Milil

Milil () was venerated as the Faerûnian lesser deity of song, poetry, eloquence, creativity, and inspiration. He represented the whole song rather than just one part, such as the music or lyrics, not just the finished thought, but the whole process that took an idea from its conception to its completion. In the mindset encouraged by the Lord of Song, life itself was like a song, beginning at birth and ending upon death.
==Description==
Milil appeared as a young, charismatic tall male with shoulder-length golden hair, indistinguishable as either human or elf. His clean, handsome good looks were exceeded by hauntingly beautiful voice. He dressed in the bright, elegantly patterned clothes of a troubadour accented with gold jewelry and other eye-catching decorations.
===Manifestations===
Milil often appeared on Toril as haunting music or as a beautiful disembodied male voice that resonated within woodland clearings. He enjoyed planting beneficial visions in the minds of performers and artists that pleased him, which included locations of treasure or the whereabouts of long-lost loved ones. Another favored manifestation of Milil was that of a shimmering radiance, emanating from a bard, poet or other performer who was in the throes of inspiration in the pinnacle of a performance. The sight of this brilliant aura could move audiences to tears, bring them to give generous donations and offerings or act in blindfold obedience of the performing artist.
To signify his approval of artistic work, whether it be a song, epic poem, theatrical performance or the like, Milil would conjure a golden-lined image of two dancing hollyphants. This appeared out of thin air or, if on parchment, as what seemed like glowing yellow ink. 
==Personality==
Milil was a consummate performer and possessed a confident, constantly inspired personality. He possessed an impeccable memory as well as a broad knowledge of lore from across Toril that served to bolster the facile improvisations of which he was more-than-capable. However, Milil was also quite egotistical and adored being the center of attention, and was easily bored when this wasn't the case. He was also extremely flirtatious, with both mortals and other deities alike.
==Powers==
Along with his vast knowledge of many magical spells, particular those from the charm school of magic, Milil's singing voice could destroy any magical silencing effects and pacify any beings within his vicinity. He could masterfully play any instrument and had perfect memory of any song heard by him or any priest in his service. Milil was immune to any spells or effects of a vocal or musical manifestation and, by touch, could cause or confer deafness or the specific knowledge of a song, including exact tune and lyrics so that it may never be forgotten by the recipient.
==Possessions==
Milil's favored weapon was Sharptongue, a magical rapier he would, on occasion, lend to mortals performing great quests in his honor. He could also conjure a harp of magical flames, which was a favored display to demonstrate his divinity. 
==Relationships==
As a deity, Milil, along with Deneir and Gond, served the greater power of Oghma. Despite this shared service, Milil had little in common with Gond, and they had a slightly strained relationship.
Milil maintained very good relations with a number of powerful gods, including Mystra, Sune, and Lliira, as well as with the gods of the elven pantheon. He felt that Finder Wyvernspur showed some promise, but Finder did not feel the same about Milil.
After Milil made a mocking ballad about Cyric and his insanity, the Prince of Lies became an enemy of the Lord of Song.
==Worshipers==
He was predominantly worshiped by human, elf, and half-elf bards but attracted other musically inclined individuals such as troubadours and poets. The faith of Milil was an organized group that attracted attractive, sensual, and musically inclined followers. In addition to their affinity with song and musical instruments, they tended to appreciate good food and wine, and the beauty found in both nature and civilized society. The church was composed primarily of clerics, but also included bards, mystics, and spellsingers.
===Orders===
*Harmonious Order: This group of personable and swaggering paladins encouraged bards to accompany them to create ballads based on their exploits taken in Milil's name.
==History==
In the , Ayryn Farlight held a scrying session for select members of the Society of Sensation, using her sorcerous gift to observe various deities of Toril. When she attempted to scry Tymora, her magic sight was redirected by the goddess to observing Jasmine and Joel of Finder Wyvernspur's Band. Eventually, her sight was focused on Milil who was delighted to have an audience. The deity used magic to affix the scrying and performed the following songs: The Baker's Daughter; a jaunty hin tune known as Pipeweed Dreams; a lengthy ballad called The Seven Sisters; Three Thayvian Roses; The Purple Dragons of Cormyr; and a number of Faerûnian folk songs about such mundane things as milking cows, weather, and crops. Eventually, the Sensates started getting bored of the performance and Milil responded by starting to sing an opera—The Fall of Myth Drannor. The long and torturous performance was a punishment for trying to spy on a god.
During the Era of Upheaval, Milil was simply an exarch of Oghma.
Soon after making a mocking ballad about Cyric, Milil was ejected from the pantheon and banished to the Fugue Plane. As a result, musical prayers went out of fashion among bards. Some time before the late , Lord of Song was rescued by a mysterious being called Withers, who pulled him out of the Fugue Plane. However, as payment, Milil had to "honor the worthy", whenever Withers asked him to, a favour he was eternally invoking.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
:;Novels
::Tymora's Luck
:;Video Games
::Baldur's Gate III
===Gallery===
File:BG3 Milil.png|Milil in Baldur's Gate III.
===References===
===Connections===
Category:Lesser deities
Category:Demipowers
Category:Neutral good deities
Category:Charm domain deities
Category:Good domain deities
Category:Knowledge domain deities
Category:Nobility domain deities
Category:Human deities
Category:Exarchs
Category:Deities of Knowledge and Invention
Category:Light domain deities
Category:Sloth domain deities
Category:Inhabitants of the Library of All Knowledge
Category:Inhabitants of Brux
Category:Inhabitants of the Beastlands (plane)
Category:Inhabitants of the Outer Planes
Category:Inhabitants of the Great Wheel planes
Category:Inhabitants of the House of Knowledge
Category:Inhabitants of the Celestial planes
Category:Inhabitants of the World Tree planes