Appropriate Faerunian diety

[Behold_the_Void]

It seems I've fallen in with a group that really likes running in Faerun. Not a huge problem, but I'm not familiar with a lot of the setting so it does present some problems for character development.

Anyway, I'm currently creating an evil Warblade character with the basic philosophy of a love of battle and slaughter in order to further his own fame and power. I'm looking for the Faerun equivalent of the standard Greyhawk god Hextor (or possibly Erythnul), since as any good Faerunian knows if you don't worship some god you're more or less screwed for the entirety of the afterlife.

Apologies if this is against some OGL rules, but I don't particularly see it being so.

Right now the best we were able to come up with is Bane (there's another Bane-ite in the party right now, actually). And we've nixed Cyric, if not for the fact that he's screwed up but for the fact that the Bane-ite in the party would have to kill him on principle.

But yes, any suggestions are welcome.

[Bears With Lasers]

Garagos: demipower of War, Skill At Arms, Destruction, and Plunder. A great fit for an evil Warblade.

[Renegade Paladin]

Definitely Garagos. He's chaotic neutral, but leans towards the destructive side of war, unlike Tempus, the greater war god.

[cupkeyk]

Everybody loves Tiamat. And she's also a Greyhawk Deity so you might also have heard of her.

Try this link for a mouthful of FR deities.

[Thomas]

I agree with Garagos. Bane's about tyranny, not slaughter; in fact, Banites shouldn't be personally violent (they're more the type who'll order villages slaughtered and captives tortured). Cyric is little different, except with a lot more paranoia and even more of a "secret cabal" feel since Bane's back. He's even got multiple arms, like Hextor - there's an obvious connection there.

I don't know why Garagos is Chaotic Neutral, anyway. He's always seemed pretty thoroughly evil to me. His Domains are Chaos, Destruction, Strength, War, Gluttony, and Wrath.

Another obvious choice is Talos, the god of destruction, storms, lightning, and so on. His clerics tend to be crazy wanderers and bandits in the Savage North, attacking small settlements on their own or at the head of bandit bands.

If the character is more battle- and less slaughter-oriented, then there's Red Knight, the Lady of Strategy - a Lawful Neutral demigod in service to Tempus. She's all about winning battles and wars. She's got the Law, Planning, Nobility, and War domains.

If the character's more slaughter- and less battle-oriented, there's Malar (Chaotic Evil), the evil hunting god. He's worshipped by evil lycanthropes, and his ceremonies involve a human-hunt (or elf-, dwarf-, or whatever else). His philosophy is mostly about the strong prevailing over the weak, and doing what they will because no one can stop them.

If the character should happen to be an Uthgardti barbarian, then Uthgar would also be a decent choice. He's all about personal might, war, battle, and violence, too. Chaotic Neutral, with the Animal, Chaos, Retribution, Strength, War, and Wrath domains.

Tiamat (Lawful Evil) is pretty specific in Faerûn; she's a deity of evil dragons and of Chessenta. If the character's from Chessenta, Tiamat's a decent choice as a major cultural/regional deity, but her philosophy doesn't coincide with the one you've presented.


Knowing the Warblade's alignment would help, by the way - as well as race and intended origins.

[Neo]

yeah, your main choices would be:

Garagos, for violence
Loviatar, Suffering/Torture etc.
Tempus, just for war/fighting

Probably the one that best fits him apart from Garagos would have been Bhaal(though he's dead), for Death(especially ritual or violent murder)

[Behold_the_Void]

Right, I should have included race and alignment from the start.

He's Neutral Evil (although he may end up Lawful Evil, depending on how he develops), and a Moon Elf from the area around Waterdeep. He travels around in search of combat, and enjoys fighting to the death with those who might prove a worthy opponent. He's not particularly picky about who he ends up killing, so long as they serve his own personal enrichment and power.

I don't know if this matters for diety selection but weapon-wise I'm currently seeing if my DM will allow a bastard sword sheathed in a staff-like sheath. He uses the "staff" in battle, but will draw out the bastard sword (which he will have further enchanted as the campaign draws on) if he feels the opponent is worthy. He likes being able to show dominance in battle over his enemies, and often makes defeat extremely humiliating and painful for his foes before he kills them.

The concept is a character who wants power through strength of arms, and is willing to cut down whoever might help him gain that power through their death.

[MrNexx]

Hmmm... the Red Knight wouldn't be the best choice, then, nor would Malar, Talos, or Tempus. Bane would be someone he could respect, but he wouldn't be a Banite... he would worship Bane more as an exemplar of who he wants to emulate, than as someone he actually follows.

Have you considered some of the Elven deities? Or some of the drow deities, or the darkling ones that no one talks about (I don't have my books with me)?

[GolemsVoice]

Don't you see it? That, of course, is TEMPUS! Chaotic (?) Neutral deity of battle, battle and battle. Have I mentioned battle? Tempus does not care who you slay, or why, or in which way, as long as it's a fight which is more or less fair and equal. Since your character is searching for worthy oponents, Tempus will welcome him today. You can be a Tempusist! It's fun. And when you die, there will be battles, food and women who only wear the cliche chainmail underwear! Subscribe NOW and get this free battle axe for you!
*Ahem* Tempus is also no "clean" god, who likes shiny armor and paladins and "You dare to challenge me, vile knave?" stuff, but who hit somebody hart with something. Only probem is, he's not evil per se.

[shaka gl]

Tempus likes honorable battle, not slaughter...i think.

[Thomas]

NE moon elf...

How religious is this guy? If he's no more religious than the next elf, I'd go with Fenmarel Mestarine (elven deity of outcasts and loners) or Shevarash (elven deity of retribution and hating the drow). Both are Chaotic Neutral.

I can't imagine any surface elf, no matter how evil, worshipping any drow deity. Well, any of the three real ones; Lolth's obviously out of the question, Vhaeraun is a deity of rebellious drow males who undermine the matriarchy, and Kiaransalee is the drow deity of undead revenants and doing unsavory things with dead bodies. (Ew.) Ghaunadaur the slime-blob has nothing to offer anyone, and Selvetarm isn't really worshipped as far as I know (he's just Lolth's bodyguard, pretty much; Lolth's faith more or less denies the existence of all other deities, including Selvetarm...).


All that said, I'd still recommend Garagos or Talos above all others. Malar's still a good choice, since his faith is about the strong preying on the weak.

Clerics and paladins are pretty much the only characters whose attitudes are defined by their deities; those of Garagos, Talos, and Malar seem to fit well enough with the world-view of this warblade.

[Behold_the_Void]

I'm leaning toward either Garagos or Malar. He's not extremely religious, but he recognizes the fact that he could die at any time if he comes up against too powerful a foe, and wants to have a definite place in some kind of afterlife.

Tempus is still an option, but as said he seems a bit too honorable.

I think the drow dieties are pretty much out. I know enough about them to realize that they're not for this character.

[silentknight]

Worshipers can be of any alignment, so you don't need to worry about that when choosing a god to follow. If you are a cleric or paladin (or similar class), THEN you worry about alignment.

[Fax Celestis]

Sherevash, The Black Archer, may be appropriate. I may have spelled that wrong.

In essence, he's an elven deity of revenge, but uses whatever means necessary to further his own ends. Could work for you.

[Talya]

I can't imagine any surface elf, no matter how evil, worshipping any drow deity.

i'll throw you a curveball (irrelevant to the discussion at hand, but directly addressed to this point).

A lot of good surface elves worship a drow deity. Most of Eilistraee's (CG) followers are surface elves, although a significant percentage are drow.

[Thomas]

i'll throw you a curveball (irrelevant to the discussion at hand, but directly addressed to this point).

A lot of good surface elves worship a drow deity. Most of Eilistraee's (CG) followers are surface elves, although a significant percentage are drow.

Really? I always figured they were all drow. Now that I think about it, though, isn't it explained somewhere that the non-drow worshippers paint their skin black (and dye their hair white?) for the naked moonlight sword-dancing ceremonies? So there's obviously a notable enough number of them for such a tradition to develop.

I wouldn't class Eilistraee as a "drow deity," anyway. She's effectively the same as the Seldarine - not evil, a surface-world elf deity, etc. (Just like I wouldn't class Ghaunadaur as a drow deity. Lolth, Vhaeraun, and Kiaransalee is it, really. I guess Selvetarm had some drow enforcer PrC somewhere, so he might be prominent in some cities.)

[MrNexx]

Kossuth, the god of elemental fire.

Worshipers Alignment:CN, LE, LG, LN, N, NE, NG

Dogma: Those fit to succeed will do so. Kossuth's faith is innately superior to all other faith's, particularly that of Istishia (the elemental water goddess). Fire and purity are the same. Smoke is produced by the air in jealousy. The reward of successful ambition is power. Reaching a higher state is inevitably accomplished by difficulty and personal pain of some sort. Kossuth sends his pure fire to cleanse us all and temper our souls so that we can achieve a pure state. Expect to be tested, and rise to the challenge, no matter what difficulty and pain it brings. Those above you have proven their worth and deserve your service. Guide others to Kossuth's pure light so that he may reforge all life into its essential form.

Now, obviously, your elf isn't going to be wholly orthodox, but this seems to be a great fit. Destroy crap to get power. It's all a test of your strength, because your ambition will be rewarded.

[Behold_the_Void]

I think we have a winner. I'm liking this Kossuth fellow.

[MrNexx]

I think we have a winner. I'm liking this Kossuth fellow.

Bonus points for him: He's fairly racially neutral, himself (he's an elemental deity), but he's very popular amongst the Red Wizards of Thay, giving you minor bonus points with the dealers of magic in the Realms.

I *knew* it was just a matter of me getting home to my books. Brilliance isn't knowing everything; it's knowing where to look it up.

[Thomas]

Ah, the ever-neglected elemental deities. Good catch...

[MrNexx]

All it took was a table of contents. ::blows smoke off index finger::

[Talya]

Really? I always figured they were all drow. Now that I think about it, though, isn't it explained somewhere that the non-drow worshippers paint their skin black (and dye their hair white?) for the naked moonlight sword-dancing ceremonies? So there's obviously a notable enough number of them for such a tradition to develop.

I wouldn't class Eilistraee as a "drow deity," anyway. She's effectively the same as the Seldarine - not evil, a surface-world elf deity, etc. (Just like I wouldn't class Ghaunadaur as a drow deity. Lolth, Vhaeraun, and Kiaransalee is it, really. I guess Selvetarm had some drow enforcer PrC somewhere, so he might be prominent in some cities.)

Good memory on the painted skin. That's exactly the case.

Eilistraee and Vhaerun are the twin daughters of Corellon and Aurachne (Lolth before her exile from the Seldarine.) When Lolth and her followers were exiled, Eilistraee voluntarily chose exile as well, in an attempt to redeem her lost people. So yes, she's a "Drow Deity." (They're known as the Dark Seldarine.) She obviously doesn't fit the mold of those deities, though, being the only one of them not chaotic evil, she sticks out like a sore thumb, so it's understandable not grouping them together.

[Caelestion]

Well Vhaeraun used to be Neutral Evil in 2nd Edition. *shrug*

[Talya]

Well Vhaeraun used to be Neutral Evil in 2nd Edition. *shrug*

Was he? I need to look him up again, but if he was (or is), that would make him, to my knowledge, the only god among the entire Seldarine/Dark Seldarine who is not chaotic.

Edit: Currently chaotic, although I don't have a 2nd edition book to compare.

[Caelestion]

Well, Angharad, the supposed triune deity composed of Aerdrie Faenya, Sehanine Moonbow and Hanali Evergold (can't remember her surname), is Neutral Good. Then again, I'm not sure I spring for the triune deity rubbish anyway.

[Thomas]

Angharradh is CG in Faerûn.

Good memory on the painted skin. That's exactly the case.

Eilistraee and Vhaerun are the twin daughters of Corellon and Aurachne (Lolth before her exile from the Seldarine.) When Lolth and her followers were exiled, Eilistraee voluntarily chose exile as well, in an attempt to redeem her lost people. So yes, she's a "Drow Deity." (They're known as the Dark Seldarine.) She obviously doesn't fit the mold of those deities, though, being the only one of them not chaotic evil, she sticks out like a sore thumb, so it's understandable not grouping them together.

Thank you, and I'll concede the point, but I've got a quibble...

Aurashnee was exiled by Corellon Larethian long before the Ilythiiri dark elves (and all the other dark elves) were exiled and cursed by the Seldarine; in fact, I think it's a difference of millenia. Which exile was Eilistraee part of?

And, on that note, how did the Dark Seldarine get along for so long without worshippers? I think Lolth managed because she became a Demon Prince(ss?) - and possibly because she's worshipped across multiple words - but wouldn't the others, at least, need worshippers?

[Talya]

Aurashnee was exiled by Corellon Larethian long before the Ilythiiri dark elves (and all the other dark elves) were exiled and cursed by the Seldarine; in fact, I think it's a difference of millenia. Which exile was Eilistraee part of?

At that point i'm lost. :)

And, on that note, how did the Dark Seldarine get along for so long without worshippers? I think Lolth managed because she became a Demon Prince(ss?) - and possibly because she's worshipped across multiple words - but wouldn't the others, at least, need worshippers?

Ao only caused the FR deities to rely on worshippers for power after the time of troubles. Prior to that, they were self-contained.

And correction to myself above..."Daughters" is the wrong word to use for a group including Vhaeraun. I wasn't paying attention.

[Thomas]

I don't think Lost Empires of Faerûn specified anything about the other Dark Seldarine... is there another source (D&D, AD&D...) that goes deeper into the history of the other drow deities?

Ao only caused the FR deities to rely on worshippers for power after the time of troubles. Prior to that, they were self-contained.

I had no idea. This is what I get for not reading Troy Denning on principle...

[MrNexx]

But think of what you GAIN.

I think it more than balances in your favor.