An Introduction to the Forgotten Realms: Gods of

Hillsfar andElventree
ThethirdseasonoftheD&DAdventurersLeagueisjuststarting.
TheD&DExpeditionsgamesthisyeararesetaroundthecitystate
ofHillsfar,aportcityontheMoonsea.TheofficialDDALpagehas
agreatarticleabouttheStateofHillsfar,butIthoughtIdgointoa
littlemoredetailaboutthegodsthatareworshippedinthecity
andthenearbytownofElventree.Thisisparticularlyimportantif
youtaketheAcolytebackground,whichwillallowyouaccessto
somefreespellcastingatthesetemples.

Lliira, Our Lady of Joy

Ifyourelookingforagoodtimedrinking,laughingandrelaxingafteraharddayswork,
Lliiraisthegoddessforyou.Lliirawouldlikeeveryonetobehappy,andshethinks
entertainment,drinkandgoodcompanyarethewaytoabetterworld.Allofwhichmeans
thattheHouseofHappinessinHillsfartendstobeverywellattendedafteralongday,with
alotofsongandlaughtercomingfromwithin.MosttemplesinFaerndontappeartobe
thelocalfesthall,butthatswhattheHouseofHappinessis.IthelpsthatHillsfarhasa
fantastic(andextensive)brewingindustry.ReportsthattheHouseofHappinessbuysmost
ofitareprobablyonlyslighlyexaggerated.

Asaresult,itsalittleunusualforadventurerstoworshipLliira.However,everysooften
peoplehavetofighttokeepthedreamofjoyfulnessalive,andtherearethoseamongsther
worshipperswhotakethatchargeseriouslyalthoughtheymightnotseemtobetakingit
seriously.Wearingafeatherhatandbeingunderestimatedbythevillain?(Andbringinga
littlejoyintootherpeopleslives?)Yeah,thatsagoodplaceforaworshipperofLliiratobe.

YoumightfindworshippersofLliiraintheOrderoftheGauntletortheHarpers,butitshard
toimaginemanyofthemendingupintheZhentarim,EmeraldEnclaveorLordsAlliance.
BardsarequitelikelytofollowLliira,butmostcharacterswhoenjoyhavingfunafteralong
daysadventurewillprobablyappreciatewhattheLliiranshavetooffer.Herloveofthe
dancemeansthatafewroguesandmonks(andthosetrainedinacrobatics)mayfollowher
althoughthetraditional(lawful)viewofmonksisntagreatfit.Thedrunkenmaster?Much
morelikely!

LliiraisChaoticGood.Aboutahundredyearsago,hermortalloverwasslainby
worshippersofLoviatar,theLadyofPain,sosomeofherworshippersstillseektocause
troublefor(orkill)anyworshipperofthatgoddesstheycomeacross.
Imgladyourehappy.Imhappyyoureglad.twounnamedLliiranworshippers.

Chauntea, Goddess of Agriculture

FarmersacrosstheworldworshipChauntea,whoseblessingsallowthecropstogrow.In
Hillsfar,herclericsgainaportionofthecropsgrowninpaymentfortheirblessings.And
theybrewmead,whichisreallywellappreciated.(Forthoseunfamiliarwiththedrink,mead
ismadebyfermentinghoneywithwater,sothereisapparentlyalsoaverylargenumberof
beekeepersaroundHillsfar.Orpossiblyasmallnumberofkeepersofgiantbeesthisis
Faern,afterall!)

AsChaunteaisthegoddessofagricultureLawfulGood,ofcourseshesveryimportant
tomaintainingcivilisation.Youcantmaintaincivilisationwithoutastablefoodsource.The
clericsofChaunteagenerallyonlyconcernthemselveswiththedaytodaymattersofcaring
forfarmersandtheircrops,preferringtonurtureratherthanengageinopenconflict,but
theywillrisewhenthepeopleandthelandarethreatened.

Duetoherlinkstocivilisation,youmayfindworshippersofChaunteaintheOrderofthe
GauntletortheLordsAlliance.ItsmoreunusualforthemtobelongtotheEmeraldEnclave,
althoughIcouldseeithappeningshesabittoocivilisedfortheEmeraldEnclave.The
ZhentarimaretoomercenarytoworryaboutChauntea.Harpers?Seemsunlikely,but
possible.

InHillsfar,theChaunteansalsooperatealargeorphanageitispossiblethatyourcharacter
mightcomefromthatorphanageandbemoreinclinedtoworshipChaunteaasaresult.

Tempus, Lord of Battles

IvewrittenaboutTempusinmyarticleonGodsofNeutrality.InHillsfar,thefollowersof
Tempusarenumerousthroughoutthesoldierswhoprotectthecity,andamongstthose
whofightinthearena.Itwouldbemuchbetterentertainmentifnonhumanswereenslaved
andforcedtofighttothedeaththere,andsothereisrealtensionthere.TheChaoticNeutral
natureofTempusmeanshesupportsindividualliberty,somethingtheslaveryofthenon
humansdirectlycontradicts.

However,itsunlikelythathisfollowerswouldeverbeorganisedenoughtoproperlydo
something.Imightbesurprised,however.

DisparageNoFoeandRespectAlliscarvedabovethedoorstohistemple.Hisfollowers
maybefoundamongsttheZhentarimandtheLordsAlliance,forthemostpart.
Mielikki, the Forest Queen
MielikkidoesnothaveagreatpresencewithinHillsfar,butthenearbytownofElventreeisa
differentmatter,asitcontainsatempletothenaturegoddess.MielikkiandChaunteatend
nottohavetoomuchtodowitheachother,thoughastheyrebothGoodgoddesses,they
arekindlytowardspeople.IvewrittenmoreonMielikkiinmyGodsofGoodarticle.

InElventree,herservantsareveryconcernedwiththediscriminationagainstnonhumans
foundinHillsfar.ManyofherfollowersinthisregionarealignedwiththeHarpers,andare
likelycovertlyworkinginandaroundHillsfartobettertheplightofnonhumanstrapped
withinthecity,whilstalsodealingwiththreatsfoundinthenearbywildernessherfollowers
whoaremembersoftheEmeraldEnclavewouldbetendingtowardsthoseactivities.

HertempleinElventreeisknownastheHalloftheUnicorn.

Mystra, Goddess of Magic

AnotheroftheextremelyimportantgoddessesofFaern,withmorewrittenaboutherhere,
Mystraseekstopromotemagic.Thehatredofnonhumansespeciallyelvesistroubling,
butdifferentfollowersofMystrawouldapproachitindifferentways.Atleast,Hillsfarisnt
Mulmasterwithitsactualpersecutionandexecutionofmagicusers!

TheCairnofMysteries,itshighpriestknownastheSentinel,istheplacetoworshipMystra
inElventreeitsashrineratherthanatemple,butalthoughthedescriptionoftheAcolyte
featureintheHarriedinHillsfaradventuredoesntindicatedevoteesofMystracangetfree
spellcasting,itseemslikelyfromtheStateofHillsfardescription.

Selne, Our Lady of Silver

InFaern,worshippingthemoontakesonspecialsignificanceinaworldwhere
lycanthropesandothercreaturesthatareaffectedbythemoonsphasesexist.Selneis
alsoworshippedbyfemalespellcasters,navigators,sailorsandanorderofmonks.The
legendsofthegoddesssaythatsheandthedarkgoddessSharcreatedtheworld,and
haveceaselesslystruggledoveritsincethen.MorewomenthanmenworshipSelne,and
sheisbelovedbyfemalemagicusersitssaidthatshewasoncethegoddessoflightand
magic,andherfightwithShargaverisetoMystryl,thefirstgoddessofMagic(who
bequeathedherpowertohersuccessor,Mystra).

SelneisChaoticGood.
ElventreehasasmallshrinetoSelne,theSilverShadowCave,andspellcastingservices
canbeacquiredthere.

Selnesworshippersopposeevilforces,especiallyevillycanthropesandworshippersof
Malar.WorshippersofSelnearemostlikelytobemembersoftheHarpers,althoughthe
OrderoftheGauntletorEmeraldEnclavearealsopossible.Afewmightbemembersofthe
LordsAlliance.

Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden

Inagespast,theelveswerewrackedwithconflict.Intheend,thosethatfollowedevilwere
banishedtothedarkplacesbeneaththeworld,wheretheywereclaimedbythedemoness
Lolth,andforeverlosttodarkness.Thuswerethedrowborn.However,therearethose
amongsttheelvengodsthatbelievethedrowcanberedeemed.Eilistraeeischiefamongst
those.Shelovesbeautyandpeace,butisangeredthatsomanydrowremainlosttoevil.

(ThataccountofthebeginningofthedrowisntstrictlyaccurateintermsofRealmslore,its
justshorterthanthetruestory.LolthisntjustademonessintheRealms)

Eilistraeeisthepatronofthosedrowwhohavebrokenfreeandnowattempttoliveonthe
surfaceorotherwisetrytoredeemtheirbrethren.Shesnotparticularlywellknownto
surfacedwellers(andmostelveswouldrubbishtheideaofthedroweverbeingredeemed),
buttheHarpersareawareofherandherfollowers,andtrytoaidthemwheretheycan.A
shrinetoEilistraeeliesnearElventree,theDancingStone,anditisnormallyattendedbya
priestessofEilistraee.

EilistraeeisChaoticGood.

Other Shrines in Hillsfar and Elventree

UnstaffedshrinestoUmberlee(theBitchQueen,goddessofoceans),Malar(theBeastLord,
godofbloodlust)andTorm(theTrue,godofduty)canbefoundinHillsfar.

Small(likelyunstaffed)shrinestoChauntea,Silvanus(neutralgodoftheForests),Eldath
(guardianofgroves),CorellonLarethian(chiefgodoftheelves)andRillifaneRallthal(elven
godofthewoodlands)canbefoundinElventree.

Membersofotherreligionswillpassthroughthearea,possiblyevenincludingyour
characters!However,thosearethechiefdeitiesworshippedinHillsfarandElventree.