Oghma

Oghma, also known as The Lord of Knowledge, was the neutral greater power of bards, inspiration, invention, and knowledge in Faerûn. Oghma was the leader of the Deities of Knowledge and Invention and his home plane was the House of Knowledge. His symbol was a blank scroll.

Worshipers
Those who worshiped Oghma included artists, bards, cartographers, inventors, loremasters, sages, scholars, scribes and wizards—archivists, a generalist cleric prestige class, might pray to him as well. They could be of any alignment, unlike most neutral gods. They often wore Oghma's symbol, a silver scroll on a chain, as a necklace.

Orders

 * Companions of the Silver String:
 * The Companions of the Silver String were heroic bards who acted valiantly at risk of their own lives in the service of the church of Oghma.



Relationships
Oghma's most common foes were Mask, Cyric, and Bane. Oghma's old archnemesis, Leira, is now dead and an aspect of Cyric. He may have been opposed to Ilsensine.

Deities of Knowledge and Invention
Along with Milil, Deneir, and Gond, Oghma was one of the Deities of Knowledge and Invention. He led the deific group and, although Deneir was lost, Oghma continued to lead them.

History
Oghma was an interloper deity who gained power in Toril's crystal sphere when a wave of planar immigrants settled in Faerûn, bringing their gods (of whom Oghma was but one) with them. He rose in power to the point where he became the leader of the Deities of Knowledge and Invention and has remained in that position ever since.

Shortly after ascending to divinity, Oghma fathered many demi-power children. A few of the children decided to specialize in a single subject and learn everything they could about it. At some point Cyric lured twenty-two of the children away from Oghma and transformed them into paintings known as the Whispering Children.

During the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, the Grand Patriarch of Oghma Cullen Kordamant disappeared without a trace, and reports on his current whereabouts from Oghma were confused and conflicting. As a consequence, a schism formed in the faith. The main branch, the Orthodox Church of Oghma in Procampur, believed that Kordamant had ascended to the House of Knowledge to serve as Oghma's proxy, and he remained the only true Grand Patriarch of the church until Oghma named a successor. A rival group, the Church of Oghma in Sembia, went ahead and named a new Grand Patriarch anyway, which the Orthodox Church refused to accept. The church in Sembia also disagreed with the Orthodox Church on the dissemination of knowledge, teaching that knowledge must be tested and proven "worthy" before being released to the public. Later the Church of Oghma moved its base to Cormyr, renaming itself the Oghmanyte Church in Exile. This schism continued unabated for over a century, a fundamental sickness in the faith, or more likely an assault on it from some external entity.

Undryl Yannathar, a former Grand Patriarch of the Oghmanyte Church in Exile, retired from his position no later than 1455 DR. Advised by the rakshasa Kalkan, his followers traveled to the nation of Akanûl, gathering new followers in that land. After Yannathar's death, a former Orthodox priest of Oghma, the dwarf Landrew, helped found a new group that broke away even from the Church in Exile, calling it the Church of All Tomorrows. The Church of All Tomorrows taught that Oghma's knowledge was incomplete, for Oghma could never inerrantly foretell the future. The Church of All Tomorrows offered Oghmanytes the "true power" of knowledge of the future, which Kalkan gained from an ancient Imaskari magic item known as the damos. The group planned on sacrificing a servant of Oghma's Orthodox Church in order to formally end its ties to Oghma and embrace the mysterious Voice of Tomorrow as its patron. They were nearly thwarted by the deva Demascus, but Demascus himself became the sacrifice.

Dogma
"Knowledge, particularly the raw knowledge of ideas, is supreme. An idea has no weight, but it can move mountains. The greatest gift of humankind, an idea outweighs anything made by mortal hands. Knowledge is power and must be used with care, but hiding it away from others is never a good thing. Stifle no new ideas, no matter how false and crazed they seem; rather, let them be heard and considered. Never slay a singer, nor stand by as others do so. Spread knowledge wherever it is prudent to do so. Curb and deny falsehoods, rumor, and deceitful tales whenever you encounter them. Write or copy lore of great value at least once a year and give it away. Sponsor and teach bards, scribes, and record keepers. Spread truth and knowledge so that all folk know more. Never deliver a message falsely or incompletely. Teach reading and writing to those who ask (if your time permits), and charge no fee for the teaching."

Background
Oghma was based on the deity Ogma from the Celtic pantheon.

Connections
Oghma