Finder Wyvernspur

In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Finder Wyvernspur is a relatively new power raised to divinity by acquiring the divine spark of the deceased god Moander.

Publication history

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

The character first appeared as "The Nameless Bard" in the novel Azure Bonds (1988).^[1]

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

Finder Wyvernspur's origins are detailed as his story continues in the novels The Wyvern's Spur (1990),^[2] and Song of the Saurials (1991).^[3] Finder's story, and his journey to godhood, later continue in the novels Finder's Bane (1997),^[4] and Tymora's Luck (1997).^[5]

Finder is further detailed in Powers & Pantheons (1997).^[6]

Finder is described as one of the good deities that celestials can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).^[7]

Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)

Finder Wyvernspur appears in 3rd edition in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book (2001),^[8] and was further described in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).^[9]

Overview

Finder is a Chaotic Neutral Demipower. His symbol is a white harp on gray circle, and his divine realm is Fermata, which in the 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms cosmology is situated on the plane of Arborea but in the Third Edition cosmology is within Selûne's palace in the Gates of the Moon. His Third Edition D&D domains are Chaos, Charm, Renewal, and Scalykind.

Worshipers

Finder's church is very small, consisting primarily of younger bards and musicians, and those who seek to change and diversify the arts. His faith is strong only amongst the saurials of the Lost Vale (in the Dalelands)—where his is a state religion along with Chauntea's—who owe him their freedom (see below). His speciality priests are called Finders.

History

A few centuries ago, Finder was a member of the Wyvernspur family, who are nobles in Cormyr, and a highly accomplished bard. Rising to prominence among the Harpers, he was quite successful in his youth. Finder's skills in music were such that his songs transcended mere music, inspiring others to great works, renewed vigor or deep despair.

Inevitably, Finder's works were copied by other performers, who added their own twists to his songs. It was inevitable that their performances would thus veer from the level of perfection that Finder strove for. In anger at the corruption of his works, Finder vowed to create a method by which his songs would be preserved in the ideal state; that is, the way he himself wanted.

Disregarding the advice of powerful mages who claimed it was too dangerous, Finder first modified an artifact, the Finder's Stone, to act as a recording and playback device for his music, spells, and journal. He accomplished this by inserting a sliver of para-elemental ice into the stone, cooling it while simultaneously expanding its storage capacity. The Stone was a success, however Finder wasn't satisfied by the flat, unliving playback it delivered.

To make his music both "alive" and immortal, he then devised a magical clone of himself that he could fill with memories—including his music. This clone, Flattery Wyvernspur, was physically almost identical to Finder. However, the egotistical Finder was unsatisfied by the emotionally childlike and inexperienced clone's imperfect reproductions of Finder's music. After only three days of unsuccessful practice, Finder lashed out in frustration and struck the clone. He continued a cycle of abuse until finally, Flattery snapped and attempted to kill Finder with a ring of disintegration. One of Finder's apprentices died when he threw himself in front of the beam, while another was later driven to suicide by the now evil Flattery. This resulted in a severe backlash to Finder's reputation within the still fledgling Harper organization, despite Finder's attempts at a partial cover-up. He claimed his apprentices were injured in an explosion in which the clone was also killed. Flattery actually escaped, and cleaned out Finder's lab. Finder himself was brought to trial before the Harpers, including Elminster.

The verdict was harsh: many Harpers had watched Finder's obsession grow, and the fatal result of his attempts to preserve his music were viewed as a terrible crime by his fellow Harpers. The Harpers condemned Finder to timeless existence in the Citadel of White Exile, located on the border between the Positive Energy Plane and the Plane of Gems. His songs and his name were wiped from the Realms. Only a few, such as Elminster and Morala of Milli, remembered them, in case they should emerge again.

Nearly three centuries later, the sorceress Cassana found details of Finder's experiments and tracked him down in the Citadel. She offered him a second chance, though her motives for doing so were dark. He accepted, and the result was the adventuress Alias, who he filled with false memories and all of his music. In her release from Cassana and the "Dark Masters," Alias met Finder, known as Nameless, and he discovered that she, too, had been adapting his music to enhance it. However, Finder found he could accept this fact. Within a year, Flattery reemerged and attempted to steal the Wyvern's Spur, an artifact and heirloom of the Wyvernspurs. He was killed when Giogi Wyvernspur used the Spur against him.

Now returned to the Realms, Finder was yet again put on trial. This time, the trial was to determine whether he could be reintroduced into the Realms or returned to the White Citadel. After a long and dangerous journey with his halfling friend, Olive Ruskettle, Finder found the love and courage within himself to sacrifice the Finder's Stone and save the Realms from the evil Moander. At that time, Moander had enslaved a number of the otherworldly reptilian humanoids known as Saurials, and captured the Turmish mage Akabar bel Akash in a plot to build a new body. By dismantling the stone and using the para-elemental ice at its core, Finder was able to slay Moander's real body in Tarterus, and claim its godly essence for his own. Moander's portfolio of rot and corruption, however, remained unclaimed by the bard.

In doing this, Finder freed the Saurials, one of whom—"Dragonbait"—was traveling with Alias at the time, who had been enslaved by Moander. Finder immediately gained the worship of this stranded race (excepting Dragonbait who followed Tyr), as their own deities remained on the world they left behind. He was also pardoned by the Harpers due to his bravery, and his name and songs were restored to the Realms.

Still a fledgling power, Finder started to develop a base of worshipers at the urging of his first priestess, the Saurial Copperbloom. To do so, he manifested himself to a young bard named Joel, posing as the elderly priest Jedidiah, who espoused the wonders of Finder's vision. Joel later became close friends with Finder, as well as his first human cleric, from the time they spent together searching for an artifact, the Hand of Bane.

Relationships

Finder is tolerated by most of the good pantheon. His closest ally is Tymora, who sponsored his rise to godhood, and it is believed, as his old patron deity, helped him permanently slay Moander. He is jokingly referred to as the god of reckless fools, which Tymora may appreciate and which is somewhat apt, considering Finder's behavior. He has also been known to fraternize with greater powers who are allies of Tymora, although as a free spirit, Finder prefers to spend his time away from stronger deities. He has also forged a good relationship with the deity Selûne, whom he shares his home plane with.

Finder is too new a deity to have any implacable foes or long-term allies, but Milil, whilst feeling somewhat threatened by him, hopes to guide Finder to a more benign outlook. Oghma is also wary of Finder, but cultists of Moander, sponsored by Lolth, seek his destruction, and deities such as Tiamat, Set, and Sebek wish to gain his patronism of the saurials, whilst deities such as Talona, Gargauth, and Yurtrus seek to steal Moander's unclaimed but guarded portfolio for themselves.

Finder's closest relationship is the one he has with his priest, Joel the Rebel Bard. Despite being lost to the Wyvernspur family's lore, he continues to watch over the descendants of his brother.

References

Further reading

• Greenwood, Ed. The Code of the Harpers (TSR, 1993).