Milil

Milil (pronounced mil-LILL ), also known as the One Who Watches While Music is Alive and the Guardian of Singers and Troubadours, is depicted in religious art and song as a handsome male human or elf with a charismatic manner and a haunting, melodic voice. He is venerated by human, elf, and half-elf, bards.

Milil is the ultimate performer: self-confident, inspired, possessed of total recall or anything he sets a mind to remember, able to improvise facilely out of desire or necessity, well-educated in general theories of conduct and broad areas of knowledge, and masterful in all sorts of performance technique (including a passing knowledge of disguise derived from costume theory), especially within his sphere of knowledge—music, poetry, and elegant speech. However, he is also self-centered and egotistical and likes to be the center of attention. When he is not the center of attention, he bores easily, and his mind wanders or he leaves. He is also given to flirtation with both deities and mortals for his own enjoyment, to deep annoyance of more sober powers.

Milil often manifests as haunting music, particularly in clearing deep in woodlands. He appears as a wordless, lone male voice soaring through the air where no singer can be seen. At times, Milil draws the image of two dancing hollyphants in the air in glowing yellow lines or in ink (that appears from nowhere) on parchment to signify his approval. This seems to indicate his delight in watching such creatures dance to his music. More often, Milil manifests as a radiance surrounding a bard, storyteller, or epic poet in the throes of inspiration—a sight always heralding a performance that moves an audience to tears, blind obedience, enthusiastic offerings of money, or whatever else the performer desires them to do. Milil often places helpful visions (mental pictures of the whereabouts of treasure, lost loved ones, or directions overland) in the mind of a singer or musician who pleases him.

Milil also acts through the appearance or presence of aasimar (all accomplished singers), hollyphants, light aasimons, movanic devas and solars. More commonly he sends songbirds especially nightingales, white horses or pegasi, calico cats, red or yellow roses, lilies, peonies, perfect gemstones or any sort, and peregrine falcons to show his favor and as a sign to inspire his faithful.

Followers
Clerics of Milil, or Sorlyns as they are called, pray for spells upon awakening at sunrise, calling out to the Lord of Song with the Song of Praise, which is also sung after every victory in battle or great thing that benefits them. Most clerics multiclass as bards.

An order of paladins called the Harmonious Order venerates Milil. This group of personable and swaggering paladins encourages bards (whom they tolerate despite alignment differences) to accompany them to create ballads based on their exploits. Their role is to guard Milil’s churches and do good works in Milil’s name.

Relationships
Deneir, Gond, and Milil serve Oghma, though Milil has little in common with Gond, and their relationship is strained. He is on excellent terms with a number of powerful gods, including Mysta and Sune, and often works closely with Lliira. He is welcome in the elf pantheon as well, and considers Finder Wyvernspur to have some promise, although the feeling is not reciprocated.

He has earned the enmity of Cyric for his ridiculing ballad about the period of madness the Prince of Lies experienced.

Dogma
"Life is a song, beginning at birth and only silenced with the final chord. Strive always to make the whole song, not just the lyrics and music, more beautiful. Destroy no music or instrument, nor stop a singer before the tune is done. Listen to the world around as well as filling it with your own sound. One singer’s music is another’s noise so still no bad music if its making be joyful. Spread the teaching of song and musicianship always. Sing to Milil everyday. Music is the most precious thing folk can create—so encourage its training, use, and preservation at all times and in all possible ways. Awaken a love of song in all folk you can, and offer its performance freely around campfire or on the trail. Cease not in your own seeking for new tunes, new techniques, and new instruments to master."