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 Damara, Ilmater and Bahamut
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SacredServant
Acolyte

USA
5 Posts

Posted - 14 Oct 2014 :  20:21:14  Show Profile Send SacredServant a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
I was recently revisiting lore on Gareth Dragonsbane and Damara. I was always under the impression that Damara is a country sacred to Ilmater. However, I was recently reading that Bahamut has a center of worship there as well.

I haven't read the Bloodstone Pass Adventures and all of this information comes from the forgotten realms wikia. Can anyone explain the relationship between Ilmater, Bahamut and Damara to me?

Here is the source information I found for reference -
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Gareth_Dragonsbane

ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
2067 Posts

Posted - 14 Oct 2014 :  20:59:21  Show Profile  Visit ericlboyd's Homepage Send ericlboyd a Private Message  Reply with Quote
They are probably the two most important deities in Damara, other than the demon lords. Ilmater is the state religion. Religious diversity stems in large part from which saint of Ilmater you call on. Bahumet backs those who fight Tiamat. So, Gareth, as king of Damara, could be a paladin of Ilmater with the blessing of Bahumet.

You can find a good deal of information in the following sources:

Races of Faerun: write-up of Damaran humans
Champions of Ruin: write-up of Soneillion
Lost Empires of Faerun: Chapter 4.
Dragons of Faerun: page 9

As noted in Races of Faerun:

"Of all the deities, Ilmater represents the enduring spirit of all Damarans and occupies a central place in Damaran culture. Ilmater’s church is effectively the state church of both Impiltur and Damara, with paladins of Ilmater proving to be regular occupants of both thrones. Most Damarans along the Easting Reach pay at least token obeisance to the Crying God or one of his many saints on a daily basis. Most churches of Ilmater are dedicated to at least one of his saints, with the followers of Saint Sollars the Twice-Martyred being most prominent in Damara."

As noted in Dragons of Faerun:

In the Year of Serpent (1359 DR), Gareth Dragonsbane, future king of Damara, and his adventuring companions returned from an expedition to the Abyss, having stolen the Wand of Orcus, shattered it in the blood of an avatar of Tiamat (checking her plans once again), and returned to Damara with the blessing of Bahamut. Gareth brought with him the Tree-Gem , which, once planted, represented Bahamut’s covenant to protect Damara against the influence of demons as long as the kingdom of Damara allied itself with the forces of good. In so doing, Gareth brought to Damara a measure of peace and freedom from demonic meddling that the rest of the Demonlands have never experienced.
As Bahamut had hoped, the planting of the Tree-Gem sparked renewed interest in his teachings among the nondragon races. In the years that followed, good-aligned mortals across Faerûn heard the Call of Bahamut, and many pledged themselves to the service of the Platinum Dragon. The elite became platinum knightsDra or vassals of BahamutBED. Some of those who were called by Bahamut chose to undergo the Rite of Rebirth, transforming themselves into a long-forgotten race known as the dragonbornRD. As the ranks of his followers swelled, Bahamut rose in power, assuming the rank of lesser deity once again, while Tiamat did the same.
The planting of Bahamut’s Tree-Gem also drew the attention of the Dragon Queen. In response, Tiamat dispatched an avatar to Castle Perilous in the cold wastelands of Vaasa. Scores of chromatic dragons heeded her call and descended on the ruined fortress. With their participation, the Dragon Queen initiated a massive breeding program, creating all manner of spawn of TiamatMM4, horrifying monstrosities that had not been seen in Toril since the Battle of the Gods that had the blood of chromatic dragons in their veins. The spawn of Tiamat then spread far and wide.

--Eric

--
http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/
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SacredServant
Acolyte

USA
5 Posts

Posted - 14 Oct 2014 :  21:11:20  Show Profile Send SacredServant a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks, Eric!

If anyone is interested, I found this link with more information on Damara. I'm not sure how canonical it is, however.

http://arelith.com/node/13009
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 15 Oct 2014 :  14:11:12  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I also did a bit of work on Damara in the Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions Fan Magazine Issues 1, 2, and 3 if you are interested

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19123

It doesnt specifically touch on Ilmater and Bahamut and their relationship but i tried to weave in a story that explained Bahamut and Tiamat's interest in the region as well as give more background on the deities and the nation as a whole (based on canon but slightly different).

When reading about Tiamat and Bahamut i found it interesting that they were originally treated as nothing more than super powerful dragons that wandered the realms, then they were later noted as gods. So i figured Damara/Vaasa may have been the site of a previous clash between the two deities.

Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions Candlekeep Archive
Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions: Issue 1
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Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions: Issue 3
Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions: Issue 4
Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions: Issue 5
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