Corellon Larethian
| Corellon Larethian | |
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| Corellon takes the eye of Gruumsh. Randy the Elf-God, by Todd Lockwood. | |
| Home plane: | Creator of the Elves, the Protector, First of the Seldarine, Protector and Preserver of Life, Ruler of All Elves, Coronal of Arvandor |
|---|---|
| Power level: | Greater |
| Gender: | Male (gender fluid) |
| Class: | Fighter 19/Wizard 20/Cleric 10 |
| Alignment: | Chaotic Good |
| Portfolio: | The Elven Race, Magic, Music, Arts, Crafts, Warfare, Poetry |
| Domains: | Celerity, Chaos, Community, Good, Liberation, Magic, Protection, War |
| Superior: | None |
Corellon Larethian is the leader of the elven pantheon, and the god of Magic, Music, Arts, Crafts, Poetry, and Warfare. He is the creator and preserver of the elven race, and governs those things held in the highest esteem among elves. His symbol is a crescent moon.
Description[edit | edit source]
Corellon most often appears as a male elf, but is also known to appear female, both,[1] or androgynous[1][2][3] He often bears the traditional weapons of the elves—the bow and the sword.
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Corellon is foremost among the Seldarine. His consort is Sehanine Moonbow. Some myths claim that Corellon gave birth to the rest of his pantheon in his female aspect, while others claim that he fathered them on Sehanine Moonbow. He raised Ye'Cind to the status of demigod by infusing him with a spark of his own power.
Gruumsh One-Eye, god of the orcs, is one of Corellon's greatest enemies, because Corellon took his eye in an ancient battle. The entire orc pantheon hates Corellon intensely. He also opposes the deities of the goblinoids.
Corellon was also the one to banish the drow goddess Lolth to the Abyss. For this, he can count all evil drow gods as enemies.
Because of his keen friendship with the Seelie Court, Corellon often finds himself at odds with the Queen of Air and Darkness. Corellon's truest friends are the rulers of the other demihuman pantheons: Moradin, Yondalla, and Garl Glittergold. Together, they work to ensure that the gods of the human and monstrous pantheons don't grow strong too quickly.
Corellon is also allied with Cyrrollalee, Ehlonna, Emmantiensien, Oberon, Pelor, Skerrit, and Titania.
Corellon is also on good terms with Vanathor, Bahamut's gold dragon advisor and bard.
Realm[edit | edit source]
Corellon lives in the realm of Arvandor on the plane of Arborea. Also called Arvanaith in its role as the elven afterlife, Arvandor is said to have been taken from the gods of the giants after a lengthy war. Ruins of giant citadels still dot the land there. The elven gods are thought to have invaded from the plane of Ysgard, hungry for a realm of their own. The realm is a place of deep forests and fey beauty.
Corellon dwells in a magnificent tower of marble in the center of the realm. In Elven, it is called Gwyllachaightaeryll, the Many-Splendored. The art that decorates the tower's many rooms is constantly changing. Only the central throne room is a constant.
Dogma[edit | edit source]
Corellon desires to protect and preserve the elven race, return to his people their lost artistic heritage, and to thwart the schemes of the drow and the orcs. This also means guarding against the corruption within that resulted in the creation of the drow. Corellon advises his faithful to guard against stagnation as well, continually seeking out new experiences. They seek to bring out beauty through art, craft, and magic.
Corellon is surprisingly humble, for a regent of his stature.
Worshipers[edit | edit source]
Elves and half-elves (as well as many bards) worship Corellon. He favors those who kill orcs and the followers of Lolth. He blesses those who aid others. He is upset at those who defile the dead or flee from their foes.
Clergy[edit | edit source]
Corellon's clerics wear silver circlets and gossamer robes of the brightest azure. They often wear blue cloaks.[4] Corellon's favored weapon is the longsword.
Fellowship of the Forgotten Flower[edit | edit source]
The Fellowship of the Forgotten Flower is a loosely structured organization made of elven knights dedicated to the recovery of lost elven relics from long-abandoned elven realms. Members must be elven warriors or elven paladins.
Seekers of the Misty Isle[edit | edit source]
The Seekers of the Misty Isle are an elite order of elves dedicated to finding the Misty Isle which was whisked away by the deities Gruumsh and Kurtulmak.[5]
Temples[edit | edit source]
In large elven cities such as Enstad, temples to Corellon Larethian may be alabaster wonders with soaring spires. In smaller communities, they may be built among the branches of a large tree such as an ipp. Most temples are happy to lend aid to traveling elves and any other race that plans to do harm to the drow.
Holy days[edit | edit source]
Most of Corellon's holy days are tied to celestial events and occur only once every few years or decades.
Once per month, when Luna is at its quarter phase, followers of Corellon gather in moonlit glades for a ceremony known as Lateu'quor, the Forest Communion of the Crescent Moon. There, they praise their Creator through song and dance and offerings of beautiful art. The art is not destroyed; sometimes it is physically transferred to the Upper Planes for elves to enjoy in the afterlife, while other times it is used to decorate Corellon's temples. Sometimes the very landscape of the glade is reshaped into a work of art.
Once per year, on the fourth of Richfest, the holiday of Agelong is celebrated. Elves hunt for orcs to slay in memory of Corellon's battle against the god of the orcs, Gruumsh.
Rituals[edit | edit source]
Corellon Larethian is worshipped at natural geological formations. His rituals are integrated with the major events of elven life, such as births, coming of age rites, weddings, and funerals.
Prayers to Corellon, which are always in Elvish, begin "Hei-Corellon shar-shelevu," which means, "Corellon, by your grace grant..."[6] Before battle, worshippers of Corellon recite a prayer called the Litany of Arrows.
Creative origins[edit | edit source]
James M. Ward created Corellon Larethian for Deities and Demigods (1980).
Reception[edit | edit source]
James Vincent of The Independent identified Corellon as an example of D&D's embracing of LGBT characters,[7] as the god is "often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic,"[3] and some elves are made in the god's image.[3]
As noted by one study of gaming, Corellon's cosmogony represents a design decision that "Dungeons & Dragons is now explicitly welcoming towards queer play."[8] One veteran player and LGBTQ parenting author explained Corellon's significance in terms of representation: "D&D has long attracted LGBTQ players, among others, as these examples of gay and transgender players (and my own experiences) show. Many of us have been bending our characters’ genders and sexual orientations for years, but it’s terrific to see the game officially embrace this. Kudos to the makers of D&D, Wizards of the Coast."[9] Geek and Sundry notes that Corellon's significance is that gender and sex fluidity is "built into the lore" of the game.[10]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Citations[edit | edit source]
- ↑ a b Deities & Demigods (1980), p.91.
- ↑ Deities and Demigods (2002), p. 62.
- ↑ a b c Player's Handbook (2014), p.121.
- ↑ D&D3e, p.62.
- ↑ Complete Divine (2004), p.61-63.
- ↑ Races of the Wild (2005), p.20.
- ↑ Dungeons & Dragons embraces LGBT characters , 24 July 2014.
- ↑ ; Harper, Todd, 1978-, Adams, Meghan Blythe,, Taylor, Nicholas (Professor of Digital Media) (2018-10-19) Queerness in play, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 173 ISBN: 978-3-319-90542-6. OCLC: 1057550232.
- ↑ New Dungeons & Dragons Rules Embrace Diverse Gender Identities, Sexual Orientation (in en). HuffPost , 2014-07-17.
- ↑ D&D Has Excellent LGBT Representation (in en). Nerdist , 2019-06-10.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Boyd, Eric L. Demihuman Deities. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
- Boyd, Eric L, and Erik Mona. Faiths and Pantheons. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
- McComb, Colin. The Complete Book of Elves. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
- -----.On Hallowed Ground. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1996.
- Moore, Roger E., and Georgia Moore. "The Gods of the Elves." Dragon #60. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982.
- Noonan, David. Complete Divine. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
- Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. Deities and Demigods. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
- Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
- Ward, James, and Robert Kuntz. Deities and Demigods. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
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Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Index is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, and his work as continued and updated by Eric Johnson, Richard DiIoia, Jason "PupickDad" Jacobson, a French fan group, and numerous other fans over the years. The wiki page for the EGI has a list of sources, full product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | The City of Greyhawk: Gem of the Flanaess | 70 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Deities & Demigods (1st & 2nd printing), AD&D 1e | 106, 141 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Deities & Demigods (3rd+ printing), AD&D 1e | 91, 125 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Deities & Demigods, D&D 3.0e | 58, 62-64, 213, 214, 215 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Dungeon Master's Guide, D&D 4e (Premium Edition) | 156, 160, 162, 163, 203 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | DMGR4 - Monster Mythology | 3, 4, 6, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 43, 45, 59, 62, 85, 87 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Defenders of the Faith, D&D 3.0e | 32, 40, 42, 78, 79, 92, 93 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Defenders of the Faith: Web Enhancement (3e) | 1, 2 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Dragon magazine #060 | 7, 8, 9, 12 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Dragon magazine #062 | 28, 29 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Dragon magazine #294 | 78 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Dragon magazine, Best of #3 | 12, 13, 15, 24, 30, 31 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 68, 96 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | From the Ashes: Campaign Book | 46, 68, 72 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | From the Ashes: References Card | #7 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Ivid the Undying | 109, 114 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e | 70 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 19, 183, 188 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Living Greyhawk Journal #0 | 12 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Living Greyhawk Journal #2 | 31 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Living Greyhawk Journal #3 | 16 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Legends & Lore, AD&D 1e | 91, 125 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e | 94 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | On Hallowed Ground | 92, 94, 95, 133, 173, 187, 188, 190, 191 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Player's Handbook, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition) | 13, 15, 18, 19, 26, 32, 106, 107, 186, 187, 188, 189, 284 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | PHBR8 - The Complete Book of Elves | 8, 9, 11, 60 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Polyhedron magazine #030 | 6 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | Unearthed Arcana, AD&D 1e | 112, 114, 119 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun | 18, 29, 42, 48, 52 |
| Corellon Larethian | Deity | The Protector, Worshipped by: Elf, Native of: Olympus, | WGR4 The Marklands | 18, 29, 42, 48, 52 |
| Corellon Larethian, Shrine of (Map) | Building | Shrine, | Deities & Demigods, D&D 3.0e | 64 |
| Corellon Larethian, Temple of (Baranford) | Building | Temple, | WGR4 The Marklands | 29 |