Page 29 - D&D - Player's Handbook

More formal shrines to Beshaba exist in places where THE EARTHMOTHER
folk frequently hope to ward off misfortune. These sites The druids of the Moonshae Isles worship the Earth-
tend to be posts or stones painted red with blackened mother, she who is the generative power of the land itself.
antlers attached to them, or a red, triangular wall- To some mainlanders, the Earthmother is an aspect or
mounted plaque with attached antlers. Both types have manifestation of Chauntea, but to the Ffolk, she is simply
a stone or bronze bowl where coins can be tossed or the Earth mother, and always will be. The moonwells of the
burnt offerings made. The Red Wizards of Thay com- isles are her sacred sites and her windows onto the world.
See "Druids" in chapter 4 for more information.
monly erect such shrines outside their ritual chambers
to guard against unfortunate mistakes.
welcomed into all homes at mealtimes and at the birth
Few dare to take Beshaba as a patron. The rare cler-
of children, and folk give her thanks whenever they
ics of the Maid of Misfortune are those who have been
experience the pleasure of settling by a fire and feeling
deeply affected by great misfortunes and who seek to
safe and loved.
warn others of the essential unfairness of life- or to in-
Chauntea's faith is one of nurturing and growth. Agri-
flict that unfairness upon them.
cultural aphorisms and farming parables dot her teach-
BHAAL ings. Growing and reaping, the eternal cycle, is a com-
mon theme in the faith. Destruction for its own sake, or
The Lord of Murder
leveling without rebuilding, is anathema to her.
The folk of Faerfm don't normally pray to or acknowl- Temples of Chauntea maintain a great body of lore
edge Bhaal. He is seen as a deeply evil and destructive about farming and cultivation. Her priests work closely
deity who hungers for death- meaning the death of any with communities in rural areas, and they are willing to
sentient beings through unlawful means. roll up their sleeves and dig their hands into the dirt.
Some people pray to Bhaal when they want to commit
murder. A person might have good reason to resort to CYR IC
murder, such as when one is unable to redress some in- The Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun
justice through lawful means. But it's far more common
for prayers to Bhaal to be uttered by those who seek to The worship of Cyric derives directly from the story of
kill someone out of jealousy, greed, or wrath. It's rare for his ascension to godhood. Cyric was a mortal during the
anyone but assassins or compulsive killers to take Bhaal Time of Troubles and the key to how that chaotic period
resolved, but he was also a selfish traitor and a mur-
as a patron, and clerics who revere Bhaal often qualify
on both counts. derer. When he became a god, Cyric continued to work
Murder cults of Bhaal have arisen in the past, each various plots of deceit and murder- the most famous of
led by a charismatic, self-styled priest of Bhaal, but or- which is that, according to legend, Cyric murdered Mys-
ganized worship of the Lord of Murder is extremely un- tra and thus caused the Spellplague over a century ago.
common. Temples and shrines are similarly rare. Those Those who don't worship Cyric see him as a god of
who erect a shrine to Bhaal usually do so to thank him madness, strife, and deceit, although his priests con-
for a successful murder. Such shrines typically feature sider such claims to be heresy. Their Prince of Lies
a skull or a severed head surrounded by drops of blood isn't a twisted madman, but a god of dark majesty who
(often both from the murdered victim). proves that, ultimately, all bonds between folk corrupt
and wither away.
CHAUNTEA Cyric's church works openly in Arnn, where the citi-
zens espouse the principles of ambition, self-reliance,
The Great Mother, the Grain Goddess
and "buyer beware." Those who take Cyric as their
Chauntea is goddess of agriculture: sowing and reaping, patron tend to be sadists, con artists, power-mad conniv-
seeding and harvest, breeding and butchery, shearing ers, and worse. Other folk pray to Cyric when they want
and weaving. In this aspect she is a rural deity rarely to do wrong but don't want others to find out about it.
prayed to behind the walls of a city except by kitchen "The Dark Sun," originally one of Cyric's epithets, has
gardeners. But Chauntea is also the Great Mother, a become a metaphor for strife in the Realms. "A Dark
goddess of crib, hearth, and home. And as such she is Sun has risen o'er this court" might be spoken as a

SYM BO L
OF (H AU N TEA

SYM BOL OF CYRIC

SYMBOL O F B HAAL