Chauntea Chauntea ( pronounced " Chawn - TEE - ah " ) , the Grain Goddess or the Great Mother was the god dess of life and a parallel deity to Silvanus , who was considered the god of wild nature , whilst Chauntea herself was seen as being the embodiment of all things agrarian or agriculture . She was a goddess of agriculture , plants cultivated by humans , farmers , gardeners , and summer . 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 . Her most despised enemy was Talona , the lady of pestilence , since she had a disposition to wreak suffering , disease and decay upon the natural world . History . Chauntea was believed to be one of the eldest gods in Faerûn — she was born when Toril was created by the primeval battles between Shar and Selûne . Selûne favored her and nurtured her with her light , with the help of Mystra . Aspects . Before her days as the " Great Mother " , she was said to have been named " Jannath " , and in her early days , she frequented places of overgrown nature , wilderness , and packs of animals . This role became much more Silvanus ' s , though in the Moonshae Isles Chauntea was still worshiped as Jannath . In the wake of the Spellplague , Yondalla was reported to be an aspect of Chauntea . While the Earthmother was considered to be a very prominent aspect of Chauntea in the Moonshae Isles , the Earthmother was actually a primal spirit . In Rashemen , she was worshiped as a member of the triumvirate of goddesses praised there known as The Three with Mielikki ( Khelliara ) and Mystra ( The Hidden One ) . Here , she was known as " Bhalla " . She was worshiped as Pahluruk in and around the Great Glacier . In Wa , she was worshiped as " Chantea " but only by an underground sect who were viewed with distrust or outright hostility . Followers of Chantea were immediately put to death upon discovery . The Juzimura rebellion was noted as the official eradication of her religion in Wa , but there were suspected cells of underground worshipers in isolated areas . Relationships . She had strong ties with other deities concerned with nature , such as Shiallia and Mielikki , and she shared a close relationship with Silvanus . She was also known to have romantic affiliations with Lathander . She opposed Talona with utmost vehemence , due to her malefic intent in spreading poison and disease to the natural world . She was always in conflict with Talos . Chauntea battled deities who sought to desecrate and expunge nature ; she opposed evil deities such as Malar and Bane , and viewed the latter ' s resurgence as portentous . Worshipers . Chauntea was seen by Faerûn ians as a critical aspect of the assumed cycle of life . Private land owners and destitute ( perhaps as a consequence of an unproductive harvest ) farmers 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 . 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 . Denominations with the holy order . The divided clergy of Chauntea was sectarian by nature . Associates of the Chauntean canonry were divided into two camps . Those with ministerial positions who advised farmers and workers all over were named " Pastorals : . The rustic , untamed conclave charged with preserving the wilderness referred to themselves , albeit insouciantly , as " True Shapers " . The deaconry had by no means any centralized governing body , and was not collective . It promoted individuality and was far less unitary than other faiths . Doctrine . The church outlined a general set of precepts and taboos , though some of these were given to subjective interpretation since the faith was individualistic . Chaunteans saw wanton destruction as antithetical to the cycle of life . They were urged to nourish at least one living thing every day of their lives . They were advised to eschew fire also . In terms of correct agricultural practice , the church advised that campaigns of replanting , prudent irrigation and crop rotation were necessary to ensure that the land was kept fertile . However , followers of Silvanus regarded these teachings with derision . They postulated that these practices were an abomination to the natural world and that agriculture was not conservation but manipulation , further arguing that their sect encouraged exploitation and overpopulation . This , Silvanites decreed , was in contradiction with Nature . As a result , some proselytized to the Silvanite faith , though many " Pastorals " disregarded these criticisms .