Chapter 3: Gods of Faerûn - Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn

Chapter 3: Gods of Faerûn. Selûne the Moonmaiden, and Shar, Mistress of the Night, are sisters and divine rivals. When the people of Faerûn find themselves in need, they turn to their gods. The gods play a role in the lives of nearly everyone, from the mightiest lord to the most unfortunate urchin. Forms of Worship The average person worships different gods in different contexts. Most vocations have a patron deity: farmers make offerings to Chauntea for the prosperity of their crops, clerks sharpen their quills with a prayer to Deneir, and pious merchants set coins aside for Waukeen at the end of the day. Most people worship a deity associated with their livelihood, family, or home, while others feel called to a particular god for other reasons. Individuals might carry or wear a small token of their favored deity: a pendant or a pin in the image of the god's holy symbol or another personal keepsake. In addition, people venerate gods based on their needs and circumstances. A farmer who favors Chauntea might pray to Amaunator for a few clear, sunny days, and a Waterdeep noble who worships Deneir might give thanks to Sune after a wedding celebration for her son. Even zealous priests of specific gods acknowledge the roles that other deities play in the world and in their lives. Worshipers view their relationships with the gods as practical and reciprocal. They pray and make offerings because those rituals invite the blessings of the gods and turn away divine wrath. They quietly perform acts of devotion at shrines in their households or neighborhoods, or they visit temples dedicated to a god when they feel the need to demand the god's attention. Forms of worship include verbal prayer-giving thanks for favor shown, acknowledging the god's dominion and influence, and offering praise for the deity's interventions, large and small. These prayers are typically accompanied by postures of supplication or praise, and sometimes by offerings of incense, burning herbs, small ani...