Auril
Encyclopedia
Auril, the Frostmaiden, is the goddess of cold and winter in the Forgotten Realms
, for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
created Auril for his home Dungeons & Dragons game set in the Forgotten Realms
.
#54 (October 1981). Here she is described as the Frostmaiden, goddess of cold, a neutral evil demigoddess from the plane of Pandemonium
with a connection to Talos. Auril is described as one of “The Gods of Fury,” which is what these four gods are known as collectively: "Talos is served by Auril, Umberlee, and Malar
." Auril is commonly worshipped by neutral evil magic-users
, thieves
, and clerics
; Greenwood notes, "If a DM
is partial to variant “specialist” NPC
magic-users ... A worshipper of Auril would have ice and cold-related spells doubled in power, while spells related to the other elements would be half-strength."
Auril later officially appeared as one of the major deities for the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
, in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Sets "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).
(1990), the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993) in the "Running the Realms" booklet, and Faiths & Avatars
(1996).
Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
(2002).
(2004).
. Her symbol is a white snowflake on a grey diamond.
Auril is similar to Umberlee in many ways. She is worshipped out of fear, she serves Talos, and much of her ethos is similar to that of the god of nature's destruction. Like Umberlee, she has seen much of her personal power eroded by Talos himself, and as a result, the winters have grown colder to remind the people who still controls the power of cold.
Auril's priests wear ice white robes with blue trim, and are easily identified by the dire warnings they proclaim of the wrath of Auril come the winter. They have also been known to cast many of the cold based wizard spells.
who is in stasis under the Great Glacier. Kossuth
and Auril are mortal enemies, but their followers seldom come across each other. Sune
opposes Auril, as she blames her for the destruction of much that is beautiful. Uthgar
hates Auril as she has turned the Elk Tribe away from his worship.
As a denizen of the Deep Wilds, Auril is technically a subject of Silvanus, the dominion's ruler, although Auril does not consider herself accountable to the greater god.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Publication history
Ed GreenwoodEd Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
created Auril for his home Dungeons & Dragons game set in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Auril first appeared within Dungeons & Dragons as one of the deities featured in Ed Greenwood's article "Down-to-earth Divinity" in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#54 (October 1981). Here she is described as the Frostmaiden, goddess of cold, a neutral evil demigoddess from the plane of Pandemonium
Pandemonium (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Pandemonium is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its...
with a connection to Talos. Auril is described as one of “The Gods of Fury,” which is what these four gods are known as collectively: "Talos is served by Auril, Umberlee, and Malar
Malar (Forgotten Realms)
Malar is the Faerûnian deity of the hunt, evil lycanthropes , and bestial savagery and bloodlust in Ed Greenwood's Forgotten Realms fictional world of Abeir-Toril for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
." Auril is commonly worshipped by neutral evil magic-users
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
, thieves
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
, and clerics
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
; Greenwood notes, "If a DM
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
is partial to variant “specialist” NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
magic-users ... A worshipper of Auril would have ice and cold-related spells doubled in power, while spells related to the other elements would be half-strength."
Auril later officially appeared as one of the major deities for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Sets "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Auril was described in the hardback Forgotten Realms AdventuresForgotten Realms Adventures
Forgotten Realms Adventures is an accessory for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1990), the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993) in the "Running the Realms" booklet, and Faiths & Avatars
Faiths & Avatars
Faiths & Avatars is an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign expansion book. The book was designed by Julia Martin with Eric L. Boyd, and additional design by Ed Greenwood, L. Richard Baker III, and David Wise...
(1996).
Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
Auril appears as one of the major deities of the Forgotten Realms setting again, in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001), and is further detailed in Faiths and PantheonsFaiths and Pantheons
Faiths and Pantheons is a campaign accessory for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons, for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.-Contents:...
(2002).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
Auril is one of the deities described as appropriate for a cold-based campaign in FrostburnFrostburn
Frostburn is a supplemental book to the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Frostburn provides rules for adventuring in a cold environment as well as an environment known as frostfell, which is a sort of arctic environment with extreme cold.The book contains...
(2004).
Description
Auril is most powerful in those regions that are affected by deep winters or crouch at the edges of the Great Glacier. She is a native of the extradimensional plane of PandemoniumPandemonium (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Pandemonium is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its...
. Her symbol is a white snowflake on a grey diamond.
Auril is similar to Umberlee in many ways. She is worshipped out of fear, she serves Talos, and much of her ethos is similar to that of the god of nature's destruction. Like Umberlee, she has seen much of her personal power eroded by Talos himself, and as a result, the winters have grown colder to remind the people who still controls the power of cold.
Auril's priests wear ice white robes with blue trim, and are easily identified by the dire warnings they proclaim of the wrath of Auril come the winter. They have also been known to cast many of the cold based wizard spells.
Relationships
Much of Auril's power has been absorbed by Talos in recent times, weakening the minor deity. Despite this, or perhaps as a result of, Auril has quietly been siphoning power from the slumbering deity UlutiuUlutiu
Ulutiu is the father of the Giant Kin races and one of the many gods in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is the god of glaciers, polar environments, and arctic dwellers....
who is in stasis under the Great Glacier. Kossuth
Kossuth (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Kossuth, is the god of Fire.Kossuth is symbolized by a twining red flame . His followers and clerics are often of the Neutral or Lawful Neutral alignment. He is the Fire God, the Lord of Flames, the Firelord, the Elemental God of Fire...
and Auril are mortal enemies, but their followers seldom come across each other. Sune
Sune
Sune may refer to:* Lalah Sune, a fictional character in Mobile Suit Gundam* Sune , a Swedish children's book series* Sune , a fictional character in Forgotten Realms* Sune , a given name...
opposes Auril, as she blames her for the destruction of much that is beautiful. Uthgar
Uthgar
Uthgar is a fictional Faerûnian minor deity of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons. He is a demipower deity of barbarians and physical strength.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :...
hates Auril as she has turned the Elk Tribe away from his worship.
As a denizen of the Deep Wilds, Auril is technically a subject of Silvanus, the dominion's ruler, although Auril does not consider herself accountable to the greater god.