Stillsong was a mysterious deity of unknown power that had in ages past set upon a path of progression through the elements, and had reached the final stage of elemental air. Named for the sudden instant of stillness that heralded his arrival on the winds, Stillsong was simply song itself.[2][1][5]
Description[]
Stillsong manifested as an invisible, 40‑foot (12‑meter) diameter sphere of purest song. It was a being of rapturous melodies, infinite, unimaginably beautiful harmonies, and a chorus of voices beyond those of mere mortals, though it could not be heard beyond the sphere itself.[2][1]
Manifestations[]
Other minor and benign happenings were associated with Stillsong. These usually took the form of good-aligned creatures hearing distant singing in the night and awakening to created food and water or, for those in particularly dire straits, a magnificent mansion containing a heroes' feast.[1]
Powers[]
Any who entered the radius of Stillsong's manifestation and unable to resist its heart-rending polyphonies would be entranced and unable to take offensive actions for as long as he remained motionless and for about 1-6 minutes afterwards. Good-aligned creatures were affected as if they were hearing the music of the greatest bards, boosting their morale among other effects, while neutral good creatures specifically may have their eyes opened to some secret of the multiverse, a once-in-a-lifetime epiphany.[2][1]
Stillsong was immune to elemental and mind-influencing magic and, due to being non-corporeal, weapons and body-affecting magic as well. Thrice per day it could leave behind a 20‑foot (6.1‑meter) radius globe of invulnerability that lasted for 4-9 minutes, and likewise use its song to create hope (or cause fear in evil creatures). Similarly, once per day it could change key to sing a holy word in a chant and do the same to cast time stop, which lasted either for 2-7 minutes or until he moved. When moving, he flew through the air at unimaginable speed.[2][1]
Divine Realm[]
Stillsong was a roaming power that could be encountered on any of the planes of good, but primarily wandered the River Oceanus and could most commonly be found near its banks.[2][1]
Activities[]
Stillsong constantly wandered the good planes without any apparent rhyme or reason and behaved with similarly inscrutable purpose when traveling the Prime Material Plane. It was believed that he did not exist purely in one area at a time, but rather had parallel manifestations of spiritual presences traveling the Material, Upper, and Elemental Plane of Air, causing similar phenomena wherever he went.[2][1]
A manifestation of Stillsong could appear either to forewarn of future trouble or strengthen good creatures in peril, although he would not directly engage in combat and ignored attacks made against him. He was known to lead exceptionally good beings to refuge (including temples, safehouses, and storm shelters) as well as lost sacred sites.[2][1]
Relationships[]
Aerdrie Faenya,[6] Akadi, and Milil were allied with this strange god.[7]
Stillsong had great affinty with delphons, who were never far away when he was near the River Oceanus. When his wanderings took him elsewhere, he was often accompanied by moon dogs, who he was also rumored to have some connection to.[2]
History[]
In ancient times on Toril, long before he had went through his path of transcendence and went by a different name, Stillsong was worshiped by some in the Vast region of north Faerûn.[3] He particularly had a temple dedicated to him in the foothills south of where Ravens Bluff would one day be built.[8] At some point during this era he was approached by the goddess Lliira in the form of a young woman, who made some form of bet with him. Stillsong ultimately lost the bet, having to forfeit to her his portfolio of carefree celebration and consequently a portion of his powers, but before doing so he transferred a portion of his power into a staff.[3] Centuries later, in the Year of the Unstrung Harp, 1371 DR,[note 1] this staff would fall into the hands of a quasi-deity by the name of Hobart Hoppalong, giving him enough power to break a curse put on him by other deities that had kept him trapped in Faerûn.[9]
Rumors and Legends[]
Stillsong's real name was lost to prehistory, left behind by the god in the ancient past and untraceable by sages. He had devoted himself to a series of trials and rituals of self-purification whereby he died and was reborn in the elements of creation. He drowned and rose again in water, was crushed and regrown in earth, and was burned and cleansed with fire.[5] His quest for ordered transcendence through the elements had almost reached its conclusion,[1] as he was all but finished being dissolved through the element of air. His last reformation had already begun, after which he would present himself for the final judgement of a mysterious group of Creator Gods.[5]
A few gods knew of Stillsong's motivation, purpose and destiny, perhaps the Norse god of bards Bragi for example. Likewise, there were gods who knew who his judges were and the nature of his test. In both cases, not even the wisest and most valuable of their priests were made privy to such secrets.[2][1][5] What Stillsong was in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future, remained an enigma.[2]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The events of the Living City Ravens Bluff campaign took place on a timeline that advanced together with the real world's time. Even though all Living City adventures and issues of Ravens Bluff Trumpeter were dated with real-world dates, there were events that received a DR year. The Living City timeline can be derived from Myrkyssa Jelan's historic events of the late 14th century DR. Myrkyssa Jelan attacked Ravens Bluff in 1370 DR, according to The City of Ravens Bluff and Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition; these events are chronicled in an in-and-out of universe issues of Ravens Bluff Trumpeter. This places the real world year 1997 as 1370 DR, and in 1998 (1371 DR), Myrkyssa was at last arrested and tried and said to have been executed, only to reappear in 1372 DR in The City of Ravens novel. As the real world's months and the Calendar of Harptos are virtually identical, we can also date all events of the Living City Ravens Bluff as close as an in-universe month.
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Fool's Luck
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 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 95. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Dale Donovan (December 1995). “Liber Benevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), pp. 6–7. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mac Chambers (October 1998). Fool's Luck. Living City (RPGA), p. 2.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 177. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 86. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 94. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 23, 116. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Mac Chambers (October 1998). Fool's Luck. Living City (RPGA), pp. 4–5.
- ↑ Mac Chambers (October 1998). Fool's Luck. Living City (RPGA), pp. 2, 9.