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Bootravsky
Acolyte
USA
10 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Mar 2023 : 06:32:02
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One problem with dealing with a world as absolutely enormous as Faerun, is that there is no way to reflect how each culture tells stories about the Gods. Think of the Ancient Greeks, how small of an area they occupied, and how much differentiation there was between different cultures and time. So, this is a thread to tell how different cultures view their deities! Let's start with Eldath...
Eldath: The Goddess of Peace, the Maiden of Stillwaters, is represented in nearly every waterway throughout the Realms. How she appears differs greatly by the type of water, though. Statues honoring the Eldath of Ashaba depict a young girl skipping from rock to rock near the banks of the river: the wise know that water over her ankles bespeaks certain doom for those seeking to cross the River. Sembians typically depict Eldath soothing oxen or dray beasts, as their passivity is necessary for conveying great barges up the rivers. In the Western Moonsea, Eldath's effigies are carven from wood with appearance of a young girl in warm-ish garb (think a Jan Brett character) on the banks of the River Tesh, often painted in bright colors appropriate to the season. These statues appear to be standing on rocks in the shallows during the summer, and carefully on the ice in the winter. In the Stojenow River near Phlan, Eldath is depicted as a completely naked maiden floating in the river, tastefully covered with very long hair: southerly sages believe this appearance syncretizes older gods of the north that reflected the calming influence of hot water springs found in the headwaters of Stojenow River subsequently corrupted by vile sorcerers inhabiting the island of their namesake and the Tortured Lands ot the north [head-canon is that Eldath took over aspects of Borem of the Lake of Boiling Mud].
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Bootravsky
Acolyte
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2023 : 07:28:22
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How Mask Stole the Wolf's Teeth (as told by Watchful Sister Jhalanessa Brithlar of Voonlar): It is said in ages past, the Great Beast raged across the lands of the Moonsea. And where he went, so came storms of such savagery that homes were laid bare, crops wilted in their pastures, and beasts came down from the heights to feed upon man.
And in this most misbegotten time came a most mischievous one, the King of Clever Distraction whom we call Mask. Blood-slaked as he was, the honeyed words of the Lord of Thieves felt into the Great Beast's ears with such ease that he fell into a great sleep. With glee, the Eyeless Face plucked forth from the beast's mouth each and every tooth with which Malar exercised his dominion over Toril, and absconded to the North. But Malar was not so dim - no, indeed, to this day he is not! - and, upon awakening upon feeling the last of his teeth so taken set forth in rage against the King of Thieves.
With great glee, Mask dipped and ducked out of the trees of Cormanthor, leaving nary a broken leaf in his wake. But - nonetheless! - Malar could smell the wicked scent of his adversary. As the slavering beast uncroached upon his heals, Mask realized his peril and set forth across the great Moonsea! And such was the success of his gambit, that Mask made the very Tortured Lands of the north Moonsea!
But Malar was wroth with anger, and would have naught but the Thief King's hide. As he crossed the Moonsea, vicious beasts of the deeps gave unto the Beastmaster their most vicious weapons. In the north Moonsea, Malar raged around to the north and hemmed Mask in against the very Monsea. Having spent his strength crossing the sea, and winded from his run, Mask dropped the teeth upon the northerly shore and burst into a puff of smoke, depriving Malar of his quarry.
To this day, we call the winds from the South the gentle Wolfwinds, for they lack teeth. But in the north, they mention the Wolfwinds in a different light, as those that bite and destroy.
And there is another tale...
In the North they also tell how Malar entreated the assistance of Auril, and how Mask stole her selfsame scepter. And in this tale, Malar raged against Mask until he fell back into the Moonsea, at which point Auril bound him immobile. Malar gained back his teeth, and Auril received the bounty of wind from the North. And ever after are winds in the north Moonsea the blessing and cursing of Auril, for she owns those winds.
But we do not tell that tale, for Auril remains distant from the verdant pastures of Voonlar and Shadowdale. |
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Myths of the Realms
