Tymora

Tymora, or more commonly Lady Luck, was the goddess of good fortune in the Faerûnian pantheon and the second incarnation of the goddess of luck after her predecessor Tyche was split in two deities: Tymora and Beshaba. In the 14 and 15 centuries DR, Tymora held the portfolios of the good fortune, skill, victory, adventurers, justice. She shone upon those who took risks and blessed those who dealt harshly with the followers of Beshaba. Should someone flee from her sister's mischievous followers or defile the dead, their fate would be decided with a roll of Tymora's dice.

"Fortune favors the bold."

- The battle cry of Tymora's followers.

Description
Before the Time of Troubles, Tymora used to manifest in her avatar form, as a barefoot, crafty-faced, tomboy with brunette hair. In 1368 DR, she still appeared as a slender short-haired woman, but dressed in a short white satin gold-trimmed tunic and hight brown leather boots. Her head was adorned with a delicate silver coronet that glistened in the light. However, after surviving a foiled plot to steal her powers and be merged with her sister, she changed her form into a tall, thin, almost boyish, yet graceful maiden with long, flowing, unbound, platinum blond or silver hair, regal face and blue-black eyes.

Personality
Tymora was a cheerful and curious goddess, who inherited Tyche's grace and kindness, when the latter was split apart. She did not have any malice or vengeance in her, since both of these emotions were inherited by Beshaba. She remained jovial even in the darkest times, preferring mischief and ironic justice to open violence. Tymora was jaunty and high-spirited, but not rude or haughty. In battle she sang, whooped, or emited beast-calls with gusto. Tymora was well-known for her antics over the centuries. She was much more adventurous and less serious than any of her fellow deities.

Just like Tyche, Tymora used to romance many deities, and just like her, she would cut-short their relationships, whenever she was bored of them or her attention was drawn to something or someone else. Moreover, scholars from the Outer Planes had a theory, that Tymora might have been Tyche from the beggining. Their theory suggested that since no divine corpse was found in the Astral Plane, Tyche didn't die, as the Faerûnians believed. According to this theory, Tyche learnt to manifest as the two twin goddesses instead of dying. However, it was not known if Tyche was the dominant personality in each of the two goddesses, or if she had faded away and was just an unconscious source of power for them.

Abilities
When Tymora manifested as an avatar her voice could carry for more than a 100 miles. Any game based on chance would be won by ridiculously improbable odds if played within a hundred yards of her avatar. She was capable of sensing acts of good fortune as soon as they happened. Beings of her faith would also receive small magic resistance. She could also change between bird and human form at will. The shift required roughly 6 seconds.

Tymora was immune to all illusions, charm spells, priest spells from numbers spheres, thought spheres, chaos spheres, law spheres, and time spheres. Any wild magic wizard spells cast near Tymora would twist and aid her or her allies. If Tymora was unaffected by a magical spell, the spell was turned back on the caster for full effects. Any form of spells or powers that were used to control her will or dominate her mind were instantly nullified.

She could see, hear, touch and smell at a distance of 14 miles.

Divine Realm
Tymora resided in the Gates of the Moon after events of the Spellplague, allied to, but independent of, that realm's twin mistresses. Her realm was the Great Wheel, seven earthmotes connected by lofty bridges, where games of chance, tests of luck, and gambling abounded. She named it after her former gambling quarter on the plane of Brightwater.

In Brightwater, Tymora resided within the grand casino of the Hall of Chance, filled with petitioners playing ever game of chance known in the Realms and beyond. The streets that led to the casino were paved in glistening illusory gold, gaudy statues of all shapes. Adjacent to the Hall of Chance laid lush bat chaotic garden frequented by the goddess. The garden appeared to have been planted by randomly tossing various seeds and letting it all grow. Among the trees in the garden grew birch trees, illuminated in firefly flickering after dusk.

Possessions
Tymora used to wield +5 silver luck blade longsword named ''Silver Tear, that would appear as a silver tear from her eye and then be reshaped in midair into a weapon whenever goddess desired. It was not, however, her favored weapon; that honor went to the coins that she used as +5 distance speed shurikens.

Creation
During times known as the Dawn Cataclysm, the former deity of luck, Tyche, controlled both good and bad luck. While travelling around the world, she came upon a beautiful rose, which she attempted to pluck from the earth. Unable to do so, Tyche cursed it with bad luck, whereupon its stem broke and it fell to the ground. She placed the rose in her hair, oblivious to a fact that it was in fact a trap from Moander, deity of rot and decay. His evil essence worked its corruption into Tyche’s ear, after which started to drain her lifeforce, wither her form within and corrupt her in body and soul. When she finally returned to the Upper planes, the oblivious Tyche came upon her friends: Selûne, goddess of the moon, Lathander, god of birth and renewal, and Azuth, god of arcane magic; who were waiting to speak to her. However, instead of beautiful goddess, the three deities witnessed the disgusting creature that had once been Tyche, rotting from inside. They saw the corruption destroying her, and unable to help her in any other way, Selûne casted bolt of light as the last effort to purify her. However, Tyche instead split apart, creating Tymora, the goddess of good luck, and then Beshaba, the goddess of misfortune.

The Time of Troubles
In 1358 DR during the Time of Troubles, Tymora's avatar manifested in the Cormyrian city of Suzail and then traveled to the Lady's House, a temple devoted to her worship in Arabel. She protected that city during the crisis. It is thought that her presence in that city spared Cormyr from the chaos which affected most of the rest of Faerûn at the time.

Recent History
In 1384 DR, shortly before the catastrophic events of the Spellplague, Tymora was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when goddess of love Sune encouraged her and Tyr, god of law and justice, to pursue a romantic relationship to restore balance to the Celestial Planes, after Siamorphe left the House of the Triad to make her realm in Brightwater. Tyr was led to believe (some say due to the machinations of god of deception Cyric), that Helm, god of guardians, who was chaperoning the couple, was seeing Tymora behind his back, and completely stole her heart. This led to Tyr challenging Helm to a duel, which latter accepted because he felt that it was the honorable act to accept the challenge. As a result of a duel, Helm was apparently slain, leading to more chaos in the Celestial realms. So upset was Tymora at this turn of events, that she abandoned her realm in Brightwater, and was accepted by Selûne to live in the Gates of the Moon. In 1386 DR, Iyachtu Xvim attempted to deceive Lathander into rejoining Tymora and Beshaba back into Tyche, however his plans were foiled.

Relationships
Sages have claimed that Tymora had fostered many brief trysts with good-aligned male deities, always ending them amicably when her attentions were drawn elsewhere. She was known to count Azuth, Baravar Cloakshadow, Dugmaren Brightmantle, Erevan Ilesere, Finder Wyvernspur, Garl Glittergold, Haela Brightaxe, Hanali Celanil, Lathander, Lliira, Marthammor Duin, Selûne, Shaundakul and Vergadain as her allies.

Finder Wyvernspur was one of Tymora's closest and loyal allies. It's was not surprising, since she sponsored his rise to godhood, and was his old patron deity, that presumably helped him permanently slay Moander. He was jokingly referred to as the god of reckless fools, which Tymora may have appreciated.

Tymora had very close friendship with Selûne, who was not only her oldest friend in this life, but also in the one before, when Lady Luck was still goddess Tyche. Moreover, Selûne was the reason, why Tymora was "born", since she was the one that split Tyche into Tymora and Beshaba. She also invited Tymora to live with her the Gates of the Moon, when Tyr broke her heart.

She also had a good relationship with Brandobaris, acting as his accomplice when he played tricks on others. Their friendly attitude to each other, was likely the reason for his good luck. Garl Glittergold, Erevan Ilesere, Tymora, and Brandobaris formed an informal group of mischief, which sometimes worked on the nerves of more serious gods.

Beshaba was her twin sister's fiercest foe since the day they were "born" from Tyche's husk. They were opposites of each other and fought constatly, but Beshaba wasn't Lady Luck's only enemy. Tymora also held enmity for Bane and Moander. Though she held no malice towards them, she occasionally played tricks and pranks on the more staid deities, such as Helm and Tyr.

Symbol
Tymora's holy symbol was a face-up silver coin with image of her face surrounded by shamrocks.

Worshipers
Commonly consisting of adventurers and others who relied on a mixture of luck and skill to achieve their goals, the Tymoran clergy encouraged folk to pursue their dreams. They were also duty-bound to aid the daring by providing healing and even some minor magic items.

Shrines and temples of Tymora were widespread as the needs of adventurers to be healed made the temples wealthy. These places of worship often differed significantly from each other in powers, manners, and titles though, with little overall authority or hierarchy. The temples provided potions, scrolls, or other little things like glowstones, often as rewards to those who served Tymora and her tenets well.

Tymora was the most famous deity around the Cormyr, after she protected their capital, Suzail, durring the Time of Troubles. Her efforts prompted a resurgence of her faith throughout the nation. The priests of Tymora didn't charge vistors for service, however most people provided offerings, believing that it would increase their luck. Thanks to those donations, Tymoran temples around Cormyr were extremely wealthy.

Nobles and merchants were constantly seeking blessing of Tymora, and no significant venture was undertaken without the prayers of the Luckbringers. Halflings believed that, since Tymora often manifested as a halfling to them, she was actually a halfling deity herself and had conned the 'big folk' into worshiping her as well. Halflings called Tymora either “Tymora” or “Shalamora” or refered to her as Lady Luck or Our Smiling Lady.

Prayers
Offerings made to the goddess of luck are often accompanied by the prayer, "A copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold." When Tymorans were struck with misfortune, they used to say: "Sometimes the Lady smiles, sometimes she laughs out loud."

Orders

 * Fellows of Free Fate
 * This was a special fellowship of clergy within the church of Tymora who dedicated themselves to countering the efforts of Beshaba, and especially of the Black Fingers, her assassins. Any clergy member who showed experience, dedication to the cause, and was vouched for by a senior Fellow could join.


 * Testers
 * The Testers were fanactical followers of Tymora who took extreme risks in order to further the worship of the goddess. When the choice was between a safe approach and one with little margin for error, they would rely on the flashier but more difficult approach. This was to prove to others the glory of Tymora.


 * Fatemakers
 * A heretical band who believed that all luck deities were one and the same and that mortals could influence luck, if they had enough power. The Fatemakers were followers of many different gods and goddesses, including Tymora and Beshaba, and would often work together for a common goal. Many Tymorans despised the Fatemakers, rightly suspecting that many of them were corrupt and secret followers of Beshaba.

Associated Items

 * Stone of Tymora was an artifact sacred to the goddess of good fortune. When the stone was in close proximity to the creature of its own choosing, it would bound itself to their soul and allow them to perform feats of extraordinary luck. However, when it altered the luck of its wielder, somewhere another soul would experience an equal amount of bad luck.


 * Flame of the Spirit was an object sacred to the Tymoran faith. It appeared as a lump of sculpted amber in the shape of an undulating flame. If touched by a devotee of Tymora, flame transformed into the form of a tablet, capable of levitating in place when not resting on a surface suitable for reading. It displayed the text of a spell, selected at random from those stored within the object. When touched again, the object would display another randomly selected spell. However, If it was touched by a creature that did not worship Tymora, that being would be struck by a powerful eruption of searing, corrosive fire.


 * Torque of faith was a magical item, holy to the Church of Tymora. It was a golden torque, fashioned entirely from gold coins of different sizes. They interlocked so closely that the torque appeared almost seamless. When worn, the torque enabled a priest of Tymora to use their luck powers as often as desired, and boosted such luck. It also radiated a faint, golden glow, but only if it was worn by a priest of Tymora.


 * Symbols of Scorned Fate were Tymoran holy symbols, that looked like double-headed coins, and were first used by the [Church of Tymora post-spellplague. They were imbued with the Lady Luck's divine magics and would protect their owner from bad fate for a short period of time. Additionally, these magic coins would increase their wielder's combat effectiveness.


 * Orprase gemstones were eagerly sought by followers of Tymora, since orprase stone, powdered and mixed into at least 3 oz (90 ml) of wine that had been consecrated to Tymora by a full-fledged priest of that faith, granted extraordinary good luck at resisting one attack or at performing one skill.


 * Blood of Tyche was a swirling potion of liquid luck and deadly poison, that would suppress user's ability to heal naturally in exchange for a dose of luck. It was bottled in golden vials.


 * Oil of Second Chances was a unique type of oil, produced only by the Church of Tymora. It could remove curses and grant good luck to the person who used the substance.

Background
In Ed Greenwood's original campaign, Tymora was called "Tyche". Her name was changed to Tymora by Jeff Grubb because he was afraid that calling her Tyche might offend Wiccans.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Tymora's Luck
 * ''Stone of Tymora trilogy
 * The Stowaway
 * The Shadowmask
 * The Sentinels
 * ''Stone of Tymora (omnibus)
 * ''Blackstaff Tower (novel)


 * Stories
 * The Night Tymora Sneezed

Connections
pt-br:Tymora Тимора