The Yuir Totems
Long ago, centuries before the realm of Alglarond came into being, primitive Human tribes inhabited the area. These Humans predated even the Star Elves and the Half-Elves who would later come to inhabit the Yuirwood. The primitive Humans revered a group of deities who were depicted on stone menhirs, located in the Sunglade, which occupies the center of the Yuirwood.
Though these primitive Human do not dwell in the area, their story is still passed on by the Half-Elves of the Yuirwood, through oral traditions. According to the legends of the Cha’Tel’Quessir, on two concentric stone circles depicted two different groups of beings. On the outer stones are depictions of various members of the Seldarine. On the inner menhirs are depictions of the deities that have come to be known as the Yuir deities.
Of the ten stones that make up the inner circle, only four are still visible today. Why the stones are no longer visible is a mystery, but many learned scholars and sages believe that the depictions are tied into the power of the Yuir deities. Those whose stone depictions have completely vanished are thought to have completely vanished from Faerûn. The four stones that are visible are depictions of Elikarashae, Magnar the Bear, Relkath of the Infinite Branches and Zandilar the Dancer. The Simbul, the Yuir deity of the edge and the moment of choice, is said to have been on another one of the stones, making her the fifth Yuir deity.
The Yuir deities have long since lost their identities. All but one of the known Yuir deities have been absorbed by a member of the Seldarine when the Elves arrived in the Yuirwood. And, a member of the Mulhorandi pantheon absorbed the one member of the Yuir pantheon who was not absorbed by a member of the Seldarine.
Elikarashae
Elikarashae was the youngest of the Yuir deities. It is said that he had only recently undergone apotheosis before merging with Shevarash, the Black Archer. Elikarashae wielded three mighty weapons- Shama, a spear that could talk to Elven warriors with pure hearts and clear minds, Ukava, a sling that never missed, and Maelat, a club that could only be wielded in defense of the Yuir. According to lore, before Elikarashae became a deity, he was able to defend the Yuir from Drow and Mountain Trolls. It is for this that, the legends say, he was lifted into Arvandor and given divinity. Shevarash occasionally manifests as Elikarashae to the Yuir Elves.
Magnar the Bear
Of Magnar the Bear, not much is known. Rillifane Rallathil absorbed the essence of this Yuir deity long ago. Magnar’s aspect has become all but forgotten, even among the Elves of the Yuirwood. It is said that, according to Elven legends, Magnar the Bear entered a “Great Sleep”, which was a centuries-long hibernation, from which Magnar has still yet to emerge.
Relkath of the Infinite Branches
Relkath of the Infinite Branches was also known as the many-Limbed, the Many-Branched, and the Old Man of the Yuirwood. Relkath represented the untamed grandeur of nature. He was absorbed by Rillifane Rallathil, whose own nature very much matched that of Relkath’s own nature. Absorbing Relkath led to a subtle change in Rillifane, where he eschewed the “civilized” Wild Elf empires, and instead favored the more fractured, tribal existence.
The Simbul
The Simbul is thought to have been one of the ten Yuir totems. It is believed that the goddess represented the edge, the moment of choice, the space between now and the future, what is and what is not, and the power of balance embodied in the point of decision where fate was determined intuitively without reason or knowledge. Alassra Shentrana, who is more commonly referred to as the Witch-Queen of Alglarond, or The Simbul, is believed to have derived her name from this Yuir totem. When the Yuir deities and the Seldarine merged, the Simbul had to chose whether to merge with Labelas Enoreth or Evervan Ilsesere. She chose to become an aspect of Labelas Enoreth, and then faded into oblivion. Of the Simbul, nothing else is known.
Zandilar the Dancer
Zandilar the Dancer is the only Yuir deity to have not been absorbed by a member of the Seldarine. Instead, she was absorbed by Bast, of the Mulhorandi pantheon. Zandilar was the “longest living” Yuir deity, as all of the others were absorbed long before Zandilar finally succumbed.
Zandilar represented passionate love- the kind that burned hot briefly, but quickly burned out. Supposedly, the deity appeared as a beautiful and seductive blue-skinned Elven woman, who wore layered gauzy outfits. In her glory days, it said that she used her feminine allure and charms to gain information from the deities of other pantheons in order to persuade the chieftains of nearby Human tribes to leave the Yuir and it’s inhabitants in peace. It was when the Yuir Elves were threatened by Drow that Zandilar began to fade.
Zandilar attempted to seduce the Drow deity Vhaeraun, in order to get information from him, or even have him aid the Yuir Elves against his own Drow forces. The gamble did not succeed, however, as Vhaeraun was able to ignore Zandilar’s advances, and imprison her avatar.
The Drow deity was planning on taking Zandilar’s spark of divine energy, but he was unable to. Bast was able to distract Vhaeraun long enough for Zandilar the Dancer to escape from the dark deity. Severely weakened, Zandilar gave up her own identity, and merged with Bast, out of gratitude and out of necessity. Bast/Zandilar were soon able to route Vhaeraun and the Drow from the Yuirwood. Bast permanently subsumed Zandilar’s identity, but gained the nickname “The Dancing Lady”, based on Zandilar’s passion and pursuit for pleasure.
Yuir Dieties
Yuir Dieties
I found this while searching for little known dieties and thought it would be some good lore/odd bit of knowledge in case anyone RPs from being from Yuir.