Iallanis

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Iallanis is the goddess of love, forgiveness, mercy, and beauty in the giant pantheon. Her symbol is a garland of flowers.

Publication history

Iallanis was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about her priesthood.^[1] Her role in the giant pantheon of the Forgotten Realms setting is detailed in Giantcraft (1995).^[2]

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

Description

Iallanis appears as a graceful giant, 25' in height with fair skin. She wears a short green dress from which grows living flowers. She is always bare-legged and bare-footed.

Relationships

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

Iallanis is a daughter of Annam and the younger sister of Hiatea. She is an ally of the swanmay goddess Fionnghuala. Her other siblings and half-siblings include Diancastra, Grolantor, Karontor, Shax, Skoraeus Stonebones, Stronmaus, Surtr, and Thrym. Memnor and Vaprak are also sometimes named as her relatives. Beautiful, loving Iallanis is one of her father's favorite children.

Realm

Iallanis has a realm called Florallium, which can be found on Arborea. Florallium is a place of quiet gardens and crystal springs. It is a neutral place where terms of peace can be arranged. It is said that when the Seldarine drove the other giant gods out of the plane they allowed Iallanis to remain, as she stayed by the hearth instead of fighting. They don't respect her, though, as they do her warlike brothers and sisters.

Dogma

Iallanis teaches that mercy is to be honored above all else, save the gods themselves. Beauty is to be honored above all else save the gods and mercy. Punishment will naturally come to those who do evil and rewards will naturally come to those who do good. "Kindness is the milk of might; passion is the milk of life."

Worshippers

Iallanis has worshippers among the cloud giants, stone giants, storm giants, firbolgs, and voadkyn.

Clergy

Iallanis will accept any good-aligned true giant into her priesthood, treating every race as equal to the others. She would treat giant-kin such as firbolgs, fomorians, verbeegs, and voadkyn as equals as well, but this was forbidden by her father; thus, they are limited to places of lower status in her clerical hierarchy. Her clerics strive to bring the whole of giantkind into the ways of good, to show mercy to all, and to cooperate with other good creatures. Her clerics and shamans are expected to become happily married if they are to attain high rank. She sends omens to her priests in the form of floral scents, tinkling sounds, and similar gentle, pleasant events.

Clerics of Iallanis concentrate on uniting the races of giantkind, bringing mercy and absolution to those who need it, and creating beautiful things. They forgo worldly possessions beyond those they require to do their duties.

Rituals

Clerics of Iallanis say prayers over every gift or meal they receive. They conduct nearly all marriage ceremonies among the giants, even those involving evil giants and priests of evil deities.

Every year, on the first day of Growfest, Iallanis's priests assemble for a grand revelry. If possible, one or more marriages are performed at the climax of the event.

References

Additional reading

• 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:
• Smith, Lester W., and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Chaos. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.