Nathair Sgiathach (pronounced: /nɛaɪɛr skɛaɪɑːk/ neigh-er skey-ak[3]) was the god of pseudodragons and faerie dragons[1][2][5] and a member of Queen Titania's Seelie Court,[3][6] although he did not participate much.[7] The translation of his name was "winged serpent".[3][note 1]
Description[]
Nathair Sgiathach was a tiny and thin dragon with gossamer butterfly-like wings and a prehensile tail. He was only about 2 feet (61 centimeters) long. He was always seen with an utterly enormous smile.[1]
Personality[]
Nathair Sgiathach was quite unlike any of the other draconic deities.[3] He adored the faerie folk.[1] He was playful, a quality usually enjoyed by the fey, but he was so frivolous and flippant about even serious matters that even the other members of the Seelie Court could not tolerate all of his shenanigans and behaviors.[3] He acted pretentious when meeting new beings—such as by exaggerating the pronunciation of his name—but only as a game, and was more of a jester than an advisor.[3]
Nathair would willingly defend faeries in need. Typically, he would attempt to drive off or humiliate enemies rather than kill them.[1] While he wasn't shy about fighting if he needed to, he much preferred to resolve conflict with jokes and pranks, even those at his own expense.[8] He loved juvenile practical jokes. A favorite gag was using magical illusions to cause the buttocks of humans to radiate red light[1] and start singing.[8]
Nathair Sgiathach loved eating apple pie,[8] but he was quite picky about them, preferring especially apple pies made with honey and white raisins.[1]
Powers[]
Nathair's methods of combat were seen as silly by most, but his powers were actually rather substantial. The god of faerie and pseudodragons could breathe a euphoria gas that incapacitated enemies by making them deliriously blissful, causing them to do such things in the middle of battle as wandering about aimlessly picking pretty flowers while their companions fought on. He also enjoyed using his powerful polymorphing magic to transform enemies' weapons into stuffed animal toys or other ridiculous items.[1]
Nathair Sgiathach could always remain invisible if he desired, even while casting spells or attacking. He was also immune to all enchantments and charms, illusions, petrification, paralyzation, and elemental damage. He could only be harmed by powerful magic weapons and spells.[1]
Nathair Sgiathach also employed divine magic spells and focused on those from the animal, chaos, charm, elemental, plant, and weather spheres.[1]
Divine Realm[]
Nathair shared the divine realm of the other members of the Seelie Court,[2] which had no permanent location but instead wandered from plane to plane, from the Beastlands to Arborea to Ysgard.[4]
Activities[]
Nathair Sgiathach often sent avatars to the Material Plane, primarily to play pranks on visitors to sylvan areas.[1] He visited the island of Evermeet often.[6]
Relationships[]
Nathair Sgiathach was counted among the children of Io, overgod of dragons, but he had nothing in common with the rest of his kind.[1]
Being too silly even for Titania and Oberon to handle, Nathair was only allowed in the Outer Circle of the Seelie Court,[3] but they recognized that he was a powerful ally.[1]
The little dragon god was good friend with the official Court Jester, Sqeulaiche of the leprechauns.[9]
Worshipers[]
Nathair's worshipers included not only chaotic good-leaning pseudodragons and faerie dragons,[1][2] but also various sprites—sprites, grigs, and pixies—who appreciated mischief-making.[1] Some Fey would call out his name whenever they were in trouble, although this began as less of a prayer and more of a hope that he might happen to be nearby.[8] His holy symbol was a big smile.[1]
He was not directly worshiped in most places in the Realms;[10] however, the more mischievous of the elves of Faerûn often offered prayers to him along with their worship of the Seldarine, as they also did to the other deities of the fey people.[11] The faerie dragons of Evermeet each worshiped Nathair in his or her own way.[6]
History[]
After the Second Sundering, it was claimed that Nathair Sgiathach was not a real deity, and that his extraordinary powers were a result of his highly developed dragonsight.[8]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
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 1.15 1.16 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 123. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 175. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), pp. 117–118. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 137. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ James Wyatt (March 2000). “Animal Henchmen”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #269 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. (TSR, Inc), p. 31. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 James Wyatt (October 2021). Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 120. ISBN 978-0786967292.
- ↑ Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 124. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 220. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
Connections[]
The Inner Circle: Titania • Oberon • Verenestra • Damh • Sqeulaiche • Eachthighern
The Outer Circle: Skerrit • Fionnghuala • Caoimhin • Emmantiensien • Nathair Sgiathach • Lalibela
Formerly: Sarula Iliene
The Unseelie Court
Queen of Air and Darkness