Leira (Forgotten Realms)

Leira (/ˈlɛərə/ LAIR-ə)^[1] is a fictional Faerûnian lesser deity of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

Publication history

Ed Greenwood created Leira for his home Dungeons & Dragons game, set in Greenwood's Forgotten Realms world.^[2]

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

Leira first appeared within Dungeons & Dragons as one of the deities featured in Ed Greenwood's article "Down-to-earth Divinity" in Dragon #54 (October 1981).^[2] Leira is introduced as the Lady of the Mists, goddess of deception and illusion, a chaotic neutral demigoddess of the plane of Limbo. Leira is described here as a goddess of natural (rather than man-made) and magical deception; "Leira’s true appearance is unknown; her priests worship at horned altars whose upswept arms frame nothing but air. Leira can be anything, anywhere, that is not what it seems. Few worship Leira outside the ranks of illusionists, since few other types of characters see profit in misunderstanding and deception — but many pay her homage to ward her off or placate her before important decisions and judgements are made. She is seen as neutral rather than evil because she represents the caprices of nature and not deliberate deceit (that is the province of Mask)." Leira is commonly worshipped by illusionists of any alignment, as well as chaotic neutral thieves and clerics.^[2]

Leira later officially appeared as one of the major deities for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set's "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).^[1]

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

Leira was described in the hardback Forgotten Realms Adventures (1990),^[3] the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993) in the "Running the Realms" booklet,^[4] and Faiths & Avatars (1996).^[5] Her clergy was further detailed in Warriors and Priests of the Realms (1996).^[6]

Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[7]

Her relationships with the nonhuman deities in the Forgotten Realms was covered in Demihuman Deities (1998).^[8]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

Leira's worship was discussed in Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005).^[9]

Symbol

The symbol of Leira is a triangular plaque of cloudy, swirling gray mists, pointed downwards.^[10]

As a deity

Leira is quite an enigma, she never tells the truth when falsehood will do. Everything she does and says is shrouded in layers of illusion and lies. She believes the truth is worthless and that misbelief and falsehood are what gives life meaning.

She has quite a small following, her Priests, known as Leirans (or worshippers of the mistshadow) wear silver masks, or sometimes disguise themselves to deceive those around them. Leirans are supposed to speak the truth only to other Leirans. High-level clerics of the Leiran faith are called Mistcallers.

Every morning, and on every moonlit night, Leirans lay face down and pray to the Lady of the Mists. If there is ever mist, Leirans walk through it and pray. The most revered act in the Leiran faith is the Unmasking, a purification ritual performed when new followers enter the religion.

History

Ten years after the Time of Troubles, Leira was slain by Cyric, using the sword Godsbane (actually the god Mask in disguise). Cyric then went on to subsume Leira's portfolio.

Some believe Leira is still alive and that she uses her death as a grand illusion, but the general consensus is that she is a dead power.^[11]

References