Azuth (ah-ZOOTH)

Overview

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 the goddess of magic; Oghma is the god of knowledge; and Deneir is the 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 the 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 his 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 rules of official wizard duels is the domain of the clergy of Azuth)

Ethos & Dogma

Priests of Azuth valued reason above all else. They taught that magic use should be broken down into its components and studied to garner a full understanding of its workings. The Magistrati (Azuth Clerics) were staunch believers, and enforcers, of the concept known as the magebond. This informal pact, taught to all wizards since the days Azuth served as Magister, stated that magic was best left to those willful enough to devote their time to its study and mastery. It further declared disputes between spellcasters, especially their duels, should never affect the non-magic community at large. In fact, the lore and ritual of this ancient tradition were closely guarded.
Unlike the more proactive faithful of Mystra, Azuth's superior within the Faerûnian pantheon, the ministry of the God of Wizards was morally neutral, and typically ignored the daily problems of average folk of the Realms. They preferred to engage in abstract debates regarding esoteric arcana and strove to ascribe formulae to magical processes. Azuthans stressed the preservation of a calm demeanor as well as the creative, albeit judicious use of magic to their congregation. In their eyes, magical power was accompanied by grave responsibility; within it was effects that could be made, but not necessarily unmade.
They were appreciators of magic and could enjoy the nuanced complexities of dweomer and elegance of deft spellwork.

Religious Orders

• Church of Azuth
• Loomwarden
• Spellsavants
• Order of the Forgotten Page
• Magefriend
• Golemancers
• Swords of the High One
• More information coming soon!

(While there are many sites dedicated to a wizards practice, the wizard study is the most iconic)

History & Relationships

As a mortal, Azuth coveted power, reaching the arcane lore of dozens of fallen empires in an effort to further his magical study. His dedication eventually led him to being installed as the first Magister created by Mystra to recognize her most promising pupil. Azuth then sought to carve a piece of the deity Savras's divinity and bind it to himself which led to a series of battles with Savras ending with the deity's imprisonment in a staff. With the help of Mystra Azuth finally ascended to the divine status and with Savras later freed from his prison grudgingly serves Azuth, as does the generally untrustworthy Velsharoon.

(The powerful magic of wizards have been responsible for many legends)

Tenets of Faith

• Reason is the best approach to magic
• Maintain calm and use caution, use magic wisely always
• Teach the wielding of magic and the responsibility it carries

(Azuth, the Lord of Spells, is depicted as a regal elder wizard)

Holy Symbol

(The holy symbol of Azuth)

Statistics

Titles

• High One
• Patron of Wizards
• Patron of Mages
• Lord of Spellcraft
• Lord of Spells
• Hand of Sorcery
• The First Magister

Adjectives

• Azuthan

Portfolio and Domains

• Wizardry
• Arcana
• Knowledge

Common Worshipers

• Wizards
• Arcane Lore Seekers

Favored Manifestations

• Gray Cats
• Gray Dogs
• Gray Owls
• Gray Mice
• Golems
• Shimmering Gray Aura

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Divine Classification

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

"There was once a wizard who wanted power beyond all mortal reach. Such stories always end poorly. But luckily for the wizard, the Lady of the Mysteries took a shine to him and became his queen. She granted him powers—such powers—until he was no longer a mere wizard but a god in truth. A god dedicated to his lady and all who wore her crown.”
— Azuth, telling his story.