Mielikki

Mielikki is the neutral good goddess of forests and forest creatures (particularly dryads) and the patron of druids and rangers in the Astoran pantheon. The Lady of the Forest was also the goddess of autumn for a time, but Myrkul reclaimed that domain after his return. Scholars of other lands propose she may also be known as Khelliara, the Forest Maiden, and she has a half-elven aspect known as Khalreshaar.

Description

Mielikki's preferred avatar was the Supreme Ranger, where she appeared as a tall woman of robust and shapely build and lithe grace. She moved with the spring of a leaping buck and the ease of a prowling panther. Her russet-colored hair was long and unbound so it hung around her shoulders and down her back, while her eyes were large and brown, and deep like pools. Her clothes were dull green and brown in color and she wore the leather armor commonly used by rangers.

Her other avatar was the Forest Queen, seeming to be a young maiden who had golden-hued moss and leaves for hair. She wore sheer yellow and green gossamer robes, even in chill winter weather, and had summer songbirds fluttering around her person.

No matter her chosen form, Mielikki was 10 feet (3 meters) tall, spoke in a rich low purr, and always walked on the air so her feet never made contact with ground, and thus didn't leave any tracks and didn't make any sound. Occasionally, she had a stag's antlers emerging from her forehead, either already present when she appeared or growing slowly as mortals watched, though she displayed these less often after Beshaba adopted black antlers as her symbol, and had almost abandoned it by 1372 DR. Manifestations

When not appearing as one of her avatars, Mielikki manifested most often in the form of a white unicorn that glowed and galloped in the air. This could teleport anywhere in Faerûn as she willed, communicate mentally with all living creatures, and cast spells with a touch of its alicorn. On other occasions, she appeared as a floating, glowing light of a blue-white or a green, gold, and rust hue. Through it, she could speak, envelop and carry items, and use her magic. More subtly, she could be felt when gazing in wonderment at a unicorn and in the hearts of those who walked in peace in the woods.

The faithful, however, believed her most common manifestation was her whispering voice, echoing forever through all the forests of the world via the rustling of leaves. After a time of meditation and introspection, a good and faithful worshiper could listen to and comprehend these whispers. Some bards and rangers tried writing them down, and though they got different results each time, they generally found messages of understanding and preserving the forests and wildlife, and long-term listeners apparently became talented in tracking, survival, and zoology.

To do her work, Mielikki might send dryads, satyrs, sprites, swanmays, treants, or unicorns, and forest animals like hawks, wolves, and songbirds. Elk were sacred to her in her Finnish incarnation, while the white hart of the High Forest and the mysterious Mielikkar were sacred to her in Faerûn.

Personality

Mielikki is cheerful with a ready smile and has confidence in herself and her path. However, while she fully shows that confidence when in small groups, she is averse to formal speaking and being in charge of larger groups. She does not consider people her friends lightly, but she demonstrates fierce loyalty and protectiveness to those she does. Her views tend to be those of the archetypal ranger. Yet, in the late 15th century DR, mortals see her as distant and spiritual, and not as human as some other gods. While not uncaring of mortals, her attention and blessings can be harder to attract.

While she knows that death is a part of life and some must die so that others may live, she cannot just accept injuries and deaths of both animals and friends. She regularly heals such stricken beings as she finds them, rather than leave them to be part of the circle of life as Silvanus would.

Divine Realm

Mielikki dwells long upon the Prime Material plane itself, and though the precise location is unknown to others, she makes her home in a hidden grove near the headwaters of the Unicorn Run. She only establishes a divine realm in the Outer Planes in the Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR. It's likely she helps Eldath move out there too.

After that, she resides in the Grove of the Unicorns, which in the Great Wheel cosmology is found in Krigala, the topmost layer of the Beastlands, and in the World Tree cosmology is located within the House of Nature.

Following the Spellplague, by the late 15th century DR, Mielikki resides with Silvanus in his domain in the Deep Wilds in the World Axis cosmology.

Activities

Mielikki most enjoys exploring all the forests of Faerûn. In fact, she once claims to Moongentle Lharinn that she never explores the deserts, ice-capped mountains, or cities of the world. She cares for and defends these forests, and especially the High Forest, according to the druids there. Though their reasons are unknown to mortals, she and Eldath protect the High Forest and prevent it from being logged by humans, elves, and others, and her followers claim she will personally bring destruction down on those who despoil it, regardless of their reasons.

In particular, Mielikki is said to wander the Unicorn's Run, a river within the High Forest, and to live nearby, and is often sighted in the area. Harpers hold this to be obviously true and even make hazardous pilgrimages up the river. South of it, the Delimbiyr Crescent, too, is believed by the Harpers to be her favored hunting ground. She watches over and protects the whole Delimbiyr Vale, desiring to make the land a sanctuary for her faith and a showpiece of her ideals of harmony between nature and civilization.

Mielikki also watches over rangers, druids, dryads and other forest beings, as well as good people and lost children in any woodland, regardless of how evil the threats against them. In forest places that inspire wonder, Mielikki prevails over all. She is the most responsive of deities, according to Elminster, always answering those who pray to her and not only when convenient. She gives aid to the faithful within a year of their asking, and if she does not, she tells them why they have not measured up, and only completing a great quest can change her mind. Sometimes, so that she might test the conduct of her rangers, Mielikki poses as a mortal woman lost and alone in the woods. But those who are observant see she makes no trail, and that her feet do not even touch the ground.

On Greengrass, Midsummer Night, and Shieldmeet, Mielikki brings herds of unicorns together to ride through the forests all night long and teleport as many times as they like and up to three times their normal range. At such times her faithful are allowed to ride them bareback, so they end up traveling far and seeing the world.

Relationships

Mielikki was a servant of Silvanus, the Oak-Father, together with Chauntea, the Grain Goddess, and Eldath, the Goddess of Singing Water. Mielikki, Eldath, and Silvanus counted each other as allies, worked in harmony, and held true trust and affection for one another, and these relationships were mirrored in the alliances of their churches and priests.

Mielikki's calmness tended to ease Silvanus's rage at those who harmed nature. Although her followers sometimes referred to her with the honorific Daughter to Silvanus, Mielikki was not actually the daughter of Silvanus; rather, she considered him a father figure. This led to some confusion and a false myth told that Mielikki was the outcome of an affair between Silvanus and Hanali Celanil, an elven goddess of love. Particular proponents of this were the half-elf followers of her Khalreshaar aspect. Similarly, she thought of Eldath like a sister. So close was their relationship that she gave her fellow goddess the nickname 'Datha' and they had been seen to hug one another like sisters.[note 1] Despite these bonds, Mielikki followed her own path.

While she served Silvanus, she in turn was served by Gwaeron Windstrom, Lurue, and Shiallia. Gwaeron served as Mielikki's messenger to the elven, gnomish, and halfling pantheons when she needed a favor, owing to his good relations with them. He also served as her intermediary with mortals, usually rangers, in the North when direct speech was required, for which he was titled the Mouth of Mielikki. When mortals prayed to her through him, he tracked her down to whichever forest she was concealed in and delivered the message. On some of her expeditions, Gwaeron accompanied Mielikki to lend her aid in tracking and in training her own rangers. When pressed into battle, which was rare, Mielikki rode upon the back of Lurue the Unicorn, who was a friend and ally. Because of this close association and Mielikki's own unicorn symbol, some mortals confused the two. Lastly, Shiallia lent her services in planting seeds and nurturing seedling in the High Forest and in midwifing for pregnant forest animals. After the Spellplague, Shiallia was counted as Mielikki's exarch.

Mielikki was also allies with Shaundakul, Lathander, and Nobanion, and was of course an enemy of Malar, Moander, Myrkul, Talona, and Talos. Talos and Malar particularly hated Mielikki's dream for the Delimbiyr Crescent, and often had their cults bring destruction and bloodshed to her land and her people thee. Among the non-human gods, she was an ally of Marthammor Duin of the dwarven pantheon; Angharradh (who took a motherly interest in her), Corellon Larethian, Rillifane Rallathil, and Solonor Thelandira (they were known to be romantically linked) of the elven pantheon; Baervan Wildwanderer of the gnome pantheon; and Sheela Peryroyl of the halfling pantheon. As Khalreshaar, she was believed to serve Rillifane Rallathil. She was counted among the so-called Gentle Sisters and as part of the Sacred Hexad. Further afield, Mielikki was on good terms with the Oerth deity Ehlonna. The two woodland goddesses got together often to catch up, relax, and drink oakroot tea. Though Ehlonna had no presence on Toril, Mielikki answered prayers on her behalf for any of Ehlonna's followers who happened to arrive there.[note 2] The two goddesses even shared a divine realm, the Grove of the Unicorns.

Moreover, Mielikki had two mortal champions. One, in the late 14th century DR, was Lady Jeryth Phaulkon of Waterdeep, titled the Chosen Star of Mielikki, Our Lady's Champion, and even the Granddaughter of Silvanus. To be her chosen, the goddess granted her certain powers to make her a steadfast forest warrior. She charged Jeryth with defending the High Forest on her behalf. But a more long-standing champion was the Green Regent, a chosen of Mielikki entrusted with defending the Delimbiyr Vale and her dream for it. Over centuries, every four years, this role was passed from person to person, each one chosen by Mielikki according to her current needs. In a special rite in Loudwater conducted by the Circle of the Stag, she picked all kinds of people, and often not the most likely, but always proving to be right for the role and for her plans. The Green Regents were supported by their Scions, the remaining candidates picked by the goddess. She communicated with the Green Regents through dreams. On the planes, her proxies were Tiera and Lemminkainen.

Mielikki

Intermediate deity

Basic Information

Titles

Mistress of the Forest
Lady of the Forest
The Forest Queen
Our Lady of the Forest
The Supreme Ranger
Daughter to Silvanus

Adjectives

Mielikkian

Pantheons

Astoran
Seldarine
First Circle

Serves

Silvanus

Served By

Gwaeron Windstrom, Lurue, Shiallia

Attributes

Alignment

Neutral Good

Symbol

Golden-horned, blue-eyed unicorn's head facing left

Realm

Wilderness of the Beastlands/Krigala/Grove of the Unicorns

Portfolio

Autumn, Dryads, Forest Creatures, Forests, Rangers

Favored Weapon

Hornblade (scimitar)

Following

Worshippers

Druids
Fey
Foresters
Rangers

Alignments

LG, NG, CG

Domains

Animal (Feather, Fur)
Good (Friendship)
Plant (Leshy, Growth)
Travel (-)