 Chauntea | |
|---|---|
| Alias(es): | The Great Mother, the Grain Goddess, Earthmother |
| Power: | Greater deity |
| Pantheon: | Faerûnian pantheon |
| Symbol: | Blooming rose on a sunburst wreath of golden grain |
| Alignment: | Neutral good |
| Cleric alignment: | CG, LG, NG, N |
| Portfolio: | Agriculture, plants cultivated by humans, farmers, gardeners, summer |
| Worshippers: | Peasants and indentured servants, druids, farmers, gardeners |
| Canon NWN2 domains: | Animal Earth Good Plant Protection |
| Other canon domains: | Renewal |
| Favoured weapon (NWN2): | Scythe (A shock of grain) |
| Allies: | Lathander, Shiallia, Mielikki, Lurue, Eldath |
| Enemies: | Talona, Auril, Malar, Talos, Umberlee, Bane |
Symbol of Chauntea
Chauntea (chawn-tee-ah) is as old as Toril itself. Hers is the divine spark that gave life to the natural world, the vibrant, caring spirit infused with the planet at the moment of its creation. Originally a deity of wild places and animal life, Chauntea has grown with her world, changing and adapting to its many developments. The millennial have taught her patience—to the point of being at times ponderous. Chauntea loves the inhabitants of her world, and she likes nothing more than instructing Toril's denizens on how the land itself might enrich their lives. Hers was the hand that guided the first mortal wanderers to give up the uncertainty of the gatherer for the stability of the field. Today, Chauntea is worshiped as the kind benefactor who ensures a strong harvest, healthy meals, and robust country living. She preaches a reverence for nature and urges the folk of civilized lands to repair what they have damaged, but she long ago ceded the wildlands to other deities.
Chauntea rarely manifests herself in physical form, preferring to diffuse her essence throughout the living land of Toril. Religious icons depict her as a matronly, middle-aged woman with pale white hair and a welcoming smile. She wields a sturdy shock of grain as both walking staff and weapon, on the unusual occasions in which she finds herself in battle.
Worshiped by farmers, gardeners, agricultural slaves, and any who make their living off the land, Chauntea is seen by most Faerunians as an integral part of the natural cycle of life. Wealthy landowners and simple farmers alike come to the local cleric of the Earthmother for advice on bringing in the harvest or in setting next season's crops. When foul weather or disease leads to blighted fields, growers turn their gaze and prayers to Chauntea in hopes that her attentions will salvage the seasonal yield. Those who subvert the harvest for ill ends have much to fear from Chauntea's servants, who take their role as pastoral protectors very seriously.