Nobanion

Nobanion

Nobanion (pronounced: /noʊˈbɑːnjʌn/ no-BAN-yun), also known as the King of Beasts, Lord Firemane, or the Lion King, is a primal spirit sometimes worshiped as a deity of royalty, lions, and other felines, as well as good beasts. Nobanion is considered to have originally been an interloper deity on Toril, but since his arrival he has firmly established himself within the Faerûnian pantheon. His worship is especially strong in Gulthmere Forest and among the wemics of the Shining Plains.

Description

Lord Firemane leads his faithful along a noble path, without force or coercion, and never takes the rear in command. He genuinely wants his pride to willingly choose benevolent and good actions over the alternatives by their own accord. He is a deity of virtue, and never asks another to take an action he himself would not, including the sacrifice of their own life. His favored weapon is a heavy pick called Lion's Head.

Appearance

Radiating a powerful, yet gentle presence, Nobanion possesses a majesty and charisma that is overwhelming at times. Even the smallest of animals feel comfortable around him.

Divine Realm

In the Great Wheel cosmology, Nobanion made his divine realm called the Pridelands in Krigala, the sunlit first layer of the Beastlands. After the Time of Troubles, the Lion King established a permanent portal from here to the Gulthmere Forest, and since then has prowled both Faerûn and the Happy Hunting Grounds.

Relationships

Deities

The Lion King has long been allied with the archfey Lurue and the good-aligned deities Tyr and Torm, as well as Mielikki and the other gods of nature.

Worshipers

Nobanion's worshipers include druids and rangers of Faerûn, of mixed lawful and good alignments in areas such as the Vilhon Reach and the Dragon Coast. He is especially venerated in the city of Nathlekh within the Gulthmere Forest and among the wemics of the Shining Plains. All lammasu on Toril, both greater and lesser, are believed to be his offspring.

History

Nobanion is an interloper deity, having only established a presence on Toril around the mid 1000's DR. Ancient texts refer to him as Aslan, and some legends claim he entered the Realms through one of the magical pools in the Weathercote Wood. He was responsible for driving most of Malar worshipers out of the Vilhon Reach, which has earned the promise of vengeance from the Beastlord.
During the Spellplague, Nobanion tried to save a pride of lions in Gulthandor from oncoming blue fire. He came in contact with the blue fire, and it mutated him into a dark and bestial lion with a mane of blue flame. In this state, he was held in subjugation by Malar. In 1486 DR, he was tasked by Malar to capture Stedd Whitehorn, the boy Chosen of Lathander, but Stedd and his companions healed him of his corruption by blue fire. He returned to his natural state, and introduced himself to Stedd and his companions. In his reinstated form, he was no longer under Malar's control. He guided the young Chosen through the wilds of Gulthandor. They parted ways just before Stedd and company entered Turmish.

Dogma

Hunt only when hungry and do not gorge without need. Waste nothing and all shall have plenty. The cycle of life links all living things into one being, and that being is life itself. The law of the jungle is that only the strong survive, but they survive best by being leaders, not tyrants, by protecting the weak, not bullying them. All creatures have their strengths in the assigned roles and should be encouraged to find their niche. From cooperation between beings of differing strengths comes the strength of teamwork and community, the strongest force of all. By demonstrating compassion and tolerance and living within the land, all living creatures may find harmony with nature and one another. By staying true to oneself and one's pride and conducting oneself with dignity and honor, the respect of one's peers may be earned. Wemics reduce this to the following: Only the strong survive. Live and let live unless provoked. Protect the pride and all its members, but if injury or illness bring them down, allow him or her a swift and painless end to suffering.