D&D General Forgotten Realms: Real World Gods Still Present in the Old Empires

[Henadic Theologian]

I have thoughts, but I stayed up for the Jays game last night and I probably shouldnt share them.

Maybe tomorrow. Go Jays pretend that is a Blue Jay as I don't have that Emoji.

 

[billd91]

As the title says. I remember this was a major topic in some other threads.

Well, present in more than just the Old Empires as well. There's a handful that's always been part of the FR's main setting.

 

[Scribe]

Maybe tomorrow. Go Jays pretend that is a Blue Jay as I don't have that Emoji.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

It also helps that there's not really more on them than their names. No alignments, nothing but examples of Mulhorandi deities, and that they are relatively benevolent. They just kind of leave it at that - saying that they are there, but virtually nothing else.

Compared to that tyrant Gilgeam next door, of course. It would have been nice to have mentioned the other Untheric deities in that section, especially under Messemprar.

Interestingly enough they referred to Mulhorand as a Paradise when Comparing it to Unther. Although two major cities in Unther are functionally separate city states, the Dragonborn city, and Messemprar (which is a democracy run by Wizards).

 

[Yaarel]

Fans often style Chessenta as Greek-esque, with classical city states and rolling hills (albeit Greenwood himself compares Proto-Renaissance Italy). Chessenta feels Hellenist in any case.

Mulhorand is explicitly a place to have Egypt-esque adventures, mentioning reallife gods.

When I was looking for a place for an Israel-esque region, I decided on the Shining Lands, specifically Estagund.

Between Mulhorand and Estagund is an area for the wandering in the wilderness. The setting suggests geographic connections.
• The River of Swords (suggests where the parting of the sea of reeds happened).
• The Lake of Salt (suggests where nomadic Israel were unable to drink the bitter waters).
• The Council Hills (works for a fantasy version of Mount Sinai).
• In Estagund, the River Gundan (works suitably for the River Jordan).
• The capital is Chavyondat. (I read this as if Hebrew Chevyon-Daat, literally, "the secret place of knowledge").
• Estagund (perhaps Eshet-Agud-Nod, "woman of the united of nomadism", maybe Miryam the prophet).
• Also note nearby Assur (Ashur, Assyria)

In Forgotten Realms, the region of Estagund is (coincidentally?) known for a monotheistic religion, Adama (which in Hebrew can literally mean, "toward humanity"). The fantasy monotheism draws from Hinduism with a monotheistic Brahman vibe, which works fine.

In the very polytheistic Forgotten Realms setting, the monotheistic cultures are rare. It can be the adherents of Adama view the monotheistic traditions as a "secret place of knowledge". Chevyondaat serves as a Jerusalem-esque location.

Forgotten Realms is not a place to construct historical or mythological accuracy. Playful inspiration from medieval Jewish mysticism is especially suitable here as well as loose references to the ancient cultures. When drawing "esque" inspiration from the cultures of Israel, Estagund as-is is a suitable location to have such adventures.

• Greece-esque Chessenta
• Egypt-esque Mulhorand
• Israel-esque Estagund

 

[Yaarel]

I was wondering what "Mulhorand" might mean if it derived from Ancient Egyptian.

Hor(a) would definitely refer to Horus, which in Egyptian would be "ḥr", ḥrj, and similar dialectic variants. These are the consonants. Determining the vowels is trickier.

Maybe something like:

mw-r-ḥr-nḏ (water-mouth-Horus-asked)

Maybe something like, "The mouth of Horus asked the water".

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Fans often style Chessenta as Greek-esque, with classical city states and rolling hills (albeit Greenwood himself compares Proto-Renaissance Italy). Chessenta feels Hellenist in any case.

Mulhorand is explicitly a place to have Egypt-esque adventures, mentioning reallife gods.

When I was looking for a place for an Israel-esque region, I decided on the Shining Lands, specifically Estagund.

Between Mulhorand and Estagund is an area for the wandering in the wilderness. The setting suggests geographic connections.
• The River of Swords (suggests where the parting of the sea of reeds happened).
• The Lake of Salt (suggests where nomadic Israel were unable to drink the bitter waters).
• The Council Hills (works for a fantasy version of Mount Sinai).
• In Estagund, the River Gundan (works suitably for the River Jordan).
• The capital is Chavyondat. (I read this as if Hebrew Chevyon-Daat, literally, "the secret place of knowledge").
• Estagund (perhaps Eshet-Agud-Nod, "woman of the united of nomadism", maybe Miryam the prophet).
• Also note nearby Assur (Ashur, Assyria)

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In Forgotten Realms, the region of Estagund is (coincidentally?) known for a monotheistic religion, Adama (which in Hebrew can literally mean, "toward humanity"). The fantasy monotheism draws from Hinduism with a monotheistic Brahman vibe, which works fine.

In the very polytheistic Forgotten Realms setting, the monotheistic cultures are rare. It can be the adherents of Adama view the monotheistic traditions as a "secret place of knowledge". Chevyondaat serves as a Jerusalem-esque location.

Forgotten Realms is not a place to construct historical or mythological accuracy. Playful inspiration from medieval Jewish mysticism is especially suitable here as well as lose references to the ancient cultures. When drawing "esque" inspiration from the cultures of Israel, Estagund as-is is a suitable location to have such adventures.

• Greece-esque Chessenta
• Egypt-esque Mulhorand
• Israel-esque Estagund

The Adama Is more soft Polythiesm then Monothiesm.

 

[Yaarel]

The Adama Is more soft Polythiesm then Monothiesm.

I understood Adama as a philosophical monotheism, like Hindu Brahman as the infinite. Then angel-like figures within the finite are representing the will of the infinite.

An Israel version would be more iconoclastic, in terms representing the infinite. They wouldnt be worshiped. But angel-like figures that carry out the will of the infinite for the activities and processes of the finite world, would be fine.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Some corrections, the name Blade Kingdoms is on the Old Empires part, but the actual Blade Kingdoms are in the Vilhon Reach region, although ignored in that section.

Also looked at the 4e map and the reason why Djerad Kethendi isn't on the 5e map is BECAUSE THEY NEVER PUT IT ON THE 4E MAP. It's basically an over sight that carried over from 4e, not that Djerad Kethendi destroyed, its that its exact location wasn't on the maps they used as source material.

So as far as I'm concerned the City still exists in am undisclosed location.

 

[Yaarel]

Is there a list of all the reallife gods that 2024 Forgotten Realms mentions? From what I understand so far:

Horus-Re
Anhur
Set

Enlil