Ilmater: The Crying God, The Broken God (Intermediate Deity)

Symbol: Pair of white hands bound at the wrist with a red cord

Home Plane: House of the Triad Alignment: Lawful Good

Portfolio: Endurance, suffering, martyrdom, perseverance Worshipers: The lame, the oppressed, the poor, monks, paladins, serfs, slaves

Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG

Domains: Good, Healing, Law, Strength, Suffering

Favored Weapon: An open hand (unarmed strike)

Gentle and good-spirited, Ilmater (ill-may-ter) is a quiet, even-tempered deity who willingly shoulders the burdens of tears of a long-suffering world. Although he is low to anger, the wrath of the Broken Deity is terrible in the face of extreme cruelty or atrocities. He takes great care to reassure and protect children and young creatures, and he takes exceptional offense at those who would harm them. The Crying God appears as a man whose body has been badly mutilated by punishment on the rack, crisscrossed with marks of torture and having broken and ravaged joints. He is short, burly, balding, and wears only a breechcloth, but his kind, homely face is warm and comforting.

Misunderstood by most, pitied and even scorned by a vocal minority, the church of Ilmater yet has one of the largest and most faithful followings in Faerun. In a cruel world, the suffering, the sick, and the poor have come to rely only on the Crying God's followers to provide succor to all. The church of Ilmater is widely loved by common folk in settled lands everywhere, and its clergy can count on generous support in their lifelong mission of healing. Those who cannot comprehend why anyone would willingly submit to the torments and cruelties that Ilmater's faithful seem to welcome misunderstand the church. Among those who hate weakness, the church of the Crying God is seen as weak and foolhardy -- cruel tyrants and powerful villains alike dangerously underestimate its members.

Clerics of Ilmater pray for spells in the morning, although they still have to ritually pray to Ilmater at least six times a day. They have no annual holy days, but occasionally a cleric calls for a Plea of Rest. This allows him or her to a tenday of respite from Ilmater's dictates, to prevent emotional exhaustion or allow the cleric to do something Ilmater would normally frown upon. This custom is an established tradition that some leaders of the faith rely upon, sending their best fighting clergy out to do things that the church cannot otherwise accomplish (covertly removing a tyrant rather than confronting him openly, for example). The most important ritual is the Turning: It is the duty of every cleric of Ilmater to convince the dying to turn to Ilmater for comfort, receiving the blessing of the Broken God before they expire. (This deathbed prayer does not change the person's patron deity to Ilmater.) As the veneration of Ilmater grows, even in death, his healing powers become greater. Many clerics learn the Brew Potion feat so that they can help those beyond their immediate reach. One group of Ilmatari monks, the Broken Ones, acts as defenders of the faithful and the church's temples, as well as agents of punishment for those who cruelly harm others. These monks can multiclass freely as arcane devotees, clerics, divine champions, divine disciples, divine seekers, or hierophants.

HISTORY/RELATIONSHIPS: Ilmater is an older deity who has long been associated with Tyr (his superior) and Torm, who together are known as the Triad. The Triad work together closely, for in union they are stronger than as individuals. Ilmater is also allied with Lathander. He opposes deities who enjoy destruction and causing pain and hardship for others, particularly Loviatar and Talona, whose natures are diametrically opposed to his own. Other foes include Bane, Garagos, Malar, Shar, and Talos.

DOGMA: Help all who hurt, no matter who they are. The truly holy take on the suffering of others. If you suffer in his name, Ilmater is there to support you. Stick to your cause if it is right, whatever the pain or peril. There is no shame in a meaningful death. Stand up to all tyrants, and allow no injustice to go unchallenged. Emphasize the spiritual nature of life over the existence of the material body.