[FR] Now wait just a minute here...

[Dark Jezter]

Earlier tonight, I was looking through the deities section of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and noticed that it seems to contradict itself in an interesting way.

From Tempus' entry on page 252...

He has never been known to speak. He uses the sprits of fallen warriors as intermediaries.

But, on page 248, in the section entitled "How the Art Came to Maulaugadorn"...

Maulaugadorn cried the name of Tempus in a great voice and prayed, demanding to know what had so affected his kinlady. From out of the great flames came the Helm that Hovers, and the deep voice of Tempus that is all battle-steel clanging upon armor was in his mind.

Now, I'm a little confused here; did Tempus actually speak to the guy, or was he conversing with him telepathically or what? Because the god of war in the Realms has supposedly never been known to speak. Anybody else notice this?

 

[ColonelHardisson]

The way I read it, it seems that the guy heard the clashing of steel, as in a battle. That's all the voice such a deity needs. Sort of like saying the voice of a god of storms is thunder. It doesn't actually form words, as we'd call them, but conveys what the god wants to get across nonetheless.

 

[AJA]

The Faiths and Avatars supplement states;

"Priests praying to Tempus...must interpret what they see as an indication of the god's favor and intent. Only the images of dead warriors in visions sent to mortals ever speak the will of the war god directly. Tempus himself only snarls in battle-fury or keeps silent. (In fact, he has never been known to speak while in Faerun)." (p.158)

Given that, I would agree with the good Colonel. Malaugadorn only heard the "snarls" of the god (the battle-steel clanging), and interpreted them in a way which suited him.

Or, perhaps the "Helm That Hovers" was not Tempus at all, but the name (or title) of one of his favored servants. In this regard, the Helm was speaking directly to Malaugadorn, relaying his god's intent.

 

[Alzrius]

Some of the novels contradict this entry also.

In Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad Mystra/Midnight visits Tempus when he is making a personal appearance on a battlefield. She had been dnying his war-priests magic, and he was there to use magic directly to turn the tide. They spoke as he healed a warrior, and as he finished healing the man, he spoke to him, saying "Go. Make your maharaja proud." and the soldier in question scuttled off, much to Tempus's disappointment at the lack of enthusiasm.

 

[d12]

Wow, D.J. is now the Forgotten Realms Swami.

I love talking about the FRCS but maybe we should put all of these in one thread? Just my opinion.

 

[jester47]

I would say that was an avatar of Tempus and in that situation was a special case. When not trapped on the prime material in a human body Tempus does not speak. But that is in the novels which take a lot of liberties, and furthermore its in the avatar trilogy which takes even more liberties. I agree with Col on the initial point.

Aaron.