Silvanus (Sihl-VANN-us)

Overview

Silvanus represents the entirety of nature, deserts as well as forests, sharks as much as deer. But folk in the North, who contend with the dangers of forests, mountains, and plains, see Silvanus more as a god of those places. Silvanus is thought of as a grim and severe father figure who metes out flood and drought, fire and ice, and life and death in the wilderness. In legends he often commands other nature deities, dealing out rewards and punishments to them as is fitting. Nature and its impartial fairness are central to the dogma of Silvanus’s faith. His priests seek to know the total situation, to view the macrocosm; their viewpoint isn’t confined to one person’s or one nation’s idea of what is best. The loss of a farming community to goblin raids is a tragedy for some, but the event provides an opportunity for the wilderness to grow up and make the land fertile again, which in turn provides new challenges for those who would return to tame it.
The creed of Silvanus dictates that nature’s glory must be preserved not merely because nature is beautiful, but because wild nature is the true state of the world. Its expanses refresh and revitalize the mortal soul, and give breath to all the world. Many of his faithful oppose the expansion of settlements into wild places and consider excessive consumption of natural resources to be not only wasteful but blasphemous.
Silvanus often receives veneration from travelers in wild lands, explorers, and residents of rural communities far from the protection of a local lord or a great city. The oak leaf is Silvanus’s symbol, and a grove of oak trees within a village or on its outskirts is often dedicated as a shrine to him. In rural places where oak trees don’t grow, an oak leaf etched into the bark of another kind of tree signifies a sacred site.

(The domain of Silvanus towers above all other life)

Ethos & Dogma

Silvanus teaches his followers to value all life. Still, his influence can be properly interpreted either as a wholesome respect for the natural world or as a threat to the livelihood of expanding civilizations. Druids of Silvanus say their prayers at sundown and set aside the days of Greengrass, Midsummer, and Highharvestide for meditation and communion with their deity and his affiliated powers. Silvanus teaches his druids to watch from the protection of the woods, not to judge too quickly, and to preserve the balance of life and death, growth and decay. All is in a cycle, deftly and beautifully balanced—and it is the duty of the devout to see this cycle and the sacred Balance as clearly as possible, to make others see it, and to work against all beings and things who seek to disturb the Balance. This is best done by watching, anticipating, and quiet manipulation. Silvanites should resort to violence and open confrontation only when the pressure of time, situation, or hostile action makes it necessary. Ultimately, the faithful are to keep the Balance—when one must act in one way one day, take the opposing side on another day- Always keep the Balance.

(Clerics and Druids of Silvanus nurture and protect the natural order)

Religious Orders

• Church of Silvanus
• Emerald Enclave
• More information coming soon!

History & Relationships

Silvanus did not have many allies, nor did he have many enemies. In the Faerûnian pantheon he was allied with and served by fellow non-evil deities of animals and nature such as Eldath or Mielikki. The first viewed him as a father figure, but often found his robustness intimidating, while the second had crafted the banish blight spell partially as a gift to him. Other allies of Silvanus included Chauntea and Lathander — who he at times he would work with in their efforts against the Gods of Fury. He was considered an enemy by Malar, Talona, and Talos. He actively opposed them as their love for destruction often upset the balance of nature. After the events of the Spellplague, Malar became subject to Silvanus' rule as a resident of the Deep Wilds. Despite this, Silvanus did not rein in Malar.

(The domain of Silvanus will always brush away the crumbling empires of civilization)

Tenets of Faith

• Preserve the balance of life and death, birth and decay.
• Respect nature in all its savagery, and revere the world in all its natural beauty.
• Protect the wild places from the further encroachment of civilization.

(The Forest Father is the lord of nature in all its wild splendor.)

Holy Symbol

(The holy symbol of Silvanus)

Statistics

Titles

• Oak Father
  
• The Old Oak
  
• Old Father Tree
  
• The Forest Father
  
• Treefather
  
• God of Wild Nature
  
• Green Father
  

Adjectives

• Silvanite

Portfolio and Domains

• Animal
  
• Plant
  
• Protection
  
• Renewal
  
• Water
  
• Life
  
• Storm
  
• Wilderness
  

Common Worshipers

• Farmers
  
• Field workers
  
• Gardeners
  
• Hunters
  
• Trappers
  
• Wealthy Landowners
  

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Divine Classification

Greater Deity

Alignment

Neutral

The Forest Father is the eternal guardian of the forest. He is the god of all wild and untamed nature throughout Faerûn. Priests and druids of the realms call him Silvanus, though he is known by many names.
— Emmerich Hawk of Lonelywood