Norns

The Norns were a group of goddesses of fate in the Norse pantheon. While not directly worshiped on Toril, legends of the Norns and their destiny-spinning powers were common in the Realms.

Base of Operations
In Asgard the Norns could be found beneath one of Yggdrasil's roots at the Well of Urd, a magical spring.

They mainly lived on the Outlands, in a small grove that was overgrown with thick trees and thorns that blotted out outside illumination.

Possessions
All the Norns had some degree of magic resistance, could only be harmed by enchanted weapons, had the power to assume any form they wished, and were said to see all things throughout time &mdash; the past, present, and future. They often fought with enchanted daggers.

Members
The three primary members of the Norns were known as Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. Respectively they were, in their true forms, a giantess, an elf, and a dwarf. The three of them were believed to represent the past, present, and future.

Beyond those three, there were many other Norns of lesser rank, some of whom resembled elves and dwarves. Some in Sigil believed that Black Marian, a mysterious priestess who lived in that city, was one of these Norns.

Activities
The Norns tended to Yggdrasil, undoing the harm wrought by Nidhoggr constantly chewing at its roots, and often advised the deities of the Norse pantheon on special situations.

Both mortals and deities sought them out at the Well of Urd to have their fortunes foretold, but they were largely unwilling to reveal such things unless they dealt with themselves. Though they were willing to answer questions of slight import, sometimes for large fees.

Rumored Activities
Many of the other activities of the Norns were surrounded in myths. The Asgardians believed that the Norns marked out their fate, or wyrd as they called it, at the moment of their birth. Some went so far as to claim that they shaped the destinies of all sentient creatures throughout the multiverse, traveling throughout the Prime Material plane in the form of swans to deal out each person's fate in the form of prophecy.

The Asgardians believed that the primary Norns would arrive disguised as some combination of three animals at a child's birth. They also believed that if the parents recognized the Norns and offered all three great gifts, such as items made of gold and silver, they would be willing to reveal the newborn's fate.

Others believed that doing so would persuade the Norns to dictate a great future for the child. But if gifts of equal value weren't given, or the parents had unknowingly offered one of the gifts to a mundane animal, it was believed one of the Norns would become offended and turn the gifts of her peers into a curse. Though others dismissed this notion of persuading for a better fate, as they believed there was no force that could alter their decision of a being's decreed fate.

History
At some point the primary Norns foresaw that a member of the Norse pantheon, Hod the Blind, would one day slay the deity Baldur with a spear of mistletoe. As a result of their prophesy, Hod was exiled from Asgard.

Some centuries prior to the Time of Troubles, the Norns were worshiped on Toril in the city of Medinat Muskawoon, where a shrine to them stood in front of a temple to the deity Baldur.

Worshipers
The Norns were largely not known to be worshiped on the Prime Material and had no favored servants. The Outer Planes faction known as the Fated worshiped them within their headquarters Rowan's Hall, which was located near the Well of Urd. And they were worshiped alongside Odin in the gate-town of Glorium.

Sometimes groups gathered in prayer to the Norns when they sought aid in obtaining hidden knowledge.

Rumors & Legends

 * Faerûnian legends stated that the Norns spun, measured, and cut the destinies mortal beings, like working with fabric.
 * Some myths claimed that each individual had their own dedicated Norn.
 * Some claimed that the Norns were all proxies that served the embodiment of fate itself.
 * The artisan elves of Svartelheim claimed that they learned their skills of weaving from the three primary Norns.