Azuth

The High One, the Lord of Spellcraft, the First Magister

Few pay homage to Azuth aside from wizards. For them, the High One is the ultimate embodiment of all that they hold dear.

Mystra serves as goddess of magic; Oghma is god of knowledge; and Deneir is god of writing and language. Azuth takes aspects of these general fields and applies them to the specific practices of wizards. For instance, while Mystra is the deity who represents the soul, art, and wonder of magic, Azuth is god of a wizard's long hours of study, exacting standards of movement and speech, and cramped, ink-stained fingers. Wizards invoke Azuth when they scribe scrolls, inscribe magic circles, attempt to memorize spells, and even when they cast spells. Often this acknowledgment comes in the form of silently forming Azuth's holy symbol, pointing the index finger of the left hand to the sky. For many wizards, the gesture is so commonplace in their lives that it becomes an unconscious habit.

Temples dedicated to Azuth are scarce, and clerics of the deity are extremely rare. Even in magic-saturated Halruaa, only a handful of holy places are dedicated to Azuth. Sometimes a statue or a shrine dedicated to him stands in a corner of a temple to Mystra or another deity. More often, a wizard has a personal shrine at home. Azuth is represented at such sites as a hooded and bearded figure with left hand held high, finger pointed up. Sometimes he is represented by merely the hand. In either case, the finger often serves as a candleholder or as the point of origin for a light spell.

The Faith

Azuthans hold a revel each time a worshipper ascends to the rank of Magister or Favored. They otherwise avoid many scheduled rituals.

The Transforming. Novice worshippers of Azuth spend a tenday undergoing a shapechange spell cast on them by a ranking master of the faith. The initiate experiences a broad number of forms, forcing contemplation from many different perspectives. This humbling experience is an official means of marking the novice’s graduation to full priest.

Mage Fairs. Though not strictly an Azuthan holy day, followers organize events to celebrate magic and act as neutral parties to settle conflicts and disputes between wizards and other magic-users and to celebrate and practice arcane arts.

Temples and Shrines. The House of the High One is the best-known temple. It stands in Saerloon, in the interior of Faerûn, though a rising tide of Shar worship in the city threatens the Azuthans there. The House of the High One Ascendant lies in the mountains near western Halruaa, shaped from the natural caverns. In all temples of Azuth, each of the three meals is accompanied by readings from tomes full of arcane teachings.

Symbol of Azuth

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Served by:

Sarvas,
Velsharoon

Alignment:

Lawful neutral

Symbol

Left hand, wreathed in flame, pointing skyward.

Portfolio

Wizardry

Domains:

Arcana, Knowledge

Worshippers:

Wizards

Worshipper Alias:

Azuthan