Church of Ilmater The Church of Ilmater ( pronounced " Ihl - MAY - ter " or " ill - " may " - ter " ) was the primary religious organization dedicated to the worship and service of Ilmater , the Crying God . The clergy dedicated themselves to providing healing and succor to all in need , whatever the cost to themselves , as they believed life was sacred and that suffering to preserve it was holy . Misunderstood and scorned by those hard of heart , the Ilmatari were yet loved and relied upon by multitudes of ordinary folk , and so the church had the widest and most faithful following in all Faerûn . Dogma . Beliefs . Followers of Ilmater were taught to help all who suffered , without regard for who they were or how they suffered . They were to heal and treat the wounded and the sick and give comfort to the dying . They also had to give kind counseling to those grieving or depressed , lonely or lost , and give shelter and alms to those who ' d lost everything . They did what had to be done when no one else would . Thus a typical follower of Ilmater was generous and sharing , giving all they could to the poor , and they placed others before themselves . To the Ilmatari , life was sacred and suffering was holy . They were to carry the burdens and pains of others , and were taught that the truly holy took on another ' s suffering . They were instructed to endure and persevere against hardship and pain , and believed that if they suffered in the name of Ilmater , then he would be there to support them . Although many outsiders saw them as willing sufferers or they appeared reckless in their quests to do good , they simply cared about everyone , often without regard for their own safety . However , they did concentrate more on healing and aid efforts . Worshipers of Ilmater also believed that all injustices should be challenged and that they should defend and aid the causes of the oppressed and unjustly treated . They were to act for and defend those who could not do so themselves . They were to stand up to every bully and tyrant , and resist them in any way , both small and great . Ilmatari were encouraged to hold to their principles and keep to their causes if they were right and just , no matter the risk and to be fearless about it . Consequently , they believed that a death with meaning was not shameful . They advocated the spiritualism of life over materialism and the physical body . If they dedicated themselves to the service of Ilmater , they believed , then he would provide for them . They left the pursuit of wealth and luxuries to others , and sought only medicines and alms . There were regional variations to Ilmatari doctrine . In Tethyr , they held the standard view that Ilmater promised freedom from bondage and slavery . In Calimshan , however , it was claimed that Ilmater would remove a person ' s pain if their labors led them toward the Calishite ideal of a life of idleness . Attitudes . The Ilmatari were often the most caring and sensitive of people . They were also the most forgiving , known for accepting past enemies and endeavoring to repair past grievances . New initiates were often overcome by the suffering they witnessed as part of their work , and were driven to tears . Worn down , they could develop a cynical attitude towards life , but most persevered nonetheless , even when faced with hopeless causes . They simply had to help . Thus cynicism and dark humor were not uncommon among the Ilmatari , but this was accepted by the faith . For such believers , " Today is the first day in what ' s left of your life , " fitted well into Ilmater ' s dogma , with the addition of " So live it well . " They did not believe in impeding the desires of others , nor did they judge them , even when those desires conflicted with their own duty to alleviate suffering and provide healing . For example , an Ilmatari would not stop an injured warrior from charging back into battle , seeking death in combat . Instead , they healed them enough to move and fight , and let them choose their own fate . Sayings . There were a few sayings used by the faithful : Activities . The Ilmatari dedicated themselves to helping and healing the sick and injured , the oppressed , the deceased , and the poor . They provided healing , care , and treatment for those who suffered injuries or disease . Ilmatari also shared what they had with the needy , by donating food , drink , and firewood to the impoverished and starving , and providing shelter for the homeless . They offered moral support and counseling to those who needed it , and spoke up for the persecuted . In addition , they served as guides for those who ' d become lost and buried the deceased . To fund their work , they toured the wealthy areas of towns and cities seeking donations to help cover the costs of the church . However , their primary focus was on healing injury and disease and they were known as some of the best healers in the Realms . They operated the greatest number , the largest , and best quality infirmaries and leper sanctuaries of any church . The Ilmatari were trained from the time they were initiated in the skills of healing and herbalism , learning to recognize and treat every injury , known disease , and other ailments . Senior clerics cast " programmed illusion s " that demonstrated a variety of injuries and diseases so that junior priests could learn to accurately diagnose them . They continually gathered herbs and prepared medicines to be ready for future need . Many priests were also able to brew their own potion s to sell and spread their healing further . The Ilmatari went where they were needed to reduce suffering , and so were often found in some of the worst possible conditions , areas stricken with poverty , plague , or warfare . If war was impending , then the Ilmatari would gather supplies in order to treat the dying and wounded , with litters , tents , bandages , splints , healing potions , and shovels by the wagon - load , and the Ilmatari would flock to the battle . They also joined adventuring groups , where they were often the ones who took all the risks to save people in danger or perform other acts of heroism , putting the needs of others above their own , to the exclusion of their personal safety . A few Ilmatari , on the other hand , went into seclusion as hermits in harsh wildernesses , such as on the island of Falconsrise . Although Ilmatari monks were commonly based in abbeys and monasteries away from the temples , some monks did reside in the temples . There they served as teachers of specialist knowledge , educating other Ilmatari , or they were defenders , using their martial arts to protect the temple and those who dwelled there . In those lands where orphans and unwanted babes were left at churches and monasteries , those of Ilmater were a popular choice . The priests and monks did their best to raise these children , and they grew up within the faith , sometimes adopting their views . Organization . Initiation . Initiation into the clergy of Ilmater was uncomplicated . A novice expressing an interest in joining went on a simple walk with a senior priest who , as they talked , explored that individual ' s views on life . Then they dined , and the novice was given wine that induced a slight trance so that their mind could be examined with magic . This was done with the full knowledge of the novice , and performed by various other clerics or wizard s sympathetic to the Ilmatari . They closely examined their loyalties , goals , and true feelings and determined if any deception had occurred , or whether the novice was genuinely suitable for the faith . This practice was introduced to prevent false applicants from joining simply to learn the church ' s healing knowledge and steal their medicines , as had happened often in the church ' s early history . Deceit , a devotion to evil , or loyalties to another faith or to a secular organization or authority disqualified the applicant . If found genuine , then the novice was accepted as a full member of the clergy . They were dressed in the simple gray robes and pronounced one of the Adorned . Titles . The clergy of Ilmater were known collectively as " Ilmatari " , which was also the adjective for the faith . Other terms in use were " Ilmateran " , " Ilmatran " , and " Ilmat " . Ilmatari could also call themselves " Sufferers " . Monk s , cleric s , and specialty priest s in the Ilmatari faith were known as the Adorned . Specialty priests of Ilmater were simply called " clerics " around 1358 DR , but were known as painbearer s by 1369 DR . By 1479 DR , all priests of Ilmater were called " painbearers " . The clergy referred to each other as " Brother " or " Sister " . Senior clergy were called " Revered " , such as " Revered Sister " . Those who were leaders of temples , monasteries , and abbeys were addressed as " Mother " or " Father " , and " of the House " was added to their title , such as " Revered Father of the House " . No other titles were commonly used . The greatest of the faith were called " Saint " , and often bore a unique title . Individual titles for important clergy were in use through the history of the church , such as " Archsufferer " , " Exalted Sufferer " , " Master Sufferer " , and " Enduring Servant " . Hierarchy . The Adorned had a fairly loose and informal hierarchy , organized around the Revered Father or Mother of the nearest large temple , monastery , or abbey . All Ilmatari in the region reported to this person , and were loosely ranked under them . The abbeys and monasteries , though usually located separately from the churches , were often linked to a specific temple , adding an extra level in this hierarchy . There was no overall leader of the faith or a governing council . Instead , a collection of senior clergy met on occasion in informal conclaves to make decisions . One line of clergy were the Sage - Priest s . The senior Sage - Priest was the official historian of the church , and they adopted individual titles such as the Spontaer and the Keeper of the Old Faith . Saints & martyrs . The faith of Ilmater had many saints , unlike most other faiths of the Faerûnian pantheon . Thanks to its practices and tenets , the Church of Ilmater produced a high number of martyrs and saints . It was the only faith to have a saint known as " the Twice - Martyred " . Many Ilmatari hoped to follow this path , and the martyrs were highly revered , even venerated . As such , martyred champions — those who ' d sacrificed themselves and returned to life — lay outside the church hierarchy , operating as free agents . Such people were heroes of the struggle against evil and suffering , and they were completely devoted to Ilmater ' s teachings . Notable saints included : Orders . The Church of Ilmater included several affiliated knightly orders consisting of paladin s and other warriors , as well as numerous monastic orders of monk s . Most Ilmatari monastic orders had a symbolic flower that had a particular importance to them . Traditionally , this flower formed the name of their respective monastery , but this was not a rule . Rituals . Clerics of Ilmater prayed for their divine magic once per day , in the morning , following a period of meditation . They ritualistically prayed to their god six times a day or more , every single day . The clergy observed no annual holy days and celebrated no regular festivities . However , an Adorned could make a Plea of Rest to Ilmater requesting a special dispensation for time off . The Rest was a tenday during which time they were freed from the rules laid out by Ilmater ' s faith . This was normally called for if the Adorned was emotionally exhausted by their work , but some exploited the time to perform deeds that Ilmater would normally disapprove of . Some church leaders depended on this tradition , using the Rest to send their best fighting or adventuring clergy out to perform deeds they could not normally do , such as covertly bringing down a tyrant instead of making an open confrontation . Clerics of Ilmater were duty - bound to convince the dying to pray to Ilmater , in a ritual of the highest importance called the Turning . If a dying person turned to Ilmater , praying for his comfort , then they would receive his blessing before they died . However , this did not change their patron deity or alter their destiny in the afterlife . Even in death , it was believed Ilmater ' s healing powers grew with greater veneration . A Suffering was a special occasion in which a priest of Ilmater willingly endured some manner of torment . From their First Suffering , an Ilmatari could go through a number of Sufferings in their life - time . For example , soon after becoming leader of the House of the Broken God , Althea the Abased underwent her First Suffering , in which she had herself bound to a rack and dragged by mules as she visited temples and shrines of Ilmater all along the Sword Coast . Whenever the mules were rested , she was beaten once and hard with a consecrated threshing flail by a non - believer . Priests of Ilmater reportedly regularly engaged in self - flagellation around 1362 DR , though this was typically a minor ritual . This and other similar rites were never intended to have any serious consequences or injury . An Ilmatran wedding ceremony emphasized that both partners would support each other through any hardship they might face . Tactics . Clerics of Ilmater were able to turn undead like many other good and non - evil clerics . Classes . The Church of Ilmater commonly included among its ranks cleric s , specialty priest s known as " painbearer s " , monk s , and paladin s . A variant path of the cleric was that of the alleviator , followed by a faction of priests who focused on teaching others to cope with and endure their pain and suffering . Naturally , the church also included healer s , divine spellcasters dedicated to healing magic . Ilmatari healers were , by and large , utterly dedicated ascetics , even more so than the traditional clerics and paladins . They almost never refused to help or heal a person , no matter now evil or tyrannical they or their kind were . However , this did not mean that they supported their views or deeds . The Broken Ones monastic order numbered swordsage s as well as monks among its ranks . These swordsages performed good deeds and righted bad ones , but they were also ascetics detached from the world , without zeal . Paladins of Ilmater dedicated themselves to defending the helpless and using their gifts to heal anyone in need . They preferred to stop and help someone in dire peril rather than pursue the wicked and leave that person to die . Otherwise , they were ready to battle evil . Regular paladins cross - trained freely as clerics , divine champion s , divine disciple s , and hierophant s . Crusader s of Ilmater were brave and fearless warriors , and staunch zealots of the faith . They were immune to magic that instilled fear , and were able to remove fear from their allies . They could not turn undead . The most prestigious and exalted agents of the church were the martyred champions of Ilmater , faithful who ' d sacrificed themselves in accordance with Ilmater ' s teachings and returned to life to continue along the same path . They could arise from any branch of the Ilmatari , and could continue in the same vein , with added focus on resistance to suffering . Bases . Temples & monasteries . The Ilmatari established their churches where they were most needed , in areas stricken with poverty or oppression . Those outside the Church of Ilmater considered this to be a strategic positioning that guaranteed that the Ilmatari would themselves be persecuted for their deeds , such as in Mulmaster and Zhentil Keep . Temples to Ilmater were often located on well - traveled routes through the wilderness , where they could serve as waystations for tired travelers . They were usually named after Ilmatari saints . Many were built like manor houses , surrounded by protective walls and containing a chapel , a chapter house , a stable , and garden . It was common for these temples to contain an area for treating the sick and injured . They could also include a library and quarters for monks or barracks for a knight order . A temple to Ilmater was typically a simple and undecorated structure . By tradition , though not by rule , many Ilmatari monasteries were named for a flower that symbolized something important to the order . Regions . In Calimshan , Ilmater was one of the most popular gods among the lower classes and slaves . Thus , almost every settlement had a shrine to Ilmater , whether formal or homemade , and a great many Ilmatari hostels , abbeys , and seminaries lay across the countryside outside the cities . However , Calishite attitudes toward the ill and deformed meant that temples were not permitted within many of their cities . The faith was also quite popular in neighboring Tethyr , which had a long history of suffering under the yoke of tyrants or at the mercy of the forces of nature , and which left their mark on the national character . The church worked to aid the people during the political upheavals of the 14th century DR , and so grew in importance . There were ten cloisters throughout the realm , placed such that one of the faith could travel from one to the next in a day ' s ride . The hardy Damaran people of the harsh and war - torn land of Damara and the neighboring kingdom of Impiltur particularly venerated Ilmater , as well as his champion , St . Sollars . Ilmater was central to both cultures , and most Damarans regularly offered a prayer to the Crying God or one of his saints . These lands were home to several Ilmatari orders , temples , and monasteries , and often ruled by paladin - kings of Ilmater , which made the Church of Ilmater the state church of both realms . Damaran Ilmatari used the bloodstained rack symbol of Ilmater or the yellow rose of St . Sollars . In Thay , the slaves and downtrodden lower classes actively worshipped the One Who Endures in a communal manner , hoping that their suffering under the Red Wizards would one day be rewarded . The wizards themselves suspected the priests of helping slaves escape and healing victims of state torture . Though there were no temples , there were number of shrines , mostly mobile , and the highest priest was a runaway slave who remained always on the move . As far away as Semphar , Caliph Abu Bakr persecuted the followers of " Il - mater " , fearing the faith could rally oppressed peoples against his rule . On the Great Glacier , the Iulutiun people knew Ilmater as Ayuruk and the Angulutiun people knew him as Itishikopak . Like most priests there , they were considered eccentrics by the wider community , and were scattered and few . Even in the lightless Underdark there was the School of the Penitents , consisting of small groups of Ilmatari who chose to spread their faith to the subterranean world . From their enclaves , they gave aid to those who came to them . Notable locations . The greatest center of Ilmater ' s worship was the House of the Broken God , located in the center of Keltar , Calimshan . The huge monastery also formed the largest hospital in Faerûn , with a leper house , a sanitarium , and a temple farm . It was also the biggest center for the manufacture of medicines . Another major temple was the House of Holy Suffering in Mussum in the Vilhon Reach . The Cloister of St . Uzurr dominated the city of Uzurr in Lapaliiya , and the Abbot of the temple also ruled the city . Uzurr took Ilmater as its civic deity . Holy High Carathryn was another Ilmatari town that once stood on the Dragonstail peninsula of Tethyr , though it sunk beneath the waves in the Year of the Talking Spiders , 1132 DR . The End ' s Rest was a college for healer s located in Heliogabalus , Damara , and managed by Ilmatari . These healers tended to the city ' s defenders , including paladins and recruits , as well as the sick and injured of the community and pregnant women . The Towers of Willful Suffering , a temple and abbey in the eastern Amnian city of Eshpurta , was notable just because it existed in a country that looked down on the faith as being of Tethyrian influence . Symbol . The symbol of the church was the holy symbol of Ilmater . Originally this was a blood - stained rack , such as used to torture a victim by stretching . This remained in use until the mid – 14th century DR . However , by 1356 DR , a new symbol had entered common usage : a pair of white hands crossed and bound at the wrist with a blood - red cord . After the Godswar of 1358 DR , this was used nearly exclusively . This newer and less gruesome symbol increased Ilmater ' s popularity across Faerûn . The colors of the church , like those of the god , were gray and red . Equipment , spells , and relics . Dress . For ceremonial occasions , the Ilmatari wore plain , solid gray vestments of tunics , trousers , and tabard , or robes . They also wore skullcaps , which were gray for ordinary clergy and blood - red for senior clergy , while unadorned novices wore none . The holy symbol of Ilmater was worn on a chain around the neck or as a badge pinned over the heart . Some older members of the clergy had a gray teardrop tattooed beside one eye . When out in the field or on missions , Ilmatari wore whatever was appropriate to the activity and the environment . However , over their clothes or armor , they often wore gray tabards with the holy symbol stitched over the chest by the left shoulder . Attending clerics during a battle were recognized by the coarse furred shirts they wore . Equipment . When out and about , Ilmatari always had their holy symbols about them , and carried a healer ' s kit containing bandages , medicines , splints and so on . In addition to typical priestly weapons , clerics of Ilmater could learn to fight with their bare hands ( as favored by Ilmater ) , or with a scourge . The heavy aspergillum was a weapon unique to the Ilmatari of Impiltur . Magic items . A " faith token " of Ilmater could produce a " cure minor wounds " orison twice a day , usually with the command words " Ilmater protect me " . A " hair shirt of Ilmater " , although uncomfortable , provided the wearer with some protection and allowed them to heal others . Spells . Several divine spell s , prayers , and other forms of magic were closely linked to priests of Ilmater : Relics . There were a number of holy books , weapons , and other items sacred to the Church , including : Relationships . Relations between the various branches of the Church of Ilmater and its hierarchy were very good . Just as the gods Ilmater , Torm , and Tyr were allied in the Triad , so too were their respective churches , forming an organized force dedicated to goodness , law , and order . Followers and priests of each god willingly followed the Triad as a whole . The Church of Ilmater was among the most popular in Faerûn , and had the most dedicated faithful . The poor , sick , and tormented of the land relied upon the Ilmatari ' s aid efforts , and the common folk loved and respected them immensely . The Ilmatari in turn received a great deal of support in their work . People of almost every faith and creed donated generously to the Church of Ilmater , knowing that they could need the Ilmatari ' s help themselves one day . However , some people did not understand why followers of Ilmater chose to suffer as they did . They were often perceived as willing martyrs , masochists , and intentional sufferers , and they were mocked , pitied and scorned , to the point of ridicule by some . Among traveling entertainers , a common character was " Ill - Mater " , a clown in gray that was always being whacked , beaten , and pushed over for slapstick entertainment . Those who despised weakness or held wildly different views ( tyrants , brigands , and other villains , for example ) did not understand why anybody would turn to Ilmater , and they saw the church as weak and foolish . Ilmatari were often killed by such people , but they severely underestimated their strength . They were especially despised by followers of Loviatar , the Maiden of Pain , for their opposing views and because they seemed almost resistant to the pains they inflicted , keeping up their good spirits or growing increasingly passionate in their faith . At any opportunity , the Loviatans sought to hunt down , torment and kill the Ilmatari . Other faiths stood against the Ilmatari . The church of Bane had a particularly strong rivalry against the church of Ilmater , among others , taking great efforts to murder Ilmatari priests and leave their grisly remains to be discovered by innocents . The church of Ilmater opposed the Monks of the Long Death for their focus on inflicting pain and death , and ranked them just above the followers of Loviatar . They were also angered that people often mistook the Monks , disguised as beggars , for Broken Ones . The Monks , meanwhile , endeavored to teach Ilmatari their creed . The Ilmatari church was the one that most struggled against the Twisted Rune cabal , as the Rune was active in lands where Ilmater was heavily worshiped , namely Calimshan . The Church had plans to wipe out the Rune , and a young paladin of Ilmater once had a dreadful vision of the leading families of Calimshan controlled by the forces of the Rune . Many considered it a great wrong to harm these priests as they helped ease suffering . Even orc s and goblin s held them in esteem for ministering to their fallen people and not just human s . History . Rise of the church . Ilmater was an older god and obscure in the 3rd century before Dalereckoning , but he came to prominence during Tyr ' s Procession of Justice in the Vilhon Reach . Tyr ' s deeds and sacrifices caught the attention of Ilmater , who allied himself with the Just God in the Year of the Rack , – 243 DR . In the Shoon Imperium ( later the lands of Calimshan and Tethyr ) , Qysar Shoon II ( ruled 75 – 107 DR ) brutally repressed all religion across the empire . This saw the Ilmatari particularly harshly treated . Although the faith of Ilmater went underground in Tethyr , it was popular among both slaves and free folk . In the Year of Sparks Flying , 138 DR , the murderous Qysar Amahl Shoon IV blamed the followers of Ilmater for fires that swept through several cities of the empire ( likely ignited by pyrotechnics for his own birthday celebrations ) , claiming that they burned and killed thousands of people to end their suffering . He ramped up the persecution of the Ilmatari . However , his brother and successor , Amahl Shoon V ( ruled 142 – 204 DR ) , personally put an end to the oppression . When his daughter fell from a horse and injured her head , and court healers pronounced she would die , Amahl Shoon V sought an Ilmatari hermit , dwelling in a tiny hut in the Forest of Mir by the shores of the River Agis . Fearing the earlier harassment if he went to Shoonach , the hermit asked for the girl to be brought to him and duly healed her . Enormously grateful , Amahl Shoon V told his people of the beneficence of Ilmater and his priests , and decreed that none should harm an Adorned servant of the Crying God unless they struck first , else the perpetrator would suffer the same hundredfold . Then he worked a mighty spell across the empire to enforce the decree . For his actions , in the centuries since , the church of Ilmater debated the issue of canonizing Amahl Shoon V as a saint , though without resolution . During the 3rd century DR , the number of evil artifact s created under the reign of Qysar Shoon IV of the Shoon Imperium , such as Jaralth , Kuraltaar , and Morthinmar , concerned the Church of Ilmater . The Ilmatari realized they needed more than just prayer in their struggle against evil in southwestern Faerûn . To this end , Archsufferer Irmakul " Bloodthews " , Revered Brother Filithan , Exalted Servant Volshur the Crooked and many other senior priests enchanted the sword " Dornavver " at Allyn ' s Anvil on the night of the Feast of the Moon in the Year of the Wrath Sword , 275 DR . The sword was entrusted to the Holy Warriors of Suffering . After Impiltur was overrun by fiends , the churches of Tyr , Torm , and Ilmater launched the Triad Crusade against them in Year of the Twisted Horn , 729 DR . Knights of the three faiths from as far as Amn and Calimshan joined the crusade , and vanquished the demon horde after two years of fighting . These knights brought their faith , and their rule , to Impiltur . Among them was the paladin Sarshel Elethlim , wielder of " Dornavver " , hero of the Fiend Wars and later king of Impiltur . The " Torment " . The Ilmatari received another great artifact when the " Tome of Torment " appeared on the altar of Ilmater in the church town of Carathryn in Tethyr in the Year of the Vigilant Familiar , 848 DR , reputedly placed there by Ilmater himself . High Priest Ilnger Obskoth proclaimed it as " the hand of holy Ilmater made manifest among us " , and it swiftly became the most venerated sacred object in Carathryn . The " Tome " saw extensive use around the southern Sword Coast for some three centuries , and became the holiest book in the Ilmatari faith , despite several thefts , the sinking of Carathryn in the Year of the Talking Spiders , 1132 DR , and spending time in the possession of a Loviatan priestess . The " Tome of Torment " eventually came into the possession of the House of Holy Suffering in Mussum after the Year of the Shattered Altar , 1264 DR . There , the Spontaer , then the senior Sage - Priest of the church , sacrificed himself to render the " Tome " usable only by priests of Ilmater . But despite his explicit request that the " Tome of Torment " be delivered to the House of the Broken God in Keltar , Calimshan , the greatest temple of Ilmater , Shrymaun Beldaerth , leader of the House of Holy Suffering , refused to relinquish the " Tome " . Bloirt Waelarn , leader of the Keltar house , declared all those of the " degenerate " Mussum house " heretics " and called for them to be cast out and treated as mentally ill . What followed was a holy war and a shameful chapter in Ilmatari history . A few ambitious minor priests joined Waelarn and together they journeyed to the Mussum house , intending to " cleanse the filth " . The priests of Mussum recruited the Companions of the Noble Heart paladin order to their defense , and attacked Waelarn and his followers , who were labeled " false clerics " and " subverted by evil " . An angry Waelarn summoned three other knightly orders — the Holy Warriors of Suffering , the Knights of the Bleeding Shield , and the Order of the Golden Cup — to his side and vowed holy war against the " unclean ones of Mussum " and their allies . The war saw the violent clashes of Holy Hill Farm in 1266 DR and Bronsheir ' s Charge and Weeping Rock in 1267 DR . Finally , Lord Sir Jargus Holenhond of the Golden Cup declared an end to the bloodshed between true believers , insisted that the " Tome of Torment " be transferred to Keltar as planned , and blamed Bloirt Waelarn for the senseless violence , determining that he should be removed from office and sent into hermitage for the remainder of his years . The weary paladins accepted and carried out his judgment . Althea the Abased succeeded Waelarn as leader of the House of the Broken God , and , seeing the carnage wrought by the fight for ownership of the " Tome " , declared that no high - ranking member of the church was worthy of it . Althea said that Ilmater had given them the " Tome " for the " low and truly needy " priests to " further the will and work of Ilmater in the wilderlands and perilous places of all Toril " , and recruit non - believers to the faith of the Crying God . Althea selected Blaermon the Blessed , a knight of the Holy Warriors of Suffering , to take away the " Tome of Torment " to those " wild places " and bestow it upon the first " needy and worthy " Ilmatari he met , someone who worked or fought for the benefit of the common people and their faith , not merely for wealth and adventure . In the Year of the Daystars , 1268 DR , Blaermon gave the " Tome " to Flaergon of Glister , who devoted his efforts to assisting miners and caravan - workers in the frozen north of the Moonsea . When Flaergon died in the Year of the Claw , 1299 DR , his devoted companion Daern of Hawksroost took the " Tome of Torment " across all of Faerûn back to the House of the Broken God to return it to Althea . Daern ' s devotion so moved Althea that she named him an honorary Brother of the temple and the Ilmatari remembered him in the saying " long and strong as Daern ' s devotion " . Modern history . Daern became Althea ' s personal bodyguard and carer , and when she passed on in the Year of the Gate , 1341 DR , he was given a new role as Guardian of the Tome , defending the artifact he ' d once traveled so far to deliver . But within a year , Daern was murdered by the returned Bloirt Waelarn , who stole the " Tome " and escaped , journeying toward Mussum . Waelarn was finally confronted by Sir Guth of the Order of the Golden Cup , who challenged him to single combat before their god . Waelarn accepted , and promptly used a " cairn " spell from the " Tome " to bury Guth , then dismembered him . But Ilmater caused Sir Guth to rise from his grave as an unrelenting zombie , which tracked the rogue priest across Sespech . Waelarn finally collapsed of exhaustion and the zombie Guth strangled him as he slept . Guth hid the " Tome of Torment " then constructed a funeral pyre for both Waelarn and himself . Aided by divine visions , a young preacher named Kortolt Rushtyn discovered the " Tome " and used it in his work outside Hlondeth , until he was murdered by bandits in the Year of the Boot , 1343 DR . The Graycloak ' s Wolves adventuring company was requested to transport the " Tome " to the well - respected Master Sufferer Olbedan . However , Graycloak ' s Wolves were all killed by doppelganger s and leucrotta preying on travellers , and the " Tome " thought lost in the winter snows . In fact , it eventually found its way to Crimmor in Amn , to the merchant Beguld Thormon — also a doppelganger , as Ilmatari investigators later found — then to a Thay an crime gang . An Ilmatari strike - force assaulted their house in Athkatla , destroying the house and pursuing and slaying the Thayan band through the streets . Before the close of the year , Enduring Servant Elisker Hagathan carried the " Tome of Torment " in triumph back to the House of the Broken God . The Tome remained at House of the Broken God for nearly twenty years , during which time it was occasionally loaned to Ilmatari priests embarking on dangerous missions and monster culls with the Holy Warriors of Suffering . During the Time of Troubles in the Year of Shadows , 1358 DR , the Ilmatari helped many people survive those turbulent times . This in turn increased people ' s generosity toward the Church of Ilmater . However , the reputation of the Church of Ilmater was damaged shortly after the Time of Troubles when the Cult of Shared Suffering , professing to be Ilmatari , began inflicting suffering ( on others and themselves ) , engaging in kidnapping and rioting . The Ilmatari suspected that these cultists were under the influence of Beshaba , Cyric or Loviatar . The cult was mostly eliminated by 1369 DR , following a hostile reaction from authorities and the nobility . The " Tome of Torment " was stolen again in the Year of the Helm , 1362 DR , and remained lost . Recovering it became a mission for all followers of Ilmater , setting them on a vigorous search across the Realms , and their probing efforts provoked conflict with those who wished their privacy or had something else to hide . A 40 , 000 - gp reward was offered for the return of the complete and undamaged " Tome " . At least twice , fraudsters delivered fake " Tome " s to the House of the Broken God , and were punished for their trickery . The whereabouts of the " Tome of Torment " were still unknown by 1370 DR . In 1362 , five priests of Ilmater were studying at the Edificant Library in the Snowflake Mountains of Erlkazar when it was afflicted by the Chaos Curse , which drove everyone to obsession and excess . The five disemboweled themselves in order to experience extreme pain , and died . During the Sundering of the late 15th century DR , a Chosen of Ilmater began a passive slave revolt in Calimshan against their genie masters . During this time , he disappeared mysteriously . Though the overlords were cast down , it was only by bloody means . Many humans still longed for the return of Ilmater ' s Chosen so he could complete the country ' s transition to a better non - violent society .