Deities
Cyric
Portfolio: Treachery, Strife, Murder, Deception, Intrigue, Illusion,
Disasters
Ability Requirements: Strength 12, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite: Wisdom
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Cyric was the god of death, murder, the dead, strife, tyranny, lies, deseption
and illusion, having wrested these portfolio from the dead gods Bane, Bhaal,
Leira, and Myrkul. Cyric was directly responsible for the deaths of Bhaal and
Leira. Cyric is a new god, born of the Time of Troubles. He is a mortal raised
to the level of godhood. He gained many of the followers of the gods whom he
replaced, but fights for their continued loyalty and worship. In an attempt to
both consolidate his faithful and get vengeance upon his most hated foe, Mystra
the new goddess of magic, he worked on creating a magical tome called the
Cyrinishad.
The Cyrinishad would compell anyone who read, or had the tome read to them, to be a faithful and loyal follower of Cyric. This of course outraged the other gods who learned of this. The gods Mystra, Oghma, Mask, and to a lesser degree Torm and Gond, conspired together to put an end to Cyric's plans.
In the resulting chaos Cyric's main center of worship, Zhentil Keep, was destroyed by an army of monsters that Cyric set upon the city to make them turn to him for protection, and a revolt in the City of Strife on the plane of Hades caused him to loose the portfolio of The Dead and Bone Castle to Kelemvor. The destruction of Zhentil Keep released the imprisoned Iyachtu Xvim, who managed to take the portfolio of Tyranny from Cyric while he was trying to recover from the loss of so many of his followers. Cyric did manage to take the portfolio of intrigue from the god Mask, who was weakened by protecting Fzoul Chembryl from the effects of reading the Cyrinishad so that he could betray Cyric. The Cyrinishad fiasco also caused Cyric to gain the portfolios of Treachery and Diasaters. Cyric now makes his home on the plane of Pandimonium.
The Cyrinishad is currently guarded by the scribe who wrote the tome, hidden from those who seek the evil artifact by the power of Oghma, and protected by a Knight of Torm. The story of the Cyrinishad can be found in the novel "Prince of Lies".
Cyric's priest favor robes of black or dark purple, trimmed with silver. They
wear silver bracelets to symbolize their enslavement to Cyric (in a symbolic
reprise of Cyric's one time captivity).
Kelemvor
Portfolio: The Dead, Cemetaries
Ability Requirements: Wisdom 9, Charisma 12
Prime Requisite: Wisdom, Charisma
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Kelemvor is the god of the dead. He is a new god to the Realms, born from a
revolt against the god Cyric in the City of Strife on a plane of Hades during
the cyrinshad fiasco.
Kelemvor was friends with Cyric and was Mystra's lover when they adventured together while they were mortals. Cyric murdered Kelemvor shortly before he and Mystra attained godhood in the Time of Troubles.
As the new Lord of The Dead, Cyric sought out the soul of Kelemvor to gain revenge against Mystra. Cyric's quest to find the soul of Kelemvor lead the faithless and the dammed to believe he was a powerful enemy of Cyric. Thus when a dead knight faithful to Torm called out for them to follow Kelemvor during a revolt in the City of Strife (started by Mystra, Mask, and Torm), they put their faith in him and became his followers. Having just been freed of his imprisonment from Mask (who had been hiding his soul) Kelemvor battled with Cyric, wresting control of the Realm of the Dead from him. Cyric fled to the plane of Pandemonium where he now makes his home.
Kelemvor is the Judge of the Dead and is granting new trials to all of the dammed who were mistreated during the reign of Cyric and Myrkul before him. He is the protector of the dead and guardian of cemeteries.
Death is but a part of life, and priest of Kelemvor try to teach this to the living. Death is not to be feared, although it is not to be prematurely embraced either. Death is simply the end of the normal mortal cycle. The undead are an abomination against that proper cycle of life and death. Undead walking around Faerun are offensive to Kelemvor, and his priest are fueled by that same anger burning within them. Despite this anger against undead, Kelemvor and his priest also have compassion for restless souls. While the mindless undead are dispatched casually, there is pity for the spirits of even the most evil undead. The exception to this are liches. Lichdom is a premeditated act, and the cycle of life demands that mortals die, not prolong their lives unnaturally through necromancy.
Priest of Kelemvor can wear any armor and use all bludgeoning weapons. The standard spell selection consist of the following spheres: Major access to All, Astral, Combat, Divination, Elemental-earth, Elemental-fire, Guardian, Protection, and Wards. Minor access is given to Charm, Elemental, Necromantic, and Sun. Though healing spells are not forbidden, priest of Kelemvore tend not to get them since people are uncomfertable with the idea of priest of the god of the dead casting spells on them.
Kossuth
Portfolio:
Elemental Fire, Purification through Fire, Burning
Ability Requirements: Wisdom 9, Intelligence 10
Prime Requisite: Wisdom, Intelligence
Alignment: Neutral
Kossuth, the Tyrant among Fire, the Firelord is an Elemental Lord from the
Elemental Plane of Fire. He is generally uncaring to his faithful, but continues
to grant his priest their powers since their worship increaces his power on his
home plane. To maintain continued worship he does take a limited intrest in his
followers mortal problems, and occationaly makes his presence known with a
manifistaion, but never an avatar.
Kossuth's church is varied and chaotic since he takes no interest in its structure. As a result it is a collection of cults with each faction coming up with its own ethics, codes, morals, and teachings. Kossuth's symbol varys greatly from faction to faction, but is generally a depiction of fire. It is believed that if Kossuth's following (or any of the other Elemental Lords) were to somehow become unified he would become a very powerful force in the Realms. Something the other gods don't really wish to see happen. Of the four Elemental Lords, the best known and most feared are the cults of Kossuth, who are very powerful in Thay and the lands of the East.
Priest of Kossuth can be of any alignment, but most are evil, reveling in the destructive power of fire. They dress in whatever their faction deems approprate for the representation of their god. This is usually robes and long capes in reds, yellows, and oranges. They tend to use metal armor and shields, and use bills, swords, daggers, knives, and bludgeoning weapons.
Sphere selection is limited to Major access to All, Combat, Elemental-Fire, and Sun. Minor access is given to Charm, Divination, Healing, Necromantic, and Protection.
Shar
Portfolio: Darkness, Night, Loss, Forgetfulness
Ability Requirements: Strength 12, Wisdom 12
Prime Requisite: Wisdom
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Shar is the goddess of darkness, night, loss, and forgetfulness. She resides in
the extradimensional plane of Hades. Shar is an unusual power, in that she seems
to have multipal aspects that have different alignments, the most obvious
example is Sharess who gained enough of a following to break away from Shar and
become a seperate entity. An aspect of Shar that deals with forgetfulness has
priest that are either neutral or neutral good. The priest for this aspect,
called Darkcloaks, are detailed in the book Warriors and Priest of the Realms.
Shar's main aspect is worshipped by those who deal in the night (such as thieves), who hate the light (such as goblin races and their allies), and who feel bitterness and loss. Her symbol is a black disk with a border of deep purple.
Loss is the nature of Shar, of pains hidden but not forgotten, of vengeances carefully nurtured away from the light, hidden from others. She is said to have the power to make her devout followers forget their pain, yet what occurs is that they become inured to the loss, treating it as a common and natural state of being. The basic inanity of life and foolishness of hope are the cornerstones of Shar's being. She and her followers revel in the concealed, in that which is hidden, never to be revealed.
Shar's mortlal enemy is the goddess Selune and the two fight on a number of
levels throughout their immortal lives. Shar's hatred of Selune extends to her
clergy and their relationships with the church of Selune. There is a continual
war betrween the two faiths, and jihads against Selune and her followers are
common where Shar is strong.
Shar's specialty priest are called Nightbringers. They
exist outside the standard church hierarchy. Shar has no main temple, but
instead has a scattering of cells and secretive places throughout the Realms.
The nightbringers of Shar serve as contacts, messengers, and enforcers of the
Dark Lady's will.
Ceremonial dress is long-sleeved robes of deep purple, parted in front to reveal
black tights. A black skullcap covers the entire head, except for women with
jet-black hair; this is left long as a symbol of the Dark Lady's pleasure.
Nightbringers prefer weapons that are easily concealable, such as daggers, clubs, blowguns, hand axes, or even horseman's maces, but are allowed to use any bludgeoning weapon. Any armor is permitted, but the nightbringers prefer armor that is quiet and offers a good degree of flexibility like leather. Nightbringers fight at a -2 penalty to hit in bright sunlight or during a night of the full moon. They are also suprised on a 1-4 on a d10 under those conditions. Nightbringers also recieve a +1 to attack and damage rolls, and +4 bonus to their moral in combat against worshipers of Selune.
A nightbringer's standard selection of spells include major access to the spheres of All, Astral, Charm, Combat, Divination (reverses only, those which hide of conceal knowledge), Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Sun (reverse only), and Thought, and minor access to Creation, Elemental, and Healing.
Talos
Portfolio: Storms, Destruction
Ability Requirements: Strength 13, Wisdom 14
Prime Requisite: Strength, Wisdom
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Talos is the destructive force of nature. He is the god of storms, forest fires,
earthquakes, tornadoes, and general destruction. He makes his home in the aptly
named plane of Pandemonium. He attracts the destroyer, the raider, the looter,
and the brigand among his followers. Talos' symbol is three lightning bolts,
each a separate color, radiating from a centeral point.
Talos the Destroyer is the dark side of nature, the uncaring and destructive
force that lies waiting to strike at any time. Talos is more feared than
worshipped, which seems to account for his great popularity as much as anything.
The church of Talos exults in the wild destruction of nature at its fiercest,
trusting to its own luck and the favor (or ill-favor) of the god to protect it.
Church members tend to be fatalistic in nature as a result--almost
self-destructive. However, priest of Talos wish to take as many others with them
as possible.
Tempus
Portfolio: War
Ability Requirements: Strength 14, Wisdom 12
Prime Requisite: Strength, Wisdom
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Tempus is the Realms god of war, the Lord of Battle, the Foehammer. He is random
in his favors, yet his chaotic nature favors all sides equally. He may be on an
army's side on one day, and against them the next. Such is the nature of war as
embodied by Tempus.
The dress of the priest of Tempus is armor, battleworn and battered. In more civilized regions this has been replaced by a steel skullcap, but the message is the same--these are warrior priest. Their place is in the trenches with the troops, urging them onwards. Priest of Tempus may be found on both sides of a conflict, as none can ever truly know who the war god will favor.
Priest of Tempus may use any melee weapon and wear any metal armor, they may not use missle weapons. Priest of Tempus may also use magical items only allowed to warriors. The spell selection usually consist of Major access to the spheres of Animal, Combat, Divination, Elemental, Necromantic, Protection, and War. Minor access is given to All, Guardian, Healing, Summoning, Sun, Wards, and Weather.
Beshaba
Portfolio: Bad Luck, Accidents,
Mischief
Ability Requirements:Wisdom 10
Prime Requisite:Wisdom
Alignment:Chaotic Evil
The Maid of Misfortune is the goddess of bad luck and accident. She is the deity
of random mischief, and Tyche's unpleasant daughter. She makes her home in the
Abyss Her symbol is a set of black antlers on a red triangular field.
The ethos of Beshaba is the beliefs of Tymora stood on their head. Bad things happen to everyone, and only by following Beshaba may you (perhaps) be spared the worst of her effects. Too much good luck is a bad thing, and to even it out, the wise should plan to undermine the fortunate. Whatever happens, it can only get worse. It is said that Beshaba has a secret society of assassins dedicated to her name, but that has yet to be proven or disproven
Iyachtu Xvim
Portfolio: Fear, Hatred, Malice, Tyranny
Ability Requirements: Wisdom 10, Strength 12
Prime Requisite: Wisdom, Strength
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Also called the Godson and the Son of Bane, Xvim has served as Bane's instrument
in the Realms, carrying out the will of his "father." He appears either as a
gaunt, naked man with a great scimitar or a black cloud with glowing green eyes.
Iyachtu Xvim was imprisoned under Zhentil Keep during the Time of Troubles, where he was held for ten years. He managed to free himself when Zhentil Keep fell during the Cyrinshad fiasco, where he also managed to steal the portfolios of tyranny and hatred away from Cyric. He is now the god of Fear, Hatred, Malice, and Tyranny. He is working toward fully taking the place of his father, Bane, this of course has made him bitter enemies with Cyric. His following is strongest in the East, particularly in Thay, but his priest are rapidly spreading throughout the Realms.
His priest favor black robes trimmed with dark green. They also wear black iron gauntlets with glowing green eyes painted on the back of the hand. These gauntlets are actually the priests' holy symbols of Xvim. In combat situations priest can wear any armor and use all bludgeoning weapons and the scimitar. They can use the same magic items as clerics. Priest of Xvim have major access to the spheres of All, Combat, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, and Summoning. Minor access is given in the spheres of Charm, Creation, Elemental, and Sun (reversible effects only).
Malar
Portfolio: Hunters, Beast, Bloodlust
Ability Requirements: Strength 13, Wisdom 12
Prime Requisite: Strength, Wisdom
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Malar, the Stalker, the Beastlord, is a chaotic evil god who makes his home in
the plane of Tarterus but often roams the Prime Material Plane, possessing the
bodies of his devout in a berserker frenzy. He is the god of marauding beast, of
the savage wild, of bloodlust, and the hunt. With Umberlee and Auril, he is one
of the Gods of Fury who serve Talos. Weakened with the growing strength of Talos,
he has found new worshippers among the non human tribes. His symbol is a taloned,
bestial claw.
Priest of Malar will seek out and attempt ot destroy druids, regardless of
the faith that the druid professes. Because druids fight to maintain a balance,
they are the antihesis of the single-minded Malarites. Druid organizations,
including the Harpers and followers of Mielikki, also try to seek out and
destroy Malar strongholds.
Mask
Portfolio:Thieves, Shadows
Ability Requirements: Dexterity 14, Wisdom 14
Prime Requisite: Dexterity, Wisdom
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Mask is the god of rogues, thieves, and is the lord of shadows. He appears as a
lithe man garbed in dark clothing and a cloak of shadows. He always wears a
black velvet mask, tinged with red; this has also become his symbol. A former
Intermediate power, Mask suffered a major loss of power, and the portfolio of
intrigue, during the Cyrinishad fiasco. Mask makes his home in the Plane of
Hades. His domain there is known as Shadow Keep.
All that occurs within shadow is in the purview of Mask. Stealth and wariness, it is believed, are virtues, and the writings of a true follower of Mask can be read in many ways. In addition to thieves and more shadowy individuals, courtiers and diplomats have been known to evoke the god's name in hopes of guaranteering a smooth negotiation.
Priest of Mask are allowed to wear up to studded leather armor and can use any weapon that thieves are allowed to use. They dress in blacks and greys and usually wear domino mask across the eyes or a black mask similar to that of thier god to protect their anonymity.
Mask grants his priest access to the following spheres of influence: Major access to All, Astral, Charm, Combat, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Protection, Sun, and Wards. Minor access is given to Elemental, Necromantic, Summoning, Travelers, and Weather.
Talona
Portfolio: Disease, Poison
Ability Requirements: Constitution 14, Wisdom 14
Prime Requisite: Wisdom, Constitution
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Talona is the Lady of Poison, the Mistress of Disease, and these are her
portfolios in the godhead. The symbol of Talona is a trio of teardrops in a
triangular pattern. She makes her home in the plane of Tarterus.
Life and death are in balance, say Talona's priest, but death is the more
powerful, and should be paid proper homage and respect. Death is a lesson to be
learned by all, and if it falls to the followers of Talona to drive home the
point, so be it.
