D&D Question: how do you address the clergy in Faerun?

Cafe Society
1

I am writing (for my private amusement) a short story set in Faerun - near Waterdeep, to be exact - and I was wondering how one would address a cleric. I can’t really find anything in my Forgotten Realms book. I figure clerics would call each other brother/sister, but what would other people call them? And what about those higher up in the church hierarchy? Would they be father/mother, like priests and mother superiors in the Catholic clergy? Or are there no formal titles per se?

(Yes, I know it really doesn’t matter, considering the story I’m writing is never going to leave my hard drive, but what can I say - I’m anal. Please humor me.)

2

If you have access to the AD&D reference books, try looking in “Warriors and Priests of the Realms” to get an idea. It gives names for clergy of various Dieties, who perform specific functions in the hierarchy of their church. It depends on the faith of the clergy person what specific title a person would use, if they knew the title. (Example, the Abbot for a Temple to Oghma would be a Loremaster, a priest of Gond would Artificer etc.) Either that, or just use Priest and Priestess. :wink: There are probably other reference books that would give the titles as well, maybe the Dungeon Master’s Guide, or theForgotten Realms guides?

3

I’m thinking the title I saw for a clergy of Chauntea is Harvestmaster/mistress, and clergy of Auril is Frostbringer, a clergy of Lovitar is Painbringer, clergy of Shar is Nightbringer IIRC. What diety are you using, that would help. :confused:

4

The priestess serves Lathander.

Ugh, I didn’t know each religion has its own titles… although I suppose that does make sense. Thanks for helping me out here.

5

For Lathander, try here. The titles change with rank.

6

Ooooh, thank you. You’ve made my day!

7

Lathander is Morning Lord or Lady. :wink: A specific functionary within the church’s hierachy would be: Springlord/lady who act as healers, midwives, and raises of the dead. They are priests of the people, hate pomp and ceremony, and want no praise for what they do. If the person who needs healing cannot pay, they will heal the person anyway. Springlord/lady garb is long loose robes of yellow, pink, or red with the hems and cuffs etc. trimmed in of green to symbolize renewal. (Paraphrased from Warriors and Priests of the Realms.) Springlords/ladys also have some sort of artistic talent which they practice to honor Lathander.
Glad I could help after all.

8

While we’re on the subject, how about Mystra’s clergy? I’ve been preparing a cleric of Mystra for an upcoming campaign and it never occurred to me they might actually have titles other than cleric. :slight_smile: I’m not overly familiar with Forgotten Realms/Faerun, and my loaner books are back at home.

9

DweomerKeeper, innit? My books are at home. There were excellent FR deity books for 2nd and 3rd edition that have all this info in them.

10

Aha, according to my Forgotten Realms reference book “Adventures” by Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood, priests of Mystra are collectively known as Servants of Mystery, while higher level priests are Lords or Ladys of Mystery. (Nothing on Abbotts though.) I think I’ve seen “abbots” of Mystra rendered as “Keepers of Mysteries” (since one of Mystra’s titles is Lady of Mysteries) but I may be mistaken. Double checking on Lathander, this book backs up the previous assertations, with the addional information that they refer to themselves collectively as Dawn Priests.

11

You have to consider specialty priests, who often have a different title from a power’s general clergy, as well. If I had access to my 3rd ed Forgotten Realms sourcebook, I’d be more useful here, but it’s at my mother’s house 200 miles away…

12

jayjay, I detailed a speciality priest of Lathander in post 7. :wink: Since the OP isn’t interested in playing the game, and just want information in general for a story I think it doesn’t matter so much what edition the information comes from. (Unless there have been drastic changes?!)

13

Adding, if you want to make a Speciality priest of Mystra** BayleDomon** either ask for reference books with kits from your friends, or look into getting Warriors and Priests of the Realms. I linked to an Amazon.com page selling that book in my first post. It probalby wouldn’t be too hard to adapt the kits from there for third edition.

14

Thanks for the answers. I’ll have to see what I can scrounge up as far as the books go. Servant of Mystery - I like that, especially given what I have planned for him. :slight_smile:

15

I don’t think there were drastic changes. I’m just really anal about stuff like that. :slight_smile: