Lord AO (/'eɪ.oʊ/ or ay-oh)
Lord Ao (pronounced: /ˈeɪoʊ/ AY-oh[2]), known as the Hidden One or the One Who Is Hidden, was the Overgod of the worlds of Abeir-Toril. As Overgod, all deities and primordials of Abeir and Toril --and now the "Old Gods" of Dierde -- even those who also operated in other spheres and planes, such as Lolth, were subject to him. To be more precise, only aspects of gods directly connected with Abeir-Toril were under Ao's power.
If it were not for Ao's involvement in the Time of Troubles, he would likely have remained unknown to the mortals of Faerûn. As far as Dierde is concerned, he is still in flux, and yet he has had some avatars and others with visions of him. This is causing a very small group of cultists spread across the world.
Description
Ao only took physical form once, during the Time of Troubles. In that instance, he took the form of a being that was 12 feet (3.6 m) tall, ageless (neither young nor old), with a visage that was not pleasant yet wasn't unpleasant, because it didn't have any remarkable features. He had a white beard and hair, and wore a black robe dotted by millions of stars and moons, arranged in a not-quite-perceptible pattern but which had a beautiful and harmonious feel. Otherwise, he was envisioned as a very literal beard in the sky, with only face and hands. He has not made an official presence known during the times of Dierde.Personality
Ao didn't care what the deities or primordials were doing as long as they upheld their individual portfolios and did not completely ignore their worshipers. When a deity did something that wasn't accounted for by his or her portfolio, Ao would punish that deity, and such punishments were usually harsh. He could damage deities permanently, or even demote them at will. Ao cared even less for mortals, and some theorized that he didn't want to be known by them. However, when Ao found worthy mortals, able to uphold the responsibilities of a deity, he promoted them to divinity almost instantly.Activities
Ao's only job was to ensure deities abided by the rules of the cosmos. He had to report such developments to a "luminous being" that existed beyond the normal cosmology. Another of his functions was to decide which interloper deities were allowed in the sphere of Abeir-Toril and which mortals could be raised to godhood. If Ao didn't allow it, a being could not ascend to divinity, and an interloper deity could not enter the sphere or affect it in any way, regardless of how powerful it was. He was also able to decide which dead gods—gods that had lost their connection with the sphere of Abeir-Toril—were to be revived or returned to the sphere, and allow such development if he deemed it necessary. He lost these abilities, it seems, after the destruction of Realmspace. Ao established rules concerning the management of the divine. For instance: No two gods in the same pantheon could have identical portfolios. When two gods clashed, one of three results occurred:- One god faded from the Realms.
- Both gods merged.
- One (or both) god(s) altered their portfolio(s) sufficiently that both could remain in or join the Faerûnian pantheon.
Worshipers
The cult of Ao was led by "ministers" instead of clerics, as these cultists never received any spells from the Overgod. The cult was more philosophical than religious in nature. Among the known cults of Ao were a cult in Waterdeep, and another in Zazesspur, Tethyr. This cult was remarkable for the fact that its ministers could cast divine spells, but in the end it was revealed that those individuals received their divine powers from Cyric and not from Ao. The gods of the established faiths of Faerûn informed their priests about the fact that Ao did not interact with mortals. Because of this, members of other faiths neither feared nor spoke out against the cults of Ao.History
Creation of the World
There were no exact accounts on how he created the universe, but nonetheless he was credited for the deed. In some traditions, Ao just created the sphere that covered Realmspace, and the goddesses Selûne and Shar, and they later went to create all the worlds and stars, and other heavenly bodies. In other accounts, it was Ao who directly created all that exists, not only Realmspace, but also the worlds and heavenly bodies, and even the Astral Sea, using the raw energy of the phlogiston. That was Faerun -- and it all was destroyed after a very long timeline. Granted, this Universe still wouldn't have existed without that whole deal.Rumors & Legends
Some believed that the Shadow of Ao, a powerful artifact that had the power to split a world in two, was related to the Tearfall. It was believed to be located somewhere in Laerakond.Divine Domains
Creation of deities, maintenance of cosmic balance
Holidays
Gods' Day (Marpenoth 15)
