Very cool—I had no idea that Narnia’s Aslan has a (renamed) place in the Forgotten Realms!
Its a very informative article.
Other bits include things like:
BANE The “big baddie,” Lord Bane is never seen, although there are tales of a freezing black-taloned hand and eyes of blazing fire, and can be considered as roughly equivalent to Druaga (DDG, p. 23). He does not, however, rule the archdevils (see Note #4).
4 If one does, who then rules Hell — Set or Asmodeus? Which of the ruling gods of the various mythos is most powerful? Indeed, in any case of overlapping portfolios, such as two gods of love or of nature, who takes precedence? Note: to avoid a god/arch-devil conflict in the Nine Hells (see DDG, pps. 105 and 129), I used the differing degrees of alignment to shift my LE gods to other planes.
CHAUNTEA The goddess of agriculture is a rewritten Demeter (DDG, p. 68); she has no shape change ability, and lessened offensive powers.
GOND Gond is Hephaestus (DDG, p. 70) renamed. He is an inventor and artisan, as well as a smith.
ILMATER This god appears as a broken man, with smashed hands which he constantly uses. He is the willing sufferer, similar to lssek of the Jug (DDG, p. 100). He shares the latter’s power to manifest himself in creatures being tortured, but only if such creatures are of good alignment and have not done anything to deserve such treatment.
MASK The Lord of Shadows, sometimes called “The Thieves’ God,” is a rewritten Hermes (DDG, p. 71) stripped of justice and caduceus.
SUNE Aphrodite (DDG, p. 64) renamed; the ultimate in charisma.
TALONA Kiputytto (DDG, p. 59) renamed.
CULTS OF THE BEAST
These are worshipped by intelligent animals (and some individuals of the character races) in the Forgotten Realms. It is recommended that player-character clerics not be allowed to worship any of these gods. All are from DDG without modification, except as follows: Sneel is Leiber’s “Rat God” (DDG, p. 102), and Repra is “Apep” (DDG, p. 50). Besparr, Hlyyaak, and the two “Supreme Beasts,” Aslan and Lurue (sometimes called Silverymoon) are my own inventions. The last two are the Lion and Unicorn of nursery-rhyme fame. Details of Aslan can be gleaned from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, and those of the unicorn can be found in Elizabeth Goudge’s The Little White Horse. The Knights of the Unicorn (who worship Lurue) are a romantic, whimsical group of high-born adventurers who are based in several large cities.
The collective title “Cults of the Beast” arises out of the ancient belief that all such doctrines are merely splinters of an old, decadent and forbidden religion which rejoiced in a return to the bestial (evil) side of man’s nature, worshipping “The Beast.” The belief is more instinctive than remembered now, but the name has stuck.
Although Lolth is presented in DDG under “Nonhumans’ Deities,” I have listed her also among the Cults of the Beast, for in the Realms she is considered so. Lolth and her worship is known — though it is very rare — and the Drow are not, except in legend.
