Ilmater

The One Who Endures

Ilmater is the god of the common folk, peasants, serfs, merchants and professionals. He is not a great warrior as is his ally Kord, nor is he a god of law or order, as his Lord Tyr. He is a god who represents those who work and live in a just society. He espouses fairness and opposes tyranny, injustice and hardship. Although he is slow to anger, the wrath of the Unbroken Deity is terrible in face of extreme cruelty or atrocities. He takes great care to reassure and protect children and young creatures, and takes exceptional offense at those who would harm them.
Ilmater earned the title, Martyred God as a result of being destroyed by rivals, once by Teetle and once by Gruumush. He wears only a breechcloth and carries no weapons, and his kind face is warm and comforting. When he appears, he sometimes takes the form of a man whose body has been badly mutilated by punishment on the rack, crisscrossed with marks of torture, and having broken and ravaged joints. The Unbroken God was reborn due to the faith of his flock and followers.

Divine Domains

Ilmater holds domain over Good, Healing, Law, Strength, & Suffering.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Pair of white hands bound at the wrist with a red cord, sometimes represented as an X with the red bindings in the center

Tenets of Faith

The Ilmatari are taught to help all who hurt, no matter who they are, and that the truly holy take on the suffering of others. Ilmater tells them that if they suffer in his name, he will be there to support them. They should stick to their cause if it is right, whatever the pain and peril. They are to stand up to all tyrants, resisting in ways both great and small, and to allow no injustice to go by unchallenged. They believe that there is no shame in a meaningful death. Some followers of Ilmater take a negative or darkly humorous view of the world, and the church accepts them as well. "Today is the first day in what's left of your life" fits very snugly into Ilmater's dogma, but most Ilmatari would add, "So live it well." Novices in the faith are charged to: "Persevere in the face of pain. Heal the sick, the wounded, and the diseased. Comfort the dying, the griefstricken, and the heartsick. Take on the burdens and the pain of others. Champion the causes of the oppressed and unjustly treated, and give shelter and kind counsel to the lonely, the lost, and the mined. Pursue the service of Ilmater, and he will provide—leave gross riches and the acquisition of all but medicines to others. Take up the tasks no others dare."

Holidays

There are no calendar-related special holy days or any other festivals observed by the Ilmatari. Instead, the daily rituals of prayer to Ilmater at least six times per day govern each and every day of service.
A special Plea must be made to Ilmater to receive divine dispensation for a Rest, which is a tenday vacation from serving Ilmater's dictates. Usually Ilmatari request this when they are emotionally exhausted, but some adventurer- priests use Rests to perform things Ilmater would otherwise frown upon. This custom is an established tradition that some leaders of the faith rely upon, sending their best fighting clergy out to do things that the church cannot otherwise accomplish (covertly removing a tyrant rather than confronting him openly, for example).
The most important ritual of the Church of Ilmater is the Turning: It is the duty of every priest of Ilmater to try to get dying persons to turn to Ilmater for comfort, receiving the blessing of the Broken God before they expire. As the veneration of Ilmater grows, even in death, his healing power becomes greater.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Ilmatari share what they have with those in need and always take time to counsel those who are upset and give healing and tender care to the injured. They speak for the oppressed, guide the lost, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and gather herbs and make medicines at all times for disasters to come. When war is expected and time permits, priests of Ilmater gather in strength with litters, shovels, tents, splints, bandages by the cartload, and wagons of medicines and healing potions to tend those who will soon suffer.
Priests of Ilmater see life as sacred and suffering as holy, but they do not stand in the way of others' desires or condemn them for their chosen path. For instance, Ilmatari would not stop a sorely injured warrior from rising up half-healed to plunge into battle again, openly seeking death while fighting the foe. Instead, they would freely assist the warrior by healing him enough to be mobile so that he could follow his own doom wish in the most honorable manner available to him.
Ilmatari bury the dead, treat the diseased, and give food, drink, and firewood to the poor. They also tour the wealthier cities and settlements of Faerun soliciting moneys to support the church. Increasingly, since so many folk personally received the benefit of their kindnesses during the Time of Troubles, people of all faiths give generously to the church of the Crying God. As the merchant Ashaerond of Westgate put it: "If I pay for one extra potion today, it may be the last one tomorrow—but the one needed then to heal me."

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

In avatar form, Ilmater appears as a short man with a burly build and wearing only a breechcloth, with a plain but kind and comforting face, balding head, and a hairy body. But this body bares the marks of mutilation and torture on the rack, covered with open cuts, closed scars, burns, and a range of other wounds. Ilmater's joints are broken, his limbs are ravaged, and his hands are smashed yet still functional. Moving causes him a great deal of pain as he drags himself around. No matter how much his avatar heals, it still shows these terrible wounds.

Divine Classification

Intermediate Deity

Religions

• Church of the Enduring

Alignment

His alignment is Lawful Good.

Realm

Martyrdom

Church/Cult

Church of the Enduring

Honorary & Occupational Titles

The Crying God, The Broken God, The Lord on the Rack, The Rack-Broken Lord