Chauntea was the Faerunian goddess of life and bounty, who viewed herself as the embodiment of all things agrarian. The Earthmother was seen as the tamer parallel of Silvanus, The Forest Father of druidry and wilderness, as she was the deity of agriculture and plant cultivation.
Chauntea was seen by Faerûnians as a critical aspect of the assumed cycle of life. Private land owners and destitute farmers (perhaps as a consequence of an unproductive harvest) visited the clerics of Chauntea for any divine suggestions for aiding the harvest. If at any time plague or drought struck the crops, farmers looked to Chauntea, since they hoped she would save the harvest, due to her love of nature.
Some of her worshipers claimed that her divine glimmer gave life to the natural world, and some contended that she was the creator and source of all mortal races. In some sense, Chauntea was the manifestation of the earth itself—the avatar of the twin worlds Abeir-Toril.
The church was an approachable one, in that it welcomed all irrespective of gender or race. The liturgical doctrine of the church was such that it attracted more females than males, due to its preoccupation with femininity, and while female attendees outnumbered men, there was still a range of males that worshiped Chauntea.
Chaunteans maintained simplicity when it came to apparel. Druids preferred brown robes and priests preferred to wear a brown cloak with more standard livery such as a tunic underneath.
Her temples often had great libraries dedicated to agriculture.
Typical Worshipers
Though she had a diverse collection of followers, Chauntea was fanatically worshiped by peasants, servants, druids, gardeners, and any others who earned pay from working on farmland.
Clerical Practice
Clerics prayed for their spells at sundown, as did druids. They usually led dual lives as either gardeners or farmers, and were industrious people. They were expected to appreciate natural beauty and possess a feeling for meditation. The clergy instructed Chauntea's followers that they should make entreaties every sunrise. Compared to other faiths, ecclesiastics appointed few holidays. One holiday that was observed was a festival during Greengrass, which was a festival in which excessive consumption and uninhibited behavior were encouraged. Abundance was an important part of life worshiping the Great Mother. A rite of passage for many of the faith was concerned with Holy Communion. Newly married couples were instructed to spend their first night in fresh fields, supposedly to guarantee a fertile marriage.
The clergy observed and recognized the dogma set forth by Chauntea herself, and read the High Prayers of the Harvest at a perennial ceremony, which was usually at the start of harvest.
Her clergy were known for ministering in rural communities, and for their willingness to work in the community's fields next to the local farmers.
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