Tarsellis Meunniduin

Tarsellis Meunniduin is a minor elven god of mountains, rivers, and the wilderness, as well as the patron deity of the snow elves.

Description

Tarsellis appeared as an 8‑foot (2.4‑meter) tall male elf with blond hair and deeply tanned skin clad in luxurious furs.

Personality

Tarsellis is a hearty warrior and legendary hunter, yet still deeply devoted to the wilderness and all its creatures. Conversely, he hates the drow more than anything else.

Divine Realm

The Lord of the Mountains maintains a divine realm on the first layer of Ysgard called the Wild Ride or the Wild Hunt.

Activities

Tarsellis spends a great deal of his time and effort roaming the wilds searching for evil creatures or powerful monsters, either to slay them outright or simply drive them from his own domain. Though he sometimes visits his fellows in Arborea, he prefers to wander the plane of Ysgard, allegedly dallying in Vanaheim and Elfheim when not at home. He spends the greater share of his time however in the woods and mountains on the Prime Material plane.

If one of his worshipers prays for aid while acting against the drow, there is a slim chance (about one in a hundred) that Tarsellis will send some form of assistance.

Worshippers

As Tarsellis was primarily the patron of the snow elves (who were native to Oerth), he was rarely concerned with affairs in Faerûn. There were rumors of snow elven worshipers in the Spine of the World and the High Ice of Anauroch, however, and others sometimes offered tribute to him as Lord of the Mountains. His followers could be found among all non-evil and non-lawful wilderness-dwelling elves. Tarsellis’s following was generally split into localized groups, with shamans making up a slight majority (about 55%) of the clergy, while clerics, specialty priests, and rangers held more power in civilized regions.
The primary duties of the priests of Tarsellis were to watch over their fellow snow elves and to erect shrines near mountain tops and passes. These secluded, druidic shrines, tucked away in the wildest and most remote mountain corners, were considered extremely holy and the center of the religion, and while a few were dedicated to other deities, most were for Tarsellis. There were regular temples to the Lord of the Mountains, where followers offered the finest furs and massive live animals as presents for the resident druids, but these were few in number.

Relationships

Tarsellis was a solitary figure amongst the Seldarine, considered rustic by the other elven gods. He used to be the superior of Solonor Thelandira, elven god of hunting, as well as a great friend of his, often hunting with him in the days of old before even mortal elves walked the world. However, the two had been embittered ever since Tarsellis fell in love with a dark yet beautiful goddess known as Megwandir. This caused a falling out between the two former friends, for Solonor objected to their romance out of suspicion towards Megwandir, suspicion proved correct when she was revealed to be Lolth.
Rellavar Danuvien, the elven god of protection from the cold, was in a similar situation to Solonor. He also used to serve Tarsellis, but his continued friendship with the Great Archer had strained theirs a bit. Despite this, the Warder Against Elements could count on both Tarsellis and Solonar's help against the machinations of Auril and Thrym.[note 4] One day however, the Lord of the Mountain's following amongst the snow elves could end up eclipsed by his former subordinate.
Tarsellis's claims over the forests of mountain ranges also resulted in a rivalry of sorts with Rillifane Rallathil. He was also allies with Fenmarel Mestarine, the elven god of outcasts, and Shaundakul, the Faerûnian god of travel.

History

According to one elven myth, Tarsellis was one of the original elven gods who Corellon ascended to divnity by giving a unique name. Snow elves alleged themselves to be the direct descendants of Tarsellis, alleging that to be the cause of some of their differences to other elves, and though most elven scholars were skeptical, the Lord of the Mountains did not seem displeased with his children's dedication.[note 5]
Before the time of mortal elves and the Weaver's total fall to evil, Tarsellis fell in love with Lolth under the name of Megwandir, the quarrel over her trustworthiness eventually driving him and his former servitor deities apart. More recent tales depicted Hanali Celanil, elven goddess of love, as the one responsible for the rift, but older stories indicated the truth.