"Well, here's the thing: as drow of old used tattoos to mark slaves, many drow detest tattoos. However, early Lolth priestesses used progressively-augmented tattoos (down their right inner thighs, eventually to the ankle) to mark ascending clerical rank.
Drow who don't venerate Lolth usually dislike tattoos (on drow) for that reason, in addition to the slavery. However, among Vhaeraun worshippers in the early 1300s DR, a fashion arose to tattoo around one's right eye (bare ring around the eye, then an elaborate design radiating out over brow and cheek on one side of the face only). This was regarded as beauty enhancing, not a mark of devotion to the god. In addition, certain drow sorceresses hit upon the notion of storing self-renewing spells in right forearm tattoos.
So as you can see, drow are split, just as the gamer debate is. Most drow detest tattooing, seeing it as marring drow natural beauty. However, drow who see themselves as ugly usually reason that they have nothing to lose by getting tattoos. And a drow who bears slave tattoos and gets the opportunity to do something about them will almost always expand the tattoos into a larger, more beautiful design that seeks to obscure the original slaving marks." Ed on Twit, 7/10/24
I want to see more Lolthite girls with thigh tats and Vhaeraunites with what would be a total job stopper in our world
In the course of my recent research on Bane for a lore request fill, I found myself coming across a lot of very interesting information, previously unknown to me, about the other gods of the Forgotten Realms — in particular Silvanus. There was enough there that it inspired me to direct some extra research hours into this writeup, exploring all the reasons why Halsin is a quintessential Silvanite.
If you would like any more information on anything included here, please feel free to drop a comment or an ask, as there is truly so much that I just don’t have the space to include. (I usually end up with about 12-13 pages of source quotes before I begin one of these meta posts.)
My usual note that, as ever, these writeups will align with current 5e lore, and draw from 3.5e for additional supporting information. On rarer occasions – and always noted – I will reference 1e and 2e, but with the caveats that there is much more in those editions that is tonally dissonant with the modern conception of the Forgotten Realms, and thus generally less applicable.
Silvanus is easily one of the most misunderstood gods of the Faerûnian pantheon. This is even pointed out directly within his section of the 3.5e Faiths & Pantheons (an incredible resource if you are looking for more detailed information on the gods of the Forgotten Realms!):
Nevertheless, most outsiders view the church of Chauntea, as patrons of agriculture, as being favorably inclined toward the expansion of civilization, while the church of Silvanus is the implacable foe of those who would settle new lands. Neither impression is correct, yet the church of the Oak Father is often perceived as little different from those faiths that venerate the Deities of Fury.¹ [emphasis added]
Silvanus is most often perceived as strictly and impassively neutral, and intrinsically opposed to civilization in all its forms. While the former is something close to true – he is a very neutral-aligned deity, albeit not necessarily in a way that matches the popular conception of the term – the latter is certainly not. Humanity (if you’ll forgive the use of the term to designate in broad strokes the non-animal denizens of the Material Plane) is another facet of nature, one given equal consideration to the rest – plant, animal, and other – by Silvanus.²
While as a whole followers of Silvanus have a preference for the wilds and the deep forests, this is by no means a concrete rule. In fact, Silvanite clergy – those known as druids – are not uncommonly found in enclaves in larger cities of the Sword Coast and beyond, including Waterdeep.² Typically these druids will “create gardenlike walled areas of wild forest within the city limits.”¹ Wherever they may find themselves, Silvanite druids work to maintain the Balance of nature around them, through education and direct action both.
Silvanus’s dogma has much to tell us about his philosophy, and that of his followers. I’ll be splitting notable excerpts and their relation to Halsin into sections below.
Hold your distance and take in the total situation, rather than latching on to the popular idea of what is best.¹
Halsin was, from the first moment I met him in-game, so notable for his calm self-possession, and the clear forethought he gave to his actions and those of others. He does not feel bound by the expectations or approval of others – as noted in the dialogue he shares with the player if they compliment his choice of successor – but instead makes his own path following the direction of Silvanus’s wisdom and will.
Resort to violence and open confrontation only when pressured by time or hostile action.¹
This is showcased numerous times throughout the game, but perhaps best evidenced by an in-game note, from an unlikely source: the Priestess Gut. The note that you can find from her, regarding Halsin’s capture, notes the following:
Said he thinks there's somethin' rotten inside us. Inside me. Reckons he can help get rid of the rot. I told him we don't need any help from nobody. Never did. And especially not now the Absolute's taken a shine to us.³
Despite the immediacy of his capture at their hands, and the preceding attack already lodged against himself and Nettie⁴, Halsin’s primary impulse is to attempt diplomacy, and render aid. This only changes when his length of captivity has made it clear that there will be no changing the minds of the cultists, and they must be dissuaded by stronger means.
Banish disease wherever you find it¹
The way Halsin is first introduced to the player is as a healer – and not just any healer, but a masterful one, known throughout the region, who has the best chance of being able to assist with any manner of strange ailment. It is clear in all ways, as well as in the scenario referenced in the preceding section, that this is an aspect of Silvanus that Halsin strives to embody at all times.
Seek out, serve, and befriend the dryads and learn their names.¹
Particularly if we understand the reference to dryads here to extend to all fey spirits of nature, this gives new depth to Halsin’s friendship and devotion to the nature spirit Thaniel. Halsin, as a druid generally, and as an Archdruid in particular, would have a solemn and divinely-ordained responsibility to redress the upheaval of the Balance within the Shadowcursed lands. For that reason alone, it is no surprise that it was his primary motivation and consideration for nigh on a century.
However, even above and beyond that, Halsin had an additional motivator. Even before he became a druid, potentially before he was exposed to the teachings of Silvanus in anything but the most vague and general of terms, he was living them out by befriending the local nature spirit, learning his name, and seeking to understand, serve, and protect him.
Make others see the balance and work against those that would disturb it. Watch, anticipate, and quietly manipulate.¹
The primary source text I am using to draw this connection was written neither by nor about Halsin, yet I believe it still clearly reflects on him, for reasons that will become clear. This text is from a logbook recording activities of the Emerald Grove during the year 1371, 121 years prior to the start of the game’s storyline, and some years before the defining events in the soon-to-be Shadowcursed Lands.
6 Uktar: Sent two druids, some of the newer recruits, up north. Village there has had two years of failed crops and are unlikely to survive the next winter.
9 Uktar: A group from Baldur's Gate arrived. They've set up camp on the edge of the forest. Two bears and a fox came by. Their territory has been burned out. Half the fox's cubs died. Paying this new group a visit tomorrow.
10 Uktar: Visit did not go well. After telling me where to shove it, they said they'd cut down half the forest and burn out any wildlife that dared to stick around. Claimed they were going to 'farm the land and make a new city of their own.' Time to get creative.
12 Uktar: Mudslide did the trick. Buried half their farming equipment and made the rest useless. They won't be back any time soon. Got reports of a Red Wizard in the village south of here. Sending three rangers to investigate. If they catch even a whiff of a red cloak, I'm contacting the House of Silvanus.⁵
Given the timeline, while this is unlikely to have been written by Halsin himself, it seems like a strong possibility that it was written by his master, the previous Archdruid of the Emerald Grove, who perished in the fight against Ketheric Thorm. This is supported by the clear evidence that the author was an individual in a position to give direction and command to those around them, and to make the call for how to deal with various situations. Given too what we know of the druidic leadership structure, Halsin would have been the previous Archdruid’s Second, as Kagha was his.⁶
This man, then, would have greatly influenced Halsin as a druid of Silvanus and as a leader both. We can presume that this watchful duty and deliberation was one that Halsin himself took over, charged with doing his part to maintain the Balance of the region around the grove.
This last point especially becomes even more significant in light of the following information, which comes not from Silvanus’s dogma, but rather from a description of his followers and traditions of worship:
Members of the clergy work to redirect development and control populations through covert sponsorship of brigands, breeding and selective placing of predators, and other means. It is essential that such work be as secretive as possible, so that most folk view the servants of Silvanus as essentially benign lovers of trees. Wildlife breeding, nursing sick animals, and replanting trees and wild shrubs are all work that should be done as publicly as possible to support this perception – and as necessary work to redress the slipping Balance, of course.¹ [emphasis added]
It is clear from all preceding evidence, and this excerpt in particular, that the druids as a whole put far more thought and strategy into every aspect of their appearance and the perception of them than they would ever want outsiders to become aware of. Halsin himself corroborates this in-game, noting that, while druids might not like politicking, that certainly does not mean they haven’t the skill for it when called upon.
For the sake of… well. (I have been advised by my legal counsel not to use “brevity” here.) Regardless! For the sake of my sanity and your time, I will refrain from going into further detail on specific instances that show this to be true of Halsin. I will merely encourage you, the reader, to consider the value this brings to his character and druids as a whole, and hope to encourage new appreciation for their refreshing complexity.
In closing, I leave you with one final quote:
Superior patience, natural knowledge, and anticipation are the hallmarks of a worthy servant of Silvanus.¹
I finished the first draft of my first ever fanfic today. I joined a Secret Santa and the exchange is an art/fiction one based on our pale elf friend. As a writer, I thought it would be fun and, so far, it is.
I was thinking about my first finished save today because I loaded a late save and ran the epilogue party last night. It was lovely (and I've been putting up pics). I realized that Anne, my cleric of Lathander, being "Mrs Tav Dekarios" now would likely have changed her name. Then I had a thought, which is something fanfic writers of Lathanderian clerics may not know.
Clerics of Lathander (almost) always have a second name. You can choose your Lathanderian name when you become a Lightbringer (devote yourself to service as a priest). You can also keep your Lathanderian name a secret that's known only in church circles, or even just between you and The Morninglord. It depends on how you run your cleric and what your Faerûn is like.
I have some examples of how this woks, based on my TTPG clerics of Lathander.
Helena Peach (level 11) works under her real name but her Lathanderian name is known only by her mentors and closest contacts at The House of The Morning: Heulwen Starwater. Heulwen is a name she chose based on her given name and Starwater comes from the river that runs through her hometown of Eveningstar, right beside her family's orchard. So if she gets a request, letter, send, etc from someone at House of the Morning and it calls her Heulwen Starwater, she knows it's legit.
Bianca Ashborn (newly level 6: yay!) adventures under her Lathanderian name. Her given name is Beatrix Bianca Stanwyck. Ashborn symbolizes a new beginning and also incorporates her sister Ashcaeda's name into hers. She chooses to be known as Bianca everywhere except at home, where her parents and sister still call her either "Bebi" or "Trixie."
So when you're writing a fanfic about the cleric of Lathander you created for BG3, you can have some fun with their name. Is it the name you chose? Do they have a secret or semi-secret Lathanderian name? What does their Lathanderian name say about them? Did they even have one chosen before they were thrust into this adventure? Here's a prompt for you: show your cleric's process of choosing or changing a Lathanderian name based on their adventure.
FTR: Here's Anne Rosymorn, Annika Dekarios to her friends.
illuminatirob — Hello @Ed Greenwood! I am so happy to be here. I've been a heavy user of Candlekeep's forums over the years, and I have some questions that have been argued extensively, and I'd love to have the ultimate input on then I might be so fortunate? (Even though, I may get flak over this, haha) Is Khelben evil? I ask the question from the lens of normative ethics, regarding his having taken the Scepter of the Sorcerer King, and giving it to Fzoul. The ensuing carnage and problems were extensive, and in light of them, and the fact that Khelben is one of the Master Harper's that came up with the code of the Harper's, how can he say he lived by those tenets and doing the right thing, with everything that came of his actions in the end? I mean no disrespect: I just love analyzing characters, and I've run through this a million times in my head. Khelben is one of my favorite characters ever. So compelling!
Ed Greenwood — Khelben is an "end justifies the means" person, who (like, say, James T. Kirk of STAR TREK fame) won't hesitate to break laws or rules to "win." He can be harsh and arrogant, too, as he believes he KNOWS the right end goal, and will push for it against the "blindly ignorant." Whereas most of the Seven believe it's not just what you do, or why, but HOW you do it; if you run roughshod over "little people" to forge a better kingdom for them, how are you better than the next tyrant? So Khelben can certainly be seen as evil. That's the thing about the Realms: everyone is a shade of gray. We watch their moral journeys in the novels, and lore, and adventures, and none of them are static. Elminster is generally nicer and more whimsical than straight-shooter Khelben, but also more sly. It takes all sorts to make (and mar) a world.
illuminatirob — Hey @Ed Greenwood, Thank you so very much for that answer, and right away too! I'm honored. I figured Khelben was a consequentialist, and I've had long debates about it, but this is great: thee answer. That's the most amazing thing about ethics: you're "good" in someone's book, and "evil" in another's, simply by the fact that the rules set is different for evaluating morality. Thank you!
Ed Greenwood — You're very welcome! Steven Schend "adopted" Khelben and has penned novels starring him, and he and I have discussed Khelben's character extensively over the years. One other thing to bear in mind: Mystra's Chosen are all very old, and "play the long game," and have suffered much grief, as they outlive kin, friends, and even the realms they grew up in; they're not sane by how we judge things. My Realms tales look at how power corrupts, and how long life claws at psyches, and so on. Khelben became a "hardcase" because it worked for him, to serve Mystra best; the ruthless manipulator and negotiator. Others took different paths.
– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.
Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!
Ed’s lost lore of the realms #36, Jan. 26th 2025; Underdark Cuisine
“Monsters” tend to eat other creatures, often raw, but sentient races of the Underdark eat:
Fungi. Lots and lots of fungi.
Snails.
Slimes.
And lizards (worn-out or injured pack lizards, and all of the smaller varieties).
These things form the bulk of drow diets. Drow also, due to surface raids and trade, have access to other foodstuffs, but due to ongoing rarity these are “treats” (expensive). Most drow rear herds of pack lizards and farm “forests” of fungi in guarded caverns.
Thanks to the prevalence of fungi, a texture that can best be described as “rubbery to chewy” is prevalent in Underdark cuisine. Things that crunch are rarities.
Edible fungi cover a broad range of colours (though dun-browns to darker browns predominate, with purple being the next most popular—and never attempt to eat any fungi that look green) and shapes, from flaky spikes and “ledges” to shelf fungi, spears like asparagus, and various cap shapes with stalks, from tall and smooth to short and shaggy; literally just about everything.
These Underdark fungi offer flavours from salty or bitter and smoky to an almost vanilla-like sweetness; again, just about everything, including flavours that a blindfolded surface-dweller sampling them might mistake for roast beef or braised rothé.
Certain common fungi can be cooked to mush and then to an oil that thickens into a spreadable paste when taken off the heat, and this serves as a hummus-like “butter” (that can take on the flavour of herbs stirred into it, like garlic or dill into “real butter” derived from the milk of surface-dwelling creatures) when spread on other edibles. This is usually called “rarthree” by folk of the Underdark, regardless of species (though deep gnomes tend to shorten this to just “rarth” in casual speech).
The meat of the many edible lizards is often sliced into thin steaks and fried in rarthee, and tend to taste rather like real-world kangaroo meat; slightly gamier than boar or beef or rothé, but still striking the palate as “red meat” rather than fish or reptile. Pack lizards have the strongest taste, increasing with age and size, and Volo found it to be a curious cross between the fat of very well-marbled steaks, and bacon fat—without grease or the heaviness of fat.
Soups in the Underdark tend to all be thick enough to be called “stews” on the surface world, with diced chunks of meat or fungi, and almost all of them use simmered, reduced fungi as a base. “Superior” soups include the blood of slain edible creatures, which enriches the flavour and thins the texture.
Large root vegetables such as potatoes are almost unknown in Underdark cuisine, yet their blandness would cause them to be “shrug” curiosities, not highly prized novelties, if sampled.
There are very few “wild” deep rothé herds left in the Underdark; they’ve been captured and are now the carefully-farmed exclusive food larders of particular communities. So they’ve disappeared from “general Underdark” larders and tables.
Lolthite drow cities who control those herds do indeed roast and thin-slice-and-fry deep rothé meat as a staple of their cuisine.
As for surface-world sweets: sweetness is in short supply in the Underdark. Household honey has been a traditional target of drow night surface raiding parties. The sheer sweetness of sugary confections (such as real-world chocolates) would be a dumbfounding revelation. There'd be delight among drow or other Underdark creatures (illithids in particular!)...and a murderous need to possess all supplies of it.”
