Ilmater Ilmater ( pronounced " Ihl - MAY - ter " or " ill - " may " - ter " ) was an intermediate deity of the Faerûnian pantheon whose portfolio included endurance , martyrdom , perseverance , and suffering . He was the god of those who suffered , the oppressed , and the persecuted , who offered them relief and support , encouraged them to endure , and who encouraged others to help them , to take their burdens or take their places . He was called the Crying God , the Broken God , the Lord on the Rack , and the One Who Endures . To the Iulutiun people of the Great Glacier , he was known as Ayuruk , and to the Angulutiun people he was Itishikopak . Description . In avatar form , Ilmater appeared as a short man with a burly build and wearing only a breechcloth , with a plain but kind and comforting face , balding head , and a hairy body . But this body bore the marks of mutilation and torture on the rack , covered with open cuts , closed scars , burns , and a range of other wounds . Ilmater ' s joints were broken , his limbs were ravaged , and his hands were smashed yet still functional . Moving caused him a great deal of pain as he dragged himself around . No matter how much his avatar healed , it still showed these terrible wounds . Personality . Ilmater was the incarnation of compassion , and the eternal foe of suffering . He sought to offer aid and relief and words of comfort to those in pain , who were oppressed , or otherwise in great need . He encouraged them to endure their pain , suffering , and abuse , for good things came to those who waited . He encouraged his faithful to halt and relieve the suffering of others , and to take it on themselves if they must . Ilmater was himself a willing sufferer , taking one ' s place to bear their burden , seeking to endure any pain if it would lessen the pain of another . He was quiet , generous , good - spirited , and even - tempered , with a kind and gentle nature . Ilmater did not anger quickly , but when he did , he was fearsome in his wrath . He was greatly angered by extreme cruelty and atrocities , and at those who inflicted such suffering . He was particularly enraged by those who harmed or abused children and other young creatures . At such times , he set aside his doctrine of endurance and non - violence , and unleashed his full force to put an end to cruelty . Although his ravaged appearance or his righteous rage could scare children , Ilmater took great cares to reassure them and protect them . He treasured all children and young creatures in general . Ilmater was the most forgiving of beings ; it was thought he could even forgive Loviatar , Maiden of Pain , if she repented of her cruel deeds . Though he knew full well the atrocious and horrific acts that wicked creatures could do , he remained forever hopeful that evil beings could one day be turned to good , or destroyed , and so he stayed firm in his goals . He had a good if rather rustic sense of humor , and liked to hear funny stories . Abilities . When manifested as an avatar , Ilmater could cast a wide variety of magic spell s , and was strongest with healing magic and beneficial necromancy . Only rarely did he cast a spell that injured another , unless he did so in anger and retribution for a cruel or sadistic deed performed by the target , or to protect another from harm . He fought unarmed , opened handed or with his fists , and was a supreme martial artist . However , he usually chose not to defend himself , instead simply taking and absorbing the damage , and his avatar was extremely hard to destroy . As with his spells , Ilmater only attacked in retribution or protection , or to deflect missiles or destroy items . He also used nonlethal methods to disable his powerful foes . His unarmed strike counted as a " + 5 keen lawful vorpal " weapon . Alternatively , he could possess any good and innocent creature that was being tortured , provided that the torture contravened local laws . This creature glowed white , all pain was relieved , and any wounds were regenerated immediately . Torture or restraining devices were immediately destroyed , releasing the sufferer , alert and healthy . In the case of extreme torture or associated murder , Ilmater granted the possessed being the ability to cast destructive spells , such as " flame strike " , " lightning bolt " or " chain lightning " , " meteor swarm " , " sink " , or " imprisonment " for a short time in retribution . When not appearing via his avatar or through possession , Ilmater manifested as an unseen presence that made a howling or whimpering sound yet felt watchful . In this form , he could speak , move objects around by " telekinesis " , or cast spells . To act in his place , Ilmater could send deva s , einheriar spirits of slain martyrs , hollyphant s , incarnates of courage , planetar s , solar s , and some beings that remained unidentified . To indicate or suggest his presence or awareness , to show his favor , and to give his faithful encouragement , Ilmater could create daisies and white rose s , or send white donkey s , white dove s , field mice , or sparrow s . A minor manifestation to show favor was in the colors gray and red . Finally , Ilmater could sense any kind of suffering the moment it took place , anywhere in the world . He also knew whenever a person sacrificed themselves for another being . He could also instantly create any magical item that could heal or reduce suffering , or was good or lawful in nature . History . Ilmater was an older god and an obscure deity in the 3rd century before Dalereckoning , but he came to prominence during Tyr ' s Procession of Justice in the Vilhon Reach . In – 247 DR , Tyr had led a force of archon s out of a " gate " to pacify the remnants of the fallen empire of Jhaamdath , which had fallen into anarchy , lawlessness , and banditry . 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 . The Procession came to an end in – 238 DR but Tyr remained on Abeir - Toril and the two deities continued to work together . Many years after the Procession , Torm joined them as Tyr ' s war leader . Together , Ilmater , Torm , and Tyr formed the Triad , a long - lasting alliance of good and lawful deities . An ancient and unsupported legend told that the human Khala of Imaskar had devoted themselves to the god Bane the Black Lord and perpetrated numerous atrocities . For their deeds , the gods of law inflicted curses upon them . Among them , Ilmater accused the Khala of tormenting their victims and tearing heart and soul from them . Thus he cursed them with an unnatural hunger , to devour the hearts of their prey so they might live . Out of all the gods ' curses was born the peryton , a vicious , stag - headed , eagle - bodied beast . The female peryton needed to devour the heart of a humanoid to become fertile — some considered it ironic that Ilmater ' s curse drove the peryton to further murder and savagery . According to legend , an avatar of Ilmater once died somewhere south of the Inner Sea some time before the 4th century DR . The only remnant of this avatar was the " Iron Helm of Heroes " , which became a minor relic of Ilmatari faith . The Triad was broken in the Year of Three Streams Blooded , 1384 DR , when Tyr was manipulated into slaying Helm , god of guardians . Ilmater chose to leave the House of the Triad and , at the invitation of Sune , goddess of beauty , he relocated his divine realm to the plane of Brightwater . By 1479 DR , however , Ilmater had returned to Torm ' s side and reestablished his realm in Celestia . During the Second 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 . Relationships . The ranks of Ilmater ' s closest allies included Tyr the Maimed God , god of justice , ( who was his superior prior to the Spellplague ) and Torm the True , god of loyalty and duty . Collectively , these deities formed the Triad , an alliance of lawful good deities that were stronger as a united force than individually . In fact , Ilmater could often be found traveling with Tyr , assisting him and teaching him to live without his sight and to rely upon his feelings instead . Ilmater showed Tyr that true justice required a judge to know how much punishment was sufficient , whether it was too harsh or whether mercy was better . Ilmater also had an excellent relationship with Torm . Another of Ilmater ' s allies was Lathander the Morninglord , god of renewal and vitality . He was also allied with Ibrandul , the Lord of the Dry Depths , the freedom - loving god of caves and darkness . Ilmater stood against those gods and goddesses who enjoyed causing destruction and spreading pain and suffering for others . In particular , considering their contrasting portfolios , the Crying God and his followers were a bane to Loviatar , the Maiden of Pain , and her worshipers . Loviatar in turn hated Ilmater with a passion , as he protected her victims from her torments . Ilmater also opposed Talona , Mistress of Disease . Among his other foes were Bane , Bhaal , Garagos , Malar , Myrkul , Shar , and Talos . Realm . Ilmater made his home in the divine realm of Martyrdom , a mountain of reward and peace for suffering in life , where none could feel pain or weariness . Under the Great Wheel cosmology , this was located on the layer of Shurrock in the Twin Paradises of Bytopia . Under the World Tree cosmology , however , Martydom was found in the House of the Triad , on a lesser mountain of Celestia , alongside the mountain realms of Ilmater ' s fellow gods of the Triad , Tyr and Torm . However , following the breaking of the Triad in 1384 DR , Ilmater moved his domain out of the House of the Triad . At Sune ' s invitation , he relocated it to Brightwater on the World Tree . By 1479 DR , Ilmater had reestablished Martyrdom in Celestia , now under the World Axis cosmology . Symbol . Ilmater ' s holy symbol was originally 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 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 his popularity across Faerûn . Worshipers . Those who were oppressed , sick , lame , or poor were likely to be worshipers of Ilmater , and people who had been injured or were otherwise suffering would often call upon him for aid . His faith was popular among the poor in big cities , and with serfs and slaves , as well as merchants , thieves , and a few guards . Although people of any alignment could worship Ilmater , he was largely followed by folk of a lawful and good bent , especially among his own clergy . Ilmater ' s clergy numbered cleric s , paladin s , and monk s . They were organized into the Church of Ilmater , with many affiliated knightly and monastic orders . Across Faerûn , the hardy people of the harsh and war - torn land of Damara particularly venerated Ilmater , as well as his champion , St . Sollars . In Calimshan , Ilmater was one of the most frequently worshiped gods , especially among the lower classes and slaves . Attending clerics during a battle were recognized by the coarse furred shirts they wore . It was considered 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 .