they pray to Sharindlar to guide their feet, for she is said to be the greatest dancer the dwarves have ever known.
Sharindlar is invariably warm and caring with a kind word for all, both mortal and divine. She is given to shouts of joy, impromptu dances, and gales of uncontrollable laughter. The Lady of Life is an inveterate matchmaker and true romantic who seeks to conjoin star-crossed lovers no matter what the odds. More than one favored dwarven bachelor or maiden has been swept up in a series of whirlwind affairs, thanks to the unceasing efforts of the Shining Dancer to provide the perfect mate.
Over the millennia, Sharindlar has worked to establish good relations with her entire pantheon, including strained friendships with even Laduguer, Deep Duerra, and Abbathor. On many occasions, the Lady of Life and Mercy acts as intermediary between Moradin and those he has cast away when some calamity forces usually opposed dwarves to act in consort. In general, however, Sharindlar finds politics stuffy and boring, and prefers to speculate on the romantic futures of both mortals and the divine. She shares great kinship with Shiallia, whom many believe to be her daughter through a dalliance with a fey god.
Sharindlar's realm, the Merciful Court, is a circle of standing stones on a foothill in Nidavellir, the third layer of Ysgard. Its position enables Sharindlar to act as an intermediary between Moradin and the other dwarven deities, even the likes of Abbathor and the duergar gods of Hammergrim. The Merciful Court is the site of nightly dances in honor of the Shining Dancer.
- All-Loving Heroine: Sharindlar cares for all creatures and is not only on excellent terms with most of the members of the Morndinsamman, but has even forged working relationships with those whose principles she abhors (Abbathor, Deep Duerra, and Laduguer) to facilitate her efforts for the benefit of the dwarven race.
- Girls with Moustaches: Like all of the dwarf goddesses from 1st and 2nd edition, Sharindlar is said in those editions to have a massive beard of bright red hair, though she sometimes makes it magically invisible if she or her avatar must interact with non-dwarves. Come 3rd edition, and all mention of her having a beard is gone.
- Healer Goddess: Sharindlar is the dwarven goddess of healing. When a dwarf falls sick or is struck down in combat, they often utter prayers to her.
- Interspecies Romance: She is said in some myths to have had a brief dalliance with the korred god Tapann, with the goddess Shiallia being their daughter.
- Though it's never mentioned in canon material, logically, she would also be supportive of those rare dwarves who fall in love with non-dwarves, be they humans, gnomes, halflings, or even elves.
- Love Goddess: She's the dwarven goddess of romantic love, representing a side of dwarven life rarely observed by outsiders. When dwarves abandon their taciturn moods for an evening of dance, or when a hardened warrior softens to accept the vows of marriage to their childhood love, Sharindlar is invoked as a deity of gaiety, romance, and dance.
- The Matchmaker: The Lady of Life is an inveterate matchmaker and true romantic who seeks to conjoin star-crossed lovers no matter what the odds.
Thard Harr (pronounced THARD HAHRR) is the protector of wild dwarves (also known as jungle dwarves), aiding them against the marauding of wild beasts, the rampages of hungry dinosaurs, and the unwanted incursions of outlanders. The Lord of the Jungle Deeps is revered only by dur Authalar (the People) as the wild dwarves of the jungles of Faerûn (notably Chult) refer to themselves. Some hunters of other races and alignments operating in jungle areas look to the Disentangler for guidance as well, but they have little to do with the mainstream of Thard's faith or with wild dwarven society.
Aside from infrequent visits by Sharindlar and Dumathoin, Thard Harr shares almost no relationship with the children of Moradin. On such rare occasions as the entire pantheon is drawn together, Thard Harr alienates more than he befriends, not least because he refuses to speak, instead communicating through a bizarre series of animal calls and physical gestures. He vastly prefers the company of other nature-minded deities such as Ubtao, Nobanion, and Uthgar. Thard is a sworn enemy of Shar, who acts in Chult under the name of Eshowdow (a shadow deity she absorbed), and a dozen other jungle deities and demons seldom noticed by the civilized inhabitants of Faerûn.
Thard seldom speaks, but has been known to purr, growl, snarl, and roar like a great cat. He is given to great swings of emotion and grand gestures. The Disentangler has no tolerance for pretentious behavior, civilization, or social constrants of any sort. He seldom appears in the Realms, preferring to roam the Beastlands, aiding his worshipers by manifestations instead. The Lord of the Jungle Deeps lives on the Forbidden Plateau, where Ubtao has his secondary realm, but he also loves to wander the three layers of the Beastlands, constantly stalking the beasts that dwell there and frolicking with them, running as one of them rather than preying upon them.
- Cool Helmet: He wears an ornate copper helm fashioned in the shape of a crocodile's head, festooned with a fringe of dangling teeth, reportedly torn from creatures the god has slain.
- Elective Mute: Thard seldom speaks, instead communicating through a bizarre series of animal calls and physical gestures.
- Full-Frontal Assault: The Disentangler is naked except for his long beard, the thick growth of hair that covers his torso, and an ornate copper helm that conceals his face.
- Nature Hero: Thard's dogma teaches that the jungle is the fullest expression of the earth, the wind, the sun, and the rains, and that his followers be one with nature, living neither against it nor apart from it.
- Power Fist: Thard wears scaled, adamantine gauntlets strapped to his forearms at the elbow (as high as they reach). These gauntlets end in jointed, razor-sharp claws that can rake or thrust for 2d8 damage each and are reputedly unbreakable.
The Tender of the Forge, as Tharmekhûl is also known, is Moradin's assistant. He is the deity of furnaces and fire. Usually smiths and other dwarves who revere the creative power of the forge worship him. However, fire has a destructive side, so Tharmekhûl is also revered as a minor war deity, primarily concerned with siege engines and other weapons. He is depicted in religious art as an azer or as a bronze-skinned dwarf with hair and beard made of black smoke.
Clerics of Tharmekhûl are few and far between. Most commonly, a dwarf community has one cleric and one apprentice, who takes that cleric's place upon his death, adopting a new apprentice at that time.
Tharmekhûl's interests are narrow. His clerics might carry flame from the Elemental Plane of Fire to kindle a new forge, or they might delve deep into ancient ruins to discover a lost forge and retrieve the seal of the smith who worked it.
Fire imagery of all sorts fills the liturgy of Tharmekhûl's worship. Fire is a purifier, and it also represents the external dangers that temper the dwarf race. A daily prayer begins with the words "Forge and furnace, melt me and mold me....".
Tharmekhûl does not have temples of his own. His clerics offer prayers as they tend the forge that lies in the heart of each of Moradin's temples.
The rites honoring Tharmekhûl all involve the tending of an actual forge: preparing it for use and stoking and damping its flames.
- Forged by the Gods: Tharmekhûl is the god of the forge and inspires smiths and other dwarves with the creative applications of the forge.
- Playing with Fire: He represents both the creative and destructive aspects of fire, and fire iconography is included in all aspects of Tharmekhûl's worship.
- War God: Due to the destructive forces of fire and molten rock, as well as the forge's role in weapons manufacturing, Tharmekhûl is revered as a minor war deity.
Thautam's clerics believe that the spark of magic lies within all things, and they work tirelessly to draw forth the magic in everything from the walls of a dwarven citadel to the axes wielded by its guards. The dwarves dedicate many magic weapons and armor to Thautam. In dwarven folklore, Thautam acts as a kindly uncle to Moradin, content to putter away in his workshop and mutter advice to the Soul Forger. Artistic renderings of Thautam show him as an elderly dwarf with rheumy, blind eyes.
Becoming a cleric of Thautam means learning how to make magic items, especially weapons and armor. Thautam's followers are usually accomplished artisans or smiths, and most know one or more item creation feats.
Thautam is obsessed with recovering as many artifacts as possible from long-lost dwarf civilizations. He also has a special interest in protecting the dwarves' adamantine and mithral mines.
Because Thautam is a blind deity, prayers to him use unusually descriptive language. "Bless this sword, with its ruby pommel and silversharp edge..." begins one well-known prayer.
Thautam's temples are small, for his clergy isn't as numerous as Moradin's or Mya's, but they always show an obviously magical hand in their creation. Some float in the center of a cavern, while others feature spires and buttresses more fanciful and gravity-defying than those favored by dwarf stonemasons.
Thautam's clerics bless weapons and armor prior to a battle, and they also bless mines and other construction projects.
- The Archmage: Thautam is the dwarven god of magic and mainly involves himself with the creation of magic items, weapons and armor.
- Disabled Deity: He's a blind deity and, as a result, prayers to him use unusually descriptive language.
Ulaa (pronounced OO-lah) is the wife of the Oeridian god Bleredd, but is herself of dwarven origin. Built like a dwarven woman but with the facial features of a gnome, she is worshiped by both of those races and humans. Her enchanted hammer Skull Ringer was forged on the same anvil as her husband's weapon. Earth elementals serve her, she can pass through stone, and can commune with the Oerth Mother. Her holy symbol is a mountain with a ruby heart; she places rubies in the earth as gifts to those who do her husband's work.
Ulaa's clerics live on or in the mountains, protecting them from those who would enter for the sake of greed or evil. They protect their community, root out dens of evil nonhumans, and teach miners and quarrymen how to spot the best places to work. They act as guides for those passing through their lands, travel to see other stony examples of the earth's beauty, and abhor slavery.
There are many demihumans (dwarves, gnomes, and halflings) who serve Ulaa, and there are fair numbers of humans (mostly hillmen, mountaineers, miners, and quarrymen) who do likewise. As would be expected, shrines, chapels, and temples are exclusively found in hills or mountains, if not subterranean.
Services in honor of Ulaa are always in a stoney area, with earth and gemstones displayed. Hammering on stone, rythmically, and chanting in deep notes, serve as the hymn.
Ulaa's realm in the Outlands is called the Iron Hills. She also spends time on Mount Celestia. Her husband is said to dwell with the gnomish gods in Bytopia.
- Bling of War: Ulaa typically accouters herself in adamantine mail with many gems decorating her harness and weapons.
- Dishing Out Dirt: In addition to being able to pass through earth and rock at a very fast rate, Ulaa has many magical powers connected to earth. No earth-based spells can harm or hamper her.
- Interspecies Romance: She is married to the Oerthian god Fortubo, who is human in aspect.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Ulaa can appear as male or female, dwarf, gnome, human, or just about any sort of creature she chooses.
An elderly, white-haired deity, Valkauna is known as the Runecarver. It is said that whenever a dwarf swears an oath, she records it by carving it into an impossibly tall cliff. Many dying dwarf warriors claim to see Valkauna walking across the battlefield, offering water from a silver pitcher to the fallen.
Clerics of Valkauna begin their training by performing birth and funeral rites for their community. Higher-ranking clerics often have a role within the dwarven justice system, mediating contract disputes and conflicts between clans.
Quests for Valkauna often take adventurers beyond the Material Plane, where they must retrieve information or advice from the soul of a long-dead dwarf hero.
Valkauna is the deity of oaths, so many prayers to her exact a promise from the worshiper. "I will cover your altar in splendor", says one common prayer, "if I live to see its radiance again".
Because she guides dwarves' souls into the afterlife, Valkauna builds her shrines in or near the places where dead dwarves are cremated or buried. They are as much mausoleums as they are temples.
Valkauna's clerics perform funeral rites full of pomp that honor major events in the life of the deceased and commend his spirit to the dwarf ancestors. They also bless births with a simple lineage-chant. In noble dwarf clans, the lineage-chant begins while the mother is still in labor, because it takes several hours to recite the illustrious deeds of so many forebears.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: She's viewed as a benevolent figure who offers water to dying dwarf warriors on the battlefield.
- Girls with Moustaches: Having been introduced in 3rd edition, when this trait was removed from dwarves, Valkauna doesn't officially have a beard.
- The Grim Reaper: Valkauna is the dwarven goddess of death and can only be seen by dying warriors.
- Psychopomp: She is responsible for guiding the souls of dwarves to the afterlife.
Vergadain (pronounced VUR-guh-dane), the Master Merchant, is the patron of dwarven merchants and most nonevil dwarven thieves (some would say this is the same thing). A schemer and a rogue, Vergadain is venerated by dwarves of any neutral alignment engaged in commerce and concerned with wealth. Vergadain is sometimes called the Trickster, though not by dwarves who worship him, and the Laughing Dwarf, though a dwarf would never use such as term. He is said to be a great poet as well, and may dispense clues to his worshipers, hidden in a verse or rhyme, on the locations of great treasures. These clues are usually hidden in a verse or rhyme of some sort. His bard-like talents also give him the ability to carefully evaluate treasures as to their true nature and worth.
Vergadain is the good side of dwarvish lust for acquisition. He doesn't want valuables just to have them; he spreads the jink around and keeps it from the hands of the dwarves' enemies. Vergadain admires the beauty of craftsmanship and doesn't grab greedily for anything that crosses his path. In short, he's a collector, not an avaracious thief.
'Course, his sphere of influence includes those who make their living on the darker side of the law, but that doesn't mean they're cold or cruel. They're peelers with good hearts, usually, or tricksters who delight in practicing the cross-trade on people who look down on dwarves. Whatever they are, they usually aren't malicious.
Vergadain's a good soul, as far as deities go, a jack-of-all-trades and a witty scoundrel. His realm, the boisterous Strongale Hall in Dwarvish Mountain, reflects this. It's a place of gambling and free-flowing bub, where jink always rides on a throw of the dice and a person can stake anything they've got to bet with. The games never end, though it's a mark of respect if a dwarf petitioner gambles with the same outsider more than once. Cheaters, naturally, ain't looked on too kindly, they spit in Vergadain's eye, and right in his own realm! They'll get themselves lost if they don't play fair.
Vergadain can appraise the exact material, historical, and cultural value of any treasure, and he knows the maximum price a customer is willing to pay. He delights in his magnificent collection of art objects and jewelry in Strongale Hall. Vergadain smiles more than any other dwarven deity, or sane living dwarf! His eyes are actually seen to twinkle enigmatically more often than he shows his smile to the world.
- The Almighty Dollar: Vergadain is the primary dwarven god of wealth. On the surface, he represents the dwarves' well-known dedication to the art of the merchant, the personification of a hard bargain struck after a hearty session of haggling. Those who pay attention, however, know that the Merchant King has an aspect that, if not darker, seldom fills more legal-minded dwarves with pride. As a patron of luck and trickery, Vergadain also oversees those dwarves who use illicit means to gain their wealth.
- Con Man: Vergadain delights in and excels at con games, even simple tavern-tricks, and admires someone who bests him rather than punishing them or trying to get even. He is always looking for new techniques, and when he detects a con artist, he often watches and follows for a time to see what he can. Most of Vergadain's adventures concern the elaborate con games he has played on many humans, demihumans, humanoids, and giants in order to win their every belonging of worth.
- Cool Sword: He wields a longsword called Goldseeker, which detects all treasures within 2" of his person whenever the hilt is grasped.
- Deity Identity Confusion: Long ago, Vergadain assumed the Realms-based aspects of Bes, the Short Father, a lesser god of the Mulhorandi pantheon. While Bes' cult has long since sunk into obscurity, a few human merchants in the city of Skuld still call on Vergadain's aspect as the Mulhorandi god of luck and chance.
- Lovable Rogue: Vergadain enjoys strong popularity among the Morndinsamman, and even maintains an uneasy truce with Abbathor, the Great Master of Greed.
- Master of Disguise: Vergadain is a master of disguise and mimicry.
Elven Pantheon
For the Drow pantheon, see Underdark Deities.
The elven pantheon is known collectively as the Seldarine, which roughly translates to "the fellowship of brothers and sisters of the wood", implying the wide diversity in interests that exists among the gods of the elven pantheon and their desire for cooperation. They act independently of one another, but the elven deities are drawn together by love, curiosity, and friendship to combine their strengths, to accomplish a task, or in the face of outside threats. Corellon Larethian, the acknowledged ruler of the Seldarine (sometimes joined by his consort, who is either identified as Sehanine or Angharradh), reinforces this freedom of action and compels none of the Seldarine to perform any task. Instead, the gods of the elven pantheon seem to sense when something needs doing, and they simply gather when necessary.
Long, long ago, as the multiverse spun and tumbled its way into being, the elvish deities arose from the beauty of the land, their aspects taking on all that was pure in creation.
When the deities were dividing the planes, Corellon chose the forests as the place where his people would live. However, before Corellon could lay true claim to the woods, a rival, Gruumsh of the orcs, rose to protest his lot. The two gods struggled for eons (though elvish mythology calls it only a day and a night), each contesting the other in a fury of blows and hatred. Corellon's blood mingled with the tears of Sehanine (or Angharradh) and fell upon the soil, and from this sprang the elves. Born of the fury and despair of the earliest deities, the elves have known passion thoughout their long existences. They thank their patrons with unflagging worship and belief, making the elvish pantheon one of the most pervasive of the multiverse.
Corellon Larethian (pronounced CORE-ell-lon Lah-RETH-ee-yen) is the leader of the elven pantheon and is said to have given birth to the entire elven race, although sometimes Sehanine (or Angharradh) is given credit as well. Elven lore states that the Fair Folk sprang from drops of blood Corellon shed in epic battles with Gruumsh mingled with Sehanine's (or Angharradh's) tears. The Creator of the Elves embodies the highest ideals of elvenkind, and he is the patron of most aesthetic endeavors, including art, magic, music, poetry, and warfare. He is venerated by all the Fair Folk, except the drow and those who have turned to Lolth, Ghaunadar, Vhaeraun, and other dark powers. Corellon is especially popular with elf and half-elf mages, musicians, and poets.
Corellon is a powerful warrior god whose hands protect his creations with the gentleness of a sculptor and the unspeakable power of a master swordswinger. While othe deities may reflect the joy, delights, and accomplishments of the Fair Folk, Corellon stands as an ever-vigilant watcher over them. His life spirit flows from and into the elves and their lands, and while mortal elves daydream and enter the reverie, Corellon never abandons his watchfulness. Only when it is time for the Fair Folk to pass to Arvandor does he finally cease watching over each elf and allows Sehanine to take a larger role in caring for them. Corellon frequently wanders the elven lands and borders in disguise (often in the form of one of the diminutive sylvan race), observing the actions of priests and craftsfolk and defending elven homelands from interlopers. Though his martial might is swift and terrible, the soft-spoken Creator of the Elves is ever humble and always open to learning something new, one of his sources of might. He enjoys discovering new philosophies of thought and new methods of action, even from mortals, and he has a keen interest in other cultures.
Corellon lives in a magnificent marble tower in the heart of Arvandor. If it was a giantish tower at one time, it's not any longer. The spire rises in and through the trees, with smaller towers spinning off in delightfully patterned confusion. The elvish name for it is Gwyllachaightaeryll, meaning "the Many-Splendored" (that's what most folks call it), and the rooms inside are never the same twice, except for the central throne room. Works of art created by Corellon and his worshipers hang on walls throughout the tower, all of them stunning in their beauty or their horror.
- The Ace: To some extent; among the elves he is the god of war, magic, art, poetry, music and pretty much everything else.
- Antagonistic Offspring: He had two children with Lolth, in the form of Vhaeraun and Eilistraee. While both are exiled from the Seldarine, Eilistraee's exile is self-imposed, believing that the drow needed a Good Shepherd, and thus maintains good terms with her father. But after his son Vhaeraun's betrayal during the War of the Seldarine, Corellon practically cut his son off and exiled him. Corellon gave up on the idea of trying to convince Vhaeraun to abandon his ways after enough time had passed, and thus the son and father hate each other's guts. The only reason that Vhaeraun doesn't go after Corellon more often is Vhaeraun hates his mother Lolth even more.
- Arch-Enemy: He has two, Lolth and Gruumsh.
- The Archmage: Many elf wizards honor Corellon and adorn their spellbooks and towers with the god's symbols. Some of them speculate that Corellon is the personification of raw magic itself, the primal force that underlies the multiverse. Corellon is not magic tamed or shaped, not the Weave, as some name it, but magic in its original form: a well of endless, splendid possibilities.
- Big Good: Corellon is often referred to as "the protector and preserver of my life" by an elf in peril, reflecting his role as overseer and guardian of the elven people. While other deities may reflect the joy, delights and accomplishments of the elves, Corellon stands as an ever-vigilant watcher over them. Only when it is time for them to pass from the worlds he helped create does he renounce his watchfulness to Sehanine. Corellon is held never to sleep or rest. His life spirit flows from and into the elves and their lands, and while mortal elves daydream and reverie, Corellon never abandons his watchfulness.
- Blithe Spirit: Corellon has a love of life, growth, and abundance. A being of consummate mutability and infinite grace, Corellon is a god like no other. Corellon's flamboyant, mercurial personality shows through no matter which form the entity takes. Corellon loves wholeheartedly, breaks oaths without reservation, and takes pleasure from every encounter with the other divine beings of the multiverse.
- Cool Sword: Corellon wields Sahandrian, a great glittering long sword that causes 4d10 points of damage per round to anyone else aside from a member of the Seldarine who dares to hold or wield it (double damage to goblinkin).
- Fertile Blood: The very race of elves is said to have sprung from his blood in the terrible battle Corellon fought with Gruumsh One-Eye, First Power of the orcs.
- First-Name Basis: He's most commonly referred to simply as Corellon.
- The Maker: Corellon is the creator of the elven race. They are said to have sprung from his blood during his many battles with Gruumsh of the orc pantheon.
- Otherworldly and Sexually Ambiguous: The 5th edition sourcebook Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes plays up this aspect of Corellon's character. It goes to great lengths to avoid referring to Corellon with gendered pronouns, emphasizes that Corellon is an ephemeral being whose form and mood change at a whim, and notes that Sehanine Moonbow—Corellon's consort—is sometimes depicted as male rather than female.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: He approves of those who kill orcs and the followers of Lolth.
- Protectorate: Corellon is ever watchful over the elven homelands and its boundaries in particular. His avatars wander elven lands and borders, often disguised (frequently as one of the diminutive sylvan races), and he observes the actions of priests and craftsmen.
- Pretty Boy: He's described as being androgynous and extremely beautiful, even when he takes a male form.
- Sacred Bow and Arrows: He also employs Amlath'hana, a long bow that never misses to a range of 1 mile (if the target is within his line of sight) and whose arrows, drawn from a quiver with an infinite supply, each deals 2d10 points of damage.
- Seeker Archetype: Corellon is eternally open to learning something new, even from mortals. Corellon is genuinely fond of picking up new ways of thought and new methods of action; it's even said that he travels Arvandor in disguise to learn from outsiders who visit the realm.
- Sex Shifter: From the beginning, it's been noted that Corellon can freely assume any sexual form he desires, although he traditionally identifies as masculine. In 5th edition, it was stated that there are elves who share this ability, and they are regarded as blessed by Corellon.
- Top God: Corellon is the leader of the elven pantheon. However, since the Seldarine act independently of each other, he reinforces this freedom of action and compels none of them to perform any task.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Corellon usually appears as an androgynous male elf of truly unearthly beauty and grace, though he can also be female, both, or neither. Alternatively, Corellon is able to take the form of a chuckling stream, a teasing breeze, an incandescent beam, a cavorting flame, or a crackling bolt of lightning. On nothing more than a whim, Corellon's body can become a school of fish, a swarm of bees, or a flock of birds. When consorting with other gods, Corellon often adopts their appearances (male, female, or something else), but just as often keeps their company in the form of a rose blossom or a delicate doe.
- War God: Corellon represents warfare in a just cause and works as a powerful war deity when need be, concerning himself with all aspects of elven warfare.
Aerdrie Faenya (pronounced AIR-dree FAIN-yuh) is the elven goddess of the air, weather, or birds. She is the elven expression of freedom and impulse, and she dislikes staying in any one place for too long. She delights in the sound of wind instruments and in creating unpredictable atmospheric conditions, including fairly severe or violent thunderstorms on occasion, but her primary joy is simply feeling the air rush past her with the ground far below. The Winged Mother is a somewhat distant deity who rarely involves herself in elven culture, and she is far more chaotic than the rest of the Seldarine. Of all the elven races, Aerdrie takes a keen interest only in the avariel, and few of them remain in the Realms. She is both an aspect of Angharradh and one of the three elven goddesses (the other two being Hanali Cenalil and Sehanine Moonbow), who collectively form the Triune Goddess. This duality tightly binds Aerdrie with the two other senior elven goddesses, and the three collectively serve alongside Corellon in leading the Seldarine.
As the bringer of rain, she is the closest the Fair Folk have to a fertility goddess, but their devotion to her is considerably lessened by the fact that she's also venerated by other races. At one time, the Winged Mother's followers were composed largely of the avariel, much like Deep Sashelas was and is worshiped primarily by sea elves. However, unlike their aquatic kin, the winged elves were nearly wiped out by the dragons before the First Flowering, and what was believed to be the last of their race in Faerûn flew westward before the start of the Crown Wars. Today, gold, moon, and wild elves who desire certain weather conditions make the most frequent sacrifices to Aerdrie. Her small church is also popular with elves who possess flying mounts, such as asperii, dragons, giant eagles, griffons, hippogriffs, and pegasi. The Lady of Air and Wind is revered by all nonevil birds, particularly ki-rin, lammasu, aarakocra and other sentient avians, but numbers are small and declining as well. She is also called on by elves oppressed by overly lawful creatures.
The goddess' realm is so close to the philosophical border between Arborea and Ysgard that it moves back and forth, sometimes part of Arvandor, sometimes part of Alfheim. Regardless, it's often a place of strong wind and weather, of howling skies that force all but the best fliers to the ground. Usually, though, Aerdrie tones it down a notch or two, opening her realm to all creatures of flight, making it a place of cold breezes and light spirits.
Oddly, Aerdrie maintains almost no relations with other deities of the air, except for those who share a love of birds and freedom. But most of the human and nonhuman deities seem to have other agendas and aren't as committed to the air or avians as Aerdrie is.
The majority of her petitioners are the avariel, who flock around her floating palace, serving as guards and stewards for the airy goddess.
- Allergic to Routine: Aerdrie is the elven expression of freedom and impulse, and she dislikes being tied down to any one place for too long.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: She has sky-blue skin.
- Blow You Away: She's the goddess of air, wind and storms, and is worshiped by many non-evil avian races. She also typically protects her temples with wind and gusts of air, where only the best fliers can pass. In addition, she really likes creatures who can fly.
- Deity Identity Confusion: In the 4th edition, she was stated to be the elven aspect of the Faerûnian air goddess Akadi. However, in the 5th edition, they were declared to be separate entities again.
- Flight: Not only can she fly, she can bestow the power of flight on those who worship her. Most of her worshippers (Winged Brothers/Sisters) either have wings or the ability to magically create them, and Aerdrie's yearly ritual for her mortal followers involves flying.
- Elemental Weapon: Aerdrie wields Thunderbolt, an electrically charged quarterstaff, in combat.
- Red Baron: She's known as "The Winged Mother" to her followers. To a lesser extent, "The Lady of Air and Wind" also follows Aerdrie around.
- Shock and Awe: She carries an electrically-charged quarterstaff as her weapon, and she's also a storm goddess. Though it's less causing lightning storms and more hearing the distant rumble of thunder.
- Weather Manipulation: Aerdrie can manifest through natural processes such as strong winds, rain showers, and even powerful storms. The Lady of Air and Wind manifests around Evermeet as great storms, vast cyclones, and winds of hurricane force that affect only nonelven ships. Her efforts also ensure that no ill wind or weather can ever destroy the Green Isle.
- Winged Humanoid: Aerdrie has large, birdlike wings whose feathers seem constantly to change color (blue, green, yellow, and white).
Alathrien is a nearly-forgotten member of the elven pantheon. She resides on the Outlands in a sky-blue fortification known as the Spiral Castle, protected by a large maze of thorns. In earlier times she watched over summonings that brought forth friends and allies of the elves to their aid, but now most elves seeking such assistance call upon Corellon Larethian instead. Alathrien now devotes her time to rediscovering runic magic as well as strengthening herself among those wizards known as Geometers. Because of her position, Alathrien has relatively few enemies but has attracted the attention of two other deities, Malyk (Talos) and Vaelsharoon. These two seek to elevate themselves at the Seldarine's expense and so have chosen her as their first target (neither one knowing they're seeking the same deity). To date, however, their efforts have failed, merely rousing the elven pantheon to a greater alertness and thus further protecting Alathrien.
Of all the elven priesthoods, Alathrien's is probably the smallest and most lopsided. Perhaps 25% of the clergy are true specialty priests, the rest being made up of mystics and geometers. However, specialty priests still hold most of the church's highest posts.
Alathrien's followers are a scholarly sort, more given to debating theories and academic achievements than to healing the sick and poor. However, they do their best, and on at least one day per month they set up a feast in honor of their achievements. Supposedly there are secret celebrations afterward by the higher-ups, but for now that is just talk. Holy days are declared whenever great knowledge is attained in the field of magic in general, but discoveries concerning runic magic and geometry are most highly prized.
Followers of Alathrien aren't usually interested in flashy garments, preferring more utilitarian garb, but on special occasions they bring out robes of white with red mantles studded with either show jewels or real ones. In times when battle draws near, they trace temporary runes along their hands, arms, and even their faces.
- Geometric Magic: She's the elven goddess of geometric magic and grants her specialty priests access to spells from schools of Geometry.
- Summon Magic: She used to be called upon to watch over summonings that brought forth friends and allies of the elves to their aid.
Revelry, hedonism, and excess of all kinds are the purview of Alobal Lorfiril, known as the Reveler and the Merry Magician. The youngest of the Seldarine, he urges his followers to wrest the maximum possible pleasure from each moment. Responsibility is for tomorrow; why not spend today enjoying good food, fine wine, friendship, and love?
Alobal does not cajole his followers to become intoxicated to the point of causing harm to themselves or others, nor does he condone seeking personal pleasure at the expense of others. He teaches that there is as much potential in tomorrow as there is in today, and that elves need never hurry. Wasting today in drudgery is fruitless and possibly sinful.
Appearing as a comely male elf with eyes of sparkling gold, the Merry Magician enjoys magic used to provide amusement, to create beauty, or to enhance the pleasure of ordinary activities. Illusions used for enjoyment rather than base trickery are common among his followers, as are transmutations geared toward improving artworks and conjurations aimed at gaining an amusing companion for a short period.
Alobal's clerics begin their training by hosting spontaneous revels and magic shows in their communities. As they gain in power and importance, they preside at community functions, provide entertainment to lift the spirits of the sick and injured, and oversee the production of wine, sweetmeats, and other fare consumed purely for pleasure.
The Reveler's followers typically undertake quests to retrieve items of beauty that give pleasure to those who own them, seek out magic wines and rare foods, compete in games, and establish magical means of reducing the average elf's daily workload. Such quests often involve consultation with other long-lived creatures, such as good-aligned dragons, about what gives them the greatest pleasure and satisfaction.
Prayers to Alobal often frame requests in terms of pleasure. "Let me lift the mantle of care from my compatriots/With a glass, a wink, a song,/And keep them laughing the whole night long" goes one common prayer.
Alobal's followers rarely establish temples; most lack the fortitude to work so hard. They often create small shrines in taverns, glades, and places of wild beauty. A shrine to Alobal usually conceals ample stores of wine, sugared fruits, and other confections as well as scrolls of spells that followers commonly use. Alobal's shrines are often masked by magic, appearing as trees with rainbow-colored leaves or other odd but pleasing objects.
The worshipers of Alobal revere their god every time they take a sip of wine, taste adelectable food, swap tales with a friend, or participate in an enjoyable activity. Merely invoking the god's name at such times counts as veneration of the deity.
- The Hedonist: He's the elven god of hedonism and encourages his followers to engage in various pleasures to their fullest capacity. However, he also instructs them to not become overly intoxicated or harming others during their pursuit of pleasure.
Angharradh (pronounced ON-gahr-rath) is the unified face of the deity who is both three separate goddesses (Aedrie Fainya, Hanali Celanil, and Sehanine Moonbow) as well as a single goddess who subsumes their three separate aspects. As such, Angharradh's nature reflects the personality traits of each of the Three, including the impulsive and whimsical nature of the Winged Mother, the romantic and affectionate nature of the Heart of Gold, and the serene and ephemeral nature of the Daughter of the Night Skies. The fusion of the Three was born of Araushnee's (Lolth's) betrayal and the collective threat to Arvandor and the Seldarine. As such, the Triune Goddess exhibits the fierce protectiveness and unbending resolve of the Queen of Arvandor. Despite her vigilance, the Elven Retreat, it's reversal, and the return of the drow to Cormanthor have weakened Angharradh's spirit, and the three goddesses have been spending more and more time separated, preferring the ability to get more done as a group than as an individual.
According to silver elven mythology, Angharradh was born from the essence of the three greatest goddesses of the Seldarine before the first of the Fair Folk walked the forests of Faerûn. The Triune Goddess arose in the aftermath of a great battle between the seldarine and the anti-Seldarine, a host of evil deities who had invaded Arvandor at the bequest of Araushnee (now Lolth), Corellon's traitorous consort. When an arrow launched by Elistraee at an onrushing ogrish god was subtly warped by the magic of the treacherous Araushnee and felled the Protector instead, Aerdrie struck down the Dark Maiden in revenge. The Seldarine assumed the unconscious daughter of Araushnee and Corellon was to blame for her father's collapse. Sehanine's timely escape from Vhaeraun's prison allowed the Goddess of Moonlight to expose Araushnee's crimes and the Masked Lord's complicity, but the Weaver of Destiny defiantly rejected the collective authority of the assembled Seldarine to convene a council to investigate her actions. In response, Aerdrie, Hanali, and Sehanine drew together and merged into a luminous cloud before coalescing in the form of the Triune Goddess. Angharradh then restored Corellon to health, taking her place by the Protector's side and declaring her intention to prevent treachery from ever entering the heart of a goddess of Arvandor again.
- Big Good: Angharradh is second only to Corellon among the Seldarine and is the Queen of Arvandor. She serves different functions depending upon circumstances.
- Composite Character: Angharradh is generally regarded as the combination of the goddesses Aedrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil, and Sehanine Moonbow. As such, Angharradh's nature reflects the personality traits of each of the Three, including the impulsive and whimsical nature of the Winged Mother, the romantic and affectionate nature of the Heart of Gold, and the serene and ephemeral nature of the Daughter of the Night Skies. However, there is also some uncertainty as to whether or not she might be a separate deity in her own right.
- Cool Sword: When acting as a war goddess, Angharradh wields the Blade of Red Tears is a crimson-hued long sword of quickness.
- Deity Identity Confusion:
- Many subraces of the Fair Folk believe that Sehanine exclusively is Corellon's consort, identifying Angharradh instead either as a seperate minor deity or a different name of Sehanine.
- In the 4th edition, it was revealed that Sehanine Moonbow, Hanali Cenalil, and Aerdrie Faenya were actually elven aspects of the human goddesses Selûne, Sune, and Akadi respectively, and all of these goddesses were absorbed back into their human counterparts during the events of the Spellplague. However, Angharradh continued to exist despite those events, suggesting that she was indeed a separate deity all along. Regardless, these changes were reverted in the 5th edition, making Aedrie, Hanali, and Sehanine separate entities from the human goddesses once again.
- Earth Mother: In spring and during harvest time she is a fertility goddess. She watches over the planting of the crops, blesses births, and keeps the land green and growing.
- Fusion Dance: The Triune Goddess arose when the Three drew together to heal Corellon after he was felled by Araushnee's machinations, taking their place in the form of the One alongside Corellon as the Queen of Arvandor.
- The High Queen: Angharradh is the vigilant Queen of Arvandor, exhibiting both fierce protectiveness and unbending resolve as she tends to her duties.
- Mother Goddess: She is sometimes credited alongside Corellon with the creation of the elves. It is said that the Fair Folk sprang forth when her tears mingled with the drops of blood Corellon shed in his epic battles with Gruumsh.
- Named Weapons: Her favored weapon is a great duskwood spear called Duskshaft.
- The Smart Girl: When wisdom is required, the One and the Three is a source of guidance and council.
- War Goddess: In wartime, she is a grim warrior deity who wields a red sword and mercilessly slays the enemies of the elves.
Araleth is one of the "Second Born", those elven gods who came after the first War of Darkness. Naturally, the light god Araleth Letheranil is also considered to be the god of the sun, moon, and stars. He frowns upon unnecessary usage of darkness spells and encourages elves to combat evil, especially any darkness-loving creatures, dark elves are considered to be prime targets. Because of his aggressive stance, he is a favorite choice of elven and half-elven adventurers.
There are many tales of Araleth's fights against evil beings. Perhaps the most famous is that of his battle with Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders. After the Alignment Wars had driven many evil races underground, the drow elves adapted and flourished. Lolth, their goddess, hated the good races and began to develop plans to destroy them. When the drow had grown quite strong, she, through her clerics, organized the dark elves into a great army numbering in the thousands. Araleth realized what was happening and warned his own clerics. They, in turn, assembled many gray, high, and wood elves to hold back the dark forces. Fighting took place at night and on gloomy, cloudy days caused by the dark elf clerics. When the sun came out, the drow withdrew into the underground, sometimes (foolishly) followed by the opposing forces. Dark elf magic-users, realizing the extreme disadvantage caused by their sensitivity to light, tried to develop a way to venture about in light without penalties. The long struggle that took place is called the War of the Elves. However, that is a misnomer, for large groups of humans and other demihumans came to the surface elves' aid when they realized the severity of the situation.
When it seemed that the good forces would be victorious, all of the drow magic-users were called back into battle. Suddenly, Lolth appeared on the earth and joined the fray. Araleth knew that her presence would be too much for the demihumans and humans to overcome, so he went to the battlefield that day, fought his way through the dark elven army, and attacked Lolth and the clerics and magic-users surrounding her. The combat was furious, with Araleth's sword and spells cutting down powerful drow and wounding the demoness, and Lolth's magic, webs, and fangs taking their toll. Before the god knew what had happened, Lolth jumped at him and sank her fangs into his shoulder, pumping venom into the wound. He cried out and plunged his magical sword into her abdomen. The demoness was forced to return to the Abyss, for she was near death. Though in great pain, Araleth slew many great spell-casters and warriors before he went back to Arvandor. Because of his presence, the forces of good were heartened, and destroyed much of the dark army. The drow, reduced to a fraction of their original number, fled back into the Underdark. Araleth still bears a dark scar on his right shoulder where Lolth wounded him, and he uses it to remind his followers of the need to destroy evil.
Araleth lives in the part of Arborea known as Arvandor in the House of Glowing Stars, a dwelling beset by drifting, glowing stars. He works closely with the rest of the Seldarine as needed, and his priests likewise work with other priesthoods in their efforts to eliminate evil.
- Cool Sword: He uses a long sword in battle. It inflicts double damage upon evil creatures, or triple damage if they are from the lower outer planes.
- Gold and White Are Divine: Araleth has silvery hair and golden, glowing eyes, and is clad in white robes.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He bears a dark scar on his right shoulder from a poisoned bite he received from Lolth during their battle.
- Light 'em Up: Araleth can cast a continual light, sunny, or rainbow spell once per round at will. He is also immune to spells that create or alter light or darkness, including fire- or lightning-based spells.
- Light Is Good: He's a benevolent god of light who is engaged in an eternal war against the powers of darkness, and is known for his relentless pursuit of the drow when they came forth again.
- Sacred Bow and Arrows: Araleth can use the rainbow spell in its bow form, picking any color as often as he wishes, up to the limit of seven arrows allowed by the spell.
Darahl is a god with a long and checkered past, particularly for a member of the Seldarine. Long ago he was known as Tilvenar, and he served Rillifane Rallathil, but he suffered a loss of power and prestige when an avatar of his was made insane by touching the Kyrashar Rose (a cursed artifact created by Lolth and the Queen of Air and Darkness to hurt and destroy elves). The insanity spread to several of his avatars, and they rampaged through many communities. In time his avatars were restrained and cured of their affliction, but the damage to his following was irrevocable. The elves largely forsook him, his following drifted and waned, and over the course of time he began to look for a place outside of Arvandor to call his home. It was only after settling in Arcadia that he finally dropped his old name and began calling himself Darahl Firecloak. By "reinventing" himself, he hoped to begin anew among the elves and eventually to establish himself as an intermediate deity again.
Darahl lives on the first layer of Arcadia, among the mountains in a castle known as the Twin Towers. It's called that because, although one such tower is visible on the surface, an inverted tower of equal size exists underneath, its roof pointing outward (and leading to portals to the Elemental Planes of Earth and Fire, respectively). The irony, of course, is that although the outside is barren, inside are many flame-proofed tapestries and paintings depicting the most beautiful aspects of life in Arvandor. It's clear to visitors that Darahl has not forgotten his ties to the elven pantheon or people.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Darahl is the elven god of earth and a master of earth-based magic and phenomena.
- Driven to Madness: One of his avatars was driven insane when he touched the Kyrashar Rose. The madness spread to several other avatars, who then went on a rampage through several communities before finally being restrained and cured.
- God of Fire: The Elven pantheon's god of fire and craftsmanship.
- Meaningful Rename: He changed his name from Tilvenar to Darahl Firecloak in order to distance himself from his avatars' rampage and re-establish himself among the elves.
- Playing with Fire: Darahl is also the elven god of fire and a master of fire-based magic and phenomena.
Deep Sashelas (pronounced DEEP SA-sheh-lahs) is the Lord of the Undersea and the patron of sea elves, whom he created long ago by modifying Corellon's landbound creations. With his consort Trishinia, Queen of the Dolphins, he rules the world beneath the waves and creates ever-changing vistas of undersea beauty. Sashelas is a powerfully creative deity who is forever changing the environments below the sea, creating islands and reefs by altering continental rifts, tinkering with undersea volcanoes, and the like. He is also said to create the deep undersea caverns that the sea elves can use for air-breathing when they wish. Sashelas is known as the Knowledgeable One, for he provides advice as to where food can be found or the enemies are hidden. The sea elves also claim that Deep Sashelas is the author of the Chambeeleon, a resplendent spell tome held in the royal vaults of Thunderfoam an age ago but since lost. Followers of other aquatic gods make similar claims.
Deep Sashelas is a member of the Seldarine and remains on good terms with the other elven deities, but he directs most of his efforts toward maintaining an alliance of nonhuman sea deities known as the asathalfinare. While he does not explicitly lead the group, the Lord of the Undersea occupies a pivotal role and mediates many potential conflicts and disagreements. Other members of the asathalfinare include Trishina, the dolphin goddess (who is Sashelas' consort), Surminare, goddess of the selkies, Syranita, goddess of the aarakocra (whose membership is somewhat of an anomaly), Persana, god of the tritons, Eadro, leader of the merfolk and locathah, and the enigmatic Water Lion.
The Lord of the Undersea is a charismatic leader and an inspired creator whose art is everchanging. Unlike the other Seldarine, Deep Sashelas is rarely satisfied with what he's done and always seeks to improve it. Deep Sashelas can be fickle and flighty, and there are many myths that involve his amorous exploits with such creatures as mermaids, selkies, mortal sea elven maids, human females, and even one demigoddess, it is rumored. Trishina has some tolerance for such straying, but not too much. Sashelas' fellow Seldarine derive great amusement from Trishina's ability to spot Sashelas' wandering attentions and stymie him, usually by warning off the object of his desire.
Deep Sashelas is very active on Abeir-Toril. His avatars often terraform the undersea environment, although he does not undertake such actions without first consulting other deities with an interest in such matters. He does not overinvolve himself by dispatching avatars to help sea elves in battles, but he will do so if he scents any involvement by Sekolah, and his avatars to keep a watchful eye on any unexplained activities that might involve Panzuriel (unusually organized raids by merrow or koalinths, for example). His avatar is 50% likely to be accompanied by an avatar of Trishina unless the avatar has been sent to woo or seduce some pretty female who has attracted his eye. Rarely the avatar may accompany an avatar of another member of the asathalfinare.
The realm of Deep Sashelas is known as Elavandor. Depending on the god's mood, it lies either in the Sparkling Sea at the edge of Arvandor or somewhere in the watery layer of Ossa. However, a person can always use the Sparkling Sea to reach Elavandor, a series of ever-widening caverns near the sandy bottom eventually opens over the great chasm where the deity dwells. Wherever his realm's found, Deep Sashelas constantly builds new islands, coral reefs, and grottos undersea.
His palace sits at the bottom of a chasm, a construct of coral, gold, and veined marble. While it's on the floor of a deep sea trench, the water around is still pure and blue, filtering light all the way to the bottom. Chant is a person knows they're on the verge of leaving Elavandor when the water around them starts turning dark and grimy.
Here's the truth of the realm: Any good-aligned elf can breath the water as if it were air. Alignment-masking doesn't work against the power of a god, obviously so it's a safe bet that any elf a person sees here (even a drow) works for good. 'Course, spells and magical items can let a cutter breathe underwater, so it's possible that a person could run into evil elves in Elavandor. But they'd have to reach the undersea realm before they could hope to breathe in it, and the place changes location enough that it's doubtful whether they could make it that far.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Deep Sashelas appears with sea-green skin, blue-green eyes, and free-flowing blue-green hair.
- Cool Sword: Deep Sashelas wields a long sword called Dolphin's Tooth, which inflicts double damage on sahuagin and ixitxachitl as well as create a 20d6 lightning bolt once per day.
- Lord of the Ocean: He is the elven god of oceans as well as the creator and ruler of the sea elves.
- The Power of Creation: The Lord of the Undersea is an inspired creator who is forever changing the environments below the sea, creating islands and reefs by altering continental rifts, tinkering with undersea volcanoes, and the like. He is also said to create the deep undersea caverns that the sea elves can use for air-breathing when they wish.
- Prongs of Poseidon: His favored weapon is a trident called Trifork of the Deeps.
- Really Gets Around: There are many myths that involve his amorous exploits with such creatures as mermaids, selkies, mortal sea elves, human females, and even one demigoddess
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The Dolphin Prince can change into any cetacean form at will.
Known as the Celestial Gardener, Elebrin Liothiel is the elven god of orchards, gardens, and the harvest. This pastoral deity represents the abundance of nature and its ability to provide for those who live in harmony with it.
Elebrin appears as a young male elf dressed in tunic and breeches in muted gold shades. His cloak is the color of green spring leaves embroidered with trailing vines, and he carries a sturdy staff made of rowan wood. A circlet of leafy vines adorns his brow.
The Celestial Gardener created the saelas tree as a gift to the elves, and he bestows special care on saelas groves (The Elven word saelas translates as "wildwood" in Common). In addition, Elebrin watches over the gardens, orchards, and groves near elf settlements, ensuring abundant harvests for those who plant and tend in tune with nature. Ornamental gardens are also within his purview, as are any other decorative plantings.
Clerics of Elebrin tend the communal gardens and orchards of an elf settlement, studying how to plant crops to harmonize with nature rather than compete with other native growth. As they gain experience, they assist the Guardian of Nature in planning gardens, cataloging new kinds of plants, and training plants into decorative shapes.
Elebrin's followers often pursue quests involving the restoration of an area blighted by some evil or the acquisition of seeds or cuttings of some new kind of plant life. They may also undertake quests to feed other elf communities or even human settlements stricken with famine or some other misfortune.
Prayers to the Celestial Gardener usually involve the health of forests and other plant life or requests for rain, sun, or other needed weather conditions. Whatever their content, the elf offering them always has a piece of saelas or a living plant close at hand. Elves often go to saelas groves or orchards to offer their prayers to Elebrin.
Elebrin's shrines are usually simple platforms built in tall trees, though some are one-room domed or peaked buildings shaped entirely of saelas. Each has a dirt floor from which neatly tended plants of every kind grow in profusion everywhere aside from a few cleared paths to the altar. Offerings of saelas weapons, armor, and tools are frequently cached near the altar.
The clerics of the Celestial Gardener bless new plantings, forests where new elf communities will be built, and harvests gathered from both tended gardens and wild forests.
- Nature Hero: Elebrin watches over the gardens, orchards, and groves near elf settlements, ensuring abundant harvests for those who plant and tend in tune with nature.
Erevan Ilesere (pronounced AIR-eh-van ILL-eh-seer) is the elven god of mischief and change and the patron of elven and half-elven rogues. The Trickster's following is not as large as most of his fellow elven gods for Erevan is too unpredictable for most elves. Nevertheless, he commands his share of attention from the Fair Folk, particularly by those engaged in thievery or other forms of knavery, those who seek excitement so as to alleviate the boredom of near-immortality, as well as many young elves who seek a life of adventure and danger. Erevan is also revered by some members of the small sylvan races, such as pixies, sprites, and leprechauns, but most such fey beings revere the deities of the Seelie Court.
Erevan is a fickle, utterly unpredictable deity who can change his appearance at will. He is one of the most fun-loving deities in the multiverse, and he seems incapable of remaining still or concentrating on a single task for any extended period of time. The Trickster enjoys causing trouble for its own sake, but his pranks are rarely either helpful or deadly. However, Erevan becomes very dangerous if sylvan races or weak elven groups are threatened, and he is always championing the underdog.
Erevan rarely fights another being directly, preferring to escape and possibly catch his opponent off guard at a later time. His favorite tactic is to change his height to any size from between 1 inch to 6 feet and alter his appearance to reflect one of his innumerable guises. Regardless of how he appears at any given time, Erevan always wears green somewhere upon his person, a sign of his love of the woodlands the Fair Folk call home. The Trickster's weakness for fine wine has gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion, but his vows to swear off the grape only last long enough to refill his glass. Erevan's fancies are as fleeting as a desert rain, and he is attracted to mortals who make their own luck. He does not appreciate those who constantly rely on his favor to get by, and he abandons those who persistently rely on his unwavering assistance. Mortals who rely on themselves, however, are often granted a helping hand by the fickle Trickster.
When Erevan settles down in Arvandor for a rest, he heads for a spot near the Gnarl, a community of elves and ratatosk near a root of Yggdrasil, the World Ash. There, he maintains a sprawling, shifting palace made of wood, stone, crystal, and whatever else suits his mood. The rooms don't rearrange themselves for anyone who's inside, but the next time a person visits, they find that everything's different.
What's more, the palace holds all of the tricks and traps that've ever confounded or amused the deity. Erevan doesn't mind folks entering the place; fact is, he encourages cutters to test their wits and skills against his home. As long as they don't make any threats against the god, they'll be fine, they're even challenged to try to make off with Erevan's treasures. 'Course, the god likes to dress down his valuables. Something that appears to be priceless may well be junk, while a dingy, battered object might be the true treasure a person's seeking.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Erevan seems incapable of remaining still or concentrating on a single task for any extended period of time.
- Beware the Silly Ones: He is one of the most fun-loving deities in the multiverse, but becomes very dangerous if sylvan races or weak elven groups are threatened.
- Cool Sword: Erevan wields Mischief, a long sword that knocks open all barriers, doors, and locks with but a touch, and Quickstrike, a short sword.
- Trickster God: He's the elven god of mischief and teaches his followers to live on the edge and puncture the self-righteousness, sanctimony, and pretension that pervades orderly society with mischievous pranks that both amuse and enlighten.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Erevan can change his appearance at will and can appear as an elf, brownie, faerie, pixie, sprite, or other sylvan creatures of widely varying appearance and size.
Fenmarel Mestarine (pronounced FEHN-muh-rehl MESS-tuh-reen) is the eternal outsider, the solitary god who holds himself aloof from his fellows. He is venerated by outcasts from elven society, many of whom have withdrawn voluntarily in response to perceived slights, as well as by elves who have been isolated from the main body of their race and who live in wild, relatively "uncivilized" rural groups. Although he does not actively seek the worship of mortals, Fenmarel serves as the teacher and protector of those who turn to him, one who is silent and subtle, instructing his people in survival, spying, camouflage, deception, and secrecy.
Fenmarel dislikes the company of other deities, and he avoids relationships of any sort, whether they be alliances or mutual enmities, whenever possible. The Lone Wolf is even somewhat of an outcast among the Seldarine, his nominal allies, although he supports them in their endless war with the Spider Queen and her followers. He has removed himself to Limbo voluntarily, although he has a home in Arvandor when he so chooses. Fenmarel was one Lolth's lover, one of the first to be seduced by her power and promises, but he turned away from her before completely slipping over to the dark side, for which she has never forgiven him. Neither has Fenmarel forgiven Lolth for her breach of faith with the elven race, and thus he hates the drow and all they stand for. No drow are tolerated in his realm, Fennimar, not even those of good alignment.
Fenmarel is eternally sullen and serious, a perfect counterbalance to fun-loving Erevan Ilesere. He has no interest in communicating with members of other pantheons or N'Tel'Quess unless absolutely necessary, and when he does speak he is usually bitter and cynical. Although he tries to avoid commitments of any sort, the Lone Wolf always abides by his word, no matter how reluctantly it is given. Fenmarel frequently dispatches his avatar to patrol the elven borders in disappearing woodlands, jungles, and similar environments, not unlike Corellon in more sizable homelands.
Nestled away in the soup of Limbo, Fennimar's the perfect retreat for a basher who's gotten sick of the hubbub and stink of civilization. The realm, tucked into a rough range of mountains, holds its shape well; a person who walks its forsaken woods can count on finding glades and streams, hills and valleys, sullen hermits and wild creatures of the forest. But Fennimar's a place that lets a visitor sit and brood in silence. Truth is, the realm seems to protect those who've come to be alone from prying eyes and wandering feet. The land has no real burgs or buildings, only waystations where a person can find food and water (if they can't find them on their own).
- Black Sheep: Although Fenmarel still supports the Seldarine, his relations with them, especially with Corellon, is somewhat strained by his perception that the Protector still somewhat holds the younger god at fault for succumbing to Lolth's entreaties long ago. Only the kindheartedness of Sehanine Moonbow draws the Lone Wolf back to Arvandor on rare occasions.
- Garden Garment: Fenmarel appears as an elf clad in leaves and scraps of clothing.
- The Hermit: Fenmarel is a loner who can't stand the company of other deities, and willfully withdraws to his realm on Limbo.
- Hermit Guru: He is the teacher and protector of wild elves, instructing his people in skills of camouflage, deception, and secrecy.
Gadhelyn (pronounced Gad-THEL-en) the Archer is an old name in elven mythology. Once a part of the traditional Fey Mysteries, he is now largely forgotten by the elf-kindreds, save among the grugach. To these "wild" elves of the Flanaess he remains a potent and heroic figure appearing as a sharp-featured elf with long, yellow hair and bright green eyes. He is attired in rough garb of hide and fur, the color of which varies according to the season. His symbol is a leaf-shaped arrowhead.
Gadhelyn is the ideal of the noble outlaw, with a court of unruly but loyal subjects. He recognizes no value in family lineage, but admires only individual skill and merit. He delights in discomfiting the high-born, but is known to show generosity to those in genuine need, if the mood strikes him. One or two Knights of Luna are thought to be sympathetic to the Lord of the Wildwood, but otherwise he finds little favor among the members of the Grand Court of Celene.
Gadhelyn has many druids in his service, though very few of them participate in the hierarchy of the Old Faith. His worshipers are most commonly grugach, but also include a number of wood elves, and even a few half-elves and humans revere him and participate in his festivals. His followers are the bane of wealthy travelers in the woodlands, but they are truly dangerous only if attacked, or if their forests are despoiled.
- Outlaw: He's the elven god of outlawry and regularly steals from the high-born.
- King of Thieves: Gadhelyn is the ideal of the noble outlaw and rules over a court of unruly but loyal subjects.
Hanali Celanil (pronounced HAN-uh-lee SELL-uh-nihl) is the elven goddess of love, romance, and beauty. Lady Goldheart is predominantly depicted as female, although on rare occasions it is said that she has taken male form. Hanali is revered especially by gold elves and moon elves. Her followers also include elven artisans (particularly sculptors), lovers, performers (particularly bards and dancers), and nobles. Lady Goldheart is also widely revered by half-elves born of joyous unions, in honor of the love that brought their parents together. Hanali is closely associated with Evergold, a sacred crystal fountain and pool found within her crystal palace in Arvandor. She keeps watch over her followers by using the placid watchers of Evergold as an immense crystal ball, and philters of love created by elves are said to contain drafts of this fountain's waters.
Hanali is both an aspect of Angharradh and one of the three elven goddesses (the other two being Aedrie Faenya and Sehanine Moonbow) who collectively form the Triune Goddess. This duality tightly binds Hanali with the two other senior elven goddesses, and the three collectively serve alongside Corellon in leading the Seldarine. Hanali has been romantically involved with nearly every member of the Seldarine, particularly Erevan Ilesere, yet she remains amicable with nearly all of her current and former suitors alike. The only notable exception is Fenmarel Mestarine, although he and Lady Goldheart are still formally allied. The Lone Wolf resents the fact that Hanali spurned him long ago in favor of Erevan Ilesere, and some believe that Hanali's fickleness was what drove Fenmarel into the embrace of Lolth (Araushnee).
Hanali is a being of timeless beauty and benign nature, who always forgives minor transgressions and delights in rewarding her followers with the bliss of unexpected love and affection. She embodies romance, beauty, love, and joy in elven spirits, her only flaws being her own mild vanity and flighty nature. Although she rarely appears to her faithful, Hanali delights in seeing the growth of love among elves, and her avatar often acts in secret to protect young lovers.
In Arvandor, Hanali dwells in a magnificent crystal palace, which centers around the legendary Evergold. She admits mortals to the fountain on occasion, but only those who've served her for many years and brought glory to her name. If they haven't, well, she'd sooner put 'em in the dead-book than share this bounty with them.
Hanali's palace is constructed so well that a single candle, placed properly within its confines, can illuminate the entire crystal structure (and darken it just as easily if moved a foot to the left). A person on the outside can't peer in through the crystal walls, but seeing from the inside out is like looking through exceptionally clear glass.
- Amicable Exes: Hanali has remained on amicable terms with nearly all of her current and former lovers.
- Deity Identity Confusion: In the 4th edition, she was stated to be the elven aspect of the Faerûnian love goddess Sune. However, in the 5th edition, they were declared to be separate entities again.
- Fountain of Youth: Hanali is one of the keepers of Evergold, the Fountain of Youth and Beauty, which she shares with other like-minded goddesses (including Sune, Freya, and Aphrodite).
- Friendly Rivalry: A friendly but intense rivalry exists between Hanali and Sune over the innate superiority of human vs. elven beauty.
- Hot Goddess: Lady Goldheart appears as a golden-haired female elf of great beauty, clad in a short dress or gown of white and gold. Her beauty even serves as both her primary weapon and her defense.
- Love Goddess: Forgiving and generous, Hanali embodies the romance, beauty, and joy in the elven spirit, and serves as the patron deity of young lovers.
Magic is a very important part of elven life, and while Corellon Larethian holds magic to be part of his portfolio, other elven gods lay claim to more specific forms of magic. Kirith Sotheril is one such deity whose portfolio concerns magic, in this case divinations and enchantments. She and Sehahine Moonbow are rivals of a sort, since in many worlds Sehahine considers herself to be the patroness of the subtler forms of magic, but they're far from enemies.
Kirith Sotheril wears rainbow-striped robes and has golden hair; her eyes continually change color, from hazel to green to blue to violet and back again. If anyone within 10' looks into her eyes, she can implant a suggestion with her next words.
Kirith dwells on the first layer of Elysium, Amoria, within the realm of Tethridar. Because this is also the home of Tethrin Veralde' (another elven god), stories consistently portray them as lovers (the truth of this is unknown).
- Hypnotic Eyes: She can implant a suggestion into anyone who is within 10' of her and looks into her eyes.
- Seers: She's the elven goddess of divination and grants spells from that school of magic to her specialty priests.
Labelas Enoreth (pronounced LAH-bay-lahs EHN-or-eth) is the elven god of longevity and time. At the creation of the Fair Folk, Labelas blessed the elves with long lifespans and decreed that their appearances would not be marked by the passage of time. The Lifegiver cooperates with the Sehanine in overseeing the lifespan of elves and their growth away from and beyond mortal realms. He measures the lives of the Fair Folk and decrees when they should be ended, allowing passage to Arvandor. As Lord of the Continuum, Labelas governs the orderly passage of time and guards against who would alter the path of history. Labelas confers wisdom and teachings on young and old alike, and although he is rarely invoked, the Lifegiver is often praised. The Lifegiver knows the future and past of every elf, faerie, or sylvan creature. Labelas is worshiped by sages, historians, philosophers, librarians, and all those who measure the changes wrought by the passing of years.
Labelas is also a philosopher-god, a patient teacher and instructor. His demeanor is calm and meditative, and he is not given to sudden action or hasty speech. According to legend, he traded an eye for the ability to peer through time. Labelas concerns himself with transgenerational changes and the growth of learning and wisdom among elves, and thus rarely involves himself directly in the lives of individuals.
Labelas is known to reside in Arvandor, but the exact location is unknown. Some claim his case is locked away under one of the huge hills of the realm, while others tell that it's just a vanishing tower, appearing only as a harbinger of trouble (or as a portent of the appearance of a new leader among elf mortals).
- The Atoner: After regaining his divinity, he came to realize how terrible he had acted during the Time of Troubles, and visited Vartan to atone.
- Blasphemous Boast: Apparently, even gods are capable of this. He considers the Faerûnian pantheon (which refers to all gods not specific to one race, but is mostly worshipped by humans) to be inferior to him and his fellows, and even called Ao, the creator of the universe, a lesser god.
- Deity Identity Confusion: Labelas has also been venerated in other guises at various places and times in history. When the Sy-Tel'Quessir settled the Yuirwood, the Seldarine merged with the ancient gods of Yuir, transforming them into aspects of the various deities of the elven pantheon. The Simbul was the Yuir goddess of the moment of choice, the edge, the space between the now and the future, what is and is not, the power of balance embodied in the point of decision where fate is determined intuitively without reason or knowledge. When the Seldarine and the Yuir elven deities merged, the Simbul had to chose between Labelas Enoreth (the Seldarine god of time and philosophy) and Erevan Ilesere (the elven god of change) to ally with, and eventually she became an aspect of Labelas and then faded into near oblivion. Even the Cha-Tel'Quessir of the Yuirwood have long forgotten this goddess, and the Simbul, Queen of Aglarond, only discovered the divine ancestry of her name in the Year of the Banner (1368 DR). Likewise, a long forgotten-aspect of Labelas, known as Chronos, Karonis, or Kronus, was worshiped centuries ago in the tiny realm of Orva, now sunk beneath the waters of the Vast Swamp of eastern Cormyr.
- Jerkass Gods: He did not take well to mortality during the Time of Troubles. Among other things, he wiped out a town because he needed slave labour, killed one of his workers because he accidentally dropped a wooden beam next to him, and almost forced himself on a woman.
- Magic Staff: He wields the Timestave, a quarterstaff that can age or youthen anything it succesfully hits, as determined by Labelas.
- Mind Rape: While none of the gods took particularily well to being mortal during the Time of Troubles, it was especially traumatic for Labelas. As a deity of time, being forced into a mortal form experiencing linear time drove him nearly mad.
- Possession Burnout: His hosts during the Time of troubles had a habit of burning out. Vartan avoided this, as he had been prepared beforehand.
- Time Master: He's the elven god of time and can cast any spell from the sphere of time or from the school of chronomancy. Labelas' gaze can place any being in temporal stasis for as long as he wishes, his touch can restore youth or prematurely age beings up to 100 years, as well as send any time traveling beings back to their original time, and automatically slow all hostile creatures within 120 feet of him while also automatically hasting all allies within the same radius without the normal aging penalty.
- Time Police: As Lord of the Continuum, Labelas governs the orderly passage of time and guards against who would alter the path of history.
- Too Dumb to Live: During the Time of Troubles, he attempted to hijack a Halruaan flying ship to force his way back into the Upper Planes. The gate was guarded by Helm, God of vigilance, while Labelas himself was only a powerful mortal at the time. Needless to say, Helm tossed the ship aside with no effort.
- Ungrateful Bastard: He got better after some time, but he was not very grateful to Vartan for him being his host.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Like Corellon Larethian, Labelas variously appears as male or female (and sometimes both or neither).
Melira Taralen is a lesser goddess who, like many of her followers, has a patron (in this case, Corellon). It is said that her mother Hanali Celanil sent her to Corellon to serve as an apprentice, foundly with her skills that he set a place in the stars for her. Melira is most often in Evergold, singing and playing while her mother relaxes. If she has any rivals, it is the Faerûnian god Milil, whom she feels may be "poaching" in her territory. Still, theirs is a friendly rivalry, and he some-duets with her. She also enjoys Olidammara's exploits, though he's often too roguish for her taste.
Melira Taralen is pretty, vivacious, and a skilled artist and performer. She has flaxen hair and bright blue eyes. Her robe is an equally bright blue, and her sword and lute are with her at all times.
Melira's faithful tend to be musically inclined and appreciative of music. Not only are musicians favored by her, but also those who act as patrons, and those who treat their musicians well are said sometimes to receive a boon from the goddess.
- The Bard: She's the patron goddess of bards and rewards those who treat their musicians well.
- Friendly Rivalry: She has one with the Faerûnian god Milil, whom she feels may be "poaching" in her territory.
Mythrien is one of several elven gods who have fallen since the Elder Days, when elven culture was more prominent in the world than it is now. In those days, mighty protective magic was wielded for the people's benefit, and Mythrien played his part by assisting elven wizards in constructing mythals around certain cities (though not Myth Drannor, according to lorebooks found on Evermeet). As elven sages can attest, Mythrien's greatest gift to the elves was in mastering the creation and weaving of mythals. He surrendered too much of his power in the process, however, and in an effort to boost his powers to their previous level he decided to create a mighty artifact at a hidden delve somewhere on Faerûn.
Known as Mythrien's Ring, this relic proved his undoing, because at a critical point in the creation process, Malar appeared and attacked Mythrien's avatar. The magic went awry, the ring was lost, and Mythrien's lone avatar was imprisoned in the ground beneath the site of the battle (some claim that this occured in Askalvar, which is now called the Wood of Sharp Teeth). Since that time, Mythrien has been unable to dispatch avatars to the Prime Material Plane and has instead relied upon visions and manifestations to communicate his desire to his priests. It goes without saying that he counts Malar as a blood enemy, but Mask and Talos are also included, since Mythrien believes that they assisted Malar in his attack. Mythrien's priests are likewise illdisposed toward the followers of these three and hunt them mercilessly in their quest for the ring (and vengeance) and the restoration of Mythrien's power.
Mythrien never leaves Arborea, remaining in his palace, Mythralan. It levitates above the ground within a swirling mass of invisible (but tangible) mythal fields, and no other deity except Corellon or Sehanine know how to bypass these fields without his permission. This morose Mythrien has lost the spark of gaiety that typifies the Seldarine, and his disposition isn't likely to change soon.
- De-power: Following the theft of his ring, Mythrien has been unable to dispatch avatars to the Prime Material Plane and has instead relied upon visions and manifestations to communicate his desire to his priests.
- Ring of Power: In an attempt to restore himself to his previous power, Mythrien began work on creating a powerful ring. However, during a crucial part of the creation process, Malar the Beastlord attacked Mythrien's avatar, causing the process to go awry and trapping the avatar in the dungeon. Malar stole the artifact and Mythrien's avatar was unable to return to Arvandor.
Naralis is an elven god whose primary interest is not just the safeguarding of elven souls after they depart, but also healing of the living. As Sehahine guides the souls to their time of leaving, he serves Sehahine in making sure they reach their proper destination. He is one of the few death gods who isn't malevolent or uncaring, and he's very popular in those worlds where his worship is practiced. Like Tethrin and Kirith, Naralis resides on the first layer of Elysium, but he has his own realm, called The Healing Glade, where he conducts his godly duties.
Although it may appear to be a paradox, Naralis Analor is the elven god of healing, suffering, and death. Because every elf will die, he knows that they will all eventually pass into his care. His worshipers are often adventurers who pray to him in the hope of eluding death (though elves do not fear it). The friends and relatives of a deceased elf usually pray that the elf's spirit be speeded to its resting place.
Naralis has silver hair and blue-gray eyes, and wears white and gray robes with silver trim or design. As would seem natural, this god often works and consults with Labelas Enoreth, the elven god of longevity, as their spheres of influence are related.
Naralis' worshippers are those who are concerned with keeping their fellow elves healthy, and in caring for those who are going to die. Some adventurers give their respect to Naralis in the hope he'll be able to turn the next potential deathblow away from them.
- Agony Beam: The ring on his left hand, made of iron and bearing a black gem, can project a harm spell once per round to a range of 180 yards.
- Cool Sword: Naralis wields a long sword that can drain two levels from any evil being who has harmed a good or neutral elf without cause within the past year.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: He's a benevolent and caring death god, and is very popular because of it.
- The Grim Reaper: All elves who die pass into his care, and he safeguards their souls while Sehanine guides them to their resting place.
- Healer God: He's the elven god of healing and the ring on his right hand, shaped from a band of mithral and set with a clear, glowing jewel, can cast a heal spell once per round to an 18" range. Any elf may, when upon the verge of death, ask Naralis to aid them with a heal spell. Naralis rarely (1% chance) complies, and an elf can be healed in this way only once in their lifetime. If the elf is cured, they will be, within the next two weeks, geased to fulfill some task for the god that is appropriate to their level and abilities.
- Spell My Name With An S: His name was originally spelled as Naris.
Rellavar Danuvien is another god of the snow elves, acting as a ward against the severe cold. He used to serve Tarsellis a long time ago, but his continuing friendship with Solonar strained theirs a bit. Now he's an independent god, though he can count on help from both against the machinations of Auril and Surtr (both beings whose power is based on ice and cold). He's good friends with Erevan Ilesere, who is himself a patron of faerie folk (though of the larger community of faeries and sprites).
Rellavar's priests seek to mitigate the effects of the elements on the elvenfolk, particularly cold. They're also important in keeping those elves found in the arctic in arms, enchanting ice so that it has the strength of steel. Someday, his following among the snow and ice elves may eclipse that of his former benefactor.
Rellavar's clergy consists of clerics and specialty priests, and though evenly proportioned it may change in favor of the specialty priests in the next decade or so. They have the support of several orders of rangers, as well as a rare order of elven wyrmslayers (a form of paladin, or so it's been rumored).
Rellavar's clergy prefer to dress in blue and white, though furs aren't used as much in their raiment as Tarsellis' priests. They hold holy days whenever a dangerous undertaking is about to begin, when enemies beset the settlements of their people, or a particularly bad blizzard is underway. Usually the offerings are of hardened, sculpted ice or bone, though very important ceremonies call for sacrificing valuable objects made of other materials.
- An Ice Person: He's the elven god of winter and grants access to cold-based spells to his specialty priests.
- Weather Manipulation: Rellavar acts as a ward against the severe cold and his clergy hold holy days during bad blizzards in order to invoke his protection.
Rillifane Rallathil (pronounced RILL-ih-fane RALL-uh-thihl) is protector of the woodlands and guardian of the harmony of nature. He is often likened by his priests to a giant ethereal oak tree, so huge that its roots mingle with the roots of every other plant in the Realms, that stands at the heart of Arvandor, the High Forest of Olympus. The great tree draws into itself all the ebb and flow of seasons and lives within the woodlands of the green elves. At the same time, it defends and sustains those lands against disease, predation, and assaults of all kinds. The Leaflord is the patron of the Sy-Tel'Quessir and revered by many voadkyn.
Rillifane is quiet, reflective, and enduring over eons unchanged. He is the least flighty of all the Seldarine, the least likely to act on a whim, and often grave and self-absorbed. The Leaflord rarely sends an avatar to the Prime, disliking direct action and preferring that his priests carry out his wishes. Rillifane's avatar appears only when major destruction of a Tel'Quessir (usually Sy-Tel'Quessir) habitat is threatened. The appearance of such an avatar is heralded by sudden gusts of wind shaking leaves from the trees, a sign unmistakable to his priests.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Rillifane appears as a green-skinned male elf clad in armor of living bark.
- Deity Identity Confusion:
- When the Sy-Tel'Quessir settled the Yuirwood, the Seldarine merged with the ancient gods of the Yuir, transforming them into aspects of the various deities of the elven pantheon. Both Magnar the Bear and Relkath of the Infinite Branches, also known as Many-Limbed, Many-Branched, and the Old Man of the Yuirwood, became aspects of the Leaflord. Relkath easily merged with and slowly reinvigorated a primitive facet of the Leaflord's nature that had been slowly overshadowed over the ages by the increasingly tamed way of life of the Fair Folk, even among the Sy-Tel'Quessir. As a result of this subtle change of heart, in the centuries since absorbing Relkath, Rillifane's primordial spirit has returned to the fore to great effect. Concurrently, the Sy-Tel'Quessir and Cha-Tel'Quessir (half-elves of the Yuirwood) have rediscovered the way of their most primitive ancestors and reforged their tribal cultures, eschewing the formation of successors to the great green elven civilizations such as Illefarn, Thearnytaar, Eiellûr, and Syòrpiir. In contrast to the obvious impact of the absorption of Relkath by the Leaflord, Magnar the Bear was almost totally subsumed after being absorbed, and this aspect of Rillifane is little remembered even among Cha-Tel'Quessir. The half-elves of the Yuirwood speak only of Magnar's Great Sleep, a centuries-long hibernation from which the Bear has yet to emerge.
- Much like Ubtao, Ulutlu, and Uthgar, Rillifane is served by a host of great spirits including the primeval Bear (comingled with Magnar the Bear by the Cha-Tel'Quessir), Eagle, Raven, and Wolf, among others. These aspects of the Leaflord are recognized only by the Sy-Tel'Quessir and a few Cha-Tel'Quessir and not by the other elven or half-elven subraces. Unlike those other deities' worshipers, however, Rillifane's followers do not venerate any one great spirit exclusively, although they may have done so in the distant past. Instead, the Leaflord's faithful call upon one or more spirits associated with their god as appropriate for the situation at hand.
- Nature Hero: The Leaflord's primary concern is that all creatures have the opportunity to act out their roles in nature without abusing them, a concern Rillifane shares with Corellon Larethian, the great creator and protector of the Fair Folk.
- The Older Immortal: Rillifane is said by some to be older than even Labelas Enoreth, for the great tree would continue its life endlessly without the need for an eventual death.
Sarula is a lesser nature deity who has allied herself with the elven god of nature, Rillifane, as a means of securing her place in the Seldarine. They act more like a father and daughter, but she also has a special relationship with Deep Sashelas, for much of the water she rules over eventually flows to the sea (and into his area of control). It is said that Sarula collects water from Aedrie's rain showers to give them to Deep Sashelas, but there's nothing more to it than that (Sashelas' consort, the dolphin goddess Trishina, is a watchful lover and makes sure his attentions never go further).
Sarula is a quiet deity but not as passive as her friend Eldath. She has no qualms about sending floods to drown enemy armies nor to erecting walls of water to protect her faithful. She resides in Arvandor at the bottom of a huge lake called Brythanion, within a glass and marble palace. There she is served by nixies and other creatures found in fresh water, as well as her most devoted priests and priestesses.
- Making a Splash: Sarula is the elven goddess of lakes, streams, and water magic, and is capable of controling water to perform feats such as creating floods to drown enemy armies and erecting walls of water to protect her faithful.
- Protectorate: Her clergy's aim is to watch over the rivers and other sources of freshwater to ensure they unpolluted, and to protect elves and others from suffering ill fates in or near water that lies within their chosen area of guardianship.
Sehanine Moonbow (pronounced SEH-ha-neen MOON-boe) is the elven goddess of the moon, or, more specifically, the full moon. She governs divinations, omens, and subtle magics and protects against madness. She watches over the dreams of the elves, keeping them from harm while in reverie and sending omens to protect them from future dangers. Sehanine watches over the passage of elven spirits from the world, and she is protectress of the dead. The Daughter of the Night Skies is also a guardian and guide to those elves whose days in the mundane world of mortals are done and who seek to travel from the lands they know and love to distant refuges such as Evermeet. She also watches over such refuges and ensures they are kept safe from intrusion. Sehanine governs long journeys, both physical and spiritual, and in elven cultures that proclaim the reality of reincarnation, Sehanine and Corellon work together to guide the spirit to its best subsequent incarnation as it works its way toward perfection. Although Sehanine is venerated by all the Fair Folk (including half-elves and a handful of gnome illusionists), she is particularly revered by moon elves, who view her as their protector, and gold elves, who are the most withdrawn from the world of all the other elven subraces. Tel'Quessir seeking to explore transcendental mysteries, awaiting passage to Evermeet, or Arvandor, or undergoing physical or spiritual journeys pray to the Goddess of Moonlight, as do mystics, seers, diviners, and weavers of illusions.
Alternately called the wife and daughter of Corellon, Sehanine is the mightiest of the female deities in the elven pantheon. Identified with the mystic powers of the moon, Sehanine's tears are said to have mingled with Corellon's blood and given life to the elven race. The elves do not forget this. Sehanine is both the primary aspect of Angharradh and one of the three elven goddesses (the other two being Aerdrie Faenya and Hanali Celanil), who collectively form the Triune Goddess. This duality tightly binds Sehanine with the two other senior elven goddesses, and the three collectively serve alongside Corellon in leading the Seldarine, just as the Goddess of Moonlight is said to do in other myths.
Sehanine rarely concerns herself directly with events in the Realms aside from weaving illusions around secret elven retreats and guiding elves coming to those lands. Her power waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, growing strongest when the moon is full. As befits the elven goddess of mysteries, Sehanine is cloaked in secrets and illusions and rarely speaks her mind directly, preferring to communicate through a process of dreams, visions, and other mystic experiences. Sehanine is a truly spiritual and ephemeral being who evades any attempt to define her and whose serenity surrounds her like a mantle of moondust.
Sehanine shares Corellon's tower in Arvandor, spinning her webs of illusion and care from its marble confines. Along with Labelas (and, to some extent, Corellon), she makes sure that elves due for reincarnation move along to a better form, and that elven refuges on the Prime Material Plane are kept safe from intrusion. Those who are companions and allies of Corellon tend to be friends of Sehanine as well.
- Deity Identity Confusion:
- Many subraces of the Fair Folk believe that Sehanine exclusively is Corellon's consort, identifying the Triune Goddess Angharradh instead either as a seperate minor deity or a different name of Sehanine.
- In the 4th edition, she was stated to be the elven aspect of the Faerûnian moon goddess Selûne. However, in the 5th edition, they were declared to be separate entities again.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: Sehanine is the one who eases the passage of dying elves and their spirits to their final reward. When an elf nears death from old age, disease, or some other nonviolent means, a milky-white, opaque crescent often appears in the lenses of their eyes, Sehanine's characteristic "moonbow". At such times, the goddess often sends the dying elf a vision of the next world to give them hope and strength during their passage.
- Dream Walker: The Lady of Dreams governs sleep, dreams, and mystic revelations. She rarely speaks to her followers directly, preferring to impart her will through dreams, mystic visions, and journeys of the spirit.
- Ethereal White Dress: She wears a diaphanous flowing silvery gown formed of semi-solid gossamer moonbeams.
- Mother Goddess: She is sometimes credited alongside Corellon with the creation of the elves. It is said that the Fair Folk sprang forth when her tears mingled with the drops of blood Corellon shed in his epic battles with Gruumsh.
- Lunacy: Sehanine is identified with the mystic power of the moon and her power waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, growing strongest when the moon is full.
- Master of Illusion: Sehanine can weave illusions, allowing her to cloak herself and hide secret elven retreats.
- Mystical White Hair: Sehanine appears as an ethereally beautiful female elf with white hair.
- Protectorate: Sehanine acts as the protector of secret elven retreats such as Evermeet, Synnoria, Rucien-Xan, and Myth Dyraalis, and also guides elves coming to those lands.
- Psychopomp: She guides the spirits of deceased elves to their resting place.
- Walking the Earth: Sehanine acts a guardian and guide of elves who seek to travel from the lands they know and love to distant refuges such as Evermeet.
Shevarash (pronounced SHEV-uh-rash) is an elven god of vengeance and military crusades who embodies the Fair Folk's wrath for the drow. He is revered by elves and half-elves who have lost loved ones to violence, especially those who seek vengeance against the drow, as well as those who have sworn to kill the Spider Queen and the other dark elf gods. Shevarash, according to some elven theologians, serves to gather the anger and hatred that has riven the elven race since the Crown Wars, preventing the Spider Queen's contagious evil from spreading to the elven people at large.
An army of duergar and drow poured forth from the Underdark nearly 6,000 years ago, circa ~4400 DR, on Midwinter night (the longest, darkest night of the year), and overran both the dwarven realm of Sarphil on the southern shore of the Moonsea and the Elven Court in the heart of Arcorar's greatest forest. Countless elves and dwarves were killed in the Dark Court Slaughter, including the majority of the assembled leaders of the Fair Folk and the Stout Folk who had gone to the Elven Court to rebuild their long-standing partnership. The family of the archer-guard Shevarash, formerly a carefree hunter of the Elven Court, was among the dead. Shevarash promised to become the Seldarine's hand against the drow in an enraged prayer to Corellon, seeking vengeance for the death of his family. The bereft warrior took a cruel promise to never laugh or smile again until the drow goddess Lolth and her vile drow minions were slain. For the remainder of his life, Shevarash was the drow's worst enemy, attacking their underground cities, assassinating their priests, and destroying altars to their filthy gods. After killing the high priestess Darthiir'elgg Aleanrahel and six of her consorts, Shevarash was finally destroyed by a horde of myrlochar (soul spiders) in the year ~4070 DR. Shevarash the Black Archer experienced apotheosis to become the Night Hunter and the Arrow Bringer after his death, with the help of Fenmarel Mestarine.
Shevarash maintains no permanent realm in the Outer Planes, although he visits both Arvandor and Fennimar frequently.
Shevarash is quiet, violent, and obsessed with vengeance and hatred. Apart from wrath and a fleeting exultation or triumph after each victory, he never shows any emotion. The Black Archer has no patience for anyone who does not share his fervor for revenge, and he has no interest in pacifying his cause. Shevarash pursues the dark elves back into the Underdark and hunts them down until they are dead, as the Black Archer often dispatches his avatar in anticipation of a drow attack on a relatively undefended elven settlement, or if he appears too late to prevent a repeat of the slaughter that still haunts him.
- Bow and Sword in Accord: Shevarash wields two principle weapons. The Black Archer's Black Bow is a long bow, which intermittently whispers softly in elven to the wielder about grief and loss. In melee combat, Shevarash wields Traitorbane, a broad sword. Both weapons deal extra damage to drow.
- Church Militant: The followers of Shevarash are consumed with their quest to root out and destroy the drow and the sources of power of their dark gods. As such, since its founding by the lieutenants of Shevarash after their leader's death and apotheosis, the church of the Black Archer has been totally focused on its military campaign against the drow.
- Deity Identity Confusion: When the Sy-Tel'Quessir settled the Yuirwood, the Seldarine merged with the ancient gods of the Yuir, transforming them into aspects of the various deities of the elven pantheon. Of the Seldarine, Shevarash absorbed the aspect of Elikarashae, the youngest of the Yuir gods, as Elikarashae had only recently undergone apotheosis. The Sy-Tel'Quessir settlers of the Yuirwood incorporated the legends of Elikarashae into their own myths of Shevarash, and in the folklore of the elves of the Yuirwood, the god's aspect as Elikarashae became a mighty elven warrior who bore three great weapons: the spear Shama, which could speak to elf warriors of pure heart and noble mind; the sling Ukava, which never missed; and the club Maelat, which could only be wielded in the defense of the Yuir. Elikarashae was credited with defeating many of the Yuir's enemies, particularly the mountain trolls and drow, for which the great warrior had been lifted to Arvandor and made a god, or so the myths held.
- Deity of Human Origin: Elven origin, but same idea. After a lifetime of fighting the drow, Shevarash was slain and underwent apotheosis with the help of Fenmarel Mestarine.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Shevarash was a carefree hunter who, after the loss of his family, devoted himself to the destruction of the drow and became their deadliest nemesis.
- Revenge: He's all about this. The deaths of his family convinced Shevarash that the drow all had to die, and he's taken to hunting down and killing every drow he comes across. He's even the elven god of vengeance, and the avatar of surface elves' hatred against the drow.
- You Are a Credit to Your Race: Eilistraee, Lolth's daughter and the sole good-aligned drow god, is the only drow with whom Shevarash maintains a shaky truce. After the Dark Dancer demonstrated that her followers were trying to do good in the world, including preventing other drow from carrying out Lolth's evil agenda, Shevarash no longer considered Eilistraee and her worshipers to be among his targets. The disciples of Shevarash, on the other hand, think that the only good drow is a dead drow; therefore, this truce is precarious.
Solonor Thelandira (pronounced SOE-loe-nohr Theh-LAN-dih-ruh) is the elven god of hunting, archery, and survival in wild and harsh places. The Great Archer's prowess with the bow is unmatched by any other deity venerated in the Realms. Solonor is concerned with the integrity of nature and the balance between exploitation and agriculture on one hand and fallow, wild terrains on the other. Like Corellon Larethian and Fenmarel Mestarine, the Great Archer warches over the boundaries of elven lands. He instructs the Fair Folk in the art of hiding in and moving through natural foliage so as not to be detected as well as the art of archery and hunting. Solonor is primarily revered by elven and half-elven rangers, hunters, woodsmen, and fighters. In particular, elven hunters appeal to him for better catches of game and elven warriors trapped in hostile territory call on him for aid. In recent centuries a few humans, primarily hunters, have joined his faith as well.
Solonor is always in pursuit of quarry, and he rarely remains in one location for very long. Unlike, many hunters, the Great Archer stalks prey only out of concern for the overall balance between the species and to destroy evil-doers, particularly the drow. His serious, sometimes grim, demeanor reflects the difficulty he faces in forging a workable compromise between the competing forces of civilization and wilderness, instinct and knowledge, and savagry and domesticity. Solonor's word is his bond, and his pledge is never given lightly. Solonor does not get close to do battle with an enemy, but tracks and pursues instead, firing arrows from a never-empty quiver. The favorite tactic of this deity, should he anticipate battling a particularly dangerous foe, is to physically touch the being and then retreat. Once by himself again, he can then manufacture a special arrow of slaying designed especially to kill that one opponent, should it strike home. He then hunts his quarry relentlessly, hoping to bring them down in a single shot. Many fiends from the Lower Planes have felt the bite of Solonor's deadly arrows.
The center of Solonor's domain in Arvandor is the Pale Tree, a magnificent white tree with silver leaves that're thought to have mystical powers. But the god usually travels all over the realm, never staying long in one place, prowling the forests for creatures that need to be slain or relocated. Solonor's not picky either way, unless his targets are drow, he holds them personally responsible for the withdrawal of his brother Fenmarel Mestarine, and he punishes any agents of the dark elves or the Unseelie Court he can find.
Solonor keeps no proxies, but he occasionally grants special abilities to loyal followers. Those who please him earn the right to move silently through the woods and settled lands alike, a gift that usually lasts for one year.
- Forest Ranger: Solonor's dogma teaches his followers to walk in harmony with nature and oppose the efforts of those who would disturb her delicate balance. They are also instructed to preserve the wild places from excessive encroachment, work with those who would settle the land to preserve the beauty that first attracted them, and to hunt only for sustenance, culling the old and weak from the herd so that all species may prosper.
- Nature Hero: He's also a god of nature, charged with keeping a balance between civilization and wilderness, instinct and knowledge, and savagery and domesticity. Thus, Solonor isn't a mindless brute like so many other hunters; he stalks prey only out of concern for the overall balance.
- Stealth Expert: In forest and sylvan settings, Solonor becomes automatically invisible, can pass without leaving a trace, and move without making a sound at will.
Tarsellis is the patron god of those known as snow elves, who mainly inhabit the Crystalmist mountains of Oerth (rumor has it that snow elves also exist on the far reaches of the Spine of the World or even the High Ice portion of Anauroch in Faerûn, though this is unproven). Though he visits the other members of the Seldarine on Arborea, he prefers to wander the realms of Ysgard (word has it that he dallies in the realms of Vanaheim and Elfheim when he isn't home in The Wild Ride). Tarsellis is a hearty warrior and a capable hunter, so it's a surprise that he and Solonar Thelandira aren't friends. The truth is that they once were but that they had an argument over another deity. In some tales Hanali is depicted as the goddess responsible, but older tales indicate that it was Lolth who (before The War of Darkness, when she wasn't yet wholly evil) caused the rift between them. It should also be said that Tarsellis is a rival of sorts with Rillifane Rallathil, since Tarsellis also claims to have control of those forests which grow among the mountain ranges. Tarsellis' followers are almost wholly snow elves, though others sometimes give tribute to him as Lord of the Mountains.
Tarsellis Meunniduin always appears as a tall, blonde male elf, deeply tanned and clad in luxurious furs. Though he is a legendary hunter, Tarsellis is deeply devoted to the wilds and the creatures that dwell therein. Thus, he spends a great deal of time and energy roaming the wilderness in search of evil creatures and great monsters to slay or drive from his domain.
A solitary figure, Tarsellis Meunniduin is considered somewhat of a rustic by the other elven deities. He spends the greater share of his time in the mountains and forests of the Prime Material Plane, and his worshipers build temples and shrines to him there. His followers offer him furs of the finest quality and bring live animals of the greatest size as presents to the druids of his temples. Snow elves consider Tarsellis their patron deity.
Above all else, Tarsellis detests drow. If a worshiper of his prays for aid while doing damage to the drow, there is a slight (1%) chance that Tarsellis will send help in one form or another. The reason for this hatred is traceable to his quarrel with Solonor. For the goddess Megwandir (so named before the elves yet walked the earth) has come to be known as Lolth, and no longer dwells with the elven deities. The feelings Tarsellis once felt for Megwandir have become hatred.
Tarsellis' clergy is generally split up into localized groups. Shamans make up a bare majority of his priesthood (55%), though clerics, specialty priests, and rangers hold more power in the civilized regions. The raiment of the priesthood differ, but generally consist of white robes and furred cloak and boots (holy symbols are made of bone or ivory). Temples are few, and the priests' primary duty is to watch over their fellow snow elves and to erect shrines near mountain passes and mountain tops.
- Only The C Hosen May Wield: Tarsellis both hunts and fights with a giant spear that never misses. Only he can wield this weapon.
- We Used to Be Friends: Tarsellis was once great friends with (and, indeed, was superior to) the elven god Solonor Thelandira, and the two would often hunt together in the days of old. But before the elves yet walked the earth, Tarsellis fell in love with a beautiful but dark goddess. Solonor objected to Tarsellis' romance, not trusting the dark goddess, and the ensuing quarrel has left the two gods bitter ever since.
Tethrin the Shining One is the patron god of bladesingers and swordsmen, and is apparently the son of both Corellon and Sehanine, though only recently has he begun to develop a following among the elves. An adventurous, strident god, he believes in the power of elven blades and magic to win the day, and likewise encourages his followers to use such to protect and further the elven cause. Tethrin has few enemies save Lolth (who would like to deal a personal blow to Corellon and Sehanine by slaying him) and the Faerûnian drow demigod Selvetarm (he may have been sent by Lolth to kill Tethrin, though it failed). On Oerth, he gained the ire of Hextor by helping Heironeous settle some matters there, and so he must watch out for him. Still, if he were slain, Corellon would reinstate him, so his worries are somewhat alleviated.
Although Tethrin spends much of his time on Arborea, he shares the realms of Tethridar on the first layer of Elysium with the goddess Kirith Sotheril, his lover and confidant. It's a small but pleasant place, complete with a large copse of trees as well as a fruit orchard. There, amid the trees and open field, followers of his who have died continually practice and hone their skills.
Tethrin's clergy is comprised of clerics (30%) specialty priests (30%), bladesingers (20%), and fighters (20%). They stress the value of swordsmanship as well as the mixing of swords and magic, among other things. Tethrin's holy days are in fact held on the same day as Sehanine and Corellon's, whereupon they give thanks for the blessed union which brought forth Tethrin. Also, once each month a special day is held in which they show off their fighting skills and attempt to bring in new converts. Known as Tethrin's Match, it usually brings a healthy amount of attention, and they generally succeed in their efforts. Already there are several orders of bladesingers and warriors' guilds who are dedicated to him. As for what the clergy wear during holy days, they generally stick to blue and silver robes, though they're favored for use in everyday situations as well.
- Magic Knight: He teaches his followers that both swords and magic will allow them to win the day, as well as to protect and further the elven cause. His clergy stress the value of mixing of swords and magic, among other things.
- Master Swordsman: He's the elven god of swordsmen and stresses the value of swordsmanship.
The daughter of Corellon Larethian by his original consort Araushnee, Vandria was once as carefree and high-spirited as any other member of the Seldarine. However, when Araushnee led a treacherous assault on the Seldarine, Vandria gathered forces to defend the other elf deities. The resulting carnage forever sobered her and cemented her commitment to aiding her people at times when taking up arms becomes inevitable.
Like Corellon Larethian, Vandria Gilmadrith is a war deity, but where Corellon epitomizes the glory of individual combat, Vandria embodies strategy, tactics, alliances, and close cooperation on the battlefield. Such innately lawful aspects of war are alien to the chaotic soul of the elf, so Vandria normally has few followers among the elf race. Still, even elves must sometimes learn to work together for the greater good, and her worship blossoms as never before when war looms on the horizon. Known as Steelheart for her steady nature and steadfast protection, Vandria represents the ability of the elves to harden their carefree hearts and band together in times of trouble.
Vandria appears as a middle-aged female elf with white hair bound in a severe braid, bearing an expression of grim and sorrowful resignation. A pair of feathered, steel-gray wings sprouts from her back, and an ornate silver helm with no visor protects her head. Her elven chain gleams with a radiant light, and she wields a longbow and a greatsword in combat.
Vandria feels the death of every elf who perishes on the battlefield, the pain of every elf maimed in combat, and the grief of all those who lose loved ones to war. Thus, her primary interest is in preventing war and in shortening it when it becomes necessary. Ever vigilant, she keeps watch for dangers that threaten the elf race. On the battlefield, elves sometimes claim to see her folding her wings around a threatened unit to protect it, or pointing out a hidden foe.
As the only lawful-aligned deity in the elven pantheon, Vandria holds sway over laws, contracts, alliances, and all other types of formal agreements. Elders weighing judgment in disagreements always invoke her and pray for the wisdom to dispense punishments fairly. Elves who need to make critical decisions sometimes seek her counsel when faced with a difficult choice.
Because of the sorrow she feels when war claims her people, Vandria Gilmadrith is also known as the Lady of Grief. All those who grieve, whether through losses from violence or through the normal passage of time, pray to her for solace.
Clerics of Vandria Gilmadrith begin their training by serving in the watch, sitting with elders while they hear disputes, learning about the traditional enemies of the elves, and serving as singers at funerals. As they advance, they may lead watch patrols, serve as seconds for aggrieved parties bringing cases before the elders, help to shore up a community's defenses, and assist the master of arms in training young elves with weaponry. When war threatens, clerics of Vandria help the ruler form alliances and plan strategy. They also instruct elf warriors in close combat techniques. As they are prone to telling warriors who tend toward too much independence on the battlefield, "A wave of arrows is better than a lot of single bowshots". After a battle, clerics of Vandria retrieve the dead from the battlefield.
Vandria's quests often require adventurers to visit rulers of other lands on diplomatic missions, to hunt down lawbreakers, retrieve stolen property, or to gather information critical to preventing or winning a war.
Because Vandria prefers defense to offense, prayers to her often take the form of promises to defend others. "Let not my arm falter", goes one common prayer,"lest the lives in my care be forfeit". A prayer for aid in judgment or help in making a decision might be expressed as "Let my eyes see clearly and my heart be as steel".
Temples to Steelheart are usually hidden fortresses whose locations are known only to her worshipers and clergy. Situated in defensible caves, beneath huge trees, or in hidden vales, Vandria's temples are stocked with weapons and supplies so that they can double as last retreats for the entire community. A few of her shrines are little more than simple tree houses situated at key vantage points so that her clerics can spot trouble on the horizon.
Vandria's clerics bless alliances and seal contracts. They also bless troops going into battle and lead memorial services for those whose bodies could not be retrieved from the battlefield.
- Took a Level in Cynic: Her mother's betrayal of the Seldarine and the subsequent war that followed turned Vandria from being carefree and high-spirited into a grim and committed warrior.
- War Goddess: War is never desirable, but sometimes it is necessary. When armed conflict is unavoidable, elves pray to Vandria Gilmadrith for prudent strategy and for victory with minimal loss of life.
- Winged Humanoid: She has a pair of feathered, steel-gray wings which sprout from her back.
Ye'Cind (pronounced yee-SIND) was once a skilled elven wizard and master bard. After a flawless performance on his Recorder in front of agents of the Seldarine, Corellon Larethian manifested to the musician and offered him the gift of divinity as a reward for his diligence. He accepted and was infused with a spark of Corellon's power, which changed Ye'Cind so that he was like Corellon himself, with elements both male and female. Ye'Cind is shown as an attractive elf in blue and green, playing a recorder (his holy symbol). His allies include Olidammara, Lydia, and the good powers of the Seldarine, while he opposes powers of evil magic.
Ye'Cind's clerics are scholars of music. They are versant in the use of many instruments and many dabble in other sorts of magic. They seek out songs, exotic noises of nature, magical lore, and master performers in the hopes of increasing their musical repertoire and understanding of the chords of magic that exist under the surface of everything in the world. Many are talented songwriters, weaving subtle magic into their works.
- The Bard: During the course of his life, Ye'Cind traveled throughout the country, compiling and creating ballads and songs to tell the rich history of his beloved land. In time he became renowned in all of the lands.
- Deity of Human Origin: Rather Deity of Elven Origin. He was an elven wizard and master bard who was apotheosized by Corellon himself after giving a flawless performance on his Recorder.
- Magic Music: Ye'Cind teaches his followers that music is a mirror of the patterns and energy of the universe and that tying music and magic together creates something more powerful and fundamental than either alone.
Zandilar the Dancer was an elven goddess of love whose portfolio, unlike that of the more romance- and beauty-orientated Hanali Celanil, was directed toward passionate, physical love which burned hot and quickly but eventually died out. Zandilar was a joyful and tragic demigoddess who is said to have used her feminine wiles to gain vital information from deities of other pantheons and to persuade human chieftains and kings to leave the Yuir in peace. When the Yuir elves began to falter in a series of battles with drow armies, Zandilar attempted to seduce the dark elven deity Vhaeraun either to gain information or to elicit his assistance in battling the forces of Lolth. However, the dark elven lord betrayed Zandilar and imprisoned her avatar, and her self-sacrifice went for naught. Vhaeraun intended to seize Zandilar's divine essence for himself, but failed when Bast distracted him long enough for the elven demigoddess to escape. In gratitude and out of necessity, the severely weakened Zandilar voluntarily merged her essence with that of Bast. A reinvigorated Bast/Zandilar was then strong enough to help the Yuir elves to drive off the drow forces for a time. As a result of this union, Bast became more focused on the pursuit of pleasure and acquired the nickname "the Dancing Lady".
- Amazing Technicolor Population: She appeared as a blue-skinned elven woman.
- Captured Super-Entity: She was briefly captured and imprisoned by the drow deity Vhaeraun, who intended to seize her divine essence for himself. However, Zandilar managed to escape when he was distracted by Bast.
- Deity Identity Confusion: Although she has merged with Bast, the 5th edition lists her separately, suggesting that she has once again become a separate entity.
- Fusion Dance: She voluntarily merged her essence with Bast in order to help the Yuir elves drive off the drow for the time being.
- Heroic Seductress: Zandilar is said to have used her feminine wiles to gain vital information from deities of other pantheons and to persuade human chieftains and kings to leave the Yuir in peace.
- Love Goddess: Zandilar was a goddess of love somewhat like Hanali Celanil and Sune, although her portfolio was more oriented toward passionate, physical love, which burned hot and quickly but eventually died out.
Gnome Pantheon
The gnomes worship a pantheon of deities known collectively as the Lords of the Golden Hills. They are so named for the region of Bytopia where most dwell. While Garl Glittergold is clearly acknowledged as the leader of the gnome pantheon, he has never banished any god from the pantheon, even Urdlen, despite relentless attacks by the Evil One against its fellow deities and the Forgotten Folk.Hidden in the burrows of the forest, locked away from prying human eyes and kept from the knowledge of most mortals, dwell the gnomes. They're a race small in stature but large in heart, their minds quick and their imaginations spry.
The Golden Hills, nestled into the rolling terrain of Dothion on Bytopia, houses just about all of the gnomish pantheon's deities. The only one who lives elsewhere is Urdlen, the god of evil, who dwells in the Abyss.
The gnomish pantheon is one of the most involved with its worshipers, and that harkens back to the earliest days of creation. It's said that while the gods of other pantheons chose to grant their followers special skills, habitats, and other perks. Garl and his companions chose only the right to interact nearly directly with their believers.
- The Smurfette Principle: To the extreme; in the days of 1st and 2nd edition, the gnomish pantheon was unique in being the only demihuman pantheon with no goddesses in it, whatsoever. Even the dwarves had multiple goddesses, admittedly most of them originated in the Forgotten Realms. It wasn't until 3rd edition that this was changed when Roykyn and Sheyanna Flaxenstrand were added, and 5th edition finally subverted the trope by retconning Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Gaerdal Ironhand and Nebelun into goddesses.
Garl Glittergold (pronounced GARL GLIHT-ter-gold) is the Watchful Protector of the Forgotten Folk and the leader of the gnome pantheon. He is said to have discovered (or created) the first gnomes while exploring a new cavern and then told them a joke before leading them into the world. All gnomes who embrace the communal life of the Forgotten Folk venerate the Joker, even if they also worship another deity. His name is invoked by gnomes involved in smithcraft (particularly those who work with gold) and gem cutting. Gnomes who wish to play a prank or tell a joke invoke his name, as do those who seek to protect and strengthen gnome communities.
Garl is a gentle and approachable deity, one who values quick thinking and a clear head more than almost anything. He rarely stays in one location for very long. Though physical prowess and spiritual might are important, nothing is more crucial than keeping it all in perspective. Garl watches over cooperation among gnomes at all times; he may send omens, even an avatar, to resolve strife and serious disputes. Garl prefers trickery, illusion, and wiles to direct physical confrontation, although if forced to fight he is hardly weak. The leader of the gnome pantheon often steals evil weapons and magic intended for malefic ends from their owners and then disposes of them. The Joker is also a mischievous trickster, said to have the largest collection of jokes in the multiverse, and he has always got one appropriate to the situation. The Joker usually carries plenty of proprs for his illusions and practical jokes as he never knows when they might come in handy. There is another side to Garl than that of the witty adventurer who collapsed the kobold god's cavern. The Watchful Protector is ever alert to threats to the Forgotten Folk and watches directly over their affairs. If such threats cannot be forestalled, Garl will defend his people as needed and appropriate. Although his military prowess is almost always used defensively, when Garl's people are physically threatened, the god is a grim and determined war leader who out-thinks as well as out-fights his opponents.
Garl maintains a hill, Glitterhome, in the Golden Hills, but he prefers to wander all over the realm, usually in disguise, speaking to travelers and learning the attitudes of those who visit. Garl's hill is no larger than the rest, but it glows more brightly than the others beneath the light of the eternal sunset that gives the place its name. Yet the true "glitter" lies inside, treasures from Garl's many adventures, displayed in a hall tiled with gemstones.
- Alternate Self: In the Mystara setting, Garl Glittergold is an alias of Garal Glitterlode, the Immortal patron of gnomes and Kogolor dwarves. Garal was once a Kogolor dwarf, who achieved Immortality in the Sphere of Matter through his deeds and sponsorship from Kagyar. When the Great Rain of Fire destroyed Blackmoor, he decided to leave his own mark on the world by making his own race. He made them like the dwarves he belonged to, but smaller and with an ability to easily adapt to different environments, creating the first gnomes.
- Big Good: Garl is considered the creator of all gnomes, as well as their patron and protector. The Watchful Protector is ever alert to threats to the Forgotten Folk and watches directly over their affairs and cooperation among gnomes at all times; he may send omens, even an avatar, to resolve strife and serious disputes. If such threats cannot be forestalled, Garl vigorously defends against them as needed and appropriate. Although his military prowess usually emphasizes defense, the deity shows himself as a grim and determined warleader when his people are physically threatened.
- Cain and Abel: Garl and his brother Gelf are very bitter rivals, as the two brothers' respective natures are anathema to each other, preventing them from existing peacefully together. According to gnome legend, their great battle continues even today, although there are pauses between blows for life to continue. Their bodies turn as the world stands between them, and thus the gnomes, in the center of the battle, see the night and the day and are torn between the two.
- Crazy-Prepared: He usually carries plenty of props for his illusions and practical jokes as he never knows when they might come in handy.
- Gem Tissue: He's commonly depicted as a gnome with gemstones for eyes, symbolizing his affinity for mineral wealth.
- Guile Hero: He prefers trickery, illusion, and wiles to direct physical confrontation, although if forced to fight he is hardly weak.
- Light Is Good: Garl is associated by the gnomes with the day and the morning, in constrast to his dark twin Gelf, who is associated with the night and shadows.
- The Maker: Generally averted, as most versions state that Garl had simply discovered the first gnomes while exploring a new cavern. However, some versions instead state that the first gnomes were born from gems discovered by the Watchful Protector in a sealed cavern whose walls and ceiling were studded with countless gems embedded in veins of valuable ore. When Garl polished the gems and breathed on them, the jewels opened like a blossom to release the first gnomes. Before leading them into the world, Garl bequeathed laughter and a spirit of mischievousness to the newly born race by telling them a joke. Those who were born of diamonds chose to dwell beneath the land and became the rock gnomes, those born of emeralds chose to dwell amidst the great trees and became the forest gnomes, and those born of rubies wandered deep into the heart of the earth and became the deep gnomes (or svirfneblin).
- The Prankster: Likes playing jokes on evil deities of the underdark. Hasn't made him very popular.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: He is well dressed, usually with a flowing cloak of silk, and always with a significant quantity of gold about his person.
- Top God: Garl is the leader of the gnome pantheon and is the only one who can convince the others to set aside personal concerns to embark on a grand excursion or to work together toward a common goal. He is very ready to delegate and share his responsibilities and concerns. However, he's pretty much a free spirit and allows the other deities to do what they like, but they all more or less match his vision anyway.
- Trickster God: Garl is the gnome god of trickery and his mischievous exploits form the basis of an entire cycle of stories which are told and retold around the gnomish hearths in the hills.
- War God: Although Garl's military prowess is virtually always used defensively, the deity shows himself as a grim and determined warleader when his people are physically threatened.
Baervan Wildwanderer (pronounced BAY-ur-van WILD-wan-der-er) is the god of forest-dwelling gnomes and their communities, travel, and the outdoors. He loves oak trees and all forest animals and is a guardian of the wild. Baervan gifted forest gnomes with the ability to communicate with forest animals, and taught them how to hide in and move through wooded environments without being detected. The Masked Leaf is the patron god of forest gnomes, but he is well loved by all of the gnome subraces. He is even revered by the svirfneblin as the Father of Fish and Fungus. Baervan is worshiped by those who love the woodlands, as well as many wanderers, thieves, fighters/thieves, and fighters, particularly those who prefer living in the outdoors rather than in a city all the time.
Baervan's friend and constant companion in his escapades is a giant raccoon named Chiktikka Fastpaws, who is highly intelligent but prone to act before he thinks. Many stories are told of the adventures that this duo has shared, often started by Chiktikka's humorous ability to get into trouble by borrowing something valuable, such as a minor artifact.
Baervan is gentle, good-natured, and mischievous. His penchant for good-natured pranks rivals Garl Glittergold. Except for Chiktikka's company, he tends to keep to himself. Though Baervan sometimes plays jokes on others, it is hard not to like him. The Masked Leaf's tricks are often designed to serve some purpose, unlike the mischief typical of Forgotten Folk. If Baervan wants to send someone a message, he does so in the form of a joke. Baervan dispatches avatars to help repair severe damage to nature, though sometimes just to create mischief.
Baervan's realm is called Whisperleaf, after a great oak planted on his hill. A cozy cottage nestled on top of the mound looks small from the outside, but it's large enough within to hold all of the god's petitioners. Any nongnome who visits Whisperleaf finds that their load's been lightened by an item or two; if they want their goods returned, they'll have to find a way to play a joke on one of the residents. No other way'll do it.
- Animal Companion: His friend and constant companion is Chiktikka Fastpaws, a sentient giant raccoon, who is always getting him into trouble.
- Gender Bender: In the 5th edition, Baervan is described as a female goddess, who is a peaceful soul and not as much of a prankster as the other gods, although she is often held responsible when her mischievous giant raccoon companion Chiktikka Fastpaws does something outrageous.
- Green Thumb: Baervan can communicate with plants, make them grow, and animate any ordinary tree as a treant by touching it with his special spear.
- Named Weapons: Baervan wields Whisperleaf, a spear whose shaft was cut (with the tree's permission) from an ancient oak of the same name found in Bytopia near the Masked Leaf's home (Baervan is specialized in the use of spears, but he is considered merely proficient in all other melee and missile weapons). If this spear is destroyed, Baervan may make another from the wood of the tree Whisperleaf in a single day.
- Nature Hero: Baervan is the closest thing the gnomes have to a druid. He loves oak trees and all forest animals, and is always on the lookout for the concerns of the wild (though he still keeps a close eye on his gnomish charges).
- Speaks Fluent Animal: He can speak with animals and gifted the forest gnomes with that ability.
Baravar Cloakshadow (pronounced BARE-uh-vahr CLOKE-sha-doh) is a sly, sneaky protector of the Forgotten Folk. His defenses and protective strategies are rooted in deceit (illusions, traps, ambushes, and the like) and his jests and tricks may cause their victims some pain (emotional if not physical). In addition to teaching the arts of disguise, stealth, and spying to the gnomes, the Sly One creates traps and illusions of incredible depth and cunning, a skill he has passed on to gnomes throughout the Realms. As the patron of illusions, Baravar is the preeminent gnome god of magic. The Sly One oversees the magical arts of gnome magical craftsfolk as well. All those who survive by their wits venerate Baravar, particularly those who must often combat kobolds, goblins, and other humanoids. Most gnome wizards venerate the Sly One as well, though they do not necessarily participate in their god's ongoing war with the goblinkin deities.
Baravar is a crafty, vengeful god who specializes in deceptions. He is unforgiving of any who threaten his charges, and he feels no compunctions about acting against those who have earned his enmity. Although he shares Garl's love of a good practical joke, Baravar's jests and tricks may cause no small discomfort to the victims. He is also a thief and enjoys using illusions to confuse creatures before robbing them. Baravar most often steals out of sheer boredom. The Sly One dispatches avatars to defend gnomes oppressed by humanoids; he often sends one to harass goblinkin from a distance even before they threaten gnomes: "Do unto them before they have a chance to do unto you" is a philosophy he often acts upon.
Fact is, the entrance to the Hidden Knoll, his realm in the Golden Hills, is filled with tricks and nonlethal traps, a person who can get past them not only avoids embarrassment but also gets a pick of one of the treasures stashed away within. A person who gets caught by a trap'll be freed eventually. 'Course, a person shouldn't count on the same traps being in place every time he visits the Hidden Knoll. Baravar constantly changes them, making some tricks suspiciously like old ones, but just different enough to give an overconfident person a real shock.
- The Archmage: As the patron of illusions, Baravar is the preeminent gnome god of magic. He oversees the magical arts of gnome magical craftsfolk and is venerated by most gnome wizards. Forest gnomes and deep gnomes owe their innate magical abilities to Baravar, and all gnomes get their natural defense against magic from his shrewdness.
- Fantastic Racism: Baravar has a genuine antipathy for deities of many goblinoid races, particularly the deities of the goblin and kobold pantheons, and, unlike the other gnome gods, he is none too restrained about expressing this.
- Gender Bender: In the 5th edition, Baravar is described as a female goddess who was once entrapped by the goblin god Khurgorbaeyag, and after escaping and gaining her revenge, she began the practice of never wearing the same face twice, and she follows a different routine every day so no one can predict what she might do.
- Guile Hero: Despite his somewhat vengeful nature, he follows Garl's lead in emphasizing trickery over strength. He teaches his followers to use the crafts of illusion and camouflage in war to make sure their side wins.
- Master of Illusion: He is the primary gnome god of illusions and has the ability to cast any illusion/phantasm spell. His level of vigilance and layers of illusion have led many to believe that he is verging on paranoia. Much of his time recently has been spent working on a master illusion spell that would prevent a gnome from ever being detected unless he or she wanted to.
- Stealth Expert: Baravar is highly adept at conceiling himself through illusions and camouflage. He can become invisible or travel using dimension doors or the rope trick at will. He taught the art of stealth (among others) to the gnomes.
Callarduran Smoothhands (pronounced KAAHL-ur-duhr-an SMOOTH-hands) is the gnome god of the earth's depths. He oversees the deepest mines and provides protection against the horrors of the Underdark. The Deep Brother is the patron deity of svirfneblin, also known as deep gnomes, who dwell in the lightless tunnels of Deepearth. Unlike the other demihuman deities whose worshipers reside largely in the Underdark, Callarduran is not an outcast; he voluntarily led the ancestors of the svirfneblin deep underground to encourage diversity among the Forgotten Folk. It was Callarduran who taught the deep gnomes how to summon and befriend earth elementals. A svirfneblin legend tells that his hands are worn smooth from his polishing of a massive stone of controlling earth elementals that he hides at the center of the world, granting deep gnomes their summoning abilities. Ignored by the other gnome subraces, the Deep Brother is venerated primarily by svirfneblin as their patron, with a strong emphasis on his protective aspect and his lordship of the all-encompassing earth and the treasures to be found within. Svirfneblin warriors and illusionists who defend and hide the deep gnomes from their numerous enemies form the core of the Deep Brother's faithful.
The Deep Brother is by nature solitary and thoughtful. He rarely consorts with others, even other gnome gods. He is a benign, but secretive deity, caring only for his own people and their defense. He frequently dispatches his avatars to defend his followers from dangers of the Underdark. The avatar's arrival is heralded by the sound of its humming, which can be heard through solid rock.
Callarduran's realm is called Deephome, constructed not too far from the Golden Hills. It's a place of oppressive weight above, where the rock groans with the tons of earth piled atop it. Tunnels snake throughout the hill, breaking into caverns of astonishing beauty.
In the center of the realm lies the hidden cavern of Callarduran himself, where he keeps a massive stone that's said to be able to control any earth elemental, even the most powerful. The stone's perfectly smooth, sanded over the ages by the god's hands.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: All gnomes see him as the embodiment of the drive to know more, to examine everything more minutely, and thereby make great discoveries.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Callarduran can control earth in a variety of ways, such as animating rocks, creating earthquakes, moving earth, etc. He can also determine the safety and composition of rock within 300 yards of his position at will.
- Protectorate: Callarduran is dedicated towards the defense of his people and their territories against the very real threats of the Underdark.
- Summon Magic: The Deep Brother can summon any creature from the Plane of Earth, typically a xorn or an earth elemental.
Flandal Steelkin (pronounced FLAN-dahl STEEL-skin) is a master of mining and one of the finest and strongest smiths in creation. The Forgotten Folk hold that he helped create the craft of metalworking along with several of the dwarven deities. In particular, Flandal devised an alloy first employed by gnomes known as telstang, and he was the first to discover the properties of arandur, a legendary metal once known only to the Forgotten Folk.
Flandal is physically the strongest of the gnome gods, and his prodigious nose gives him an uncanny ability to sniff out veins of metal that thread the earth. The Master of Metal is the patron of gnome miners, artisans, craftsmen, and all smiths, not just blacksmiths, but goldsmiths, silversmiths, and all other workers of metals. They venerate Flandal in the hope gaining a fraction of his skill. A large number of gnome warriors venerate Flandal the Armorer as well, for his skills help ensure their continued survival.
Flandal is a true master craftsman. He is ever-demanding of his own work and strives tirelessly to increase his skill. He is also a patient tutor; only lazy and indifferent craftsfolk draw his ire. The Master of Metal is often found traveling with one or two of the other gnome deities in search of new ores and veins of metal to use in his forges. When Flandal is not traveling, he can be found in his workshop, planning or making a new magical weapon. He is no stranger to battle, trusting in the creations of his forges to see him to victory. Although Flandal's warhammer Rhondang is capable of conversing with all fire-using creatures, its language proficiencies in no way means that Flandal is friendly toward those beings. Still, this god is prone to talk first in preference to combat. On rare occasions, Flandal dispatches an avatar to instruct gnomes in some very trickery smithing process or to guide them to hidden veins of ores. He may also send an avatar to deal with any disputes between gnomes and fire-dwelling creatures.
Flandal's realm is called the Mithral Forge, which some say he and the dwarvish deities helped create. Mines containing every kind of mineral run throughout Flandal's hill, which also features tunnels that lead to large ore deposits on other planes. When Flandal is at work, the whole hill vibrates to the rhythm of his hammer working at the forge for which his hill is named.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Flandal often appears with skin the color of blue mithral. His hair and beard are brilliant blue-silver.
- The Blacksmith: Flandal is the gnome god of mining and smithing, an excellent craftsman with an unerring nose (of great size!) for finding metals in the earth. Rock gnomes attribute their knack for crafting devices and alchemical objects to Flandal's superlative skills in those areas.
- Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity: Flandal splits the difference between axe dwarves and hammer dwarves with Rhondang, a warhammer of gold-plated mithral with an axe back.
- Forged by the Gods: He helped forge Arumdina, and so often has the ear of Garl.
- The Nose Knows: His enormous nose can smell ore more easily than a wolf can scent a skunk.
- Summon Magic: Once per day, Flandal can summon fire elementals. These elementals are quite friendly to him and serve without question for up to 1 hour before returning to the Elemental Plane of Fire.
Gaerdal Ironhand (pronounced GAIR-dahl EYE-urn-hand) is the stalwart defender of the Forgotten Folk, the most martial deity of the gnome pantheon. His serious nature garners him sober respect, instead of the gentle affection that is lavished on the other deities. The Shield of the Golden Hills guards against threats from above and below and teaches gnomes to hold their own in combat with larger and more powerful creatures by using their size and natural abilities to their advantage. Gaerdal has a small but devout following among gnome warriors and those responsible for defending gnome communities against outside threats, and he has earned the respect of the Forgotten Folk in general.
Gaerdal Ironhand is the most dwarflike deity of the gnome pantheon, rarely smiling, and he is the only gnome god who could be considered stern. Gaerdal takes his duties as the protector of gnome burrows very seriously, at the cost of sacrificing a playful spirit. The Shield of the Golden Hills has no use for tricks, jokes, or deceits, and he remains unsmiling at gnome tales and pranks (save those of Garl himself). The other gnome deities say he chuckles in private, but this is deeply uncertain. Gaerdal often sends an avatar to assist gnomes preparing for battle.
Gaerdal's realm, Stronghaven, is a fortress that contains a confounding maze of tunnels, designed to defy any attempt to invade or infiltrate. Gaerdal, ever watchful for any threat to the Golden Hills, is almost always inside, not to be found unless he wills it so.
- Church Militant: The church of Gaerdal is organized in a strict military hierarchy. Gaerdal's clerics are as close to being a warrior caste as one could find among gnomes.
- Consummate Professional: Gaerdal has no use for amusements, and he doesn't deign to smile at any prank except those of Garl Glittergold.
- Gender Bender: In the 5th edition, Gaerdal is described as a female goddess whose sternness is due in part to an escapade that cost her the loss of her hand. Flandal and Nebelun worked together to replace it with a stronger one made of iron, but her resentment over the mishap lingers.
- War God: Gaerdal primarily serves as a protector deity. He is dedicated towards defending and protecting gnome communities against all invaders both obvious and hidden. Gaerdal obsesses about defense and vigilance, and he is an expert in fortification, siege tactics, combat, and traps. Gaerdal will often send an avatar to assist gnomes in preparation for battle.
Gelf is Garl Glittergold's brother, and rarely have two brothers been more bitter rivals. Gelf, depicted as a grayskinned dwarf with a black beard, takes obsessive delight in opposing everything his brother attempts. This compulsion puts Gelf in the tragic position of tearing down the gnome society he loves, just to thwart Garl Glittergold. Gelf isn't evil, but he feels compelled to destroy everything Garl holds dear. Gelf is an angry, sorrowful deity, and he attracts followers of similar temperament.
Would-be clerics of Gelf are individually recruited by senior clerics who sense kindred spirits. Those who follow Gelf are rebels so committed to their cause that they would do anything to defeat the authorities they despise.
If someone has hatched a plot against one of Garl Glittergold's temples, or against a thriving gnome community, Gelf Darkhearth is probably behind it. He takes particular glee in using Garl's faithful against him, duping adventurers into doing his bidding.
Gelf's prayers are often wordless ululations, long strings of vowel sounds. To nonbelievers, they sound like gibberish, but the exact order of sounds has meaning to the faithful.
Gelf's temples aren't hidden, but they are out of the way and placed so that Gelf's worshipers aren't seen coming and going. Most gnomes know where to find a temple to Gelf (assuming one is nearby), but few can think of a reason to go there.
Many of Gelf's rites seek to bestow a curse or ill will on a nonbeliever. Few are known outside the fairly insular circle of Gelf's worshipers, with one exception: Almost every gnome warrior knows the Rite of the Adroit, a brief group ceremony that steels the minds of gnomes to the chaos of war.
- Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad: As Garl's dark twin, Gelf regards the shadows as perfection and is dedicated towards changing Garl's "dreary world" into one more to his own liking.
- Cain and Abel: Gelf and his brother Garl are very bitter rivals, as the two brothers' respective natures are anathema to each other, preventing them from existing peacefully together. According to gnome legend, their great battle continues even today, although there are pauses between blows for life to continue. Their bodies turn as the world stands between them, and thus the gnomes, in the center of the battle, see the night and the day and are torn between the two.
- Dark Is Evil: Gelf is associated by the gnomes with the night and shadows, in constrast to his shining twin Garl, who is associated with the day and the morning.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Together with his brother, Gelf represents the duality of gnome life and forms the core of the gnome pantheon. As such, although few gnomes worship Gelf specifically, nearly all view him as a necessary part of the world rather than just some evil antithesis of Garl Glittergold.
- Destroyer Deity: Gelf is compelled by his nature to destroy everything that his brother holds dear.
- Magic Is Evil: Magic is tied heavily in the minds of most gnomes to Gelf Darkhearth, who sought to drown the truth of the world behind a sea of illusion, so studying magic for its own sake is an unpopular choice.
Usually depicted as a massive, ravenous badger or wolverine, the Glutton figures prominently in the bedtime stories gnomes tell naughty children, "Go to sleep or the Glutton will get you!" The Glutton is blamed whenever a burrow collapses or another misfortune befalls the gnomes. It is said that the Glutton was once a gnome who was cursed with a hideous form and a desire to consume the gnomes and all they hold dear.
The Glutton's few clerics are all secretive cult leaders, for no gnomes would willingly allow worshipers of the Glutton into their burrows. They recruit new clerics from among the mad and the hopeless.
The Glutton's goals are straightforward enough that he doesn't send followers on quests. But the cults that act in his name might send adventurers on quests to acquire more evil power.
Cultists of the Glutton take his name literally when they pray, stuffing themselves with food as they make profane utterances to their evil deity.
The Glutton has no temples. His cultists meet wherever they can find a measure of secrecy.
Rites require a level of organization that the Glutton is uninterested in. If his cultists want a ceremony to perform, they have to create it themselves.
- Carry a Big Stick: His favored weapon is a heavy mace.
- Cult: The Glutton is worshiped by a secretive cult who recruit from among the mad and the hopeless.
- Destroyer Deity: The Glutton is generally held responsible for any disasters that befall the gnomes, such as the collapse of a burrow.
- Forced Transformation: It is said that he used to be a gnome who was cursed to become a massive, ravenous badger or wolverine.
- Horror Hunger: The Glutton is cursed with a desire to consume the gnomes and all they hold dear.
- Our Werebeasts Are Different: Is associated with werebadgersnote . Fans often add werewolverines, aka "weregluttons", a fan-made Ravenloft therianthrope, to his list of followers.
- Villainous Glutton: The Glutton represents rapacious hunger, which his cultists emulate by stuffing their mouths with food while praying.
Nebelun (pronounced NEHB-eh-luhn) is a restless, wandering god, one who has grandiose schemes which never seem to work. He is a technologist of sorts; he loves to build complex machines and apparatus and tinker with them. They don't often work as intended, but they are rarely wholly useless. He is also something of a thief/trickster, as shown by his unusual symbol, which hails from the time he stole the tail of Semuanya the Lizard Man god, skinned it, and built the first gnomish blimp by sewing it up and inflating it with hot air using a massive bellows contraption.
Nebelun will very rarely send an avatar into the Prime Material Plane unless he needs some special resource for his own experiments. His priests are expected to develop their own ingenuity, but rarely he will send help in the form of sudden inspirations ("Nebelun's head" is roughly equivalent to "Eureka!") and sometimes omens such as rearranged items in a toolbox, leaving a trail of tools leading to some item which can give the symbolic solution to a thwarting, practical puzzle, or some equally indirect clue to solving a pressing problem.
Nebelun's hill, the Workshop, is festooned inside and out with structures and contraptions of mysterious purpose in various stages of completion. Only the Meddler can say how he plans for any of these inventions of his to work. From time to time he gifts one of them to a worthy follower, promising that its use will bring success, but offering no guarantee that it will function the way it was supposed to.
- Bungling Inventor: Nebelun's inventions rarely work out as planned, but they usually have highly fortunate side-effects.
- Deity of Human Origin: Actually, Deity of Gnome Origin. Nebelun was originally a mortal gnome who became a deity through divine ascension and actually progressed to the status of lesser god, and his own efforts have taken him there.
- Deity Identity Confusion: The gnomes of Toril regard Nebelun the Meddler to be the same god as Gond the Wonderbringer, although a new, small but emerging cult believes that Nebelun and Gond are seperate gods. In truth, Gond is a distinct entity unrelated to the lesser god Nebelun venerated by gnomes of other worlds, but that gnome deity is not active in the Realms, allowing Gond to assume his aspect within the crystal sphere of Realmspace.
- Fearless Fool: He is fearless to the point of insanity, being willing to perform actions such as strolling in and stealing Semuanya's tail as the lizard god splashed in his favorite pool.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Nebelun is the gnome god of invention and frequently builds complex machines and apparatus.
- Gender Bender: In the 5th edition, Nebelun is described as a female goddess who Garl never needs to persuade to join an excursion, but he and the rest of the pantheon do have to focus her attention on the task at hand, so that her madcap inventiveness doesn't derail the effort.
- Mythology Gag: Nebelun strongly resembles the Tinker Gnomes of Dragonlance.
Rill is the epitome of the absent-minded gnome artisan, always busy in his workshop polishing a newly cut gem or putting the finishing touches on a "living statue" to be given to a worthy mortal. Appearing as an elderly, bespectacled gnome, Rill is always shown holding Rill's Ruby, a gem that has a facet for each living gnome.
"One part praying, two parts thinking", says Rill. That's a mandate his clerics have taken to heart, training their charges in a variety of Knowledge, Profession, and Craft skills.
If it's a rare gem, Rill wants it, and he'll order his clerics to procure it. Rill is also fascinated with the strange devices of bygone ages, and he sends adventurers across the world to find the missing parts of ancient clockwork machines.
Much of the wisdom of Rill is contained in a sacred book titled Rill's Instructions to the Faithful. Many of his beliefs are worded as natural laws or step-by-step instructions. A cleric might say, "The fourth law of Rill is that gnomes make decisions with harmonious minds".
Rill rarely has temples to call his own, but many a gnome workshop has a small shrine to Rill in the corner.
Rill has few organized rites, but sometimes his followers gather to bless a newly cut gem of prodigious size or a newly made invention or magic item.
- Cool Sword: His favored weapon is a longsword.
- Gadgeteer Genius: He's always working in his workshop on various inventions.
- Lost Technology: Rill is fascinated with ancient technology and sends adventurers across the world to find more for him.
- The Smart Guy: Rill teaches his faithful to engage in "One part praying, two parts thinking" and conveys much of his wisdom to them through his sacred book.
Roykyn (pronounced ROY-kihn) is the gnome goddess of cruelty, particularly cruel pranks. Sponsored to divinity by Erythnul (possibly as an attempt to broaden his appeal to more than rust outright violence), she doesn't care who her targets are, as long as they suffer suitably. A former cleric of Urdlen, gnome god of bloodlust, evil, and uncontrolled impulses, she abandoned her faith and turned over an entire temple of her own clergy to a conclave of mind flayers as a cruel joke and insult to her former patron, whom she felt didn't reward her enough for her work. Roykyn is capricious and not above inflicting a cruel joke upon any being, evil or good. She is depicted as a black-haired gnome with a wicked gleam in her eye, but can appear in almost any humanoid form. Her favorite weapon is a spiked gauntlet with poisoned barbs, her favored animal is a feral cat, and her holy symbol is a furled scroll dripping dark fluid.
Roykyn's clerics scandalize public officials with slanderous letters, embarrassing rumors, and betrayals by lovers and allies. They love nothing more than to see the high brought low and the low forced to sleep in their own misery. They adventure to find new people to harm and for the opportunity to see a terrible fate befall someone undeserving, such as a pious paladin slain by a poisoned spike trap.
- Deity of Human Origin: More specifically, Deity of Gnome Origin. Roykyn was originally a mortal gnome cleric of Urdlen until she abandoned her faith and was raised to godhood by Erythnul.
- Power Fist: Her favored weapon is a spiked gauntlet with poisoned barbs.
- Sadist: Roykyn teaches her followers that the greatest joy is in causing pain and suffering to others, whether in the spirit, mind, or body.
Segojan Earthcaller (pronounced SEH-goe-jann URTH-cahl-ur) is the gnome god of earth and nature whose primary concern is creatures who dwell within the ground and burrow through the earth. He is a friend to all living animals that move above and below the earth and one who speaks to the very rock itself. Segojan gifted rock gnomes with the ability to communicate with burrowing animals and taught them how to befriend moles, badgers, and other subterranean creatures. Much like Urogalan of the halfling pantheon, the Lord of the Burrow has assumed oversight of funerary rituals and the dead, for the Forgotten Folk inter their fallen kinfolk in his domain. Segojan was one of the first gods to be worshiped by the gnomes of the Realms, second only to Garl Glittergold. Some scholars of other races have postulated that the Lord of the Burrow had declined in influence and power over the centuries. In truth the emergence of other deities (Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Calladuran Smoothhands, and Flandal Steelskin) who took over responsibility for aspects of gnome life that Segojan once oversaw is more an indicator of the maturation of gnome religious beliefs than a suggestion of weakness on the part of the Lord of the Burrow. Segojan is widely worshiped by those who dwell within the earth, particularly rock gnomes, and to a lesser extent, deep gnomes. The Lord of the Burrow is revered by gnome miners, jewelers, illusionists, and artificers, but most members of these professions venerate Flandal Steelskin, Garl Glittergold, or Baravar Cloakshadow, respectively.
Segojan is an earthy and pragmatic deity who always communicates in a direct and straightforward fashion. Although he attempts to defuse and avoid conflicts if possible, he is a fierce opponent if he or his followers are attacked, particularly when he or his followers are threatened in their homes. The Lord of the Burrow is only likely to dispatch an avatar when gnomes who dwell within the earth are threatened, usually in situations when interactions between rock gnomes, deep gnomes, and other races who inhabit the Underdark conflict.
Segojan's realm is called the Gemstone Burrow. A small round door just below the summit of Segojan's hill opens onto a network of tunnels and burrows, illuminated by brilliant gems. All sorts of burrowing creatures live peaceably with gnomish souls here.
- The Archmage: In addition to his oversight of earth and nature, Segojan was once venerated as a gnome god of magic as well. The growth of Baravar Cloakshadow's cult in the Realms and the predominance of specialists in the school of illusion/phantasm among gnome spellcasters, gnome artificers being a rare exception, has led to the Sly One being revered as the sole gnome god of magic by the Forgotten Folk. Segojan is no longer seen as having influence in this aspect of gnome life. Nevertheless, Segojan and Baravar work closely together overseeing the development of gnome wizardry.
- Carry a Big Stick: Segojan wields Earthcaller, a crystalline quartz rod of smiting with two unique powers, each usable once per day. When pressed against a mass of rock of sufficient size (at least 3,000 pounds) Earthcaller can call forth a stone golem of average intelligence from the stone. The golem serves the god for an entire day. When struck sharply against a floor, wall, or ceiling, Earthcaller can generate the effects of an earthquake spell if Segojan so desires. It has an apparently limitless supply of charges when wielded by him.
- Healing Hands: He is said have the power to heal any sickness, because he knows the medicinal and culinary uses of every creature and plant that lives underground. During the misadventures of the gnome pantheon, Segojan contributes to the group through his healing abilities. All gnomes see Segojan as a healer of the sick and a protector of the hearth.
- Garden Garment: Segojan wears armor made of grass and roots.
- Nature Hero: Segojan oversees and protects all rock gnomes and burrowing animals who dwell within the shallow earth.
- Psychopomp: He is also revered in his role as a guide for gnomish souls after death, as long as the body is buried before worms claim it. If a gnome's body isn't entrusted to Segojan by interring it, the soul is forced to find its own way to the afterlife.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Segojan can communicate with burrowing animals such as moles, badgers, and other subterranean creatures. He has also gifted the rock gnomes with this ability.
- Summon Magic: He can summon earth elementals once per day who serve him without question for up to one hour before returning to the Elemental Plane of Earth.
- Team Chef: He is said to be the best cook among the gnome gods. During the misadventures of the gnome pantheon, Segojan contributes to the group through his healing abilities and the restorative power of his meals.
It is said that Sheyanna is the source of the rivalry between Garl and Gelf, for both woo her in many gnome legends. Sheyanna doesn't commit to either brother, however, choosing instead to encourage matchmaking and passionate affairs among the mortal gnomes in her care. Thus a romantic triangle is formed, a triangle that has launched a thousand folk tales. Sheyanna is said to be the ideal of gnome beauty, a delicate blonde princess with a smile that melts even Gelf's icy heart. Sheyanna is often depicted with Hearthlight, a golden torch that can spew a fountain of flame wherever she aims it.
Gnomes joke that clerics of Sheyanna are trained extensively in the amorous arts, and thus they make great spouses. While that isn't quite true, her clergy does indeed recruit the most attractive gnomes in a given community.
Sheyanna's quests are often to reunite lovers separated by the tides of fortune. Characters might have to rescue an imprisoned gnome wife, guard a bridegroom on his journey to the wedding, or act as an emissary between two noble gnomes during a marital dispute.
Many of Sheyanna's prayers are sung as ballads that "court" Sheyanna, praising her beauty and other romantic qualities, and then asking for a reciprocal token of her esteem.
Sheyanna's temples are often small additions built onto Garl Glittergold's temples. Many a nervous bride awaits her wedding ceremony in a cloistered chamber within Sheyanna's temple and then walks to Garl's temple for the actual ceremony.
The marriage rite is central to Sheyanna's faith. She also blesses healthy babies and has a number of fertility rites.
- Epic Flail: Her favored weapon is a heavy flail called Hearthlight, which also serves as a golden torch that can spew a fountain of flame wherever she aims it.
- Hot Goddess: Sheyanna is said to be the ideal of gnome beauty, a delicate blonde princess with a smile that melts even Gelf's icy heart.
- Love Goddess: Sheyanna is the gnome goddess of love and is dedicated towards encouraging matchmaking and passionate affairs among mortal gnomes.
- Married to the Job: Sheyanna's one true care is the act of filling the hearts of mortal gnomes with passion, and forging true bonds of love. Such is her devotion to this role that she herself remains single, although many gnomish legends tell of the love triangle between herself, the divine patriach Garl Glittergold, and Garl's dark twin, Gelf Darkhearth.
- The Smurfette Principle: She's the only female gnome deity who is not of mortal origin. Somewhat averted in the 5th edition, in which Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Gaerdal Ironhand, and Nebelun were also depicted as female deities.
Urdlen (pronounced URD-len), a neuter and sexless being, is the epitome of the evil impulse that rules some gnomes and is feared by the rest. A mindless force of malicious evil and destruction, Urdlen serves as a warning for every gnome to beware the taint of greed that lies within the gnomish delight in gems and jewelry. It is telling that gnomes have no myths of how this evil arose, but that they simply fear Urdlen's vicious, life-hating evil and bloodlust. Just as the Crawler Below can burrow into the earth of the Abyss, so it hopes evil will burrow into the hearts and souls of gnomes everywhere. Urdlen thrives on trickery that harms the innocent and the good. It is commonly venerated by evil thieves and fighters, although gnomes from all walks of life have succumbed to its evil tains. Spriggans are said to be the twisted offspring of gnomes who succumbed to Urdlen's taint early in the history of the Forgotten Folk, and they honor their god and patron by perpetuating its reign of terror.
The Crawler Below crushes all life without regard. It wants to spoil or destroy everything. Urdlen is a half-mad, blindly destructive impulse; the blindness of its chosen avatar form is very tellingly symbolic. No one can predict where it will strike or what its plans are to further the cause of evil among the Forgotten Folk. The nature of its plans to bring evil into the hearts of gnomes is not understood even by the other gnome deities. It is said that Urdlen lusts for precious metals, jewels, and the blood of any human, humanoid, or demihuman.
Urdlen lives in the Worm Realm in the 399th layer of the Abyss. This entire layer is a solid mass of rock, with some tunnels, corridors and chambers hollowed out. The rock is solid granite. Magical means may allow passage; characters using magic should also figure out how to find their way back to this conduit, or else be lost forever. About 50 feet into the rock is a narrow corridor that leads in a winding, mazelike fashion deep into this layer. The corridors house an immense, bulky treasure of tons of jewels and precious metals that have been broken, tarnished and melted in sacrificial ceremonies. The value of the treasure is in the hundreds of millions of gold pieces, but so is the bulk.
- Bloodlust: Urdlen lusts for the blood of any human, humanoid, or demihuman. The scent of blood drives it into a frenzy during which it always attacks a bleeding target. Urdlen's clerics may appease their deity by pouring the blood of a creature they've killed into the ground and burying it.
- Church Of Evil: The church of Urdlen is secretive in the extreme, a murderous cult within the communities it infiltrates or a lurking threat outside the margins of society. Clerics of this deity are continually at war with the rest of the gnomish deities and the clerics and followers thereof. Gnomish assassins and evil thieves and fighters make up most of the worshipers of this awful deity. They generally share their lord's love for evil and deadly pranks directed against all creatures, including gnomes. Its followers often prefer to live underground, after the manner of Urdlen's chaotic tunnel home in the Abyss.
- The Corrupter: Gnomes believe that Urdlen exerts influence on their lives when they experience jealousy, greed, petulance, or envy. Individuals are more likely to fall prey to these feelings when they don't spend enough time in activities with others, and so tales of Urdlen serve as a somber reminder of the importance of participating in society. Young gnomes are warned to "never let Urdlen burrow into your heart", as a caution against giving in to wicked impulses.
- Destroyer Deity: Urdlen is a half-mad, blindly destructive impulse, and attacks gnomes indiscriminantly at unpredictable times. Jewels and valuable metal goods are sacrificed to it by ruining them (breaking, tarnishing, melting) and then burying them.
- Evil Makes You Monstrous: In tales of his later life, Urdlen is no longer a gnome but has become a greedy and destructive monster, a great blind and hairless mole with iron claws and teeth.
- The Exile: Zigzagged. Some sources claim that Urdlen, despite its hatred of and relentless attacks against the other gnome deities, was never banished and that its place in the gnome pantheon is oddly unquestioned due to Garl allowing it to remain part of the pantheon as a reminder to all gnomes of the dangers of greed and bloodlust. However, other sources explicitly call it an outcast who was banished by Garl from the Golden Hills after its selfish and cruel behavior resulted in some sort of tragedy.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Urdlen hates all the other gnome deities with a passion, and they in turn war against it. Urdlen is also greatly feared and secretly reviled by nearly all the Forgotten Folk.
- No Biological Sex: Urdlen is considered sexless although sometimes referred to as "he"; its life-hate renders any conception of gender (and by implication procreative ability) irrelevant.
- Omnicidal Maniac: Urdlen teaches that all living things have to be killed, and that all things created by the living have to be destroyed. It exhorts its followers to hate, covet, ruin, and destroy; to succumb to bloodlust; to revel in orgies of destruction and exult in killing.
- Ourwerebeasts Are Different: Fans have invented weremoles as particularly favored servants of Urdlen. Werebadgers are also a logical assumption to connect to Urdlen's faith.
Halfling Pantheon
The halflings worship a pantheon of deities known collectively as Yondalla's Children. This includes Yondalla herself, according to the tangled reasoning of halfling theologians, and the term is sometimes used to apply collectively to all halflings. Halflings see their gods more as extended family members than as divine beings. They don't worship them in the same way as elves and dwarves revere their gods. Because of this outlook, halflings rarely worship a single deity exclusively; they revere all the gods equally and pay their respects in modest ways.The comforts of hearth and home, a soft bed, and the company of good friends; freedom from fear and need; the kindness of a word and the generosity of strangers, these are all held dear by the halflings, called "the little folk" by some. Is it any wonder, then, that their deities exemplify these qualities, promoting stability, safety, and concern for all halflings above all else?
As the head of the pantheon, Yondalla chose Mount Celestia as the place to center the halfling deities. In the pleasant realm of Green Fields (on Venya, the third layer), the halfling petitioners while away their existence in peaceful meditation and hard work, enjoying the fruits of their labors and the company of their fellows.
Every deity in the pantheon takes threats to halfling well-being seriously, too, and they have no compunction about sending groups of avatars to defend their people's villages. They've learned that a show of force is often the best way to frighten off enemies.
Yondalla (pronounced Yon-DAH-lah) is the Protector and Provider of halflings and the chief matriarch of the halfling pantheon. She is responsible for the race's creation and for blessing them with peace, comfort, and plenty. As the goddess of protection, Yondalla fends off evil influences and intrusions into the homes and lives of halflings. Yondalla gives her people the strength of character and the determination to defend themselves. Her protection is part of the very souls of her creations, for of all the demihuman races, the halflings have most rarely succumbed to evil. As a provider, Yondalla is a goddess of fertility and growing things, of birth and youth, of nature and plants. She can make barren places and creatures fertile and increase the growing rate of plants and animals, almost as she chooses, although she uses such powers sparingly and almost never confers such benefits on other demihumans or humans for fear of giving offence to their deities.
Yondalla is a kind and merciful goddess to her people. Although she brooks no evil, she despises no part of her creation, and always seeks to guide halflings who have lost their way in the world, physically or spiritually, back to their homes and friends. Although Yondalla is tolerants of thieves among her people, she does not approve of them and tries to have her priests guide such errant folk to use their skills more usefully. However, appropriating an extra share for oneself from the big folk is no great sin if no real harm or damage is done. Yondalla has given plenty of gifts to her worshipers, not the least of which is her temperament. From her, the halflings have learned to stand up for themselves, to defend their homes and families, and to seek peacable solutions, or else their foes against each other and slip away unnoticed. Yondalla is a charming and persuasive goddess of peace, and though she can take life and health as easily as she gives it, she never seeks out opportunities to harm those who do not richly deserve it. When she is aroused to ire, however, Yondalla is a truly fearsome goddess, for all her apparent gentility and diminutive stature. Although not a goddess of war, Yondalla is a skilled warrior that other deities do not readily seek to challenge. If a community of halflings is faced with extermination, Yondalla acts first through her priests and with manifestations and then by having Arvoreen dispatch his avatar. If all else fails, Yondalla is very likely to send an avatar herself to defend her charges. If she does this, she fights within the area of the halfling communities and homes rather than venture attacks outside of that area.
Yondalla's home is Green Fields, which she shares with Arvoreen and Cyrrollalee, who watch over their shared domain with a careful eye and an ear to what people are saying. They want to make sure that Green Fields is truly a place of safety and repose. They've done a fine job, too. Any person who harms a halfling here suffers identical wounds, and that keeps away the worst people.
- Alternate Self: In the Mystara setting, her counterpart is Brindorhin, the Immortal patron of halflings and abundance. Brindorhin was originally a mortal halfling who took all the halflings (also called the hin) under his guidance after his father's death and initiated the Second Migration, eventually reaching the Five Shires region. After ruling the hin with wisdom for over thirty years, he divided the region among his five sons before resigning his position. This final act granted him immortality in the Sphere of Time, and he became one of the High Heroes, patron of the Five Shires and of the hin all over the world.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Yondalla is forgiving, slow to anger, and kind, but when her charges become threatened she acts with bravery and ferocity that has gained the respect of even her most warlike godly contemporaries.
- Big Good: As the matriarch of the halfling pantheon (and indeed the entire race), all halflings revere the Blessed One. Yondalla created the first halfling villages and showed the people how to build, plant, and harvest. Even those few who have rejected the traditional values of the hin respect Yondalla for her guidance of the race as a whole. Yondalla serves as an example to all her people, espousing harmony among halflings, good relations with other races, and strong defense when faced with affronts of enemies. It is Yondalla's wish that all her children are safe and prosperous, treat each other well, and live interesting, full lives. If a community of halflings is faced with extermination, Yondalla is very likely to send an avatar to prevent this from happening. She will not send one to attack enemies in their homes and lands, but she defends her own people with utter determination.
- Cool Sword: Yondalla wields Hornblade, a vorpal short sword that glows silver when it strikes, and she is specialized in short swords.
- Deity Identity Confusion: In the 4th Edition, she was stated to be an aspect of the human nature goddess Chauntea. However, she went back to being a separate goddess in the 5th edition.
- Divided Deity: Yondalla has a darker aspect known as Dallah Thaun, the Lady of Mystery. Yondalla originally made her halflings by "borrowing" the other races' more impressive traits — a bit of the elves' grace and speed, a pinch of the dwarves' devotion to community, some of the humans' ambition, and so forth. The other gods were annoyed, but were willing to let Yondalla's offense slide if she got rid of her larcenous streak. When she did so, these darker impulses coalesced into the Chaotic Neutral Dallah Thaun, a deity of secrets and trickery. Rather than an Enemy Without, Dallah Thaun complements Yondalla as a separate aspect of the same whole — they can hear each others' prayers and have the same dedication to the halflings' well-being, they just differ in their methods.
- Lady of War: Though she fights only in the defense of halflings. She's more known for her shield than her sword.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Yondalla possesses a powerful, stout wooden shield, which is also her motif. The shield reflects all bolt spells back at their caster.
- The Maker: Zigzagged. In a variety of myths, Yondalla is seen as the mother or adopted mother of the halfling people. In one tradition, sometimes Yondalla gives birth to the halfling race, sometimes she creates them from disparate, elements of nature, and sometimes (rarely) she transforms some saddened solitary sylvan creature (usually a brownie) into a halfling, making the race her creation alone. Other more common mythic traditions hold that Yondalla adopted the halflings after finding one of them hiding in a thicket, walking along a riverbank, or tricking one of the Big Folk into doing something foolish to the advantage of the Small Folk.
- Top Goddess: Yondalla is the universally acknowledged leader of the halfling pantheon and the other deities defer to her authority without dissension, but in practice the entire pantheon works together in a collective fashion for the good of the whole race, even dispatching avatars to work together as needed.
Arvoreen (pronounced ARE-voh-reen) the Defender, fiery guardian of the home, is the nearest thing to a halfling war god. He is a god of stern defense and aggressive watchfulness, who is always preparing for incursions into halfling lands and making ready to repulse hostile creatures at the first sign of trouble. Arvoreen is venerated primarily by halfling fighters, but also by fighter/thieves who prefer the former set of skills over the latter.
Arvoreen is anxiously protective of the halfling race, and he is always alert to impending dangers. The Defender, although quite powerful, is not a particularly aggressive deity. He only engages in combat if he is attacked, though he does seek out his enemies and actively confront them to get them to desist from their evil practices. He does not go very far out of his way to avoid combat if it occurs, however, and fights to the finish. Although he stops short of advocating war, Arvoreen is not shy about pointing out folks who are acting suspiciously, after all, they just might be evil in disguise. He is more serious and less carefree and joyful than the typical halfling (or halfling deity) and serves as a reminder that the safety they currently enjoy was hard won and can be easily lost.
Arvoreen sends avatars to defend and patrol halfling communities very readily. Arvoreen may reward warriors who have defended halfling communities with a minor magical item, even if of another race. His omens to his priests are usually direct warnings of impending danger and the need for battle readiness.
Arvoreen spends most of his time in Green Fields drilling "the Keepers", an elite group of halfling warrior spirits who have died in battle. Here, the god feasts and celebrates, and plans defenses with them.
- Church Militant: Arvoreen's worshipers follow a doctrine of guardianship, stern defense, and aggressive watchfulness. When an enemy strikes, his halfling servants strike back with precision and decisiveness thanks to reconnaissance missions into enemy territory and a strict, almost unhalflinglike regimen of martial training. Clerics spend their days constructing fortifications, signaling systems, beacons and traps that further protect halfling enclaves. They patrol the community, sniffing out possible threats from within, as well as without. Many organize local militias and instruct young halflings in bladecraft (particularly as related to the short sword). Arvoreen's temples usually resemble easily defensible keeps or redoubts, and serve as a final fall-back position if enemies breech the community's outer defenses.
- Martial Pacifist: Arvoreen remains ever aware of dangers facing halfling communities, but prefers a reactive rather than proactive agenda.
- Protectorate: He sends avatars to defend and patrol halfling communities very readily.
- The Strategist: Arvoreen is venerated by halfling warriors for his clever tactics in battle, and his ability to use speed and smallness to defeat a much larger foe. Every community practices its own version of Arvoreen's favored tactics:
- Scatterstrike: The halflings run in every direction as if in a panic, but then they regroup and circle back to attack with a concentrated effort.
- Turtle Shell: Halflings cluster together and cover each other with shields, washtubs, wheelbarrows, coffer lids, or anything else that can deflect a blow.
- Troll Knocker: A few halflings act as bait to lure a troll or other large creature into a clearing where the rest of the group can hurl stones at it from concealment to confuse the monster, persuading it to seek other prey.
- Swarming Stickwhackers Halflings rush an intruder in waves, swatting the enemy with sticks on all sides.
- Fiddle and Crack: A halfling fiddler lures the monster into a trap, usually a net or a pit, followed by several burly halflings wielding large sticks and hitting the monster from a safe vantage.
- War God: Arvoreen is the nearest thing to a halfling war god. He is a deity of "active defense", believing in aggressive preparation for incursions into halfling lands and being ready to repulse hostile creatures at the first sign of trouble.
Brandobaris (pronounced BRAN-doe-bare-iss) is the master of adventure and misadventure, a favorite of halfling adventurers. Tales of the Trickster's wild exploits are almost beyond counting. The followers of Brandobaris, as might be expected, are mostly thieves and fighter/thieves. The more ardent followers are usually also the ones to take the greatest risks on adventures, and the Master of Stealth views them almost as favored apprentices.
Brandobaris is always ready with a joke or a jug, yet he is such an agreeable, friendly rapscallion that he rarely makes an enemy. He's always well dressed and ready with a smart reply to any attempt at conversation. He has a bawdy sense of humor and little sense of propriety. Brandobaris often goes on adventures to find some item he believes will make life more comfortable for him, though this does not always prove to work out as he had planned. The moral lesson of many of his journeys and scrapes is that it is better not to dash off unprepared into danger, let alone on foolish dares. Nonetheless, Brandobaris does come across as an appealing sort of scamp. He has much of the trickster in him; he is primarily a clever thief who fools his opponents into thinking him harmless, then steals them blind and escapes their wrath. No matter how awful a situation in which he finds himself (and he's found some pretty awful ones), Brandobaris manages to find his way out again, and make a profit from the episode as well.
The mischievous Master of Stealth is always on the lookout for a worthy risk and challenge to face, and he may even seek out a highly skilled halfling thief or two to join him in some caper as he wanders the Prime. Other thieves may come along on such jaunts, but if they do not worship Brandobaris they might find some of their valuables missing when the adventure is over. Brandobaris reveals his identity only after the adventure is over, and only to his followers. Brandobaris's adventures can be exceptionally challenging and dangerous, but hold the promise of great reward for the fast, the clever, and the quiet!
Although he's good friends with both Garl Glittergold and Baervan Wildwanderer, Brandobaris doesn't have a realm in the Golden Hills, or anywhere else for that matter. He usually spends time wandering through other deities' realms, halfling or not, seeing what he can see. It's said that he occasionally seeks out mortals for adventure.
- Alternate Self: In the Mystara setting, Brandobaris's counterpart is Nob Nar, the Immortal patron of adventurers and audacity. Nob Nar was originally a mortal halfling hero that lived in the Five Shires (specifically in the city of Wereskalot). He was the greatest of all the yallaren (halfling adventurers) and his deeds quickly became the theme of many legends and hin songs. Eventually, following the guidelines of the Immortal, Nob Nar disappeared from the Five Shires and became an Immortal protector of the halflings.
- Guile Hero: Brandobaris is the master of adventure and misadventure. The moral lesson of many of his journeys and scrapes is that it's better not to dash off unprepared into danger. Such tales tell of Brandobaris tricking dragons, escaping from the clutches of devilish hordes with bags full of treasure, and even sneaking into Myrkul's Bone Citadel to rescue the souls of ten thousand slain innocents, leaving in return a vase of flowers and a box of erotically shaped chocolate candies.
- Interspecies Romance: Brandobaris is said (by halflings) to be romantically linked to the human luck goddess Tymora, as she's the only one who regularly accompanies the Trickster on his jaunts. His rumored romantic dalliance with Lady Luck may be responsible for Brandobaris's legendary luck.
- Lovable Rogue: He makes few enemies and is loved due to his mischievous ways, his reveling and jokes, and his ability to escape from any scrape, no matter how dangerous.
- Stealth Expert: Brandobaris is so skilled at moving silently that he cannot be heard by any mortal being or god, should he desire to conceal his movements. He can also hide so well as to be completely invisible (detectable only with a true seeing spell or some magical item of similar power). These abilities he uses not only for defense, but also to bestow unlooked-for treats upon those he favors.
- Walking the Earth: Brandobaris frequently wanders in search of excitement and his travels span the planes of existence. His curiosity takes him to all corners of the multiverse in search of magical curios, rare treasures, and mystical puzzles. Although he never seems to rest in his travels, Brandobaris always has time to reward halflings who dare to take risks and explore the world to make their own mark on it.
Charmalaine (pronounced TCHAR-mah-lain) is a young halfling goddess concerned with awareness of her environment and the ability to react to its hazards. Sponsored by Fharlanghn and Brandobaris (halfling god of adventurers and thieving), she is an energetic and spontaneous person, unafraid of danger, for she expects to be able to detect it when it approaches and evade it before it brings her harm. The holy text of her faith reads like an adventurer's diary, detailing her escapes from an army of sahuagin, a newly-released demoness, hundreds of magical traps, and even the lair of an ancient red dragon. Charmalaine is depicted as a young halfling with bright and alert eyes, black oiled leather armor, and muddy boots. She carries the light mace First Warning and is usually accompanied by her ferret familiar, Xaphan. Her holy symbol is a burning boot print. She is called the Lucky Ghost because of her ability to send her spirit out of her body to scout ahead safely, and is said to warn halfling adventurers of impending danger while in her incorporeal form.
Charmalaine's clerics are almost always adventurers, but some find work in other risky professions such as monster-catching, military scouting, and guarding public officials. Her adventuring clerics arc thrill-seekers, for the danger and the rewards it brings. Some join specific quests to experience new things and have interesting tales to tell.
- Adventure Guild: Her clergy primarily consists of thrill-seeking adventurers or those who pursue other risky professions such as hunting, beast training, scouting, and guarding public officials.
- Astral Projection: Charmalaine can send her spirit out of her body, allowing her to scout ahead safely and warn halfling adventurers of impending danger.
- Carry a Big Stick: She wields a light mace called First Warning that has a head that shouts out warnings.
- Familiar: She has a ferret familiar called Xaphan, who usually accompanies her.
- Super-Senses: Charmalaine teaches her followers to be attuned to their surroundings, for the one who is off-guard is the one who gets caught. She instructs them to hone their reflexes until their bodies react before their minds have time to make them pause, for a moment's hesitation can cost them their lives.
- Super-Speed: Halflings envision her as a young adult who moves so fast that her boots smoke and sometimes even catch fire.
Cyrrollalee (pronounced SEER-oh-lah-lee) is the halfling goddess of friendship and trust. She is also a protective deity, like Yondalla, but whereas the concern of the Protector and Provider lies with the overall race, Cyrrollalee cares more for the sanctity of the home itself. The Hearthkeeper is specifically a goddess who protects the hearth and home while keeping the inhabitants from being too defensive and closed in. She oversees many of the mundane and day-to-day aspects of halfling home life. Her real interest is in the hospitality, generosity, and kindness halflings can show to others, and she is most displeased with those who fail to display proper hospitality and good fellowship. Her worst enemies are those who betray the trust of a host or who break into homes (of halflings) to steal. She is also the enemy of oath-breakers. Cyrrollalee's followers are largely regular halflings as well as a few warriors.
As a rule, Cyrrollalee is warm, friendly, and welcoming, and even nondivine beings feel comfortable in her presence. Her words and her touch are always gentle, and she never raises her voice in anger. Cyrrollalee does not get too involved in the day-to-day lives of her followers except on a small level, watching over everyday events of the home. Naturally, she hates liars, swindlers, and (especially) thieves who would break into a person's home. If roused, she can be a most fearsome foe indeed; any halfling whose burrow has been violated knows the feeling of Cyrrollalee's fury swelling within them. Cyrrollalee does not often send her avatars to the Prime; this is usually only done in response to major oath-breaking, to punish the offender. When she does visit the Prime, Cyrrollalee sometimes takes the form of a stooped halfling of indeterminate years, worn by poverty and work into a frail shell. In this guise, she often visits halfling burrows to see if the inhabitants are truly hospitable; woe to the family that turns her away!
- Animate Inanimate Object: Three times per day, Cyrrollalee can animate any or all objects within a 60-foot radius at will for as long as she wishes, and any such animated object remains animated and continues to serve her will even if she leaves the area. When the life if a defenseless worshiper is threatened by someone who has entered his or her home, Cyrrollalee often manifests by animating one or more objects to drive off the home invader.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Although Cyrrollalee is, as a rule, warm, friendly, and welcoming, she can be a most fearsome foe if roused.
- Deity Identity Confusion: Some believe her to be an aspect of Yondalla rather than a separate entity, but in truth, the two are closely allied but distinct goddesses.
- Living Lie Detector: She detects lies automatically.
- Magic Staff: Cyrrollalee wields Camaradestave, a quarterstaff that charms any creature it strikes.
- Nice Girl: As a goddess of trust who embodies the spirit of good fellowship and friendship, Cyrrollalee is the halfling deity who has the largest number of good relations with deities of other races.
- Old Beggar Test: She sometimes visits halfling burrows in the guise of a halfling peasant to test the hospitality of its inhabitants, punishing those who turn her away.
- Sacred Hospitality: Cyrrollalee embodies the spirit of friendship and hospitality that is part of every halfling's makeup and is represented by one's home and hearth. The home is a welcoming place, but it is also sacrosanct. Halflings honor Cyrrollalee by opening their homes to visitors, and by respecting the home of one's host as if it were one's own.
Dallah Thaun, the Lady of Mystery, is the dark aspect of Yondalla. Physically split off from Yondalla when she created the halfling race, Dallah Thaun is worshiped both as a deity in her own right and also as part of Yondalla. Anyone who worships one goddess worships both, and prayers to one are heard by both. Each goddess knows everything the other knows and is privy to the other's plans. Since they both work toward the same goal, the benefit of the halfling race, they do not quibble over one another's methods. Instead, the two goddesses utilize each other's strengths and compensate for each other's weaknesses.
For example, when someone evil harms a great number of halflings, Yondalla's followers nurture the survivors while Dallah Thaun's seek vengeance. Likewise, the Blessed One provides her people with food, comfort, and healing, while the Lady of Mystery helps them find wealth. Should any dirty work need to be done, it falls under Dallah Thaun's purview, and Dallah Thaun is said to receive the souls of dead halflings and guide them to their final reward.
There is no inherent evil in accumulating wealth; indeed, a nest egg for one's golden years, when a hard-working halfling can no longer work as hard, is a necessity. How one gains this wealth is another matter. The Lady of Mystery does not condone killing or even harming others for money, but relieving the overly wealthy of a portion of their burden is quite acceptable. In fact, any method that harms no one is fine with Dallah Thaun, so long as the perpetrator doesn't get caught.
Secrets, guile, lies, half-truths, flattery, intrigue, manipulation, and all things done by stealth are the purview of Dallah Thaun. "Don't get caught" is her credo, and the lesson that she passes along to all her worshipers. Dallah Thaun also serves as an avenger for any wrongs done to her people.
Very few outsiders know of Dallah Thaun's existence, and the halflings like to keep it that way. Since she is an aspect of Yondalla, halflings who venerate her can truly say that they worship Yondalla, who, as everyone knows, is a lawful good goddess. Since no one except halflings realizes that Dallah Thaun exists, she is not as powerful as her other half. In many ways, the two goddesses epitomize the dichotomy between openness and secrecy that is so characteristic of halflings.
The Lady of Mystery appears as a beautiful female halfling with dark hair and eyes. She dresses all in black and wears a voluminous black cloak with a hood that conceals her face. She tosses a gold coin in her gloved hands.
Clerics of Dallah Thaun are chosen by senior clerics of both Yondalla and Dallah Thaun. They covertly watch the young people in a community and identify those who have the mind-set and talents for Dallah Thaun's service. They begin to groom those individuals as clerics without even telling them they are being trained. The candidates are sent on covert missions, told secrets and bade to keep them, and provided with opportunities to participate in confidence games. When the secret of their training comes out, they may either accept Dallah Thaun's service or refuse it with no stigma.
The Lady of Mystery's followers often undertake quests that involve stealing from the rich, discovering secrets, and acquiring particular items through means other than force. If halflings are in trouble with a local lord over thefts that have occurred while they were camped on his land, Dallah Thaun's followers are the ones who enter the lord's keep by night and suggest that harming or expelling the halflings could result in the revelation of the lord's affair with a certain young noblewoman destined to marry another.
Prayers to Dallah Thaun are usually whispered or mumbled, and they often sound like the kind of wishes one makes while daydreaming. Typical prayers begin "If only I could get a hundred gold pieces", or "If only I could get out of this place safely", or "If only I could figure out how this trap works".
Dallah Thaun's shrines are usually surreptitiously folded into Yondalla's. For example, a temple to Yondalla in a halfling town might have a shrine to Dallah Thaun behind a secret door or a sliding panel. Similarly, a family shrine to Yondalla in a wagon might have a rotating panel with Dallah Thaun's holy symbol on the other side.
Dallah Thaun's clerics celebrate the same holy days as Yondalla's do, and they are usually present for the same celebrations. They also bless new ventures, successes of any sort, newly acquired wealth, thieves' tools, and other "tools of the trade".
- The Almighty Dollar: Dallah Thaun helps halflings to accumulate wealth, usually by stealing from the rich. However, she does not condone killing or harming others for money, but otherwise approves of any non-forceful methods of acquiring wealth.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Although Dallah Thaun is Yondalla's dark aspect, the two are not in conflict with each other, as they're both working towards the same goal of protecting the halfling race. Although Dallah Thaun teaches her followers to use any methods of manipulation and stealth to achieve their goals, she explicitly prohibits them from killing or harming anyone while doing so.
- Just Like Robin Hood: Dallah Thaun generally encourages her followers to acquire wealth by stealing from the overly wealthy.
- Literal Split Personality: Dallah Thaun physically split off from Yondalla when she created the halfling race.
- Psychic Link: Dallah Thaun and Yondalla share a connection that has resulted in each knowing everything the other knows and is privy to the other's plans. Similarly, anyone worshiping one goddess worships both, and prayers to one are heard by both.
- Psychopomp: Dallah Thaun is said to receive the souls of dead halflings and guide them to their final reward.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Dallah Thaun handles any dirty work that needs to be done in order to protect the halfling race. For example, while Yondalla serves as a protector of the halfling communities and homes, never venturing attacks outside of those areas, Dallah Thaun serves as an avenger for any wrongs done to her people and sends her followers to seek vengeance.
Sheela Peryroyl (pronounced SHEE-lah PAIR-ree-roil) is the halfling goddess of agriculture, nature, and weather. She balances the concern for wild untamed lands and habitats with strong roles as a goddess of cultivation, seasons, and especially harvests. She is also concerned with the pleasures of life, feasts, revelry, romance, and the general desire to live with passion. Her followers often wear a small flower in her honor and strive to work in harmony with nature and the earth.
Sheela is generally quiet, although she's rarely seen without a smile on her face and a dance in her eyes. At other times, Sheela is laughing and just generally delighted by life. Though she appears naive, even simple, she can wield great powers of nature magic. Sheela is sometimes credited with creating many species of flowers and has a strong aestethic sense. When she sings she causes flowers to bloom, trees to bud, and seeds to sprout, and living plants to grow and flower in her wake as she walks along the earth. Sheela brings good weather to her favored worshipers but can easily send drought or floods to those who worship her poorly. Sheela dispatches an avatar to counter any main threat to halfling land (not just halfling people or homes). She is greatly angered by wanton despoiling of nature, and her avatar pursues offenders in order to punish them.
Sheela's realm, Flowering Hill, consists of a single orchard and a wide farm. Her petitioners work on both sites, learning how to appease nature and their bellies at the same time. They're an open and friendly sort, but they get an awful lot of invaders through their territory. Thus, they're careful (sometimes even peery) about who they welcome.
- Deity Identity Confusion: The image of Sheela is often mixed, almost interchangeably, with Yondalla herself. Some hold that Sheela and Yondalla are different aspects of the same goddess, but in truth, they are simply closely allied.
- Druidic Sickle: Her favored weapon is a sickle called Oakthorn.
- Earth Mother: Sheela is the halfling goddess of nature. She's concerned with nature and agriculture, and how to maintain the balance between the two. A druid's need to preserve wild growth is just as important as a farmer's need to till the fields, and Sheela's the one who tries to see that they both get what they want.
- Earthy Barefoot Character: Sheela can regenerate 3 points of damage per round if her feet are on bare earth.
- Fertile Feet: Living plants grow and flower in her wake as she walks along the earth.
- Garden Garment: Sheela appears as a pretty halfling maiden dressed in garlands of wildflowers.
- Green Thumb: Sheela can use nature magic in order to control the earth, the flowers, plants, and trees. Her favored method of attack and defense is to entangle enemies with plants. Creatures that attack a village under the protection of the goddess' druids soon learn the error of their ways when all manner of plants lash out to grapple and sting the intruders, as though nature herself were aiding the halflings' cause.
- Magic Staff: Should she need to, Sheela can create a powerful quarterstaff from a single blade of grass or a twig in an instant. Sheela can cast changestaff on one such staff once per day and then create another one to use for her personal defense.
- The Hedonist: She's concerned with the pleasures of life, feasts, revelry, romance, and the general desire to live with passion. Her petitioners feel the same way; they all want to learn to live like their deity, and they welcome any person who can teach them the path.
- Weather Manipulation: Sheela brings good weather to her favored worshipers, but can easily send drought or floods to others.
Urogalan (pronounced Urr-roh-GAH-lan) is the protector of the dead and god of the underground. His deathly aspect is as a protector of the souls of the dead and as an advisor-judge with Yondalla. His earthy aspect is one of reverence for the very earth itself and protection from threats beneath the surface, rather than concern with natural growth. Few halflings worship him, but he is respected and revered by most as a protector. Although the Small Folk generally do not fear death, most halflings shiver at the sight of the Black Hound's symbol.
Urogalan rarely speaks or displays much emotion, and when he does, the Black Hound's quiet-spoken voice is tinged with loss. The Lord in the Earth prefers observation to intervention and has the disconcerting habit of appearing in the shadows and simply watching and waiting until he is noticed. Urogalan dispatches his avatar to gather in the souls of great, wise, or exceptional halflings, and he may also dispatch his avatar underground to watch over perils that may come from within it.
Fittingly, his realm is a cavern beneath the fields of Eronia. But it's not filled with petitioners looking to merge with their deity (Urogalan's not worshiped much by the halflings). Rather, the ones that inhabit Soulearth are simply deaders waiting for Uragalan to assign them to their proper places in the planes. It's not horrifying; it just is.
- Animal Companion: Urogalan is frequently accompanied by his faithful hound, who leads the way as Urogalan scours the multiverse and shepherds deceased halflings to their eternal home in the Green Fields.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: The halfling view of life is so gentle and optimistic that even their god of death is a being to be respected and revered, but never feared.
- Epic Flail: Urogalan wields Doomthresher, a double-headed flail whose touch inflicts flesh to stone on any living creature and acts as a mace of disruption against the undead.
- Judgement of the Dead: Urogalan protects the souls of the halfling dead and acts as Yondalla's advisor and divine judge. Sages claim that the Nurturing Matriarch values his word over that of all others.
- The Stoic: Unlike other halfling deities, Urogalan is surrounded by a cloud of melancholy. He remains detached from his people, uncharacteristically morose and pensive for a halfling deity.
- Stranger in a Familiar Land: In ancient times the halfling hero Urogalan left his village with his faithful hound to venture into the afterlife, and then, much to the villagers' amazement, he returned. They could see that Urogalan had been deeply affected by his experiences, since he didn't speak for a long time. He merely sat in a white robe with his hound by his side, watching the world go by. When he did speak at last, he told of a place he called the Green Fields, where the halflings' god-heroes live alongside mortals who have passed on, enjoying lush farmland, bright sunshine, and all the comforts of home.
Gith Pantheon
The Githyanki and Githzerai are not truly religious as other races might perceive it. Indeed, they view religion as just another kind of enslavement akin to what they suffered at the hands of the Illithids in ancient times. Not even the gith, however, can avoid the influence and guidance of things greater than themselves, though they go about it in an unusual way. Instead of worshipping higher beings, the gith revere and follow beings who's physical existence is proveable. Their pantheon, if it can be called such, consists of their ancient founder-hero Gith and two of her adherents:Vlaakith, the many generations of queens descended from Gith's closest advisor, is revered by the Githyanki, whom she rules over in the astral city of Tu'narath. Though there have been many generations, all bear the name Vlaakith and are considered a singular line of succession. The current Vlaakith is the 157th in the line, and appears determined to be the last, having turned herself into a lich and sustaining herself by feasting on the souls of her followers.
Zerthimon, a philosopher who disagreed with Gith's views on what their people should do with their freedom, became the savior revered by the Githzerai. Though he was slain in battle millenia ago, the Githzerai still follow his word, filtered through his student, the prophet Menyar-Ag. The Githzerai believe that Zerthimon resides in higher planes of being, sending them visions and one day fated to return.
- Anti-Magic: Baldur's Gate III reveals how Gith was so successful in fighting the mind flayers: she had a mutation unique to her bloodline that allowed her to shut down Elder Brain hive minds.
- Deity of Human Origin: Gith isn't really a deity, but she is revered like one, and she started out as a simple slave of the illithids.
- Guilt-Free Extermination War: Gith was the first to declare that her people should strive to wipe out all mind flayers, which is one of the few things both the Githyanki and Githzerai agree on.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Ask ten people about Gith's life as a slave, and you'll get ten different answers. Some claim that she was high ranking (for a slave, at least), the bodyguard and champion of a powerful mind flayer, while others insist that she was an unremarkable young footsoldier.
- Uncertain Doom: To the extreme. No one knows what truly happened when Gith met Tiamat, if they ever met at all. The decree of Ephelomon is that Gith now serves Tiamat in return for the dragons' allegiance, but no-one who has visited Tiamat's lair has ever seen her. Some have proposed the idea that Vlaakith fed Gith to Tiamat, though the Githyanki obviously consider this heresy. Finding the truth has proved impossible, as all attempts at scrying Gith's fate has failed or backfired, and even the gods refuse to say anything, if they even know.
Vlaakith eventually died and passed her crown to her daughter, also named Vlaakith. This continued for over a hundred generations until the current queen, Vlaakith CLVII (157th), who had greater ambitions. With her supreme mastery of arcane magic, Vlaakith CLVII ascended to lichhood. Needing souls to sustain herself and fearful of challengers to her power, she declared that any Githyanki who proved themselves sufficiently strong would enter her sanctum to ascend into an even greater paradise.
A lie, as she secretly devours their souls on her quest to attain true godhood.
- Cult: Vlaakith's deal is modeled after real-life cults. Githyanki are indoctrinated from childhood to worship and serve a charistmatic leader who offers a paradise to those who remain loyal. Occasionally, she will chose someone to be rewarded with said paradise, which strengthens everyone's faith while also letting her get rid of possible dissenters.Mordenkainen: I'll say this for Vlaakith: she knows how to build fanatics.
- Cult of Personality: The githyanki scorn religion and the gods... but they worship Vlaakith CLVII, as much as they would object to such terminology.
- False Prophet: The Githyanki would murder anyone who calls it religion, but Vlaakith CLVII has effectively turned all of Githyanki society into a Cult of Personality to herself, even promising salvation to her most loyal adherents that only she can offer.
- Godhood Seeker: Vlaakith CLVII is already immensely powerful as a millennia-old lich, but that isn't enough for her; she wants true godhood. To this end, she has been slowly fostering and developing her Cult of Personality, including creating the foundation of a priestly caste, engineering unique undead servitors, and even breeding a new race to worship her in the form of the Duthka'gith, fiendish half-red dragon githyanki loyal to her even more so than her githyanki followers. Her goals are subtle and long-reaching, and she has come up with many plans to achieve this end, such as stealing the last vestige of divine lifeforce within Tu'narath itself, or consuming the essence of the dead patron goddess of the ancient proto-gith, once she has located its tomb upon Pharagos.
- Gone Horribly Right: In 5th edition, it's called out that Vlaakith's culling of the most exceptional githyanki as a double-edged sword; by making sure there are no githyanki independent or powerful enough to potentially defeat her, she's also severely limited the population of githyanki who can actually get anything done independent of her, forcing her to either do everything herself or accept her minions' subpar work.
- Interspecies Romance: Vlaakith's consort is the red dragon Ephelemon.
- Magic Knight: Vlaakith is primarily a wizard, but she absorbs the skill of anyone who's soul she devours. After centuries of Soul Eating, she has become an unrivaled swordsmaster.
- Meet the New Boss: The Githyanki overthrew the Illithids, who kept them as a combination slaves/livestock, and rejected religion on the grounds that it's just slavery by another name. Now they serve Vlaakith, who also keeps them as slaves (by indoctrination and killing any Githyanki who's too free-thinking) and livestock (in this case, by feeding their souls to her phylactery). Pointing this out to the Githyanki tends to piss them off.
- Slave to PR: Ironically, Vlaakith's greatest obstacle is that as loyal as her githyanki are to her, she gained their loyalty by virtue of claiming to be Gith's successor and cleaving to her ideals. If it ever came out that she wanted to be a god, or that "meeting Gith" meant her eating your soul, the betrayed Githyanki would desert her.
- The Starscream: It's heavily implied that the first Vlaakith arranged Gith's death, possibly by feeding her to Tiamat, in order to become the ruler of all gith.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Vlaakith refuses to countenance that another githyanki may rise to be a challenge to her authority or her power, so she devours the souls of any who become sufficiently noteworthy, such as by attaining a certain class level.
- Your Soul Is Mine!: She eats the souls of her own githyanki followers, and depending on the edition may need to do so in order to sustain her existence.
Zerthimon was eventually slain, and his student Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith led the newly christened Githzerai ("against Gith") to Limbo, where they established their civilization. Today, the Githzerai believe that Zerthimon has ascended to a higher plane, sending them visions and guidance, and destined to one day return.
- Ascendto A Higher Planeof Existence: His followers believe that he has done this, though there is little actual evidence of it.
- Our Liches Are Different: In 4th edition, one theory about Zerthimon's fate is that he became a lich in order to have the eternity needed to hone his body, mind and soul to the utmost. Both githzerai and githyanki are noted to regard this belief as blasphemous; the githzerai find the idea that Zerthimon would "cheat" the cycle of life and death to be revolting, whilst the githyanki are insulted to think that Zerthimon could become an equal to their own queen Vlaakitch CLVII.
- Posthumous Character: Zerthimon is long dead, but his philosophy still influences his followers.
- Bad Boss: In 2nd edition, Zaerith fears being overthrown by a powerful githzerai mage, so he only permits those who live within Shra'kt'lor to reach up to 9th level; if they grow higher than that, he arranges for them to be either driven from the city forever or assassinated if they stay. This is no longer true in 5e.
- The Bus Came Back: Zaerith was reduced to just a single mention in a single paragraph in the 3rd edition sourcebook, literally only as his title of "The Great Githzerai". He didn't appear in 4th edition at all. But in 5th edition, he returned prominently as the githzerai's supreme leader.
- Magic Knight: In 2nd edition, he's described as a multiclassed 19th level Fighter and 23rd level Wizard. This is no longer the case in 5e, where his body is so shriveled with age it's basically a living mummy.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: In 2nd edition, it's stated that he is served by a council of ambitious generals and followers who believe they are secretly the true powers behind the throne, and often conspire against each other to consolidate their perceived power. What none of them realize is that Zaerith is aware of all of their "secret" schemes and plans, and permits them to indulge their cloak-and-dagger antics because it both makes them easier to manipulate and it amuses him.
- Orcus on His Throne: In 5th edition, his body is a shriveled near-corpse, so withered from extreme age that he is incapable of even the smallest physical movement. His mind remains alive and aware, brimming with powerful arcane and psionic abilities that he uses to guide and guard the githzerai across the planes.
- Put on a Bus: 3rd and 4th edition all but completely erased him from canon.
- Retcon: His basic lore and personality change drastically between his 2nd edition and 5th edition incarnations.
- Slave to PR: In 2nd edition, he has to hide his murderous paranoia and tyrannical methodology from his githzerai underlings; being defined as a race of natural anarchists in this edition, he knows they would violently revolt against him if they ever discovered his true nature.
- Spear Counterpart: His 2e incarnation is basically a male githzerai analogue to the githyanki's lich-queen Vlaakith CLVII. His 5e counterpart is much more benevolent.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: In 2nd edition, it's noted that Zaerith occasionally needs the aid of more powerful githzerai mages. When that happens, he takes an apprentice and trains them until they reach the desired level. Then, once they've accomplished what he needed of them, he kills them so they can't threaten his power.
