Lirr (Greyhawk)
| Game background | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | Lady Poet, the Lorekeeper |
| Power level | Lesser |
| Alignment | Chaotic Good |
| Portfolio | Prose, Poetry, Literature, Art |
| Domains | Chaos, Good, Knowledge, Magic, Travel |
| Superior | none |
| Design details | |
Lirr is the Oeridian goddess of Prose, Poetry, Literature, and Art in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Her symbol is an illustrated book.
Publication history
Lirr was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), by Gary Gygax.[1]
Lirr was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign.[2] Lirr is described as one of the good deities that celestials can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).[3]
Lirr's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000).[4] Lirr's priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine (2004).[5]
Description
Lirr is usually depicted as a fresh-faced Oeridian woman with dark blue eyes and long black hair. The goddess carries a tome that can show any prose, poetry, spell, or artwork ever created. Lirr gladly cooperates with all who respect knowledge, learning, and the arts, and opposes those that would destroy knowledge and art or hide it from others.
Relationships
Lirr is allied with Delleb.
Realm
Lirr dwells within the city of Polykeptolon in the realm of Olympian, or Greek, pantheon. Polykeptolon is a realm of scholars and philosophers who keep slaves to deal with the gross demands of the body while the upper class concentrates on the nature of the gods and the planes.
Dogma
Lirr teaches that the written word is the lynchpin of civilization. To her, the preservation of written works—-fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose—-is paramount, and oral works must be transcribed into written format. Art is also to be protected and revered, as pictures are often worth thousands of words.
Worshippers
Many Oeridian wizards and sorcerers revere Lirr, especially those who dislike Delleb's reclusive and conservative disposition. Lirr is the patron goddess of the tree people of the Valley of the Mage.
Clergy
Lirr's priests wander the Oerth searching for knowledge, news, lore, poetry, historical tales, magic, and works of art. They sneak into lands controlled by oppressive rulers (such as the Pomarj, Scarlet Brotherhood, and Empire of Iuz), seeking to rescue items of interest that are in danger of being destroyed out of either ignorance or malice. Many Lirrian priests train as bards, telling stories and creating works of art rather than singing. Such clerics often find work as scribes, tutors, and artists. Novice priests spend months creating copies of the local temple's archives of scrolls, books, and artwork, which are then distributed among the masses so that others may enjoy them.
The favored weapons of Lirr's clergy are the rapier and shortspear.
Temples
Temples and shrines to Lirr are most common in lands with significant Oeridian populations or influence. One of her better-known places of worship is the shrine housed at the Guildhall of Performing Artistes in Greyhawk City.
See also
References
- ↑ Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (TSR, 1983)
- ↑ Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1992)
- ↑ Perkins, Christopher. Warriors of Heaven (TSR, 1999)
- ↑ Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
- ↑ Noonan, David. Complete Divine (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)
Additional reading
- Niles, Douglas, and Carl Sargent. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989).
- Smith, Lester W., and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Chaos. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.
- Tetreault, Dennis, and Erik Mona. "The Artisans' Quarter." Living Greyhawk Journal #2 (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).