Heward

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Heward is the god of Bards and Musicians. Heward is notable not only for his musical prowess, but also for his technological skills.

His alignment has been given as both Neutral Good and (originally) as Neutral (Good). Heward's holy symbol can be any musical instrument.

Publication history

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

Heward was first mentioned as a character in the Eldritch Wizardry supplement (1976), in connection with the Heward's Mystical Organ artifact.^[1]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

Heward is again mentioned by name in the original Dungeon Master's Guide (1979), in connection with the Heward's Mystical Organ artifact.^[2]

Heward was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in "Greyhawk's World: Quasi-deities" by Gary Gygax in Dragon #71 (1983).^[3] Heward was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983).^[4]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

Heward is further detailed in Iuz the Evil (1993),^[5] and appeared again in Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (1998).^[6]

Description

Heward appears as a human male of uncertain age—both youthful and elderly at once. He is lively, athletic, strong, and quick, with rosy cheeks and a wrinked forehead. His bald head is offset by a small beard and luxurious mustache of sandy-brown. He tends to dress either shabbily, or in fine garb which is long out of style. However, if he wishes to go unnoticed, Heward can appear quite nondescript. He seldom carries weapons or wears armor. He often carries pitch pipes and tuning forks, which aid him in his travels to other planes.

Relationships

Heward was a member of Zagig Yragerne's Company of Seven. He was among the adventurers who helped imprison Iuz. Heward is distantly related to both Zagig and Mordenkainen, and often visits the latter. Although he is most often alone, he can occasionally be found in the company of Celestian, Fharlanghn, Keoghtom, Mordenkainen, Murlynd, or Zagyg.

Realm

Heward's eccentric dwelling is said to be extradimensional in nature, far, far bigger inside than it appears from outside, and a nexus between many alternate worlds, planes, and times. He once dwelled in a building in Greyhawk City's Thieves Quarter known as Odd House or "Hew's Place," but hasn't lived there in many years. It still retains portals to other planes, however. He currently explores the planes from a variety of homes and strongholds across the multiverse.

Dogma

Worshippers

Clergy

Heward's priests favor quarterstaves and daggers.

History

Heward adventured with the Company of Seven, joining them on the expedition to Veralos in 318 CY. He lived in the Thieves' Quarter in the Free City of Greyhawk for a time, associating with Zagig and teaching music, but he vanished shortly before Zagig did in 421 CY, abandoning his home there. He has not been seen or heard from since 505 CY, when he helped imprison Iuz beneath Greyhawk Castle. Recently (since 576 CY) he ascended from quasi-deity to hero-deity status, gaining priests and worshippers.

Associated magic items

Heward's Handy Haversack is a magic item that appears as a leather backpack with a number of pouches. Each such pouch can hold far more material than it would appear to be capable of, as each one opens into a separate extradimensional space.

Heward is also known for his Mystical Organ and his fortifying bedroll, which helps a mage (or anyone else) get a good night's sleep. Other magic items created by Heward include Heward's bell, which keeps time and summons extraplanar creatures, and Heward's lyre of truth, a musical instrument that affects both truth and glibness.

Writings

Heward is known to have authored the following work:

• Tales of the Company of Seven

References

Additional reading

• Brown, Anne. Player's Guide (TSR, 1998).
• Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0 (Wizards of the Coast, 2005). Available online:
• Gygax, Gary. Come Endless Darkness (New Infinities, 1988).
• Gygax, Gary. Dance of Demons (New Infinities, 1988).
• Holian, Gary. "Paladins of Greyhawk." Dragon #306. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2003.
• Holian, Gary. "Places of Mystery: Spinecastle and Veralos." Dragon #293. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2002.
• Holian, Gary, and Rick Miller. "Treasures of Greyhawk: Magic of the Company of Seven." Dragon #359. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.