Hlal

Hlal is the chaotic good dragon goddess of humor, inventiveness, and pleasure. Of all the dragon gods, she is the most friendly to non-dragons, and her symbol, a single white flame, represents the light of wit. In the Outer Planes she is more commonly known by the name of Aasterinian and is often regarded as chaotic neutral in alignment. She was Asgorath's messenger, although she was known for being an unreliable messenger. The Jester also has a male aspect known as Avachel or Quicksilver, who features prominently in elven legends.

Description

Hlal manifested in whatever form suit her purposes at any given moment. If she was not in the process of playing a trick on someone, she usually manifested as a faerie dragon that glowed with a yellowgold aura or as a happy looking copper dragon.

As Aasterinian, she always manifested as a huge brass dragon.

Personality

Hlal delights in wordplay and sophisticated humor, and she is playful, stubborn, and vain. She enjoys being shocking and innovative, and shares stories and songs with those who appreciate such things, regardless of the listener's race or background. She values diversity of experience, learning, and innovation, and loves all who enjoy such things. She accepts all dragonblooded creatures, with spellscales being exceptionally amusing to her.

Baser humor, however, usually pranks, proves irresistible to her, especially if the victim takes her pranks seriously. She is also happy disturbing the status quo and is easily distractable by doing such things. Myths tell that Hlal plays a particularly elaborated practical joke on Null; she barely manages to stay one step ahead of the angry Deathwyrm since.

Divine Realm

Hlal lairs are mostly unknown, the only one known being Brassberg, located in Nidavellir, a region of the plane of Ysgard. She has at least one lair on the plane of Arborea.

Activities

As Aasterinian, she **is** the messenger of Asgorath, charged to deliver his lesser communications. When she **isn't** traveling on behalf of Asgorath, she **often travels** in search of arcane knowledge for herself.

Following the Second Sundering, she **is** seen as a messenger in service to Bahamut, and **is** known for her especially powerful dragonsight.

Worshippers

Hlal was revered by some brass, copper, and faerie dragons who appreciated and identified with her sense of humor. These species didn't worship Hlal alone, however, unless they devoted their entire lives to jokes. Spellscales found Hlal the most compatible deity for them.

Her followers enjoyed friendly relationships with those of Erevan Ilesere, Garl Glittergold, and similar deities. Hlal's clerics were also often bards who used music, poetry, and tall tales to spread her faith. They wandered the lands and usually traveled in disguise or secrecy. Most of her clerics were draconic or half-dragon humanoids.

Dogma

Hlal encouraged her followers to think for themselves, rather than relying on the word of others. The worst crime in her eyes was not trusting in oneself. She had little patience for tyrants -- even well-intentioned ones -- and even less patience for cruelty or bullying. She taught that one must be freed of restraint, whether real or imaginary, in order to freely express one's opinions.

Temples

Temples to Hlal were rare in the extreme. It was more common to find one of her shrines that dotted the landscape. Those simple, hidden places served as temporary shelters for her wandering worshipers, and were movable to the next town or dragon's lair at a moment's notice. The shrines typically had a library or shelf holding a few books, with a sign indicating that travelers were welcomed to take a book if they replaced it with another one.

The few temples dedicated to Hlal were only found in the largest of cities. They served as much as performance or concert halls as they did places of veneration, because entertainment and worship were inextricably linked for the devout of Hlal. In smaller settlements, taverns or other places of performance often included the holy symbol of Hlal, reminding the performers that their actions honored her.

Rituals

Hlal worshipers believed every time they learned or created something new, they were honoring her. They believed she presided over the first performance of a new entertainment piece, and performers, conductors, or playwrights often dedicated their initial presentation to Hlal's glory (if serious) or amusement (if comic).

Relationships

Besides Asgorath, Hlal was the bonded companion of Erevan Ilesere. In her aspect of Aasterinian they were almost never separated, and their legendary adventures often inspired young elves to emulate their daring exploits.

History

According to the myths of the Trunalor wild elves of the Forest of Amtar, a wandering mercury dragon named Avachel once aided them in repelling an Arkaiun invasion of their home. Erevan Ilesere took notice of Avachel for this, and had the dragon become his traveling companion, with the two going on many legendary adventures together. Eventually the dragon achieved apotheosis as a protector of all wild elves, and was worshiped by the benevolent woodland peoples.

Another legend states that Hlal once played an elaborate practical joke upon Null, earning that god's enmity, and was chased forever more until Null could enact their vengeance upon them.

After the Second Sundering, Hlal's divinity came into question.

Hlal

Lesser deity

Basic Information

Titles

Messenger of Asgorath
The Jester
The Pursued
Quicksilver

Pantheons

Draconic
Seldarine

Attributes

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Symbol

An open book (as Hlal)
A grinning dragon's head (as Aasterinian)

Realm

Heroic Domains of Ysgard/Nidavellir/Brassberg

Portfolio

Humor, Inspiration, Messages, Storytelling, Tricks

Favored Weapon

Claw (Short sword)
Spear (as Hlal)
Claw (Scimitar) (as Aasterinian)

Following

Worshippers

Dragons
Dragonbloods
Bards
Free thinkers
Performers

Alignments

CG, N, CN, CE

Domains

Chaos (Whimsy)
Scalykind (Dragon)
Trickery (Deception, Innuendo)