Solonor Thelandira
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Dungeons & Dragons Deity | |
Solonor Thelandira | |
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Title(s) | Keen-Eye, the Great Archer, the Forest Hunter |
Homeplane | Olympian Glades of Arborea |
Power Level | Intermediate |
Alignment | Chaotic Good |
Portfolio | Archery, hunting |
Domains | Chaos, Good, Plant, war (also Elf in Forgotten Realms) |
Superior | Corellon Larethian |
In many Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings, Solonor Thelandira is the elven god of hunting, archery, and survival in wild and harsh places. He teaches his followers the arts of hunting; including archery, moving unseen and hiding in the wild places. He watches over the borders of wilderness and farmed land and seeks to maintain the balance between them. Solonor lives in the realm of Arvandor on the plane of Arborea.
In many campaign settings, the elven pantheon of gods (also known as the Seldarine) consists of the leader Corellon Larethian, as well as Aerdrie Faenya, Deep Sashelas, Erevan Ilesere, Fenmarel Mestarine, Hanali Celanil, Labelas Enoreth, Rillifane Rallathil, Sehanine Moonbow, Shevarash, and Solonor Thelandira. Other elven gods may be present in different campaign settings.
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[edit] Description
Solonor is never in one place long, and is always hunting his quarry with his magical bow that can fire as far as the horizon and his quiver that never empties. He hunts not to kill for killings sake but to maintain the balance of nature and to destroy evil. He does not close with foes, but tracks them and shoots from a distance. He can create an arrow of slaying, and if this strikes home it will kill all enemies. Many fiends have fallen to a single shot.
[edit] Relationships
Solonor is on good terms with the Seldarine, especially with Fenmarel Mestarine. In fact some say Fenmarel and Solonor are brothers. He works with Shevarash to defend the elven homelands from the drow but does not have that god’s hatred and bitterness of heart. Solonor and Rillifane Rallathil work closely to preserve and protect the natural world, despite their differing attitudes to hunting for sport and the spread of civilisation.
Among the non-elven powers, Solonor is closely allied with other powers concerned with the natural world, including Skerrit the Forester, and the various Animal Lords, particularly those concerned with hunting. In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, Solonor is also closely allied with Silvanus the Oakfather, and Mielikki, Lady of Forests, another goddess with which he has been romantically linked.
Solonor despises powers that favor despoliation over nature, and actively opposes the efforts of such gods and their followers. His greatest foes are Malar and Talos, followed closely by Lolth and members of the Unseelie Court.
[edit] Clergy and temples
Priests of Solonor dress in elven chain and silver, wearing robes with leaf-green hoods. His priests pray and meditate when the moon reaches its highest point, and conduct their services in the deep forest. Monthly sacrifices of hunting trophies are made to him. Solonor's sacred animal is the stag. His symbol is a silver arrow with green fletching and his domains are chaos, elf, good, plant, and war.
Solonor is primarily revered by elven and half-elven rangers, hunters, woodsmen, and fighters. In particular, elven hunters appeal to him for better catches of game and elven warriors trapped in hostile territory call on him for aid. In recent centuries a few humans, primarily hunters, have joined his faith as well.
[edit] References
- Boyd, Eric L, and Erik Mona. Faiths and Pantheons (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
- Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992).
- Moore, Roger E. "The Elven Point of View." Dragon #60 (TSR, 1982).