Memnor

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Memnor is the giant deity of pride, honor, mental prowess and control. His symbol is a thin black obelisk.

Publication history

Memnor was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.^[1] His role in the giant pantheon of the Forgotten Realms setting is detailed in Giantcraft (1995).^[2] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[3]

Memnor appears in 3rd edition in Defenders of the Faith (2000).^[4] His priesthood is detailed for this edition in Complete Divine (2004).^[5]

Description

Memnor appears as a kindly, golden-skinned giant with piercing eyes, wearing a deep blue robe. He is subtle, intelligent, charming, cultured, articulate, and cruel beyond words. Many giants consider him to be a loyal servant of Annam, but this is a lie. Memnor, in his arrogance, wishes to usurp Annam and Stronmaus and become the new leader of the giantish pantheon.

Relationships

Memnor is variously said to be the son, brother, or enemy of Annam, the giant god of creation. One myth says he was born from the severed head or ripped-out entrails of a titanic, sub-sentient, planet-eating monster slain by Annam or Stronmaus.

In many campaign settings, the giantish pantheon of gods consists of the leader Annam, as well as Diancastra, Grolantor, Hiatea, Iallanis, Karontor, Memnor, Skoraeus Stonebones, Stronmaus, Surtr, and Thrym. Other powers worshipped by giants or giant-type creatures include Baphomet, Cegilune, the Elder Elemental God, Kostchtchie, and Vaprak.

Memnor is allied with Grolantor. Of all the gods, Stronmaus is Memnor's greatest and most implacable foe.

Realm

Memnor's realm of Thraotor can be found on the plane of Gehenna. His realm is similar to that of Stronmaus in the Beastlands, a palace built atop a storm cloud, but where Stronmaus's palace is made of silvery marble, Memnor's is made of black adamantine.

Dogma

Memnor teaches his followers that Annam has grown old and weak and that the fall of the ancient giant kingdoms was due to the creator god's own ineptitude. The sharpest weapon ever forged is cunning; used with surprise and secrecy, cunning will win the day.

Worshippers

Memnor is worshipped almost exclusively by evil cloud giants, his chosen instruments in his bid for power. He corrupted them by telling them of their natural superiority, that they were the first-born of giantkind and that all other breeds are inferior.

Memnor is worshipped rather perfunctorily by the cloud giant clan Azeil in the Barrier Peaks.^[6]

Clergy

Memnor's clerics consider keeping their true ambitions a secret to be their highest duty. After sworn into the priesthood by the cleric of Amman, they are visited by senior clerics of Memnor and initiated in a secret ceremony, where they pledge to aid their master to overthrow the god of creation and put the god of pride, honor, and mental prowess on the throne. Even their followers do not know this, viewing their deity as an honest god of racial honor and pride. Memnor's clerics also play the role of wise counselors and advocates for the underprivileged.

There is a special sign involving touching the left wrist with the index finger of the right hand that clerics of Memnor use to signal or warn one another, and several shades of meaning are possible through context and emphasis.

High-level clerics of Memnor receive wyvern servants from their god, which they summon by means of a fierce talon they wear in leather pouches around their necks.

Clerics of Memnor must be well-dressed and regal of manner. They proclaim the superiority of giants in general and cloud giants in particular.

Rituals

Three times a year, Memnor's cleric hold feasts in which other giants are invited to attend. Among themselves, the clerics meet with Memnor's avatar and his wyvern servants on midnight every one hundred days. After these meetings, they gather their faithful cultists to discuss strategy and tactics.

Myths and legends

Childhood games

One myth tells of the childhood of the giant gods, when a malicious game played by Memnor and his brother Grolantor resulted in a minor war between the giants and ogres. As a result, Annam forbade either son from interfering with the affairs of giants and their kin as long as he ruled the pantheon. When Annam retreated, despairing, to the Outlands, Memnor and Grolantor managed to convince Stronmaus and Hiatea that this order was no longer valid. Since then, both have meddled incessantly.

Ancient war

A rival myth has a more epic take, portraying Memnor as an extremely ancient and clearly evil deity, perhaps Annam's brother, who tried to take control of the giantish pantheon by force. Annam and Memnor battled, neither able to best the other, until finally Annam managed to banish Memnor to Gehenna. Annam himself, it is said, retreated to the Outlands in order to recover from his wounds.

References

Additional reading

• Baker, Richard, Travis Stout, and James Wyatt. Player's Guide to Faerun. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
• Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online: