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Deities of Sharseya (a player's perspective)

Kaerri

Dannigan's Lady
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I keep asking Dannigan for this, and he keeps being busy with other things (like running the game!), so I offered to write it up for him. After all, it's his forum, he can edit it whenever he likes! He graciously took me up on the offer and suggested the "player's perspective" part - which, of course, is exactly what this is, because I've been a player in Sharseya for a long time now and have a pretty good idea of who's around in this part of the world, and a few of the ones in other parts, but I don't necessarily know all of what's out there (nor should I). So here goes, and I hope you all find this helpful or at least entertaining. You can tell which ones I've had more interaction with (or whose followers, at least). ^;3^
Pictures are from D&D 3.x (meaning 3.0 or possibly 3.5) or the 3.x version of the Forgotten Realms setting, unless otherwise stated.

Summerset
Boccob Boccob.gif The god of magic and knowledge has been established in Summerset for some time, hence the proliferation of spellcasters in the city. Boccob's library/temple is not only a historical landmark, but an excellent place to find, well, just about any sort of information you're looking for - assuming you can convince the librarians you've got a good reason to know it. The high priestess of Boccob in Summerset is Chief Vizier Beltheras.
Meta-game: This version is based on the D&D 3.x books. As such, Boccob's alignment is neutral; his domains are Knowledge, Magic, and Trickery; and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.
See also this post from the first Adventurers' Table thread, and these others:
At the Adventurers' Table
At the Adventurers' Table
At the Adventurers' Table

Farlanghn Fharlanghn_symbol.jpg Somewhat of a minor deity in the Summerset area, the god of roads and travelers is still fairly established due to Summerset's being a sort of crossroads. Farlanghn's worshipers tend to be adventurers, traveling merchants, and other wandering sorts.
Meta-game: This version is based on the D&D 3.x books. As such, Farlanghn's alignment is neutral; his domains are Luck, Protection, and Travel; and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.

Pelor Pelor.gif God of the sun, Pelor is actually a relative newcomer to the area. It's a small temple, but the people are warm-hearted and friendly, much like their deity. There are a few adventuring clerics of Pelor that occasionally stop by, but for the most part they're (what else?) out adventuring. Not a lot is known about him due to his newness, but anyone who's been to his temple or one of his services knows he's one of the good guys. High Priest Paul is in charge of the temple.
Meta-game: This version is based on the D&D 3.x books. As such, Pelor's alignment is neutral good; his domains are Good, Healing, Strength, and Sun; and his favored weapon is the mace.

St. Cuthbert
See the main entry in Highwind, where he has a bigger following.


Highwind
Mielikki
Bear for Mielikki.png
Less commonly called Ehlona, the forest-mother is a great favorite in Highwind. Most of the good folk in that city worship her or at least have a great deal of respect for her, and her temple is a warm, welcoming place. However, events in the recent war have had their effect - namely, it is rumored that Mielikki herself was gravely wounded through the plotting of her nemesis, Loviatar, and is only slowly recovering. Still, she remains one of the main divine forces in the area.
Meta-game: This version is based largely on Finnish mythology and somewhat on Ehlona in D&D 3.x. As such, her alignment is neutral good; her domains are Animal, Good, Plant, and Sun; and her favored weapon is the longbow. Her symbols are evergreen and the grizzly bear. Warriors and such tend to picture the bear as a fierce fighter, while those less martially inclined prefer a more motherly image.
(Picture credit: The Grizzly Bear Foundation

Tapio
Based on the Finnish god of the hunt, Tapio is largely mentioned only as Mielikki's husband and is not a major player in the Highwind area.

Poseidon
The god of the ocean doesn't have a lot of followers in land-locked Highwind. Actually, as far as most people know, he has exactly one in the area - an adventurer by the name of Kaerri. ^;3^ Still, she and her party have been rather active in the area, and that means those who listen to adventurers' tales know who he is.

St. Cuthbert St Cuthbert.gif The god of justice and retribution (not necessarily in that order) is, with Mielikki, one of the two main divine forces in Highwind. He was a mortal once, but was able to ascend to godhood, and has become very popular in the Highwind area. His fortress-temple stands within the palace grounds, and his highest priest, Archbishop Marshall du Blake, is on the royal council. Most of the law-enforcement types in the city are among his worshipers, as is anyone who believes in fairness or wants some sort of justice. (The lines to obtain a divine ruling can be quite long! Adventurers on a tight schedule have been known to look for "shortcuts," although this is not necessarily advised...) The archbishop himself is known as a goodly and godly man, righteous (but not self-righteous) but kind, when his duties allow him to be. He is also a married man and has several children.
Meta-game: Based on D&D 3.x, his alignment is lawful neutral (but his clerics cannot be evil); his domains are Destruction, Law, Protection, and Strength; and his favored weapon is the mace.

Thor Thor.jpg North of Highwind is a lot of cold and snow. Those who know where they're going, however, can find the abbey dedicated to Thor, god of thunder and lightning and enemy of giants. Not long ago, an evil ceremony summoned up Vaprak, the troll-god. (Trolls are a type of giant in D&D.) A group of adventurers managed to get a message direct to Thor, who showed up and promptly did battle with the evil deity, soon knocking him straight to the nether planes. (I can't remember which one at the moment, but I'm sure the GM does.) The hole is still out there in the forest and may turn into a tourist attraction sooner or later. It is also worth noting that around that time, the minotaurs of Highwind converted to the worship of Thor almost en masse, as did several of those fighter-types for whom St. Cuthbert wasn't a perfect fit. There is a paladin of Thor, Ragnar by name, whose adventuring party is based out of Highwind, and who can frequently be seen within the city when he isn't out following his calling.
Meta-game: Based partly on Norse mythology, partly on Marvel comics (get Kaerri going sometime on the time her party went to Asgard), and partly on older D&D books (whence comes the above picture). His alignment is chaotic good; his domains are Chaos, Good, Protection, Strength, War, and Weather; and his favored weapon is the warhammer.

Yondalla Yondalla.jpg This halfling goddess of plenty is included with Highwind's deities because that's where most of the hobbits are, and thus most of her worshipers. Kind, sweet, mothering, and an excellent cook, she's the perfect deity for a race that's always interested in where their next meal's coming from.
Meta-game: Based partly on D&D 3.x, her alignment is lawful good; her domains are Good, Law, and Protection; and her favored weapon is the short sword.


Elven deities
Corellon Larethian Corellons.jpg The creator of the elves is the most commonly-worshiped elven deity and is himself the quintessential elf: skillful, graceful, and attractive. He is the enemy of all things orc, especially the orcish deity, Gruumsh. It was by Corellon's hand that Gruumsh lost one eye. Meta-game: Common throughout the D&D books, his alignment is chaotic good; his domains are Chaos, Good, Protection, and War; and his favored weapon is the longsword.

Hanali Celanil Hanali.jpg Also known as Lady Goldheart, the elven deity of romantic love and beauty is frequently worshiped by elven bards, but rarely seen outside elven lands.
Meta-game: Taken from previous editions of Unearthed Arcana, her alignment is chaotic good; her domains are Chaos, Good, Magic, and Protection; and her favored weapon is a dagger.

Solonor Thelandira solonor.jpg The elven god of woodlands and the hunt. Few non-elves have heard of him, but any elf with any connection to forests has - and likely worships him. He is the ultimate archer.
Meta-game: Taken from Unearthed Arcana, his alignment is chaotic good; his domains are Chaos, Good, Plant, and War; and his favored weapon is the longbow.

Eilistraee Eilistraee.jpg Very little is known about this goddess, worshiped mainly by drow (dark elves) of good alignment - probably because there are so few good drow. However, it's said in Highwind that there's an adventurers' party that has come across proof of her existence.


Dwarven deities
Moradin Moradin.jpg The dwarves have a whole pantheon of gods, like other races, but Moradin is the chief of them and the one that non-dwarves are most likely to have heard of, especially smiths.
Meta-game: Common throughout the D&D books, his alignment is lawful good; his domains are Earth, Good, Law, and Protection; and his favored weapon is the warhammer.



Gnome deities
Garl Glittergold Garl.jpg The main deity of the gnomes, Garl is probably the only one in the gnomish pantheon that non-gnomes have heard of, given that there aren't that many gnomes in the areas explored by players thus far. He is largely famous for his sense of humor, and is the enemy of god of the kobolds, who apparently didn't appreciate the last joke Garl played on him.
Meta-game: Info taken from the D&D 3.5 players handbook (including the above blurb) because I just haven't had that much interaction with his worshipers. His alignment is neutral good; his domains are Good, Protection, and Trickery; and his favored weapon is the battleaxe. I'm pretty sure that picture is supposed to be a lump of gold, by the way.



Evil deities We're all good people here, but the bad guys have gods too. Here's some of the ones whose followers my characters have run up against in the past:

Erythnul
This god of slaughter is worshipped by gnolls, and used to be big around Highwind. Key words: "used to be." I believe he's still pretty big out in the Bloodlands, west of Summerset. May be a part of the allied forces of evil in the war against Highwind as well. It was his knife that wounded Mielikki, as part of Loviatar's plan.

Gruumsh
God of orcs. Down with orcs! Has a big hate-hate relationship with Corellon.

Loviatar
Based on Finnish mythology, she is Mielikki's enemy and thus hated by a lot of people in the Highwind area. Known as the Maiden of Pain, she's the goddess of agony and suffering and a lot of other bad things. What can you expect from someone whose favored weapon is the whip? Also ice, which has led to some other nicknames bestowed by players which shouldn't be mentioned in polite company. Conjectured to be playing a part in the war against Highwind, due to her attack on Mielikki.

Vaprak
Called "The Destroyer," the troll-god hasn't been a major player in the area since Thor gave him the beat-down, but there's still plenty of trolls out there.

Wee Jas
The evil goddess of magic, she's got her own cult out in the Bloodlands. Her multiclass monk-mages have a nasty sense of tactics. Be wary, especially if you think you're in a safe spot on that battlefield! Adventurers in Highwind tell of the time a particular party took on a group of monk-mages, and one teleported behind their group and nearly took out their poor archer. Like St. Cuthbert, she is a mortal who ascended to godhood, but they don't have anything else in common - except for their hatred for each other, which dates back to when they were both mortal.

 

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A treat from our recent Conversation with Jaydude during his welcome to Sharseya. =)

Some background involving Highwindian deities in the War for Highwind.
Mielikki has been worshipped in Highwind's parts since before a free city on the mountain was ever dreamed up. Even way back when that mountain served as a dragon's lair (okay, a pair of mated dragons), the creatures who loved Shandra's Evergreen did largely as Mielikki bade as they greatly desired her favor. While she wasn't the only forest-deity to be worshipped there (Skerrit the Forester of the centaurs and Yondalla, the goddess of plenty of the hobbits to name two), Mielikki along with her husband, Tapio, were the two most-popular. Mielikki is the goddess of hunting small game and Tapio is the god of hunting large game.

When the War for Highwind started over a year and a half ago (in the year 1117 for those counting), the evil deities that supported the Armies of the Black Fang succeeded in destroying Tapio's forest temples (for he had none in Highwind). This effectively cut Tapio off from returning to the Prime Material Plane from his planar home of the Happy Hunting Grounds. It definitely stopped him as an influence for the war and caused all of the Druidic Circle who maintained Shandra's Evergreen around Highwind to go to ground and virtually vanish from the war (Mamapaw is a recent and very rare exception).

(Note: All of the following happened in-game. The mortals involved were my Player-Characters in their adventuring parties.) Not long after this took place, those evil gods also managed to trick Mielikki into leaving her protected grounds and nearly assassinate her. However, mortals being what they are, went on grand quests from the plane of Sharseya to Asgard, home of the Norse Gods. There, with the aid of Thor and his sons, Magni and Modi (who have long been worshipped in barbarian tribes north of Highwind) succeeded in bringing Mielikki to Asgard where Frigga, Odin's wife, removed the knife from Mielikki and healed her. Had Mielikki passed from Sharseya, it is thought all of Shandra's Evergreen would waste away leaving naught but dry ground and empty riverbanks all around Highwind. (This was achieved by Kaerri Rainshadow and her legendary party, The Last Resort.)

The evil gods are Loviatar, the goddess of hurt, and Erythnul, the gnoll god of slaughter and malice. It should be noted here that Saint Cuthbert attempted to go to Mielikki's aid but alone was no match for Loviatar and Erythnul. Wee Jas, the evil goddess of magic, and Saint Cuthbert's most-hated foe, while not playing a direct part in participating in the war, served to hamper and bring woes to the god of retribution.

Things were looking bleak indeed for Highwind's people as the Army of the Black Fang sought to conquer the city by summoning yet another deity, the much-feared and rightly-named god of trolls and giants, Vaprak the Destroyer. In a major undertaking, mortals in the name of Saint Cuthbert and Mielikki and other goodness fought to stave off his summoning, and in the process, managed to catch the attention of Thor, the god of thunder, who lives to destroy giants. (This was in part achieved by Brendoran's party, the Light in the Dark, who is also played by Kaerri.)

Via a Miracle Spell, Thor appeared personally to the aid of the mortals. During their battle, Vaprak angered Thor who smote Vaprak with such force it created a crater in Shandra's Evergreen that continues to yawn out to the sky to this day. After this great rescue from the forces of evil (not to mention their traditional "Ha ha" dance at the edge of said crater), the Highwindian minotaurs rallied behind Thor and passionately petitioned Highwind's Council Circle for permission to worship The Thunderer in Highwind. It was unanimously approved and Thor's Highwindian following is small yet fierce in its growing.

So... today, the tide is more or less equal with Saint Cuthbert, a restored Mielikki, and Thor Odinson against Loviatar, Erythnul, to a lesser degree, Wee Jas (who appears to mainly be here to cause Saint Cuthbert woes as these two gods were once mortals in my game. 20 years ago, these bitter rivals ascended to godhood at the same time. Not much has changed between them at this stage. Finally, earlier this year (1118 and prior to the arrival of the Felane, Powerpaw and Mamapaw), there was a petition by the followers of Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of cats and fertility put forth to the Council Circle of Highwind as Bastet had played a minor but important role in Mielikki's restoration, but it was turned down.

This is the situation as it is today.
 

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