Solonor Thelandira - Elven - Priests - Gods

Solonor Thelandira is the elven god of hunting, archery, and survival in wild and harsh places. In his latter aspect, he is worshiped by no few elven fighters, in addition to those rangers, hunters, and woodsmen who rever him. Solonor has a primary concern with the integrity of nature, with the balance between exploitation and agriculture on the one hand and fallow, wild, and undeveloped terrains on the other. His skills of bowmanship are said to be unequalled by any being.

Temples of Solonor can be found at the heart of deep forests, only accessible via carefully hidden and guarded woodland paths. The Great Archer's houses of worship are a mixture of natural and carefully sculpted features emphasizing the competing principles that Solonor tries to balance. Most temples are cultivated in a grove of trees carefully tended from seedlings to form two or more concentric rings of forest giants. Each tree is grown so as to form one or more natural hollows within its trunk at various elevations, and vine rope bridges are threaded through each tree. At ground level, roots, rocks, earth, plants are woven into near impregnable defensive fortifications to ensure the sanctity of the temple perimeter. Earthen chambers are hewn from the dirt beneath the grove, nestled among the tightly woven root structures. In the surrounding woods, trees are carefully planted so as to create narrow, spokelike paths radiating outward from the central grove. Although not immediately obvious to casual observation, the plant growth along such paths is cultivated so as to impeded movement but permit the flight of arrows, thus forming natural shooting galleries in which invaders are easily targeted. Solonor's temples contain both ceremonial chambers adorned with hunting trophies and hollows with more practical applications such as crafting and repairing bows and arrows, the curing of venison and other meats, the tanning of hides, and the carving of bones to form tools and figurines.

Gods Information

Alignment: CG
Worshiper's Alignment: CG (non-evil elves)
Area of Control: archery, hunting
Symbol: silver arrow with green fletching

Worshipers Requirements

Requirements: Dexterity of 15+, Constitution of 10+
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Turning: No
Armor: Leather or silenced elven chain
Weapons: any bows and arrows, dagger, knife, longsword, spear
Level Limit: 16
Hit Die: d8

Spheres
Major: All, Animal, Elemental (all), Plant, Sun, Weather
Minor: Healing, Necromantic
Solonor Thelandira Spell List

Powers:
1st level - +1 to hit with all bows
3rd level - speak with animals 2/day
7th level - +2 to hit with all bows and thrown spears
9th level - +1 Dex or Con

Novices of Solonor are known as Fledglings. Full priests of Keen-Eye are known as Hawkeyes. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Solonoran priests are Fletcher, Bowyer, Archer, Gray Wolf, Mountain Lion, Grizzly Bear, Blood Hawk, Fire Falcon, and Gold Eagle. High-ranking priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as rangers. Solonor's clergy includes rangers (36%), cleric/rangers (33%), and clerics (31%), including multiclassed clerics other than cleric/rangers. The clergy is almost equally divided among males and females.

Dogma: Walk in harmony with nature and oppose the efforts of those who would disturb her delicate balance. Preserve the wild places from excessive encroachment, and work with those who would settle the land to preserve the beauty that first attracted them. Hunt only for sustenance, culling the old and the weak from the herd so that all species may prosper. Like an arrow in flight, it is difficult to arrest the consequences of an action. Choose your targets carefully, for an ill-considered action can have a long-reaching impact.

Solonor's priests serve as scouts and archers in elven armies, as bowyers, fletchers, and archery instructors in elven settlements, and as hunters and providers from far-flung rural communities. Among those Fair Folk who largely eschew the trappings of civilization, members of Solonor's priesthood preside over initiation ceremonies into adulthood. Hawkeyes serve the Great Archer by working to maintain the balance of nature.

Solonor's faithful generally eschew frivolous celebrations, considering them unnecessary distractions to the tasks at hand. Once per lunar month, under the soft light of the full moon, the Great Archer's faithful assemble to give thanks to the skills Solonor has taught and the bounty thus provided. Hunters sacrifice hunting trophies than cannot otherwise be employed, and unbroken arrows engraved with the symbol of Solonor are fired into the sky to poke holes in the firmament and allow the light of Solonor's teachings to shine forth on his people (these arrows are never fired in a direction that would cause them to fall where they might hurt someone, including straight up). Each Shield-meet, known to the Fair Folk as Cinnaelos'Cor (the Day of Corellon's Peace), the followers of Solonor assemble to compete in great archery meets. The winners of such contests are said to receive the Keen-Eye mark of the Great Archer, a blessing that confers a +1 attack bonus on all attacks made with a bow until the next Shieldmeet.

The ceremonial garb of Solonor's clergy consists of suits of silvered chain mail-elven chain mail, if available, with silver cloaks and leaf green hoods. The holy symbol of the faith is either an oversized arrowhead at least three inches in length embossed on both faces with Solonor's symbol, a silver medallion embossed with the head of a stag, or three feathers attached to a leather disk hung from a leather cord. The silver cloaks with green hoods are exchanged outside of ceremonial occasions for leaf green hooded cloaks and leather boots (or elven cloaks and boots if available). Solonor's followers favor bows of any sort (except crossbows), daggers, knives, and long swords, spears. Elven bows are particularly prized, as are magical bows and arrows, bracers of archery, and quivers of Solonor. Most members of Solonor's priesthood wear leather armor, studded leather armor, or silenced elven chain mail.

The elven bow is a beautiful piece of work, carved mostly from wood, highly decorated and polished, with substantial metal inlays. These inlays enable the bow to be used as a parrying weapon until the elf can draw a more suitable weapon. Meanwhile, the elf's bow is not damaged by the attack and can be used again. If used as an offensive weapon, the elven bow acts as a club, causing 1d6 points of damage to S- or M-sized creatures, 1d3 to L-sized or larger creatures. Elven bows weigh 8 pounds and typically cost 150 gp.

Solonor demonstrates his favor through the discovery of bloodstones, obsidian, variscite, or phandar wood, the tinkling of chime oaks in winter, the splitting of an arrow embedded in a target by the next arrow, and the discovery of game in a time of need. Omens granted by the god take the form of natural phenomena, such as unusual flights of birds or strange behavior by wild animals. Keen-Eye indicated his displeasure by causing bowstrings to snap, arrowheads to chip, shatter, or fall off, bows and arrow shafts to warp, or twigs to snap.

Avatar Information

Solonor's avatar appears as a strong, sinuous male elf clad in a great cloak portraying living elves, striding out in search of game and to destroy evil. The avatar has access to all priest spell spheres permitted to druids (and the Sun sphere).

Duties of the Priesthood

Solonor's priests must maintain a natural balance of hunting and culling in the wild places, and the integrity of wilderness in nature. They are hunters and providers in far-flung rural communities. They may also preside over initiation ceremonies into adulthood, especially in less "civilized" groups of elves.

Known Worshippers

Evernon is a high priest of Solonor Thelandira in the elven city of Firness
Ardruin Theneas? a master Bowyer who created Cleathalas to honor Solonor
Darnus? - the first wielder of Cleathalas
Saryn? - daughter of Arudin and wielder of Cleathalas
Finglas - Elven Archer and member of the Dragonslayers, current wielder of Cleathalas
Shi'Nynze Zaurahel - from the Lorien Woods, traveling with Keldorldrin Teken'lyl

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Information on this page from Demihuman Deities (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons; Eric L. Boyd) For Reference and Convenience Only

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