Dead Deities

[Mr. Cheez-It]

The constant clash of deities also ensures a steady supply of dead deities whose temples now lie in ruin about Toril.  Moreover, death doesn't necessarily end the career of a deity of Toril.  The possibility of resurrection always exists, as evidenced by the recent return of Bane.  Small cults dedicated to the resurrection of one lost deity or another appear everywhere in Faerun.  Sometimes the deity is beyond reach of such cultists or never existed except in myth, and its adherents receive no divine backing in their endeavors.  Other times, a dead deity retains enough power to provide divine backing to a handful of worshipers.  Occasionally, another deity masquerades in the guise of a dead deity, in hopes of expanding its portfolio.  The following are dead human deities who retain a handful of adherents:

Amaunator, Bhaal, Ibrandul, Myrkul

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Amaunator



The Yellow God, the Keeper of the Eternal Sun
Symbol: Sun with a face on the solar disk
Home Plane: House of the Triad, currently adrift in the Astral Plane
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Portfolio: Bureaucracy, contracts, law, order, the sun, rulership
Worshipers: Dictators, lawyers, nobles, rulers, those who use contracts, tyrants
Favoured Weapon: “The Sceptre of the Eternal Sun” [scepter] (heavy mace)

Cleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN, N
NwN Domains: Law, Sun

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Bhaal



Lord of Murder
Symbol: A white, face-on human skull surrounded by a counter-clockwise orbit of many streaming teardrops
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair, currently adrift on the Astral Plane
Alignment: Lawful evil
Portfolio: Death, especially violent or ritual death
Worshipers: Assassins, cultists, monks, necromancers, sadists
Favoured Weapon: Bone dagger (dagger)

Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE
NwN Domains: Death, Evil

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Ibrandul



Lord of Caverns, the Dungeon Master
Symbol: Four interlocking silver circles on a dark purple background
Home Plane: Unknown
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Caverns, dungeons, the Underdark, skulls
Worshipers: Subterranean creatures, dungeon dwellers
Favored Weapon: "The Skull-Splitter” (heavy pick)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CG, CN, N
NwN Domains: Cavern, Earth, Darkness

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Myrkul



Lord of the Dead, Lord of Bones, the Reaper, Old Lord Skull
Symbol: White human skull on a black field
Home Plane: Unknown
Alignment: Neutral evil
Portfolio: The dead, wasting, decay, corruption, parasites, old age, exhaustion, dusk, autumn
Worshipers: Intelligent undead, mourners, loners, gravediggers, power hungry (particularly young) humans
Favored Weapon: “Doombringer” (scythe)

Cleric Alignments: CE, LE, N, NE
NwN Domains: Death, Trickery

[Howlando]

Finder Wyvernspur



The Nameless Bard
Symbol:  White harp on gray circle
Home Plane:  Gates of the Moon
Alignment:  Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio:  Cycle of life, transformation of art, saurials
Worshipers:  Artists, bards, saurials
Favored Weapon:  “Sword of Songs” (bastard sword)

Cleric Alignments:  CE, CG, CN
NwN Domains:  Chaos, Charm, Renewal
See below.

History/Relationships:  A founding member of the Harpers, Finder was later judged to have betrayed their ideals when his overweening pride resulted in the death of one apprentice and the suicide of another.  After a long period of banishment, he was freed by an adventurer and later became a god as the end of the Time of Troubled by slaying Moander and seizing his divine spark.  In doing so, he freed the saurials of the Lost Vale, an act that gained him their worship.  As a new deity, Finder is still finding his way, although he has formed strong relationships with Tymora and Selune.  In time, he is likely to ally himself with all the gods who had a hand in the founding of the Harpers.  Many Deities and their worshipers work against Finder.  Cultists who seek the rebirth of Moander, including elven cultists who are secretly backed by Lolth, oppose Finder.  Reptilian deities such as Sebek, Set, and Tiamat, attack Finder since he serves as the patron of saurials.  Deities such as Talona and Yurtus wish to usurp Moander's original portfolio (rot) from him, and even Gargauth wants to steal rot as a from of corruption.

On Kythorn the 29th 1373, Finder was slain and thus is no longer able to grant spells. The exact details of how this occured is best learned in game.

Dogma:  Art that is forced to remain immutable is a sign of stagnation and spiritual rot.  In order to thrive, people must be willing to change and transform their art so they can be renewed by it.  Art has the power to influence people and politics.  Although, that should not be its sole use, if art can be used to keep people free and independent from social or political tyranny, it is most proper that it be used so.  All art is pleasing to Finder.  Artistic expression should also be encouraged in all – children and adult, amateur and professional.  While those persons who have learned and mastered disciplines of expression are much to be admired, also recognize the importance of natural talents.

[derfo]

Mystra



The Lady of Mysteries, the Mother of All Magic
Symbol: Circle of seven blue-white stars with red mist flowing from the center.
Home Plane: Dweomerheart
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Magic, Spells, the Weave
Worshipers: Elves, half-elves, incantatrixes, mystic wanderers, sorcerers, spelldancers, spellfire channelers, wizards.
Favored Weapon: Seven whirling stars (shuriken)

Cleric Alignments: CG, LE, LG, LN, NG
NwN Domains: Good, Illusion, Knowledge, Magic, Spell, Rune

History/Relationships:  Mystra is the third deity to hold the position of Lady of Mysteries and Mother of all Magic since the rise of Netheril. The first was Mystryl, who died saving the Weave from the arrogance of the Netherese archwizard Karsus. The second Lady of Mysteries was teh first to create the Chosen of Mystra, including Elminster, Khelben, and the Seven Sisters. She died at the hands of Helm during the Time of Troubles while trying to return to the planes. At the end of the Avatar Crisis, a mortal wizard named Midnight assumed the name of her predecessor upon ascension to divinity. Like Cyric and Kelemvor, it took the new Mystra some time to grow into her role as a deity. For a decade, she battled her old enemy Cyric on many occasions, and for a time, withheld the use of magic from deities and mortals alike. However, since then she seems to have learned her role as guardian of the Balance and impartial arbiter of the Weave.

Mystra's customary advisor is Azuth, although the Lord of Spells is less close than he was with the previous Lady of Mysteries. Savras and Velsharoon, who thus indirectly report to Mystra as well, serve Azuth. The Mother of All Magic maintains close alliances with deities of knowledge, such as Oghma, Deneir, and Milil, as well as the deities of magic in other pantheons, including Corellon Larethian, Isis, and Thoth. Although she still hates Cyric with a passion and views the return of Bane with burgeoning hatred, Mystra's chief antagonist is Shar. Shar secretly created the Shadow Weave long ago in response to Selune's creation of Mystryl and the Weave (to which Shar inadvertently contributed as well). Mystra sees Shar's actions as a direct threat to her own portfolio and a grave danger to the integrity of the Weave, and her ties with Selune are strong and growing. It is Mystra's aim to eventually subsume the Shadow Weave into her own portfolio, even if that means sacrificing her last remaining vestiges of humanity and inherent goodness and absorbing more of the darkness that is Shar.

On Mirtul 19th, 1382 DR, Mystra was slain and thus is no longer able to grant spells, her role taken by the reborn Mystryl. The exact details of how this occurred is best learned here.

Dogma: Love magic for itself. Do not treat it just as a weapon to reshape the world to your will. True wisdom is knowing when not to use magic. Strive to use magic less as your powers develop, for often the threat or promise of its use outsripes its actual performance. Magic is Art, the Gift of the Lady, and those who wield it are privileged in the extreme. Conduct yourself humbly, not proudly, while being mindful of this. Use the Art deftly and efficiently, not carelessly and recklessly. Seek always to learn and create new magic.