Tymora

De Happy lady (De vrolijke Vrouwe), Tymora, godin van geluk en avontuur.   Tymora is the goddess of good fortune. She is the patron of adventurers in general. She shines upon those who take risks and bless those who deal harshly with the followers of Beshaba. Should someone flee from her sister's mischievous followers or defile the dead, their fate is decided with a roll of Tymora's dice. Tymora is the daughter of Tyche and Beshaba's sister.   Halflings believed that, since Tymora often manifested as a halfling to them, she was actually a halfling deity herself and had conned the 'big folk' into worshiping her as well.   Tymora is actually half of the deity once known as Tyche, with Beshaba being the other half. Tymora inherited Tyche's grace and kindness when that goddess split into two beings in the Dawn Cataclysm, a war among the gods that long preceded the Time of Troubles and is said to have heralded the fall of Myth Drannor. Beshaba garnered more of Tyche's wanton, willful nature, sensual side, and restless energy.   Worshipers, Clergy & Temples Tymora's faith is one of the most common in the Faerûn, in particular since it caters most heavily to adventurers. Those commoners who fail to take themselves too seriously see the servants of Tymora as energetic advocates of fun and adventure.   The clergy of the Lady go throughout Faerûn urging folk to take chances and pursue their dreams, and not spend all their days planning and daring nothing. (They do not, as some folk say, encourage folk to indulge in reckless whims and frivolity.) Having offered such counsel, Tymoran clergy are duty bound to aid those who have dared with healing spells and other magical aid (sometimes surreptitiously) so as to reinforce the message of the good fortune one can win by trusting in Tymora. Accordingly, those who choose Tymora as patron tend to possess a zest for life and a calm assurance that the Lady Who Smiles will ensure they live a long and fruitful life.   Both sexes and all races are equal in the eyes of Tymora and her clergy, though in practice human women occupy most of the more exalted ranks of the priesthood. Of the nonhuman races, a few elves and half-elves have decided to become Tymoran clergy even in the face of the chilly reception such a calling receives in elven society. Halflings consider Tymora to be one of Yondolla's Children, and consider her widespread worship in human lands as simply the greatest of Lady Luck's numerous humorous cons.   Clerics of Tymora favor gaiety and spontaneity, believing that those who enjoy the greatest fortune are those who take the greatest risks. They position their temples as refueling stops for adventuring bands, often offering such staples as holy water and healing potions. Some churches take this a step further, offering excessive secret aid to the most daring of adventurers in a public relations effort to “prove” the value of Tymora's doctrine. Clerics hail the miraculous success of these heroes upon their return from dangerous dungeons and haunted tombs, declaring their survival and plunder the reward of Lady Luck. When such groups are consumed by walls of living tentacles or walk into a sphere of annihilation set into the mouth of giant bas-relief demon faces, Tymoran clerics are notably silent.   Clerics of Tymora are often called luck bringers. Tymora's clerics most commonly multiclass as bards or rogues, but they have been known to try almost any class combination.    Vestments The standard clerical dress varies from temple to temple, ranging from full habits and headpieces in Arabel to simple robes in Shadowdale. Blue and silver are colors often seen. Personal taste of the matriarch or patriarch influences the dress code, as does climate (natural and political) and availability of fine clothing. The common item worn by all clergy is the disk of Tymora, usually carried on a small chain.   All adventuring or traveling clergy members wear whatever garments they please, though the colors blue and silver are still predominant. High boots also seem favorite fashion elements. All priests continue to wear Tymora’s silver disk next to their skin, usually as a medallion worn around the neck; however, many clergy also wear smaller holy symbols as anklets, bracelets, or at their hips, under their clothing.   Orders Fellows of Free Fate: This was a special fellowship of clergy within the church of Tymora who dedicated themselves to countering the efforts of Beshaba, and especially of the Black Fingers, her assassins. Any clergy member who showed experience, dedication to the cause, and was vouched for by a senior Fellow could join.   Testers: The Testers were fanactical followers of Tymora who took extreme risks in order to further the worship of the goddess.   Fatemakers: A heretical band of Tymorans who believed that all luck was the same and that mortals could influence luck.   Dogma One should be bold, for to be bold is to live. A brave heart and a willingness to take risks beat out a carefully wrought plan nine times out of ten. Place yourself in the hands of fate and trust to your own luck. Bear and conduct yourselves as your own masters, showing your good or bad fortune as confidence in the Lady. Chase your own unique goals, and the Lady aids the chase. Without direction or goals, you soon know the embrace of Beshaba, for those on no set course are at the mercy of misfortune, which has no mercy at all.    Appearance When Tymora appears, which is rare, she is a fit female, with long flowing white hair, in a blue robe with silver trim. She has an impish nose and a capricious lock of hair that periodically dances on her forehead. She is always smiling. She appears as whatever race the viewer is (a halfling will see a halfling, while a human sees a human, even if they are standing next to each other).   Tymora has been known to take the form of a silver bird or a silver pegasus. She also sends servant creatures to aid mortals in these shapes, as well as those of einheriar, faerie dragons, foo lions, swanmays, and unicorns.   When showing her favor for a particularly blessed gambler, she has sometimes been known to manifest as a silver glow about a gambler that is evident only to that person and not those around him or her. When this happens, something favorable will happen in regard to the wager, whether it is the wagerer being more likely to win or even the bets being forced to be called off (in cases where the bet was rigged by the opposition).     Mythology The Fateful Coin Old tales tell that Luck plays a crucial role in each person's life. When each new-born baby enters into the Realms, Tymora flips a coin formed from the remnants of the original goddess of luck, Tyche. Beshaba calls it in the air - the moon (heads) or the cloak (tails). If Beshaba is right, that person is cursed with misfortune for the rest of his or her days. If she's wrong, Lady Luck smiles on that child for the rest of his or her life. For some rare beings, the coin lands edge on - and these luckless few can forge their own fates, for they have more freedom over their destinies than the powers themselves.
Children