Forgotten Realms Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Forgotten Realms Wiki
Advertisement
Register
Forgotten Realms Wiki
Forgotten Realms Wiki
56,747
pages
in: Fighters of 15th level (2e), Fighters (2e), Bards of 10th level (2e),
and 24 more

Daghdha

Edit

Daghdha,[1][6] also known as Dagdha,[2] Eochaid Ollathair, or the Daghdha as a sign of respect for his station, was an interloper deity of weather who originated from another plane of existence and was the head of the Celtic pantheon.[1] He had no strong evidence of worship on Toril, though rarely one could find halfling druids revering him.[8][9][note 1]

Avatar[]

Daghdha was fond of his avatar taking the form of a shabbily[2] or comically dressed man, tall in stature, often wearing a very short tunic and acting in an uncouth manner.[6]

Personality[]

Daghdha was a rather cheerful and carefree man, not above using trickery to get his way.[6] He delighted in playing the role of buffoon and trickster.[1] Despite this and being a chaotic good-aligned power,[1][5] he was rather neutral in nature and was in large part responsible for his pantheon's famed neutrality. He had a better idea than any other where his pantheon should be headed than people were likely to give him credit for.[1]

On worlds other than Toril, he was known to send his avatar to the scenes of an impending battle and sway crucial female figures to his worshipers' side. He also sent it during times of pestilence or crop failure to set things right.[6]

Abilities[]

Daghdha was noted as having incredible strength, with some claiming he could break anything with his hands. He could cast the spells legend lore, shape change, and telepathy an unlimited number of times.[2] According to some he could charm any woman, mortal or otherwise.[6]

His unique abilities included being able to separate himself into twelve distinct entities, each fully aware and mobile with all of his abilities. But the eleven duplicate entities were ethereal in nature and so could roam a planet with unlimited range. By this means, Dagdha was constantly supplied with information on worlds where the Celtic pantheon was dominant.[2]

Possessions[]

Daghdha holy symbol

One of Daghdha's holy symbols.

Daghdha possessed a magical cauldron that he could summon forth at any time. From this cauldron he was able to brew any non-magical liquid or food[2] and pull forth any object he desired.[6][10] It was practically bottomless[6] and it only worked for him or those he favored.[10]

He also possessed a sentient harp that spoke Common and could cast the control weather spell.[2]

In terms of weaponry, Daghdha had a magical club whose ends each casted an effect on a creature upon being touched to them. The large end casted an effect similar to death spell, while the small end casted an effect similar to raise dead. In the latter case, he could restore to life a creature regardless of how long they had been dead for and only required a portion of their body to do so. When it came to combat, he always wielded this club.[2][6]

History[]

Daghdha was incredibly ancient, predating many deities within his pantheon.[1]

Around the time of the rise of Netheril,[11] a wave of planar immigrants came from another world[12] and settled on Toril.[11] One of these groups of people came from a rugged land with a culture tied to nature, the sea, and the warrior history of Daghda. They brought along with them their own style of society and faiths,[11] the worship of Celtic deities.[12]

Activities[]

Primarily concerned for the general welfare of the Celtic pantheon's gods and their worshipers,[6] Daghdha took any opportunity he had to improve the pantheon's standing. He also did his best to keep the peace between his pantheon's members and the rest of the multiverse.[1]

Realm[]

Daghdha lived within the Outlands, in the divine realm of Tir na Og. His own divine realm within Tir na Og was known as Mag Mell or the Field of Happiness.[3][10][13] It was a land of rolling farmlands and woodlands, which seamlessly transitioned from one another. At the center of the realm was the Grove of Daghdha, where his mystical cauldron rested when not summoned by him. He occasionally manifested within the grove and held court there.[10]

The petitioners on his realm always got along well and lived carefree lives,[10] living in rural contentment.[13] Working when they felt like it and playing when they didn't.[10]

Relationships[]

Because of his love for playing the buffoon and trickster, some thought he wasn't a responsible man. But this same behavior endeared him to many and made him a fervent friend of most trickster deities from other pantheons, such as Erevan Ilesere and Garl Glittergold.[1] He often played tricks with and on the group of trickster deities he was friends with.[14] He even was supportive of the Gnome pantheon as a whole, to which Garl Glittergold was a member, appreciating their humor and being likely to protect them against harms put forth by other deities.[15]

He had cordial relations with the Norse power Frey.[16]

Morrigan, the goddess of war in the Celtic pantheon, sometimes called Daghdha a coward for so often making peace with other pantheons.[17]

Outside of the Celtic pantheon, he was typically an enemy of those who were sternly serious and humorless, such as Ramman and Zeus.[10] Daghdha considered Zeus and his Olympian pantheon as a whole to be rivals of him and his pantheon, feeling that they were full of themselves and no match for his crew,[18] though he had no issues with the Olympian god known as Hermes.[19] Daghdha and Zeus often sent out agents or avatars to sabotage the other.[20] Some speculated that their simmering feud could erupt into all-out war at some day.[18]

Worshipers[]

The priests of his faith wore a kilt and knit cap as part of their priestly vestments,[7] while his druids were expected to dress in ways considered unorthodox that were liable to draw attention to themselves.[6] His priests had access to the nature and trickery domains.[5] His druids particularly had access to the heroes' feast spell and could accurately predict the weather a week in advance.[6]

The druids of his faith generally kept to themselves, gathering only to perform important ceremonies,[6] typically within forest groves.[7] The druids were chiefly responsible for creating standing stones, which intensified their magic powers and allowed them to keep track of the seasons.[6]

He was one of many nature deities commonly worshiped by the Sign of One.[21]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ In the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set boxset, the sourcebook Cyclopedia of the Realms states on page 16 that information given in the sourcebooks Unearthed Arcana's and Legends & Lore regarding the demihuman deities can be considered Realms canon, so long as the information does not contradict anything established in Forgotten Realms sources.

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 68. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 26. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), p. 115. ISBN 0880383992.
  4. ↑ James A. Yates (November 1986). “Hammer of Thor, Spear of Zeus”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #115 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 38–40.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 298. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 James M. Ward and Troy Denning (August 1990). Legends & Lore (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc), p. 64. ISBN 978-0880388443.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 135. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
  8. ↑ Gary Gygax (August, 1985). Unearthed Arcana (1st edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 115. ISBN 0880380845.
  9. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “Cyclopedia of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 16. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 69. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 2, 94. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 105. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 David "Zeb" Cook (1994). Planescape Campaign Setting, Sigil and Beyond. Edited by David Wise. (TSR, Inc), p. 16. ISBN 978-1560768340.
  14. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 96. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  15. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 106. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  16. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 143. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  17. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 74. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 118. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  19. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  20. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 41. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  21. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 48. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.

Connections[]

The Celtic Pantheon
Celtic powers who have influenced the Forgotten Realms
Cerunnos • Daghdha • Dunatis • Goibhniu • Lugh • Manannan Mac Lir • Master of the Hunt (Herne) • Oghma • Silvanus
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms
Advertisement