Chauntea (chawn-TEE-ah)

Chauntea is among the oldest of the deities, having been present at the creation of Abeir-Toril, infusing the twin worlds with the essence of life. She holds sway not so much over the natural world, but over the way in which sentient mortals interact with the world. The Great Mother is revered by any who depend on the land for their livelihood. A kindly mistress, she ensures healthy harvests to those who treat the tilled earth with the respect she demands. Chauntean priests pray to the Great Mother at sunset. For her favor, she asks that her faithful spend every effort preserving the natural cycle of growth and harvest. The devoted are divided into two sects: the pastorals, who minister to farmers and villagers, and the true shapers, solitary druids who find truth in the wild lands yet to be tamed.
Chauntea is the goddess of agriculture: sowing and reaping, seeding and harvest, breeding and butchery, shearing and weaving. In this aspect, she is a rural deity rarely prayed to behind the walls of a city except by kitchen gardeners. But Chauntea is also the Great Mother, a goddess of crib, hearth, and home. And as such she is welcomed into all homes at mealtimes and at the birth of children, and folk give her thanks whenever they experience the pleasure of settling by a fire and feeling safe and loved. Chauntea’s faith is one of nurturing and growth. Agricultural aphorisms and farming parables dot her teachings. Growing and reaping, the eternal cycle is a common theme in the faith. Destruction for its own sake, or leveling without rebuilding, is anathema to her. Temples of Chauntea maintain a great body of lore about farming and cultivation. Her priests work closely with communities in rural areas, and they are willing to roll up their sleeves and dig their hands into the dirt.

(Chauntea gives the gift of harvesting from nature - the fundamental element of civilization)

Ethos & Dogma

Chauntea's faith is one of nurture and growth. Agricultural sayings and farming parables dot her teachings. Growing and reaping, the eternal cycle is a common thread in Chauntea's faith. Destruction for its own sake, or leveling without rebuilding, is anathema to the church. Chauntean priests are charged to nurture, tend, and plant whenever and wherever possible; protect trees and plants, and save their seeds so that what is destroyed can be replaced; see to the fertility of the earth, but let the human womb see to its own; and to eschew fire. Every day should begin with whispered thanks to Chauntea for continued life and close with a prayer to the setting sun, from whence (Chaunteans believe) the Great Mother sends her power. Prayer to the Great Mother must be made whenever things are planted, but should otherwise occur when worshipers are moved to do so by the beauty of nature around them, which they are always encouraged to notice. Prayer to the Golden Goddess is best made on freshly tilled ground, farmland, or a garden, or failing that, at least at a well or watering place. Chauntea listens best to those who enrich the ground, so before prayer, many priests bury wastes, dispose of the litter of civilization, or plant seeds.

Religious Orders

• Church of Chauntea
• More information coming soon!

(Harvest festivals praise Chauntea's teachings of the rewards that come with working the land)

History & Relationships

She had strong ties with other deities concerned with nature, such as Shiallia and Mielikki, and she shared a close relationship with Silvanus, but that diminished over time. She was also known to have romantic affiliations with Lathander. Her most despised enemy was Talona, the Lady of Pestilence, whose disposition to wreak suffering, disease and decay upon the natural world led her to oppose her with utmost vehemence. She was always in conflict with Talos. Chauntea battled deities who sought to desecrate and expunge nature; she opposed evil deities such as Malar and Bane, and viewed the latter's resurgence as portentous. Chauntea was seen by Faerûnians as a critical aspect of the assumed cycle of life. Private land owners and destitute farmers (perhaps as a consequence of an unproductive harvest) visited the clerics of Chauntea for any divine suggestions for aiding the harvest. If at any time plague or drought struck the crops, farmers looked to Chauntea, since they hoped she would save the harvest, due to her love of nature.

(Many Sprites are favored by Chauntea and often serve the lady in the realms)Overview

Tenets of Faith

• Preserve the cycle of growth and harvest
• Live on and with the land
• Be generous in sharing the land’s bounty

(The goddess of life and bounty, who viewed herself as the embodiment of all things agrarian)

Holy Symbol

(The holy symbol of Chauntea)

Statistics

Titles

• The Great Mother
  
• The Grain Goddess
  
• The Golden Goddess
  
• Goddess of Agriculture
  
• Earthmother
  
• The Forest Mother
  
• She Who Shapes All
  
• Guardian of the Wilds and Deeps
  
• Keeper of the Wild
  
• Goddess of Bountiful Nature
  
• The Mother of All Flowers
  
• The Lady of the Harvest
  
• Grandmother (Uthgardt)
  

Adjectives

• Chauntean

Portfolio and Domains

• Agriculture
  
• Life
  
• Earth
  
• Hope
  
• Summer
  

Common Worshipers

• Druids
  
• Farmers
  
• Gardeners
  

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Divine Classification

Greater Deity

Alignment

Neutral Good

The Earthmother is everything, and her health is our health. She feeds us, clothes us, waters us, and shelters us. No god is greater than her, though many are noisier. No god is more forgiving, more nurturing, or more essential. Truly, Chauntea is All.
— The creed of the Church of Chauntea