Helm: The Watcher, the Vigilant One (Intermediate Deity)

Symbol: Staring eye with blue pupil on a upright war gauntlet Home Plane: House of the Triad Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Portfolio: Guardians, protectors, protection Worshipers: Explorers, fighters, guards, mercenaries, paladins

Cleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN

Domains: Law, Planning, Protection, Strength

Favored Weapon: "Ever Watchful" (bastard sword)

Helm (helm) is the ultimate guardian, the ever-vigilant sentry who allows nothing to compromise his duty. Often seen as cold and emotionless, he appears as a giant man in full plate armor. In truth, Helm is imply a stern disciplinarian dedicated to his appointed task. He is fond of children and more tolerant of their minor infractions than of anyone else's. Many believe that Helm would give his own life to guard something entrusted to him. He is silent on the matter.

The church of Helm was once seen as a bastion of stability and safety in the oft dangerous North. Its members were highly respected for their pledge to defend civilization against the dangers of the wild and the monsters of the depths. However, during the past fourteen years it has shrunk greatly in numbers and influence. Helm served his duty faithfully and faultlessly druid the Time of Troubles, but he played a role in confining the other deities to Faerun. The death and destruction that resulted from the Avatar Crisis earned the Vigilant One and his followers a great deal of enmity from members of other faiths, particularly those of Mystra, Bane, and Torm. In the South, Helm's role during the Time of Troubles was not viewed as unfavorable as it was in the North, but recent events have further sullied the name of the deity and his clergy. Word has begun to trickle back to Faerun of the church's activities in far-off Maztica: the brutal and unflinching subjugation of the native populace and the rape of the verdant land's riches. The church is only just starting to recover, thanks in large part to the need for skilled guardians to defend against the waxing power of evil.

Clerics of Helm pray for their spells in the morning promptly after rising or just before retiring for the evening. Their one holy day is the Ceremony of Honor to Helm, which takes place on the Shieldmeet. The most holy major Helmite ceremonies are the Consecration of a Postulant, which confirms a seeker as one of the clergy, and the Consecration of a Glymtul, which dedicates an special item to Helm's service (glymtul is an ancient word for "favored thing"). Other ceremonies of note are the Purification and the Holy Vigil. The Purification is a renewal of faith undergone by the beings returning to the faith or atoning for the shortcoming in vigilance, loyalty, or worship. The Holy Vigil marks the ascension of a cleric to a higher rank. It is a nightlong ceremony that tests the willpower of the candidate, whose weapon is enspelled to levitate by a senior cleric through ritual magic, the candidate's concentration keeps it hovering. Clerics of Helm never command undead, although evil clerics may rebuke undead. They most commonly multiclass as fighters or paladins.

HISTORY/RELATIONSHIPS: Helm has always borne a heavy load, symbolized by his omnipresent suit of armor. As the eternal sentry, he knows that the end of the world will inevitably come on his watch. Nevertheless, he serves without complaint, willing to make any sacrifice to protect his charge. Thus, Helm is implacable opposed to the machinations of Bane, Cyric, and Shar, whose insidious plots eternally threaten Faerun. He also fights the unbridled fury and destructive impulses of Garagos and Talos at every turn. Helm is not amused by Masks thievery or his jests, viewing the Lord of Shadows as simply another threat to be defeated. Of the good-aligned deities, only Torm truly understands Helm's unbending commitment to his charge. Relations between the Loyal Fury and the Vigilant One are strong, enough so that the two churches have grudgingly begun to heal the rift between them, at the command of their respective deities.

DOGMA: Never betray your trust. Be vigilant. Stand, wait, and watch carefully. Be fair and diligent in the conduct of your orders. Protect the weak, poor, injured, and young, and do not sacrifice them for others or yourself. Anticipate attacks and be ready. Know your foes. Care for your weapons so they may perform their duties when called upon. Careful planning always defeats rushed actions in the end. Always obey orders, providing those orders follow the dictates of Helm. Demonstrate excellence and purity of loyalty in your role as a guardian and protector.