Balador, referred to as Father Bear by his petitioners,[1] was the patron deity of werebears[1][2] and a deity of protection over nature.[1][4][note 1]
Avatar[]
Much like the werebears that worshiped him, Balador's avatar could take on the form of a human, a bear, or a hybrid of the two.[1][4] Balador generally preferred the latter two forms.[1] Whenever he did take on the form of a human, Balador was always a handsome male ranger with a tanned, very hairy,[1][4] and tall body.[4]
Personality[]
Balador was not an intelligent individual,[4] but had a rather sagely sort of nature.[1] Being wise, patient, tolerant of others,[4] kindly, and thoughtful.[3] Balador was also rather shy and seclusive, but most of all he had a protective nature.[4] He had great concern for forests, woodlands, and sylvan lands[1][4] of both the Prime Material plane and the Beastlands.[1] To this end, Balador encouraged his worshipers to develop good relations with druids, rangers, and sylvan creatures. Sharing both their community and living space with them.[4]
Abilities[]
Balador's avatar form possessed immunity to diseases, poison, being paralyzed, illusion and phantasm spells, and harm from weapons that weren't magical. While in his ursine form, his avatar could lick something and impart an effect similar to cure disease or cure critical wounds three times per day or instill fear once per day by roaring.[4]
In terms of spells, the avatar of Balador could cast those from the protection and sun spheres, as well as spheres related to nature.[4]
Possessions[]
The avatar of Balador wielded a +3 longsword that severely harmed goblinoids and evil lycanthropes.[4]
Realm[]
Balador often wandered throughout the Beastlands, finding food in its many lakes and rivers.[4] He made his permanent home on the layer of Brux, in the divine realm known as Ursis, which encompassed a small mountain valley and tribal village that both bore the same name.[1]
Activities[]
Balador's advice and counsel were sought many by archfey and woodland deities of good or neutral alignment who inhabited the Upper Planes.[1] While wandering the Beastlands, Balador petitioned to other deities to allow werebears to act as their priests and on occasion persuaded some to brew him the mead he so dearly enjoyed.[4]
While on the Prime Material plane, his avatars wandered the deep forests to hunt and engage in playful activities with werebears, especially those who were young. He also would send out his avatar in order to oppose those avatars of evil lycanthropic deities.[4]
Relationships[]
In terms of allies, Balador was on good terms with Nobanion, a bestial demipower of the Faerûnian pantheon.[2] He was also good friends with most archfey, elven deities, and human deities of nature. Intermittently, he often worked as a servitor such deities.[3] As for rivals, the only true enemies that Balador had were the evil-aligned lycanthropic deities.[1][4]
In terms of familial relations, Balador was the sibling of Ferrix, the patron goddess of weretigers.[3]
Worshipers[]
Although worshiped by nearly all werebears,[1][4] with meetings of Balador's avatar being the subject of many werebear tales,[4] Balador lacked formal priests.[1][3][4] However, he was shown reverence by werebear priests that worshiped other deities, as his petitioning allowed them to act as priests.[3][4] These deities were typically chaotic good or neutral good aligned, deities of nature, or archfey.[4]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Balador's inclusion on this wiki is due to him being referred to in the Realms sourcebook Powers & Pantheons as being an ally of Nobanion. The same passage in that sourcebook refers to him as the "lord of werebears," but whether or not that meant werebears in general or the werebears of Toril (as this is a Realms-centric book) is unclear.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Dale Donovan (December 1995). “Liber Benevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 25. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 41. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 110. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 114. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 176. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.