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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gyor" data-source="post: 7100743" data-attributes="member: 6670153">"Favored SoulsFavored SoulMortals who perform great services to deities, devoting their lives and work to the cause of their god or goddess, sometimes become the Chosen of that deity. Mystra's Chosen -- the seven sisters, Elminster, and others in the past -- are the most well known, but many other deities have Chosen worshipers. The Rotting Man, the hideous blightlord who corrupts and rots the Rawlinswood, is the Chosen of Talona. While some Chosen come into their status because of deeds and service, others come into the world with their deity's favor. These Chosen are known as favored souls, infants born as physical manifestations of a deity's power on Faerûn.Being born a favored soul has both advantages and disadvantages. Like a cleric, a favored soul has access to her god's divine magic. Unlike a cleric, however, the magic of a favored soul is natural. As such, it is unlikely to be denied by her god. Because favored souls do not need to pray for their spells, deities don't need to approve or disapprove each and every incantation. This and the many divine powers of a favored soul make members of the class quite powerful. Despite these powers, favored souls are often hindered by a sense of inescapable destiny that surrounds their births. They didn't choose their paths and may not want anything to do with their religion. In this way, the powers of a favored soul can be a burden rather than a blessing.Most Faerûnian deities have at least a few favored souls in their service. Some choose to have only one at any given time, but others spread out their favored souls among the lands in their worship. Rarely is there more than one favored soul in a given region, unless it's highly populated. Because they are often seen as direct signs from their god, favored souls rarely lead normal lives. The reason there are so few is because they create ripples in their travels, affecting everything they touch with their god's divine power.A number of favored souls are known to exist among the many faiths of Faerûn. Braeden (DoF, LE female half-brown dragon half-human favored soul 10 [Tiamat]) is Tiamat's favored soul in Unther and the daughter of the brown dragon Slavin'Krath'Magaal (DoF, NE female fiendish juvenile brown dragon blackguard 4). She has received visions from her god showing something monstrous emerging from the Pit of Many Colors. She believes that this creature will play a crucial role in the upcoming battles faced by the Church of Tiamat. When she revealed this information to her father Malise(DoF), the high priest of the Altar of Scales (DoF, a hidden underground temple in Unthalass dedicated to draconic experimentation), he laughed at her, suggesting that she could never receive visions from the goddess. Now she plots with her mother to overthrow him, feeling that he has lost touch with the will of the Dark Lady.The favored soul of Urdlen is a terrifying creature known as Curdle (CE male half-fiend spriggan favored soul 11). Curdle vaguely resembles a gnome in stature but is massively built for a creature of its small size and reeking of rancid flesh and blood. It has gleaming red eyes, long, bestial talons, and in its large form, batlike wings. Curdle stalks the fields near the town of Asbravn in the Western Heartlands, looking for things of beauty and innocence to destroy. The Riders in Red Cloaks have reported seeing the creature's handiwork on a number of occasions -- destroyed works of art and gems, eviscerated livestock, maimed and murdered pets, the occasional elderly couple frightened to death, and much worse. Recently, Curdle has gone on a dark rampage, stalking the edges of Asbravn at night, murdering gnomes and other townsfolk coming home from evenings of drink and song. Rumors abound that the creature has been sent on a destructive spree by its dark god for some hideous purpose. The events have become so dire that they have attracted the attention of Embrel Berrodwyn (NG Male Gnome Beguiler 4/Favored Soul 4 [Baravar Cloakshadow]/Mystic Theurge 10), the favored of the Sly One. Embrel has been busy at work crafting a grand gnomish illusion, but the murders have enraged him so much that he's put his great spell on hold. Townsfolk whisper of an approaching epic conflict between the two gnomish scions. All are certain that Asbravn will never be the same again" That is from the class chronicles put out by WotC, which explained how the original Favored Soul fit into the Forgotten Realms.  Of course with the Spellplague and then the Sundering magic changed a lot,  but the core idea is maintained,  Favoured Souls are a subtype of Chosen in the Forgotten Realms.  And in no edition has Favoured Soul's ever gotten access to domains.</blockquote>

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