Nobanion

Lord Firemane, King of the Beasts, the Lion King Divine Rank: Demigod Symbol: Male lion's head on a green shield Alignment: Lawful Good Portfolio: royalty, lions and feline beasts, good beasts Worshipers: Druids, fighters, leaders, paladins, rangers, soldiers, teachers, and wemics Worshiper Alignments: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN, N Domains: Animal, Good, Law, Nobility Favored weapon: "Lion's Head" (heavy pick) Festivals: The Festival of the Pride, The Newborn Celebration.

Nobanion is the deity of royalty, lions and other felines, and good beasts. He is considered to have originally been an interloper deity on Toril, but since his arrival he has firmly established himself within the Faerûnian pantheon. The Lion King has long been allied with Lurue, as well as Tyr, Torm, Mielikki, and the other benign nature deities. Nobanion's dogma is to hunt only when hungry and not do gorge without need. Waste nothing and all shall have plenty. The cycle of life links all living things into one being, and that being is life itself. The law of the jungle is that only the strong survive, but they survive best by being leaders, not tyrants, by protecting the weak, not bullying them. All creatures have their strengths in the assigned roles and should be encouraged to find their niche. From cooperation between beings of differing strengths comes the strength of teamwork and community, the strongest force of all. By demonstrating compassion and tolerance and living within the land, all living creatures may find harmony with nature and one another. By staying true to oneself and one's pride and conducting oneself with dignity and honor, the respect of one's peers may be earned. Wemics reduce this to the following: Only the strong survive. Live and let live unless provoked. Protect the pride and all its members, but if injury or illness bring them down, allow him or her a swift and painless end to suffering.

Nobanion radiates both power and gentleness. His roar is deafening, and when he chooses to exert the full force of his charisma, his regal majesty is overwhelming, yet the tiniest creature who approaches him in good faith finds itself comfortable in his presence. Lord Firemane tries to lead his pride to do what is noble and right, but does not force his faithful to pursue that path. He deeply wants those under his rule to willingly choose good over evil, action over inaction, and order over chaos. He does not command from the rear and would never ask someone to do something he would not be willing to do himself, including laying down his life for another.

Nobanion's followers are strictly ordered in rank but not otherwise organized. The Pride of Nobanion fill leadership roles in many communities where he is revered. Many serve as benevolent monarchs, judges, militia, constables, or as guardians against evil. The vanguard of armies loyal to Nobanion is typically filled with clerics and crusaders of the Lion King. Others teach their hunting or martial skills to the young, while passing along moral instruction and important traditions both by word and deed. Nobanion's shamans are typically powerful leaders, second only to the chieftain or king. They are responsible for choosing which creatures to hunt, blessing the kill, and confirming the passage of young members of the Pride into adulthood. Clerics and druids of Nobanion pray for their spells at dusk, prior to the nighttime hunt. The Festival of the Pride normally takes place during the first tenday of Ches. This is a time for frolicking, dancing, courting a mate, lovemaking, and generally celebrating the bounty of life and its potential.

Religious belief promises that a child (or cub) conceived this night will go on to become ruler of the church (or pride). The Newborn Celebration always takes place during the third tenday of Kythorn, marked by a great hunt or feast. This ceremony celebrates the birth (or rebirth, church teachings are vague) of Nobanion, the prominence of lions in the Vilhon Reach, and the importance of the hunt in the region. Newborns undergo the Rite of the First Blooding where their right paw (or hand) is placed in the blood of the prey and blessed by a cleric or druid of Nobanion. Lord Firemane's clerics often multiclass as divine champions, fighters, or paladins. His druids often multiclass as rangers.