This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
At a Glance
“Gilgeam is the God-King. There is no other god. Worship of any other beings is punished by death.”
That’s the official story. Under the propaganda, however, there is more to be known.
DM’s Notes
This “pantheon” was once a living pantheon. Anu, Ashnan, Enki, Inanna, Kabta, Ki, Lahar, Marduk, Nanna–Sin, Nergal, Ningal, and Utu were slain in the Orcgate Wars. At the time, the Mulhorandi pantheon was reeling from the loss of Re and the intrigue related to Anubis and Set, so no attempt was made to claim the fallen Untheric God-Kings’ titles or duties. Since that time, various Faerûnian powers have occasionally considered making a push into Unther, but Gilgeam’s extreme violence toward all other religions is a “turn-off” for most benevolent and neutral powers.
Enlil survived the war, but later ceded leadership of the pantheon to Gilgeam and retired from his active role in the Realms. Some time after that, Gilgeam expelled Assuran and Tiamat from the pantheon, for offenses which were probably imaginary. Assuran left grudgingly, and later became Hoar of the Faerunian pantheon… arguably a “step up” in terms of power and respect. Tiamat’s cult actually grew much larger after she was publicly denounced by Gilgeam, and it remained in Unther to be a thorn in Gilgeam’s side, though her influence had been expanding into the rest of Faerun for some time.
Ramman and Ishtar were harangued for years, and eventually defeated or browbeaten into obscurity by Gilgeam. Ishtar willingly ceded her divine power and her cult to her friend and rival, Isis — a very old pair; they were students together at the same academy in Imaskar, more than 4,000 years ago. Ramman submitted his power to Anhur, or was defeated in honorable combat, depending on the story.
Now Gilgeam stands alone against Tiamat, who was old and powerful before he was born. Tiamat, who styles herself the Nemesis of the Gods, and has the power and cruelty to back it up. Gilgeam, in contrast, is too arrogant to ponder the possibility that his ambition might outreach his sword, or that millennia of “big talk” with no real challenges might have left him unprepared for a challenger whose bite is far worse than her hiss.
Unlike Mulhorand, where (other than the outsider powers who pose as God-Kings) there’s almost no worship of the Faerunian pantheon, several “foreign” powers have a foothold in Unther. This is due primarily to the near-universal hatred of Gilgeam among the people of Unther, but it’s also difficult for one god to be all things to all of his people regardless of how much they might like him. Among the powers who have significant followings in Unther are Anhur, Bane, Mask, Mystra, Sebek, Tempus, Umberlee, and Waukeen. There is also a cult of “The Old Gods” which remains loyal to the fallen members of the Untheric pantheon… unfortunately they don’t have any magical or political power.
Source
- Gilgeam, Ishtar, Ramman, and Tiamat are described on pages 44-46 of FR10. Enlil is mentioned in a couple of places. Marduk, Nanna-Sin, and Utu are mentioned under The Old Gods. The other gods were added for the Xaeyruudh campaign.
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