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Originally posted by Ayunken-vanzan

Maybe it sounds strange, but you have to consider Lathander - birth is part of his portfolio.

For the elven pantheon we have Angharradh.

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Originally posted by Ardashir

Kind of an odd question here, but what if any deities of the Realms can be seen as goddesses of motherhood and family?

Just wondering because of a background detail for one character: his grandmother was a priestess of Chauntea from Mistledale, born about 1300 DR (this is pre-Spellplague Realms), who went questing for knowledge of healing and protecting children from illness about the time of the Great Plague of the Inner Sea. She traveled to visit various other clergies of 'mother goddesses' to collect whatever knowledge they had that could help.

Her knowledge did help end the Plague, at least in my version of the Realms, and she promised to return some of the items/relics she got from the other clergies. Unfortunately she doesn't get a chance to do so before she dies -- at which point her grandson has to take care of it.

So who would she likely have dealt with, and where are their main temples found? Shiallia's in the High Forest and Hathor is in that valley in Mulhorand, but who else? I'm pretty sure that both Berronar and Luthic would count, but I'm unsure as to any of the others.

Thanks for any help.

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Originally posted by Fillow

The first name which came to my mind was Earthmother... but it only works if you live in the Moonshaes of course.

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Originally posted by The Sage

Earthmother was a completely separate deity from that of Chauntea, that is, until TSR cast a "mighty retcon" upon the six 'Moonshae' novels.

You have to take this into consideration, otherwise parts of the plot from the novels doesn't make as much sense without it -- mostly because Earthmother dies and Chauntea then assumes her position until Earthmother returns and forces Chauntea out from the druids that focused instead on Chauntea worship.

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Originally posted by The Sage

I'll note, also, that Brian James was never actually happy with that retcon, which is why he didn't acknowledge it in his "Moonshae" article. In fact, he hinted pretty strongly that Earthmother may indeed be a fey goddess.

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Originally posted by Na-Gang

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Originally posted by The Sage

I'll note, also, that Brian James was never actually happy with that retcon, which is why he didn't acknowledge it in his "Moonshae" article. In fact, he hinted pretty strongly that Earthmother may indeed be a fey goddess.

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ooooooo! I wasn't aware of this. Was Brian's article published here at candlekeep, wizards.com, or in a previous (paper) edition of Dragon?

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Originally posted by The Sage

Earthmother was a completely separate deity from that of Chauntea, that is, until TSR cast a "mighty retcon" upon the six 'Moonshae' novels.

You have to take this into consideration, otherwise parts of the plot from the novels doesn't make as much sense without it -- mostly because Earthmother dies and Chauntea then assumes her position until Earthmother returns and forces Chauntea out from the druids that focused instead on Chauntea worship.

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Originally posted by Ardashir

OT, but haven't there been recorded examples of already-known deities allowing themselves to be worshipped in different -- sometimes very different -- identities in local areas for whatever reason? There's Set as Sseth amongthe Sarrukh, and I remember Talona being worshipped as a naga deity by another name, Ssthasine or something.

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Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

Our beloved gray box said that the Earthmother "may or may not be an aspect of Chauntea" (Cyclopedia of the Realms, p. 17).

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Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen

The quintessential mother goddess is Luthic.

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Originally posted by The Sage

Some examples...

From Demihuman Deities:- "Although Ghaunadaur is a distinct entity unrelated to the tanar'ri lord Juiblex, the Faceless Lord, or the otherwise unnamed Elder Elemental God neither of the latter two powers is active in the Realms, and Ghaunadaur has assumed both of their aspects within the crystal sphere of Realmspace."

Read the claim about the Elder Elemental God in light of the fact that much of Ghaunadaur's writeup is taken directly from descriptions of the EEG, which is itself distinct from Juiblex.

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Originally posted by Ardashir

Odd, as I thought that Ghaunadar was the real name of the EEG from back in that Fire Giants adventure where we first met it (and the drow). Heck, when I first read Drow of the Underdark, my thought was, "So that's who Eclavdra was worshipping..."

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