Deity Aspects

Deity Aspects

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Powers of Worship

Aspects are distinct fragments of a deity in the Realms; regional variations with not only a different name but maybe even a different ethos or portfolio. Sometimes they are the deities who have been defeated or subdued or even willingly absorbed but whose followers are not yet ready for the "true faith".

The following god-aspects have been added as powers to be worshipped. Eventually there will be a system for more interesting interaction with their parent religion. The lore blurbs here are only meant to give you atmospheric insight and in some cases are META-KNOWLEDGE that really only the gods might know or what your general normie in the Realms knows.

Intermediate Power

Leira

Aspects: Trickery and Deceit, Magic

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: A cloudy gray triangle of mist, point downward

Portfolio: deception, illusion, mist, shadows

Worshippers: illusionists, liars

Description: Shortly after the Time of Troubles - the God of Murder duped the goddess of Lies and struck her down and thus won her portfolios and most of her followers. Cyric of course has largely won over most of her continental followers but in Nimbral and Samarach her worship remains strong, where the question of whether or not their prayers are answered by Lord Cyric is not an issue.

Lesser Power

Ibrandul

Aspects: Trickery and Deceit, Hearth and Home

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Four interlocking silver circles on a dark purple background

Portfolio: Caverns, dungeons, skulks

Worshippers: Calishite thieves, explorers of the underdark, those who fight the drow, those being groomed to worship Shar in Calimshan and Waterdeep

Description: During the Time of Troubles the Dark Lady finally defeated and subsumed the Calishite deity of the Underdark and Caverns - she did not explicitly inform his followers of this and her own priesthood has been instructed to leave them alone. Only the more benevolent priests have left to other deities or have fallen to faithlessness.

Demipower

Eshowdow

Aspects: Trickery and Deceit, War

Alignment: Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Black, vaguely man-shaped shadow with long claws

Portfolio: Shadows, destruction, revenge, cowardice, ignominy, fear

Worshippers: Eshowe, outcast Tabaxi, Chultan goblins, Chultans groomed to worship Shar

Description: Shar has always wanted a place in the hearts of Chultans and finally she was able to defeat the enemy of Ubtao shortly after the Time of Troubles. Not wishing the Protector of Chult to discover that a Faerunian power has infrilted his domain she has maintained the aspect - with only some in her priesthood aware of the transition.

Bright Nydra

Aspects: Nature, Hearth and Home (Druidic)

Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: A crescent moon over an intricate snowflake

Portfolio: The winter moon, hope, renewal

Worshippers: Marsh Drovers of the Farsea Marshes in Cormyr, the depressed, those who are lost

Description: Bright Nydra is an aspect of Selune worshipped by the people (Marsh Drovers) of the Farsea Mashes in Cormyr. This naturist aspect of the goddess is said to be her daughter with Shaundakul and reportedly defeated Bhaal's avatar during the Time of Troubles.

Entropy (Human Only)

Aspects: War, Knowledge and Invention

Alignment: Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Neutral Evil

Symbol: Black Circle

Portfolio: Tyranny, Control, Destruction of Magic

Worshippers: House Karanok in Chessenta, denizens of the City of Luthcheq, anti-magi of Chessenta, those who hate dwarves, elves, gnomes and other magical races

Description: Entropy is a strange Sphere of Annihilation that was worshipped by the mad rulers of Luthceq (House Karanok). As they were purging and oppressing the Magi of their City in 1370 the Goddess Tiamat decided to encourage them and so began to answer prayers of their priests and establish a formal priesthood.

Note: Refuses worship of any arcane-casting classes (Wizard, Sorcerer, Hexblade, Bard/Warlock, etc.)

Tchazzar (Human Only)

Aspects: War, Hearth and Home

Alignment: Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: A Red Dragon

Portfolio: Chessenta, Battle, Strength, Victory

Worshippers: Chessentans and those awed by the majesty of the first Sceptenar of Chessenta

Description: Tchazzar is known as the Great Red Wyrm and was as the guise of a human general who eventually unified Chessenta for the first and last time. In 1018 DR he disappeared after a victorious battle against Sahaugin raiders - little did his people know he had apotheosized. Though his mortal empire collapsed his followers established cults in Cimbar and Soorenar who received answers to their prayers - during the Time of Troubles he returned to toil as the Red Wyrm aspect of Tiamat, a detail no mortals would understand, and though he once again disappeared his cult continues with its distinct worship.

Dark Seldarine

Malyk

Aspects: Magic, Trickery and Deceit

Alignment: Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Multihued vortex

Portfolio: Wild magic, evil magic, rebellion

Worshippers: Drow, derro, and alhoon wild mages

Description: Once a Drow lich who lived beneath the Dalelands which placed him opportunely to absorb an aspect of Mystra when she was slain by Helm in Shadowdale during the time of troubles. Shortly there after the god Tempus sought him out and destroyed him - but his essence and identity was stolen in that moment by Talos - who among surfacers is the patron of Wild Magic but his worship in the depths is largely under the name Malyk and is seen chiefly as part of the Dark Seldarine.

Gnomish

Nebelun

Aspects: Magic, Trickery and Deceit

Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: A Bellows and lizard tail

Portfolio: Inventions, good luck

Worshippers: gnomish inventors, luck-seekers, tinkerers

Description: Nebelun is a gnomish power that never directly entered The Realms and so Gond came to fulfill the roll. Though as ages have passed and direct worship of Gond has been formally accepted among some gnomes - there are small cults who maintain the distinction between the two and others who do not see the resemblance at all.

Seldarine

Avachel

Aspects: Knowledge and Invention, Trickery and Deceit

Alignment: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: A grinning dragon's head

Portfolio: Learning, invention, humor, storytelling, tricks

Worshippers: bards, free thinkers, and performers

Description: Avachel is the companion wyrm of Erevan Ilsere in the Seldarine. But this is just a male aspect of Hlal who is a dear friend of the Seldarine.

Mulhorandi

Bes

Aspects: Trickery and Deceit, Magic

Alignment: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Ugly Human with Dwarfism

Portfolio: Luck, music, protection

Worshippers: Gamblers, Rogues, Bards, Illusionists

Description: The Mulhorandi power Bes has waned over the years and has effectively abandoned the Realms. His cult remains distinct, though small, but the dwarven power Vergadain has subsumed it into his portfolio and is now answering the prayers of his clerics. This is not known by his Humanist followers.

Yuan-ti

Sss'thasine'ss

Aspects: Nature, Trickery and Deceit (Druidic)

Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: Swarm of writhing venomous creatures

Portfolio: venomous creatures

Worshippers: Yuan-ti, dark nagas

Description: Another aspect of the World Serpent, Sss’thasine’ss was an evil deity once worshiped by yuan-ti, dark nagas, and a few other Scaled Ones. He appeared to his followers as a writhing swarm of coiled serpents in a crude humanoid shape and typically communicated through the heads of countless smaller snakes. Sss’thasine’ss was ultimately destroyed by one of the elf gods around the time that the Vyshaantaar rose to power in Aryvandaar. Talona has since assumed his aspect.

Varae

Aspects: War, Trickery and Deceit

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Snake biting its tail

Portfolio: snakes

Worshippers: yuan-ti purebloods, calishite barbarians

Description: A nomadic beast cult made up of humans in the Shining Plains began worshiping the god Varae during the Fifth Age of Calimshan (200 DR to 270 DR). A group of pureblood yuan-ti from the Chultan Peninsula infiltrated the cult and spread its influence across Faerûn. One group of cultists migrated north in search of Ss’thar’tiss’ssun, only to be transformed en masse into ophidians when they unleashed an artifact created by House Orogoth and left behind by the yuan-ti. It is an aspect of slumbering Sseth.

Note: Open to all (meant for yuan-ti & humans)

Merrshaulk

Aspects: War, Trickery and Deceit

Alignment: Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Cobra Head

Portfolio: Beasts, Predators, Somnolence

Worshippers: yuan-ti outcasts, hunters

Description: Upon the fragmentation of their primary deity, the sarrukh chose to venerate the aspect embodied by Merrshaulk. This cruel and despotic deity set the sarrukh on the path toward absolute evil. Merrshaulk cared little for the plight of the serpent races, as long as they continued to worship him. He inexplicably sank into a deep slumber that lasted for thousands of years. Ultimately, he was reborn in the form of his avatar Sseth, the deity that the yuan-ti now venerate - however there still remain isolated groups who do not know "the good news" or turn to the old to defy the new.