Memnor was the giant deity of pride and control.[3] He was an ambiguous figure in the Ordning, whose tales concerning him were quite disparate with one another.[8] He schemed to usurp Annam All-Father as the head of the Ordning, but was unsuccessful,[3][8] or so it was often suspected of by his siblings.[8]
Description[]
Ancient depictions of Memnor often portrayed him as wearing a two-faced mask.[9]
Personality[]
Memnor was typically described as charming, intelligent, cultured, subdued,[10] clever, and persuasive.[8] His greatest flaw was his strong sense of pride, though he was also said to be deceitful, intensely cruel,[10] and manipulative.[8] Many of the stories within giant society that recounted his exploits emphasized his charisma and manipulative nature.[9]
Worshipers[]
Generally, giants who worshiped Memnor were typically of an evil alignment,[10] though some were merely of a neutral alignment.[2] His most prevalent worshipers were cloud giants, though many within the race rejected him due to his deceitful nature. Benign cloud giants typically revered him for his persuasiveness,[1] charisma, and intellect.[8][1] While those who leaned more towards evil were known to value his cunning, secrecy, and the element of surprise over victory through mere brute force.[11] They embraced his selfishness and imitated his trickster ways,[1] with such priests oftentimes trying to undermine or exploit the ordning to their own benefit. Other priests instead faithfully served the Giant pantheon, acting as advisors or advocates throughout giant society.[8]
After a priest of Memnor was accepted into the clergy of the Ordning by the Stormazîn, the god's own high priests would visit the initiate and subject them to a secret ceremony. During this ceremony they would be made to pledge to uphold the secrecy of Memnor's plans from the uninitiated and to aid him in whatever way they could.[11]
Priests of Memnor typically were well dressed and had a regal manner to them.[6] They often covertly communicated signals or warnings to each other by means of touching their left wrist with their right index finger.[10]
Priests of Memnor were known to be gifted the spells forget, suggestion, magic jar, and speak with wyvern. Those who reached the highest echelon of their faith were typically gifted a wyvern servant. They also received a leather necklace with a talon charm.[11] This special necklace allowed them to summon their wyvern servant to them three times per day.[12]
Beliefs[]
Those who worshiped Memnor believed that Annam had grown old and weak. They viewed his incompetence as being largely at fault for the fall of Ostoria. Many considered it their highest duty to be safeguarding the secrecy of Memnor's scheme to one day overthrow Annam.[11] Though when it came to mortal giants who already knew of this scheme and levied accusations against Memnor's priests, they would insist that their god had only the welfare of all giant-kind in mind, wishing to restore them to their rightful place of glory.[8]
Holy Days[]
Each year the clerics of Memnor would hold three feasts in his honor for the mainstream of giant society. They were also known to gather together with their wyverns every one hundred days atop crags. There they would discuss strategies and at times even receive orders from Memnor himself.[11]
Symbol[]
Memnor's holy symbol was a thin black obelisk.[2][3]
History[]
One myth conflictingly spoke of Memnor as being Annam's twin, rather than his child, and claimed that the reason Annam was so aloof was due to being weakened after defeating Memnor.[8][13] In most other myths Memnor was portrayed as playing tricks on and infuriating his father, incurring Annam's wrath upon both himself and more often than not his brothers as well.[8] In one such myth, back when Memnor was but a child his mischievous acts of "play" with his brother Grolantor led to a minor war between the Jotunbrud and the ogres. This incident was one of many things that was said to have ultimately led Annam to forbid his children from meddling in the affairs of the Material Plane's giants.[10]
When Annam eventually exiled himself from Gudheim, Memnor and Grolantor went and convinced their siblings Stronmaus and Hiatea that Annam's decree was no longer valid. From that day onward, Memnor and his brother would go on to continually meddle in the affairs of the mortal giants. At times their antics got so bad that Stronmaus and Hiatea felt they had no choice but to intervene and put an end to their games.[10]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 James Wyatt et al. (August 2023). Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. Edited by Janica Carter et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 27. ISBN 978-0-7869-6898-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Rich Redman, James Wyatt (May 2001). Defenders of the Faith. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 0-7869-1840-3.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 221. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ Ray Winninger (September 1995). Giantcraft. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 53–54. ISBN 0-7869-0163-2.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 79. 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.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 James Wyatt et al. (August 2023). Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. Edited by Janica Carter et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-0-7869-6898-5.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 25. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Ray Winninger (September 1995). Giantcraft. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 53. ISBN 0-7869-0163-2.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Ray Winninger (September 1995). Giantcraft. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-0163-2.
- ↑ Ray Winninger (September 1995). Giantcraft. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 55. ISBN 0-7869-0163-2.
- ↑ James Wyatt et al. (August 2023). Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. Edited by Janica Carter et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 28. ISBN 978-0-7869-6898-5.