Nebelun

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Dungeons & Dragons Deity
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Nebelun
Title(s) The Meddler
Home Plane Twin Paradises of Bytopia
Power Level Lesser
Alignment Chaotic Good
Portfolio Inventions, good luck
Domains
Superior Garl Glittergold

Nebelun is, in fantasy literature, a fictional Gnome deity of invention and good luck. His symbol is a bellows and lizard tail.


In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game[citation needed], Nebelun is the gnome deity of inventions and good luck.

Contents

[edit] Description

Nebelun manifests as a spry old gnome with a black frock-coat and glasses. He carries a black leather bag containing many bizarre tools and items. His hat is a hat of disguise, and his mace doubles as a wand of wonder. He can appear and disappear seemingly randomly.

Nebelun is a wandering deity, full of tricks, unlikely schemes, and continuous mishaps. He is fearless, to the point of outright insanity. The mechanical contrivances he creates often don't work as intended, but their unintended results often turn out to be useful. Nebelun is curious, humorous, playful, and most of all inventive.

[edit] Relationships

In many campaign settings, the gnome pantheon of gods consists of the leader Garl Glittergold, as well as Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Callarduran Smoothhands, Flandal Steelskin, Gaerdal Ironhand, Gelf Darkhearth, Nebelun, Segojan Earthcaller, Sheyanna Flaxenstrand, and Urdlen.

[edit] Realm

Nebelun lives in the gnomish realm of the Golden Hills on the plane of Bytopia, where he keeps a workshop known simply as the Workshop. He likes to go to Olympus once in a while, though; he has recently camped in the workshop of Hephaestus[citation needed].

[edit] Worshippers

Nebelun is revered by gnomish inventors of all stripes, as long as they are non-evil and non-lawful, and the humorous tales of his adventures are popular among inventors and non-inventors alike. "Nebelun's head!" is an exclamation roughly equivalent to "Eureka!" Nebelun will sometimes send omens in the form of rearranged tools or obscure puzzles.

[edit] Clergy

Clerics of Nebelun are, of course, inventors and experimenters. They are forbidden from using simple weapons when more complicated ones are available, and they must have built their weapons in part themselves. They often adventure in order to fund their research.

[edit] Temples

Temples of Nebelun are complicated workshops.

[edit] Myths and legends

[edit] Apotheosis

Nebelun was once a mortal gnome, but he progressed from mortal to hero-deity to lesser deity all on his own. He is thus a source of inspiration to many gnomes, a goal that they too might one day achieve.

[edit] A Series of Tubes

Nebelun designed a system of dams in the Underdark, hoping to divert the water for use in forges, workshops, and that thing that non-inventors are always complaining about needing to do. Oh, yeah, drinking. Unfortunately, the dams ended up breaking, but fortunately the rushing waters hit a kobold army that just so happened to be sneaking up to attack at that moment. Unfortunately they were about to flood the gnome community as well, but fortunately Gaerdal Ironfist just so happened to be around, and he protected the gnomes with walls of iron and stone.

[edit] Semuanya

Nebelun once stole the tail from Semuanya, god of lizardfolk, and created the first blimp from its skin. This is the source of Nebelun's holy symbol. Fortunately, the blimp didn't crash, but unfortunately it did explode shortly after the Meddler landed.

[edit] Skoraeus Stonebones

The stone giant god, Skoraeus Stonebones, was looking for the usual pile of rocks he used for chucking at things, but unfortunately it was nowhere to be found. Fortunately a row of metallic spheres was there instead, smoother and more wind-resistant than the rocks had been. Unfortunately some kind of mechanical device inside them caused them to make rude noises when they were picked up. "Nebeluuuuuun!" Skoraeus may well have shouted, if he had realized who was responsible.

[edit] Other versions

Races of Stone details Rill Cleverthrush, the lawful neutral god of invention, creation, and the sky. He is portrayed as an elderly, bespeckled gnome carrying a staggeringly complex ruby said to have a facet for every living gnome. His domains are Air, Knowledge, Magic, Travel, and his favored weapon is the longsword. His holy text is a set of natural laws and instructions for living called Rill's Instructions to the Faithful.

[edit] Forgotten Realms

In the Forgotten Realms, Nebelun is viewed merely as an aspect of Gond, and not a separate deity, though some argue this point[who?].

[edit] References

  • Decker, Jesse, Michelle Lyons, and David Noonan. Races of Stone. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
  • McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground (TSR, 1996).
  • Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992).