The Books of Neverwinter Nights

Religions of the Sword Coast

The deities of Faerûn take an active interest in their world, channelling power through their clerics and other worshippers and sometimes intervening directly in the affairs of mortals. At the same time, they have their own plots, conflicts, intrigues, and alliances with other deities, powerful mortals, and outsiders such as elemental lords and demons. In their pettiness the deities of the Realms appear almost mortal, and some were once mortals who won the divine spark through great heroism.

Worship is the lifeblood of the gods, and a deity can actually die if his believers lose faith. To keep their worship strong, the gods work through their clerics to recruit new worshippers and keep the flames of faith alive. In return, their clerics are rewarded with spells and other manifetstations of the divine will.

Many of the deities of Faerûn are specific to a certain race, such as Corellon Larethian (elves) and Moradin (dwarves) or a profession, such as Cyric (thieves) and Mystra (spellcasters). Others hold sway over aspects of nature, such as Umberlee (storms). Some deities are more central to certain locations, such as Helm's Hold, though it is fairly common to see more than one deity honoured in larger towns, such as Neverwinter's devotion to Tyr and Helm, or Luskan's worship of Auril, Umberlee, and Tempus.