A Critical Reckoning of the Gods and their Faithful

By A’lai Aivenmore, Sylvira Savikas, and Fheminor Scrivenbark

Great Readers and Avowed of Candlekeep

1492

Forward by the Authors

It is likely only here in this forward and in the original, dear reader, that you will find our names signed to this tome. As one may infer from the title, a critical reckoning is a sensitive undertaking. The words within are meant to be impartial, but there are those who will view some of our writings as heresy. In order to protect the institution of Candlekeep—and the authors’ hides!—we will quietly spread the work throughout Faerûn, but under a harmless pseudonym. This original will be kept safely behind the Emerald Door, for posterity. 

We decided to write this book because we believe it is important to contend with the topics of the great deities that oversee our Cosmology. Especially in the Post-ToT era, this body of knowledge should serve as an updated guide to all things divine and their manifestations on this mortal coil.  In saying this, we acknowledge that what we have laid out may change as power struggles evolve. And of course, some of us are proponents of the proportional faith theory—that a deity’s power on Faerun is, among other things, proportional to the strength of faith and the practices and traditions of their followers. But these things are difficult to predict, and always shifting. 

The book is laid out in chapters, each dedicated to a deity. Research was extensive: we consulted recorded texts, oral histories, folklore, and local histories from each deity’s faithful, as well as the works of other sages. Each chapter will address one deity, with the following sections: 

• Cosmology
• Allies and Enemies
• Powers and Attributes
• History
• Followers
• Major Places of Worship

We hope you enjoy the collection. 

Faithfully,

A’lai                 Sylvira                    Fheminor

[Note: Below are copied two selected chapters. For more, see Gods of Faerun or Portal to the Deities]

------

Arumbelle

Rank: Lesser Deity

Domain & Alignment: Silvanus & the Deep Wilds; Good

Pantheon: Nature and Homesteads, Frontiers, Delight

Holy Symbol: The “Hearthsign,” moon over hearth with fire, often depicted with the prominent star from her star signs

Status (1492 DR): missing or dead, pre-ToT

Arumbelle was the goddess of nature and homesteads who oversaw the portfolio of the many races living in harmony with the natural world—indeed she considered them all part of it. She promoted communities finding magic in the mundane, within themselves and their surroundings, and abhorred the scheming, malcontent, and avarice that are often accompanied by unchecked ambition. Arumbelle was most frequently depicted as a woman nearing middle age, adorned in simple clothing, relaxing by a fire or by a brook with some kind of tool nearby. At other times she was clad in glittering armor with a sturdy long bow and a flowing cloak.

COSMOLOGY

While never reaching Major Deity status, Arumbelle was widely, if quietly, worshipped for thousands of years across Faerûn until her disappearance around 1050 DR. Arumbelle was originally housed in Chauntea’s Green Hills domain until civilization began to encroach on the wilds and an agreement was reached between the Earthmother and Silvanus that Arumbelle would serve as a go-between for their two realms, housed in Silvanus’s Deep Wilds. This arrangement helped ensure cooperation between the two domains and Arumbelle mediated disputes as she embodied elements of each. In this way, both gods claimed Arumbelle as “theirs” but Silvanus’s Nature pantheon was her true home. 

ALLIES AND ENEMIES

Arumbelle was friendly with and loosely allied with the many good and natural deities. Her closest allies were Yondalla, who she considered a sister, and Gwaeron Windstrom, who was her favorite traveling companion. But even some evil-associated gods considered her an ally: Malar—also in Silvanus’s pantheon—was said to show his more agreeable side around her and the two would visit and collaborate on matters of hunting. She was said to seek out Eldath for counsel and Lliira for fun. She considered Silvanus a father figure, Chauntea her mother, and Mielikki was like an aunt to her, though the latter disapproved of her friendship with the Beastlord. 

She was not known for accumulating many enemies, but she was opposed by the evil and chaotic deities antithetical to her pantheon, including Bane, Bhaal, Cyric, Felak’Doun, and Talona. They were offended by the joys her followers found in what they considered banalities and frustrated over their lack of sway with those devoted to her. The times Arumbelle found herself at odds with other deities usually involved her retribution for a wrong done to an ally, her followers, or herself. It was one such episode that would spell her demise at the hands of Felak’Doun.

POWERS AND ATTRIBUTES

Like all deities, Arumbelle could grant divine spells to those who prayed to her. In accordance with her pantheon, she could also affect the natural world, and was particularly potent with nature magic. Her followers often described her speaking through natural phenomena or finding symbols and omens in the stars, in whispers on the wind, in the gurgling of water, in the crackling of a fire, or in whorls of wood. She could aid harvests and hunts, shield travelers from the elements, and protect villages from aberrations or unnatural harm. Even with all of this, her followers often described her greatest gift as enabling them to seek the joy in their lives and to be inspired by the natural world.

One of Arumbelle’s most notable attributes was the strength of her relationships, which could serve as a kind of power in its own right. A number of situations that may have otherwise proven disastrous for her were averted with the aid of those she had befriended. Some of these were rumored to have taken place in the Abyss, Nishrek, and the Towers of Night. She was also able to amass powerful and wondrous magical items as gifts from allies, friends, and those she had helped in her travels. These include:

• Breastplate adorned with uncut crystals and gems crafted for her by Gond
• An enchanted yew bow that Gwaeron Windstrom won from the Seelie Court
• Arrows fletched from sacred oak and unicorn hair by Mielikki
• Akadi bestowed upon her his Cloak of the Wind
• A ring of soul light from Lathander
• Ilmater gave her the only pair of boots he ever wore, said to bolster endurance
• Leather dragonscale gloves Torm had been given from Bahamut
• A snow leopard companion, loyal to the utmost, gifted by Malar
• Tears of Eldath from the Mother of Waters herself, with regenerative powers

Her own abilities were said to be more protective and defensive. She could bolster the courage and resilience of her allies, and allow them to reach beyond their typical reserves. Her own self-knowledge was so clear that she was immune to being Charmed and Frightened. At the same time, she was able to pierce to the heart of her enemies and situations, knowing them inside and out—and objectively. She was immune to being Blinded or Deafened and benefitted from Truesight as a permanent condition. 

Apart from her skill with the bow, it was difficult to rouse her more offensive capabilities as she was rumored to be reluctant to let them out. However, when cornered and in dire circumstance, they were fearsome. Stories tell of a sundering blast of pure divine energy, bursting from her being and smiting the wicked. 

HISTORY

Little is known about Arumbelle’s origins. Some say she was summoned into being by Lord Ao to oversee a new portfolio as civilization first emerged on the prime material plane of Abeir-Toril. Others claim she formed out of a toril-walking avatar of Mielikki or Silvanus who grew fond of the frontiers-people eking out a simple existence in the wilderness, and splintered off into her own deity as she developed her own views. 

While she did not often feature as main protagonist in the great and known exploits of the gods, Arumbelle was mentioned throughout the chronicles as present during the great tensions between society-civilization and the elemental-wilderness. She was known for finding commonalities among seemingly disparate deities and seeking to understand rather than oppose, a strategy that worked with all but those truly against her being. Owing to this, she managed to walk freely among many of the cosmological planes.

The most notable and verifiable tales of Arumbelle involve the theft of Kelemvor’s Silver Death Mask and the heroic rescue of Gwaeron Windstrom, the latter sparking a chain of events that would lead to her demise. As to the former, her bosom-pal Lliira and her decided Kelemvor had grown too serious and impersonal in his duties judging the dead, and was too hard on himself for his tragic past. Death and dying were important to Arumbelle so they hatched a plan to steal the silver mask he wore to greet the dead.

As the story goes, the pair entered the Fugue Plane, seeking counsel for their followers in the approach to death. Kelemvor greeted them and removed his mask as he was now with fellow deities. The meeting proceeded and Arumbelle took his words to heart and then she and Lliira left. When they had gone, Kelemvor was shocked to find his mask was missing. He was furious, and set out for the Gates of the Moon where Lliira made her home. 

When he arrived and demanded to see the pair of troublemakers, he was instead treated to a play the duo had written, just for him. They acted out scenes from his past, but in such a light that the audience—Kelemvor, in this case—could not help but see the protagonist in a favorable light. Kelemvor was moved by the change in perspective on his life. The play ended with the Kelemvor’s natural death where he was greeted not by a masked stranger, but by his estranged father. Kelemvor held back his tears, quietly thanked them both, and returned to the Fugue Plane to judge the dead. He never donned his mask again.   

The second story does not have such a happy ending. Gwaeron Windstrom was sent by Mielikki to track Malar, who had been spotted traveling to the Supreme Throne to visit Cyric – forbidden by Silvanus for the dark history the pair shared. Gwaeron found the Beastlord’s trail but it led instead to the Abyss and to Hollow Heart, the realm of the demon lord Fraz-Urb’Luu. Gwaeron slipped quietly into Hollow Heart to confront Malar—except it was not Malar, but Fraz who had plotted the deception with Cyric and Felak’Doun. The pair joined the demon lord in ambush of Gwaeron and imprisoned him in Fraz’s domain. Their plan was to make it appear as though Malar had slain Gwaeron, to sow conflict and confusion among Silvanus’s Deep Wilds. 

But Malar caught wind of the plot, and as soon as he did he hastened to inform the one person who was friendly with both him and Gwaeron—Arumbelle. She gathered her wondrous and protective gear and together with Malar set out for Hollow Heart. The Beastlord and Clearheart surprised Fraz and Felak’Doun, who had both been left to guard Gwaeron while Cyric sowed chaos in the Astral dominions. Even if Malar had discovered the plot, they had reasoned, they did not expect him to be believed and come with an ally. A great battle commenced, and while Malar’s savagery and Arumbelle’s peerless archery were formidable, the tide was turning against them, for they were in the Fraz’s realm. The demon lord brought all the protections and wickedness of his lair to bear, while the vileness and cunning of Felak’Doun was relentless. 

Throughout it all, Gwaeron watched, helpless in his prison. When Arumbelle and Malar were fully on the defensive, backed up against the bars and all hope seemed lost, Arumbelle astonished them all. She had been trading blows with Felak’Doun when she stopped, took the latest hit, breathed deeply and looked directly into his eyes. The story goes she said something like, “I see you,” or “I know you,” before an unyielding blast of energy—a pure and boundless light—burst forth from the depths of her being, stunning Fraz and Doun. 

Arumbelle crumpled to the ground. Malar took the opening and ripped through the cage, freeing Gwaeron. The two grabbed their unconscious companion and made their escape before the wretched demon and vile god could recover. 

Back in the Deep Wilds, Silvanus revived his exarch and thanked Malar and Arumbelle for thwarting the plot. The episode did much to repair the acrimony between Malar and Mielikki, and Arumbelle was granted a newfound appreciation among her peers. And so the eons passed, with the adventure melding into the fabric of cosmic history.

But Felak’Doun did not forget—his humiliation remained sharp. He bent all his evil energy toward devising the demise of Arumbelle. If he loathed her passively before, he actively hated her now. In his brooding, he schemed, and he plotted, and he imagined all of the elements diametrically opposed to Arumbelle. The Vile Lord researched the ancient and unspeakable evils, the vile artifacts, and terrible aberrations. With help from evil allies, he crafted five texts, said to be written in blood on dried human flesh. 

The Rites of Felak’Doun. Slavery, Power, Murder, Terror, and Betrayal. 

As time passed, he bided his time. He studied Arumbelle and during one of her solitary travels through the planes, Felak’Doun struck. Normally they might be more evenly matched, but he chanted each of his five vile rites and from him sprung a void, a darkness, an abyss of antithesis to everything Arumbelle stood for that neutered her godhead and enveloped her.   

Arumbelle was never seen or heard from again. It is unclear whether she was killed, imprisoned in some obscure abyssal depth, or her divinity scattered to the cosmos. Felak’Doun was killed during the Time of Troubles and any knowledge was gone with him. 

Around 1050 DR, Arumbelle’s faithful lost their powers--their prayers went unanswered and the magic for their spells would not come. Over the years, the temples and shrines were abandoned and the devoted turned to Silvanus, Eldath, Chauntea, or Mielikki. Arumbelle’s name was largely forgotten to history. Any power she once held in Faerûn was nevermore—for what is a goddess without her faithful? 

FOLLOWERS

Arumbelle’s followers could be found all over Faerûn and among all the major races. They were often self-reliant homesteaders living in all manner of locales, from the wilds to the urban. But they typically inhabited towns and hamlets on the outskirts of cities or gathered in more remote communities as frontiers-people living in the liminal worlds straddling both civilization and wilderness. 

Her faithful were called “Hearthseekers” but they seldom organized into major sects or centers of worship because the best way to revere Arumbelle was to take pleasure in the natural world—discover the source of a babbling brook, toil in an orchard, or swim by moonlight in a pond. Gathering indoors was not discouraged, but it was often weather-dependent and thus difficult to produce a structured or regular schedule. Instead of meeting at a shrine, many of her followers—especially the more urban ones—would organize weekly expeditions to explore the lands surrounding the city or town. Any sort of “service” was usually informal, involved catching up with fellow Hearthseekers, often with spirits, and held on an ad-hoc basis, on rainy days in particular. 

Her clergy existed, but were loosely structured, and acted more as stewards of their community with the few known temples and shrines also serving another function. Wilds druids who prayed to Arumbelle were uncommon, but she was a popular goddess for druids who worked more closely with towns and communities to teach them how to limit the impact they had on their surroundings. Members of the Emerald Enclave were known to worship Arumbelle, though they were sometimes chastised for lacking the zeal and extreme beliefs of some of their brethren. 

One practice that seems to have been common among her followers was keeping a “Book of Delights” or—for the illiterate—a daily “Telling of Delights” and the act of writing or sharing the day’s pleasures formed a kind of prayer to Arumbelle. Examples in the writings from a cleric at The Homestead include passages such as:

“This morning as I walked the worn trail to the brook, I was approaching the edge of the meadow when I caught myself imagining how the path would lead past the granite rock by the young willow. I wondered if the hermit thrush would be singing this morning and I realized, with delight, that I knew every bend in the trail.” 

“My grandmother died today while at our home in bed, and I felt a deep sorrow, as I might at the end of a story. But it was such a good story I found it was also a kind of delight to see it through to the end.”

Another practice was the annual raid on temples of Lliira. Each year, in regions where Lliira had houses of worship, Arumbelle’s followers would gather and hatch an elaborate plan to steal some item from the temple. It may be a prominent holy symbol, or the mask worn by the lead Joydancer. Even though Lliira’s clergy knew it was coming, somehow the Hearthseekers were always able to capture the item, which they then displayed prominently in their own shrines. The raids were more for revelry than rivalry: halfway through the year, Arumbelle’s followers made a big show of returning the item and the occasion was celebrated with festivities between both faiths. 

When summoned to fight, Arumbelle’s followers could always serve in at least some auxiliary capacity given how they prized competence in many of the homesteading trades. They were often employed as scouts for their local area knowledge and deep familiarity with their environs. While less common, some followers found the best way to feel a connection to their goddess was through daily discipline with a weapon, magic, or martial art. Practice became prayer and reinforced their skill. 

Arumbelle’s followers were not prone to major or overt displays of fealty, but many adorned their homes or a special tree with her holy symbol. During the years before her disappearance, the Hearthsign could be found carved into trees or charcoaled on to stones in regions where her followers were abundant. 

Notable followers mentioned throughout the annals of history, in reverse chronology:

• The Druid of the Hearth, a mysterious figure who tended the Stone Hearth and Candlestick Thicket around the time of Arumbelle’s disappearance
• Wade Devers, High Cleric at the Homestead during its heyday in the late 900s DR
• Weslim Shennelm, king of Hlath on the Vilhon Reach during the 850s DR
• Lujan Rezna, a mighty warrior who patrolled the Greypeaks with his blue dragon companion and helped settle the frontier in the early 800s DR

MAJOR PLACES OF WORSHIP

Shrines and temples have been mentioned as existing in many of the more prominent areas where Arumbelle gained a following, including the Nunwood, the Forest of Mir, the Spine of the World and Icewind Dale, the Silver Marches, the Anauroch desert, the Moonshae Isles, and even Underdark locations. But it is at the headwaters of the Delimbiyr River in a land currently called the Savage Frontier where the most lasting and better recorded houses of worship were established.

THE HOMESTEAD

The Homestead was the most prominent and largest temple to Arumbelle built in all of Faerûn. If her faith had a seat, it was at the Homestead. Though, like many of Arumbelle’s houses of worship it was not a typical temple. Situated on a bog at the gap between the Northern and Southern Greypeaks, the Homestead was a center for peat farming. It was  said that peat from the Homestead warmed the houses of the entire Savage Frontier. 

In spring and summer, clerics of Arumbelle farmed the surrounding bog and dried and stored peat logs at the Homestead. At the end of summer, they would travel the lands on carts laden with peat to distribute to the scattered communities. 

Given the difficult terrain on the bog, the Homestead also served as a defensible stronghold when the goblinoid tribes of the Greypeaks grew restless.

MISTY CAVE SHRINE

Misty Cave Shrine was situated in the foothills of the Southern Greypeaks, opposite the Marsh of Chelimber. Arumbelle’s followers had discovered a stream that disappeared into a ravine and found to their delight that a small cave entrance led to a cavern complex where the water fell into a deep blue pool before becoming an aquifer. The waterfall was quite active in spring and produced a thick mist in the cave. 

Arumbelle’s followers dedicated the cave to her and it became a local refuge for those who found themselves beyond civilization’s more traveled areas. It was also well-suited for distilling a stonefruit schnapps from a plum varietal unique to the region. They called it plumfog—for the misty cave in which it was distilled or the feeling the following morning, it was unclear—and it became a favored drink of the Hearthseekers.

THE STONE HEARTH

The Stone Hearth was a large fieldstone chimney, erected by wood elf followers of Arumbelle in the Southwood. It stood alone, unadorned, in the middle of a clearing in a grove of sycamore. During the peak of Arumbelle’s popularity, the Stone Hearth was in use most weeks. It was more frequented at night and during the winter, when a blazing fire was lit and foodstores and drink were shared companionably by the faithful. The tradition was, each new arrival had to share a recent favorite from their Telling of Delights. In this way, it became custom for devotees of Arumbelle to exchange delights by way of greeting when they met. 

CANDLESTICK THICKET

Candlestick Thicket was a hard-to-find, dense thicket of beech, maple, and elm in the southern part of the High Forest by Unicorn Run. When one did happen upon the right “entrance” they discovered a clear path, an arched corridor of sorts, through the thicket. In spring, it was lined with copious pink lady slippers, purple foxglove, and translucent ghost flowers. The plants would glow in the moonlight, and light the way to an area of such tangled limbs that rain and snow couldn’t even penetrate. It was here that Arumbelle’s followers would gather. Candlestick thicket was mostly used as simply a peaceful shrine, or a pilgrimage destination, but some more local worshippers would meet to exchange handicrafts and share homesteading tips. 

SHROPSHIRE SQUARE SANCTUARY

Shropshire Square was the best-known urban temple to Arumbelle, made up of a well-kept but wild garden-park-plaza in the city of Hlath in Chondath on the Vilhon Reach. Many rulers of Hlath, including members of the prominent Shennelm family, were devout Hearthseekers and established the sanctuary to bring what they loved most about their goddess to their urban home. In the center of the square was a statue to the Lady of the Brook, as she was known in Hlath. Below it was a plaque with an excerpt from a popular poem in honor of Arumbelle, “A Shropshire Lad”, composed by one of the city’s bards:

Therefore, since the world has much good still

But many who’d wish upon you ill,

And while the sun and moon endure

Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure,

I'd face it as a wise man would:

Train for ill while loving the good.

'Tis true, the stuff I bring for sale

Is not so brisk a brew as ale

But take it-- if the smack is sour,

The better for the embittered hour;

It should do good to heart and head

When your soul is in my soul's stead;

And I will friend you, if I may,

In the dark and cloudy day.

The poem appealed to the grittier, more pragmatic side of Arumbelle that many followers in Hlath found comforting through the less stable years. Local legend says that Hlath prevailed in the great trade war with Iljak after the ruler Weslim Shennelm was inspired by Arumbelle, during a walk in Shropshire Square, to ally with the Emerald Enclave who helped reduce their reliance on timber exports from the Nunwood. 

------

Felak’Doun

Rank: Lesser Deity

Domain & Alignment: Bhaal & the Throne of Blood; Evil

Pantheon: Vileness; Power, Murder, Slavery, Terror, Betrayal; Revenge

Holy Symbol: The “Ritespent,” any of the five Rites symbols, sometimes displayed all together in a sinister face: scepter, dagger, chain, claw, eyes

Status (1492 DR): Killed during Time of Troubles

Felak’Doun was the god of vileness and depravity, of relentless ambition and revenge, whose portfolio embodied the darker sides of man. He is known for his five vile Rites: the Rite of Power, the Rite of Murder, the Rite of Slavery, the Rite of Terror, and the Rite of Betrayal. He promoted chaos and destruction, and the achievement of dark aims at any cost. While this text strives to maintain neutrality in its renderings, it is not controversial to say Faerûn is much improved without his influence, and that his death during the Time of Troubles was a boon for all those who seek stability, peace, and the preservation of knowledge. Felak’Doun was most frequently depicted as a thin, faceless man shrouded in darkness. 

COSMOLOGY

It is difficult to assess how widely Felak’Doun was worshipped, but he is referenced enough throughout the chronicles, histories, and religious texts such that one can infer actual numbers were substantial—though that seems to have all come to an end with his death in 1358 DR. Felak’Doun was housed in Bhaal’s Throne of Blood under the Murder pantheon, though his domain was more vileness and strife, and for those reasons found great kinship with Cyric and often visited the Supreme Throne. He was also known to travel frequently to the Abyss, to find inspiration from the Demon Lords. 

ALLIES AND ENEMIES

While Felak’Doun served Bhaal, his closest ally among the gods was Cyric, whom he considered a partner in plotting. He was also closely allied with Fraz’Urb’Luu, one of the original and most prominent of the Demon Lords. Doun also admired Bane, Talona, Lloth, and Beshaba, though to say they were allies may be overestimating the relationships. 

Felak’Doun somehow managed to minimize the accrual of enemies, often skirting blame and pitting one god against another. He loathed the gods who he considered consumed by their own righteousness—Torm and Tyr in particular—and found Ilamter’s meek and constant suffering insufferable. Eldath bothered him for being so resolutely pacificist. But it was Arumbelle, the goddess who had wronged him, for whom he nurtured a special and peerless hatred. 

POWERS AND ATTRIBUTES

Felak’Doun was a master plotter, an unparalleled schemer, and a brilliant strategist. He was rarely caught off guard and was terribly effective in getting what he wanted. One of his greatest skills was the ability to play people off one another, while looking innocent himself the whole time. He was a practitioner of the “long game” – the lurking wait, with slight tinkering of events to achieve the perfect outcome. He could arrange it such that all parties were completely unaware of who was responsible for what transpired, or, if he so desired, quite the opposite—he would show his hand and demonstrate his utter dominance over his prey. 

And with his prey, he was ruthless: he debased them, demeaned them, and ruined them. Tales of his vile acts are unspeakable and will not be recorded here. To his followers, Felak’doun was known to grant his blessing through success in plots and schemes. To those who truly gave themselves to any of his five Rites, he was said to be especially generous in granting the use of divine spells. 

Doun was practiced in the use of poisons and subtle diseases that would weaken his enemies. While he was not a great physical specimen, he knew how to make his hits count. He was difficult to pin down and seemed to dance around the periphery of his enemies. His visage was always clouded or blurry such that it was nearly impossible to ever get a good look at his face, and he could melt into the darkness without a sound. Whether these powers came from his wondrous items or were innate to his divinity is unclear. 

Felak’Doun is known for his Rites, but what is less commonly known is that they were based on five vile artifacts that he painstakingly recovered from their lost and desolate resting places. Each had their own sordid history and he further tied each to elements of his own divinity. In them, the essence of each Rite was concentrated with a fierce potency, that he wielded. These include:

• Scepter of Primordial Power – a crude scepter formed out of volcanic rock to wield influence
• Dagger of Brutal Slaying – a wicked dagger uncommonly efficient in finding vulnerabilities
• Chain of Vile Servitude – a chain attached to a glowing blue stone to aid in dominance
• Claws of Nightmare – ancient and strange talismans, said to induce fathomless fear
• Mask of Truth – used to mask the truth and hide or blur intentions

He was also said to possess the Cloak of Abyssal Darkness that he received as a gift from his friend, Fraz. These artifacts, combined with Doun’s twisted and calculating mind, made him a fearsome opponent.

HISTORY

Felak’Doun once walked Faerûn as a mortal, which made his later demise as a mortal during the Time of Troubles particularly crushing to him and his followers. Little is known about his mortal life, it was so long ago, save he plotted his way to the top of an ancient kingdom. His vile methods earned him the admiration of some of the gods, and he was eventually rewarded with ascension to divinity by the host of foul pantheons who existed at that time and were always looking to tip the balance of the Cosmos in the favor of Evil.

Some of those gods would later regret their decision, for he became masterful in playing one god against another. In this way, while the gods seemed to think he played a minor role, Felak’Doun was likely more heavily involved with the fall of a handful of deities in those early years as the evil divinities jockeyed for position. Eventually he settled into a secure position in the Throne of Blood under Bhaal, who asked little of him, and whom he happily honored every time his followers committed murder. 

Due to the shifty nature of Felak’Doun it is difficult to get a clear picture of his history and what role, exactly, he played in some of the key events over the eons. However, stories relating to a few key parts of his life reappear enough that they seem plausible. 

The first is his befriending the Demon Lord Fraz’Urb’Luu. Fraz was known for gathering enemies wherever he went: other demons who were jealous of his power and his impressive lair in the depths of the Abyss; or powerful mortals who sought to bind him to their bidding. The latter resulted in a Drow archmage capturing Fraz and imprisoning him inside an onyx gemstone. During that time he was watched over by the powerful wizard Iggwilv, who wrote her Demonomicon about his ways (the book still serving as important source material in the study of demons and fiends). 

Felak’Doun had always admired Fraz and sought to earn his alliance by freeing him. Doun managed to trick Iggwilv into breaking the gemstone, and Fraz was freed. The two became companions in depravity from that day forward, cavorting frequently in Fraz’s Abyssal home after Felak’Doun helped him clear out the intruders that had taken up residence during his imprisonment. 

The second story involves a plot spoiled by the goddess Arumbelle. Doun and Fraz were attempting to sow chaos among the Deep Wilds and frame Malar for the murder of Gwaeron Windstrom. They had all the pieces in place, and nearly everything accounted for, except for Arumbelle’s unlikely friendship with both the Ranger and the Beastlord. She and Malar came dashing into Fraz’s domain and managed to free Gwaeron, severely wounding the Demon Lord and Felak’Doun in the process. It was a slight Doun would never forget. 

The third story is about the creation of his eponymous Rites and their use to destroy Arumbelle. After his defeat at her hands, he set about meticulously studying her for ages and ages – learning every aspect of the goddess’s divinity and domain. When he was satisfied, he set out to find dark and vile artifacts, some assumed destroyed—and the Cosmos better off for it—that were the opposition of what Arumbelle represented. Tales of the recovery of each artifact are murky, but after another age had passed, Doun had uncovered the Scepter of Primordial Power, the Dagger of Brutal Slaying, the Chain of Vile Servitude, Claws of the Nightmare, and the Mask of Truth. 

Once in his possession, he tied each artifact to an aspect of his being, cementing the symbolic to the material: Power (scepter), Murder (dagger), Slavery (chain), Terror (claw), and Betrayal (mask/eyes). He then killed one of each of the major races of Faerûn, stitched their skins together to create five tomes, and in their own blood wrote out the instructions for each of the Rites. These, he planned to gift to his followers, but first he needed to activate them.

Again, he plotted and schemed, and waited for just the right moment when that feckless Arumbelle was wandering the cosmos in solitude. He confronted her, and with his artifacts in hand, chanted each of his five Rites. The foul words sprung from his lips in a dread expulsion of Doun’s divine magic. And the magic worked. The Rites were so vile, and so abhorrent to Arumbelle’s divinity, that she was destroyed. It was as though Doun had created a counterpoint in the cosmos, an antithesis to Arumbelle, and that opposition and the goddess could not coexist. She was never heard from again. 

The creation of the five vile Rites of Felak’Doun was complete. He gifted the tomes to his most loyal and devout followers who rejoiced in the powerful blessing as they wreaked havoc with their plots, bolstered by the Rites. 

It was not long after that the Time of Troubles descended upon the gods, and Felak’Doun was among those forced to walk Faerûn as a mortal. When he sought refuge among his faithful, they betrayed and killed their now-mortal deity, hoping to steal some aspect of his godhead. Unfortunately for them, no divinity was transferred, and Felak’Doun’s followers were thrown into chaos and eventually known worship disappeared from record. 

But his Rites remained, and while the authors will not reproduce it here, for the sake of preservation of knowledge, the last known locations of each tome can be found in a 9th century text by Lazlo Klen titled Deities of Faerûn: A Nontheist’s Guide for the Undecided.

FOLLOWERS

Followers of Felak’Doun called themselves, “The Wronged”, which one can imagine was to improve their reputation or paint a more seductive picture, though more often than not it was The Wronged doing the wronging. Some understood the irony and celebrated it; others did not—and were perhaps the more dangerous for it, as they truly believed Felak’Doun was there to back them against a world that had singled them out for unfair treatment.

It was often individuals who, once sufficiently twisted by revenge, would turn secretly to Felak’Doun for guidance in their sinister machinations. As such, major organized practice of faith to Felak’Doun was rare. However, once the Rites were released upon Faerûn, their terrible power would draw clusters of followers together as they sought added potency in their vileness. 

The main types of people drawn to Felak’Doun were underworld operators, would-be heir apparents, assassins, pedophiles and others with vile proclivities, torturers, cult leaders, crime bosses, those twisted by revenge, and slave masters. These types can be found all over Faerûn, but were concentrated in generally evil or lawless lands, and in areas where slavery was legal: Thay, Zhentil Keep, Menzoberranzan, even Baldur’s Gate or Waterdeep before they were cleaned up, all seem to have the most references to Felak’Doun. In some of those regions, temples to the Vile Lord existed, but many towns and cities outlawed worship of Felak’Doun and singled out his Rites as illegal as well. 

A common theme among references to Doun’s followers in the histories describes a kind of blooming cluster pattern of worship. A charismatic individual would succumb to their vengeful ambitions and begin to secretly worship Felak’Doun. This individual would attract others, either to aid in their plots or to use and abuse, and they would slowly be convinced of how they were wronged as well. This small cluster beget others who would join, in particular those on the fringe of societal norms and with proclivities outside more universal morals. This would result in the creation of a secret shrine, and then communal worship through mutual aid in vile plots. This process would ebb and flow, often ebbing when the followers turned on each other or were discovered by the local authorities. 

In regions where worship was not outlawed, this process could continue unabated, with followers blossoming. If one of the Rites were in the group’s possession, it would amplify this cycle even more. These followers would practice a Rite and imbue the leader with its power, finding continued success in their plots, be it power & influence; murder; slavery; terror; or lies & betrayal. The Rites were a closely guarded secret and nowhere in the annals scoured for this text could any of the actual steps in the chanting or practice be uncovered. Doun’s followers kept few records and their deeds are mostly heard of second-hand. Only a few faithful of Felak’Doun were ever more prominently recorded, and include: 

• Judan Pilette, a Zhentarim slaver rumored to have been the one to betray Felak’Doun when he walked the world as a mortal during the Time of Troubles
• Victannus V, a Red Wizard said to have founded a shrine in Thay that flourished for centuries
• Unknown, a mysterious man with a glass eye who is referenced in a number of histories involving Doun’s followers

MAJOR PLACES OF WORSHIP

Stable places of worship that persisted long enough to make their way into recorded histories were quite rare. However, shrines were said to have sprung up in Amn and Mulhorand, Thay, and Zhentil Keep. While worship was common in the Underdark, Menzoberranzan notably outlawed physical houses of worship so as not to offend their chief goddess, Lloth. The places of worship with any sort of record were just two in number: 

THE MASTER’S ALTAR

The Master’s Altar was the name of the most prominent temple to Felak’Doun, built in Zhentil Keep, with quite a following among the slavers and mercenaries of the Zhentarim. It was rumored that at one point they had among them the Rite of Terror and used it to great effect in their business ventures and keeping their stock in line. It is at the Master’s Altar that Felak’Doun as a mortal was said to seek refuge among his followers, only to be betrayed by its chief cleric, Judan Pilette. Fate it seems, is not without a sense of irony. 

WHISPERKILL SHRINE

Whisperkill Shrine was a small house of worship for the faithful in Thay, founded by Victannus V. It was devoted to power and murder, and was said to have been looked upon favorably by the lich-ruler Szass Tam who approved of what Felak’Doun represented. Here, followers shared trade secrets and helped one another in their plots against enemies of Thay.