Diety backgrounds

[DM Grizwald]

I'm just wondering if i could have a little backgrounds on two of the dieties i play. First one being Gwaeron Windstorm, the second being Auril. I know a bit about Auril thanks to Jandor but Gwaeron Windstorm i have no clue who or what he/she does...and if you can believe it, its padrins god. I cant believe i've gone this long without asking someone.

[heimdall]

Gwaeron Windstrom (gwair-on wind-strahm), the god of tracking and rangers, is neutral good. His titles include the Master of Tracking and the Tracker Who Never Goes Astray. Once a mortal ranger of the North, he was raised long ago to godhood through sponsorship by Mielikki. He is a master tracker and has no rival in discovering weeks-old paths or obscure woodland signs. He is a foe of Malar, and he and his followers fight relentlessly against that god’s works. His followers ceaselessly hone their tracking and wilderness skills. The domains associated with him are Animal, Good, Knowledge, Plant, and Travel, and his favored weapon is the greatsword.

[heimdall]

Auril (aw-rill), The Frostmaiden, Icedawn, the Cold Goddess

Symbol: A white snowflake on a gray diamond (a heraldic lozenge) with a white border
Home Plane: Fury's Heart
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Cold, winter
Worshipers: Druids, elemental archons (air or water), frost giants, inhabitants of cold climates, rangers
Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, NE
Domains: Air, Evil, Storm, Water
Favored Weapon: "Icemaiden's Caress" [ice axe] (battleaxe)


Auril is a fickle, vain, evil deity with a heart of ice who is venerated primarily out of fear. She remains untouched by any hint of true love, noble feeling, or honor. She enjoys toying with those who offend her, trapping them in snow storms, and then driving them insane with tantalizing visions of warmth and the comforts of home before freezing them to death. Her beauty is cold and deadly, the flower of womanhood preserved forever in a slab of arctic ice-- with sensibilities to match the ice.

Clerics and druids of Auril pray for their spells at midnight or whenever the temperature drops to its lowest point during the day, lying out in the snow or the coldest stream available all night if possible. Midwinter Night is the most holy time of the year to clergy of Auril. It is a nightlong festival of ice-dancing that is intended for both enjoyment and recruitment. The Coming and the Last Storm are two enthusiastically celebrated rituals, howling ice storms called up by clergy working as a group to mark the onset or last gasp of winter. Joining the clergy requires undergoing a ritual known as the Embracing, during which one runs through a blizzard all night long dressed only in boots, a thin shift, and body paint depicting the symbols of Auril, without the protective mantle of any magic. Auril accepts those who do not freeze to death. Many clerics and druids multiclass as divine disciples, elemental archons or rangers.

DOGMA: Cover all the lands with ice. Quench fire whenever it is found. Let in the winds and the cold; cut down windbreaks and chop holes in walls and roofs that my breath may come in. Work darkness to hide the cursed sun so that the chill that Auril brings may slay. Take the life of an arctic creature only in great need, but slay all others at will. Make all Faerun fear the Frostmaiden. Revere the Cold Goddess and sing her praises into any chill breeze or winter wind. Do not raise your hand against any other cleric of Auril.

[Munroe]

Gwaeron Windstrom

Master of Tracking, The Tracker Who Never Goes Astray
Faerunian Demigod
Symbol: White star and brown pawprint
Home Plane: House of Nature
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Tracking, rangers of the North
Worshipers: Druids, rangers, troll hunters
Cleric Alignments: CG, LG, NG
Domains: Animal, Good, Knowledge, Plant, Travel
Favored Weapon: "Flameheart" (greatsword)

Gwaeron Windstrom (gwair-on wind-strahm) is the quiet, reclusive patron of rangers of the North who always appears as a tall and physically impressive human male stripped to the waist with flowing white hair and a long white beard. Taciturn and slow to anger, the Master of Tracking prefers to instruct through example, not words, and his rage, once ignited, is a terrible thing. He loathes trolls, and is known to stalk them across the Evermoors. Although Gwaeron is highly respected by rangers active in the North, his faith is more one of emulation than veneration.

There is not an organized Gwaeronan church distinct from the church of Mielikki, and the existence of his faith is little known outside the ranks of northern rangers. Rather, most shrines of the Lady of the Forest in the North include a small shrine or side altar to the Master of Tracking within their confines. Gwaeron's followers, known as Stalkers of the Silent Path, work to keep the numbers of trolls, orcs, and other humanoids in check across the North and oppose the followers of Malar at every turn.

Clerics and druids of Gwaeron Windstrom pray for their spells at dusk, when many wild beast emerge from their dens to forage and hunt. Gwaeron's followers observe no holy days other than those celebrated by Mielikki. After a successful "stalk," those who invoke Gwaeron's name are expected to leave a circle of six footprints in the ground with their right foot, the heel of each print nearly touching and the toes facing outward. Almost all clerics and druids of Gwaeron Windstrom multiclass as rangers.

History/Relationships: Gwaeron roamed the North as a mortal ranger many centuries ago and is said to sleep in a stand of trees just to the west of the town of Triboar, known as Gwaeron's Slumber. Along with Lurue and Shiallia, the Master of Tracking serves Mielikki by teacher her rangers the way to read forest signs. He reports indirectly to Silvanus. He has forged alliances with the deities of the elven, gnome, and halfling pantheons whose portfolios most closely match those of Mielikki, Silvanus, and his own. He opposes Malar the Beastlord. Given that his following is so small and so similar to that of Mielikki, he may be accidently subsumed as an aspect of the Forest Queen or fall prey to Malar if he is not careful.

Dogma: Intelligent beings can live in harmony with the wild without requiring the destruction of one in the name of the other. Embrace the wild and fear it not, because the wild ways are the good ways. Keep the Balance and learn the hidden ways of life, but stress the positive and outreaching nature of the wild. Do not allow trees to be needlessly felled or the forest needlessly burned. Live as one with the woods, teach others to do so, and punihs and curtail those that hunt for sport or practice cruelties on wild creatures.

[From Faiths and Pantheons, pp. 96-97]

[StabbingNirvana]

anyone mind typing out the faiths and pantheons entry on tyr ... eh?

[DM Grizwald]

i'd like to say a big thanks for the help

[Talus]

You might look in lore of the land section for some of this. There might also be links there.

[Munroe]

stabbingnirvana said:

anyone mind typing out the faiths and pantheons entry on tyr ... eh?

If you still want this, I'll do it eventually.
(Look at how long it took me to get around to Gwaeron Windstrom above.)

[Keetena]

I'll release your shoulders of this burden DM, gimme me some minutes and I type it ok - let's go to tyr (I hope this betters your roleplay nirvana - ho ho ho ho - sorry, I couldn't pass the chance to drop some venom ksssssssss )

[Keetena]

TYR

The Even-Handed, the Maimed God, the Just God
Greater Deity
Symbol: Balanced Scales resting on a warhammer
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignment: Lawful good
Portfolio: Justice
Worshipers: Paladins, judges, magistrates, lawyers, police, the oppresed
Cleric alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law, Retribution, War
Favored Weapon: "Justicar" (longsword)

Before every criminal trial in civilized lands, good-hearted magistrates whisper prays to Tyr (teer) the Even-Handed, asking that he guide their judgements with temperance and resolve. An utopian interloper deity who long ago came to Toril from a foreign cosmos, Tyr sees himself as a father figure working to craft a perfect society among the people of Faerûn, whom he views as his wayward children. The pain of knowing that his mortal charges cannot hope to iniciate and protect a flawless, completely just ordely existence tinges Tyr's philosophy with an undercurrent of resigned sadness.
Religious iconography depicts Tyr as an aging one-handed warrior, often with a bloody bandage covering his wounded eyes. The socalled Maimed God lost his right hand in battle with the ravenous entity know as Kezef the Chaos Hound. Tyr's blindness dates to the Time of Troubles when Ao himself scoured his eyes for failing to witness the theft of the Tablets of Fate and for
allowing discord among the gods of Toril. Worshippers have allegorized Tyr's wounds as emblematic of the blindness of justice and the price the truly just must endure on the path to righteouness and stern defense of the law. Particularly radical Tyrran sects advocate self-mutilation among their adherents, a practice condemned by the large majority of the faithful, who nonetheless ritualistically don gauze eye coverings and an off-colored glove on their right hands to honor the Blind Overlord.
Commoners views Tyr and his clerics as stern arbiters of justice, and often missing the paternal philosophical nuances of Tyrran doctrine for its more black-and-white teachings on the nature of morality. They tend to view Tyr as something of a divine constant-they know that Tyr expects fairness, good judgement, and kindness toward the innocent from his followers, and hence afford
tyr's clerics a great deal of trust.
Clerics of Tyr pray for spells at dawn. in addition to numerous minor holidays, Tyr's priesthood follows a strict regimen of monthly high rituals. on the first of each month, Tyrrans celebrate Seeing Justice, at which specially chanted prayers elicit the appearance of a white-hot war hammer that glows with heat and light. The thirteenth day brings celebration of the Maiming,
at wich the congregation sings loud, booming hymns as an illusionary gauntleted hand surrounded by a nimbus of burning blood appears above them. A similar ritual called The Blinding, wich takes place on the twenty-second day of each month, involves an image of burning, crying eyes. Tyr's clerics often multiclass as paladins.

DOGMA: Reveal the truth, punish the guilty, right the wrong, and always be true and just in your
actions. Uphold the law wherever you go and punish those who do wrong under the law. Keep a record of your own rulings, deeds, and decisions, for through this your errors can be corrected, your grasp on the laws of all lands will flourish, and your ability to identify lawbreakers will expand. Be vigilant in your observations and anticipations so you may detect those who plan injustices before their actions threaten law and order. Deliver vengeance to the guilty for those
who cannot do it themselves.

[StabbingNirvana]

shame that ive read that before on another website... didnt know it was from the faiths and pantheons book though. thanks anyways!

[Munroe]

Faiths and Pantheons has a good bit more, actually. Retyping in its entirety.
If you've read it all before, so be it. At least it's here for reference.
(This is not more work than I would have done but the same amount. I'm just doing it sooner. )

---

Tyr

The Even-handed, the Maimed God, the Just God
Greater Deity
Symbol: Balanced scales resting on a warhammer
Home Plane: House of the Triad
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Justice
Worshipers: Paladins, judges, magistrates, lawyers, police, the oppressed
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law, Retribution, War
Favored Weapon: "Justicar" (longsword)

Before every criminal trial in civilized lands, good-hearted magistrates whisper prayers to Tyr (teer) the Even-Handed, asking that he guide their judgments with temperance and resolve. A utopian interloper deity who long ago came to Toril from a foreign cosmos, Tyr sees himself as a father figure working to craft a perfect society among the people of Faerun, whom he views as his wayward children. The pain of knowing that his mortal charges cannot hope to initiate and protect a flawless, completely just orderly existence tinges Tyr's philosophy with an undercurrent of resigned sadness.

Religious iconography depects Tyr as an aging one-handed warrior, often with a bloody bandage covering his wounded eyes. The so-called Maimed God lost his right hand in battle with the ravenous entity known as Kezef the Chaos Hound. Tyr's blindness dates to the Time of Troubles, when Ao himself scoured his eyes for failing to witness the theft of the Tablets of Fate and for allowing discord among the gods of Toril. Worshipers have allegorized Tyr's wounds as emblematic of the blindness of justice and the price the truly just must endure on the path to righteousness and stern defense of the law. Particularly radical Tyrran sects advocate self-mutilation among their adherents, a practice condemned by the large majority of the faithful, who nonetheless ritualistically don gauze eye coverings and an off-colored glove on their right hands to honor the Blind Overlord.

Commoners view Tyr and his clerics as stern arbiters of justice, often missing the paternal philosophical nuances of Tyrran doctrine for its more obvious black-and-white teachings on the nature of morality. They tend to view Tyr as something of a divine constant--they know that Tyr expects fairness, good judgment, and kindness toward the innocent from his followers, and hence afford Tyr's clerics a great deal of trust.

Clerics of Tyr pray for spells at dawn. In addition to numerous minor holidays, Tyr's presthood follows a strict regimen of monthly high rituals. On the first of each month, Tyrrans celebrate Seeing Justice, at which specially chanted prayers elicit the appearance of a white-hot war hammer that glows with heat and light. The thirteenth day brings celebration of the Maiming, at which the congregation sings loud, booming hymns as an illusionary gauntleted hand surrounded by a numbus of burning blood appears above them. A similar ritual called The Blinding, which takes place on the twenty-second day of each month, involves an image of burning, crying eyes. Tyr's clerics often multiclass as paladins.

History/Relationships: Tyr came to Toril in -247 DR in an event known as the Procession of Justice. Bursting from a gate near modern-day Alaghon in Turmish, he led a force of 200 archons across the Vilhon Reach in an effort to pacify the remnants of ancient Jhaamdath, which had follen to lawlessness and brigandage following that empire's destruction at the hands of its elven enemies. In the ensuing battle, Tyr's host slew Valigan Thirdborn, a lesser deity of anarchy whose rise in -269 DR directly coincided with the ascendance of the bloodthirsty Exarch Thelasand IV, who spurred the Emperor into greater conflict with the elves.

Tyr's actions and sacrifices during the Procession (which lasted until -238) attracted the attention of the previously obscure Ilmater, who joined forces with Tyr in -243 DR. Years laster, long after the Procession had ended with most of Tyr's servants banished or killed and the deity himself taking interest in Toril at learge at the expense of his initial, highly targeted campaign, Torm joined up as the Just God's war leader. Together with Ilmater, the deities became known as the Triad, by which they are still referred to this day.

Over the more than 1,600 years since his arrival, Tyr has expanded his dominance over the whole of Faerun--few are those who do not know his name or the enthusiastic ideals he represents. His is a civilizing voice, urging the construction of moral and legal codes and the administration of fair justice for sentient creatures in every land. In this regard he is both progressive and regressive, representing a force for cultural development in lands with corrupt or no legal systems and representing a stern defense of the status quo in nations with well-established codes of law.

Tyr's relatively short time on Toril has gained him a host of enemies. He fiercely opposes deities dedicated to tyranny, evil, or lawlessness, and bears particular enmity toward Bane, Cyric, Mask, Talona, and Talos.

Dogma: Reveal the truth, punish the guilty, right the wrong, and always be true and just in your actions. Uphold the law wherever you go and punish those who do wrong under the law. Keep a record of your own rulings, deeds, and decisions, for through this your errors can be corrected, your grasp on the laws of all lands will flourish, and your ability to identify lawbreakers will expand. Be vigiland in your observations and anticipations so you may detect those who plan injustices before their actions threaten law and order. Deliver vengeance to the guilty for those who cannot do it themselves.

Clergy and Temples: The Tyrran faith appeals to those who seek to bring order to the disorderly, to punish the wicked, and to ensure that civilization prospers through a careful, fair system of justice. Theirs is a doctrine of justice through benevolent force and armed vigilance, a philosophy that makes the faith attractive to paladins and lawful fighters. Most adherents do not fight in the field, however, instead seeing to important battles in the courts as bureacrats, judges, bailiffs, and merchants. Tyrrans tend to view all affairs in clear-cut moral terms, preferring to see the world ordered by just laws that provide the greatest benefit to all. They tend toward intolerance, sometimes violently so, and seldom tolerate mockery, parody, or the questioning of their faith.

Clerics of Tyr bring law to lawless lands, often serving as judge, jury, and executioner. Without a civilized legal code with which to guide their judgments, they often default to a doctrine roughly equivalent to "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." However, Tyrrans prefer to err on the side of mercy, and frequently commute otherwise harsh sentences for cases in which the offender was ignorant of any wrongdoing. Such criminals usually find their names recorded in the cleric's Book of Lawgiving, which is then shared with the nearest temples to prevent that perpetrator repeating the offense and getting off lightly. Powerful clerics frequently employ the mark of justice spell to add magical coercion to their stern lectures to convicted criminals.

In civilized lands, Tyrrans (inevitably called "tyrants" by their legion detractors) tend to become legal experts, advising rulers, judges, or powerful merchants on the intricacies of the law and arguing cases before magistrates. They view the latter as charity, donating their (sometimes lavish) "speaking fees" to the church.

Regardless of their setting, Tyrrans never enforce a law that can be shown to be unjust--defined by the church as out of compliance with the principles and definitions adhered to by other laws in the body of legal doctrine of which it is part. This sometimes forces Tyrrans to support very unfair laws that are, nonetheless, just. In many such cases, Tyrrans attempt to change the laws by working within the system. Those who break even unfair laws as a form of defiance or political dissent are nonetheless guilty, in their view, and deserve to be punished to the fullest extend the law allows.

In some cases, Tyrrans act as agents of vengeance for those who have been wronged and who cannot afford or are no longer around to defend themselves. In such cases, when the law is so broken down as to become meaningless, clerics of Tyr act openly to defy evil or corrupt forces, martyring themselves if such becomes necessary.

The well-connected, highly organized Church of Tyr sponsors an extensive system of fortified temples throughout Faerun. Each subscribes to a strict set of internal rules known as the Innumerable Edicts, which seems to grow more pedantic and onerous with each passing year.

Currently, the sprawling Fortress Faithful in Tethyr (south of Zazesspur) holds the most influential position in the church, as many faithful flocked there during that land's recent civil war, and have stayed on to ensure stability in the region. The massive Hose of Tyr's Hand in Thesk represents a more staid, traditionalist sect of the church, and shelters the Just Knights--clerics, fighters, and paladins who have honored the Maimed God in countless battles against their aggressive neighbors in Thay. Individual temples of Tyr offer lodging, fresh mounts, healing, spell aid, weapons, gear, and holy advice, as well as confession of sins, which plays an important absolving role in the faith.

[From Faiths and Pantheons, pp 79-80]

---

I didn't bother with posting the Tyr avatar stats. It's another two pages.

[StabbingNirvana]

who needs a tyr avatar stat when gial himself is an avatar of tyr ... err, when hes epic. heh. anyhow. thanks. there were some things there ive never read before

[Quadhund/Greenhouse]

wolfmunroe said:

who nonetheless ritualistically don gauze eye coverings

Wow Gial will be REALLY easy to pick pocket then

[moulinous]

and slowly but surley gials ego begans to expand even more causing massive lagg to the server to support his enormously large head...
newbie pc; who is that?*points at gial*
older pc; oh that is gial
newbie; whats wrong with his head?
older; the dms had to give him the head of a slicer beetle to hold his ego in check
lol, just kidding

[StabbingNirvana]

by ritualistically, i think it means during temple services ... so if you really want to pick pockets, it would be best to go to the temple during a service. good luck finding a service going on though. there arent any seats in the temple ... or a resting place. or a room for a certain lone paladin to call his home ... (preferably on the top right side of the temple of the defenders)

[soulfien]

another little known fact to those who never played PnP is that Shar and Selune have been doing battle with eachother since the beginning of creation.

They're 2 of the oldest gods and they've been mortal enemies throughout most of that time.

Shar is the goddess of night and darkness and Selune is the goddess of the moon that penetrates that darkness.

This enmity extends to their priesthood who frequently wage war with eachother. Sharites and Selunites will almost always do battle with eachother whenever they meet. And about once every year huge gatherings from each church will meet on an open battlefield- usually during Shieldmeet.

[DM Grizwald]

Thats interesting...good luck cormac and thor, i really want to see that fight