Finder Wyvernspur is the god of the cycle of life and the transformation of art. He is also known as the Nameless Bard, a title he gained during a lengthy period of exile while he was mortal. Finder Wyvernspur recently ascended to godhood by slaying the evil god Moander on its home plane in the Abyss. He teaches that in order to thrive, everything, especially art, must change and grow. Although his faithful are few in number at the moment small, he is worshiped by bards and artisans who wish to explore nontraditional methods of expression.
Worshipers, Clergy & Temples
Finder's church was very small, consisting primarily of struggling young bards and artists seeking to gain fame, and those who seek to change and diversify the arts. Among the saurials of the Lost Vale (a hidden valley near the Dalelands), Finder's church has become well-established, as the deity is respected or venerated by most members of the race.
Clerics of Finder, few that there are, spend their days creating and recreating their own art and spreading Finder's dogma across Faerûn. Many clerics make their living by teaching music, a practice strongly encouraged by the deity. Many clerics multiclass as bards.
Aware of the power a higher profile will give their religion, both priestess and bard are eager to help arrange music and other entertainments at political ceremonies as well as those of other gods of neutral or good alignment. Clergy and followers of Finder are expected to create or perform in honor of their god. Donations of gold are not refused, but artistic endeavors are considered a much more proper form of tithe. Thus, while the church is not wealthy, it can lay claim to a burgeoning amount of art, some of which, no doubt, will one day be considered priceless.
Vestments
Clerics dress in simple but elegant clothing, believing it is better not to distract the audience from their performances. Future clergy members, however, might have good reason to dress in more elaborate costume should their particular talents call for a showier look. The holy symbol of Finder is displayed in some fashion, usually carved into a piece of jewelry or a musical instrument.
On the road priests dress in practical, sturdy traveling clothes. Priests of Finder do not like to sacrifice their grace and dexterity by wearing anything heavier than chain mail. They may go armed as they choose.
Temples
Finder's divinity is new enough that his followers have not yet settled on a standard type of temple, but common themes are likely to include large performance areas, good acoustics, and the capacity for dramatic worship services with musical accompaniment or interludes.
Rituals
Clerics of Finder pray for their spells at dawn, when the night is reborn into day.
The only official holy day of the church is the 20th of Marpenoth (Leafall), the day Finder destroyed Moander's physical manifestation and then the deity's true form in the Abyss. Saurials celebrate this day as a day of emancipation, while humans celebrate it as the day Finder realized even his own music could be improved by change. In both cases, this day is observed with music, dancing, plays, and the unveiling of static art creations.
Orders
The Shrine Keepers are small pockets of followers who live near shrines established by the Rebel Bard. They tend the shrines, preparing them for performances, and seeing that they are not defiled.
Some people consider the saurial soul singers an order of Finderites, but, while they are trained by his priestess, not all of them are followers of the Nameless Bard.
Dogma
Art that is forced to remain immutable is a sign of stagnation and spiritual rot. In order to thrive, people must be willing to change and transform their art so they can be renewed by it. Art has the power to influence people and politics. Although that should not be its sole use, it art can be used to keep people free and independent from social or political tyranny, it is most proper that it be used so. All art is pleasing to Finder. Artistic expression should also be encouraged in all — children and adult, amateur and professional. While those persons who have learned and mastered disciplines of expression are much to be admired, also recognize the importance of natural talents.
Appearance, Manifestations
Finder appears as an ordinary bard, dressed in simple but elegant traveling clothes and, occasionally, leather armor. Usually he appears just as he did in the last days of his mortal life — an attractive, robust, tall, dark-haired man of 60 years of age — but if a situation warrants it, he can appear younger or older. He prefers to travel incognito, so he also guises his features and coloring when there is someone present who knew him as a mortal.
Relationships & History
Finder is tolerated by most of the good pantheon. His closest ally is Tymora, who sponsored his rise to godhood — and it is believed, his old patron deity helped him permanently slay Moander. He is jokingly referred to as the god of reckless fools, which Tymora may have appreciated and which was somewhat apt, considering Finder's behavior. He is also known to fraternize with greater powers who were allies of Tymora, although as a free spirit, Finder prefers to spend his time away from stronger deities. He also forged a good relationship with the deity Selûne, with whom he shared his home plane.
Finder is too new a deity to have any implacable foes or long-term allies, but Milil, whilst feeling somewhat threatened by him, hopes to guide Finder to a more benign outlook. Oghma is also wary of Finder. Cultists of Moander, sponsored by Lolth, seek his destruction, and deities such as Tiamat, Set, and Sebek wish to gain his patronism of the saurials. Other evil deities such as Talona, Gargauth, and Yurtrus seek to steal Moander's unclaimed but guarded portfolio for themselves.
Finder's closest relationship is with his first human priest, Joel the Rebel Bard. Despite being lost to the Wyvernspur family's lore, he continues to watch over the descendants of his brother.
History
A few centuries ago, Finder was a member of the Wyvernspur family, who are nobles in Cormyr, and a highly accomplished bard. Rising to prominence among the Harpers, he was quite successful in his youth. Finder's skills in music were such that his songs transcended mere music, inspiring others to great works, renewed vigor or deep despair.
Inevitably, Finder's works were copied by other performers, who added their own twists to his songs. It was inevitable that their performances would thus veer from the level of perfection that Finder strove for. In anger at the corruption of his works, Finder vowed to create a method by which his songs would be preserved in the ideal state; that is, the way he himself wanted.
Disregarding the advice of powerful mages who claimed it was too dangerous, Finder first modified an artifact, the Finder's Stone, to act as a recording and playback device for his music, spells, and journal. He accomplished this by inserting a sliver of para-elemental ice into the stone, cooling it while simultaneously expanding it's storage capacity. The Stone was a success, however Finder wasn't satisfied by the flat, unliving playback it delivered.
To make his music both "alive" and immortal, he then devised a magical clone of himself that he could fill with memories—including his music. This clone, Flattery Wyvernspur, was physically almost identical to Finder. However, the egotistical Finder was unsatisfied by the emotionally childlike and inexperienced clone's imperfect reproductions of Finder's music. After only a week of unsuccessful practice, Finder lashed out in frustration and struck the clone. He continued a cycle of abuse until finally, Flattery snapped and attempted to kill Finder with a ring of disintegration. One of Finder's apprentices died when he threw himself in front of the beam, while another was later driven to suicide by the now evil Flattery. This resulted in a severe backlash to Finder's reputation within the still fledgling Harper organization, despite Finder's attempts at a partial cover-up. He claimed his apprentices were injured in an explosion in which the clone was also killed. Flattery actually escaped, and cleaned out Finder's lab. Finder himself was brought to trial before the Harpers, including Elminster.
The verdict was harsh: many Harpers had watched Finder's obsession grow, and the fatal result of his attempts to preserve his music were viewed as a terrible crime. The Harpers condemned Finder to timeless existence in the Citadel of White Exile, located on the border between the Positive Energy Plane and the Plane of Gems. His songs and his name were wiped from the Realms. Only a few, such as Elminster and Morala of Milli, remembered them, in case they should emerge again.
Centuries later, the sorceress Cassana found details of Finder's experiments and tracked him down in the Citadel. She offered him a second chance, though her motives for doing so were dark. He accepted, and the result was the adventuress Alias, who he filled with false memories and all of his music. In her release from Cassana and the "Dark Masters," Alias met Finder, known as Nameless, and he discovered that she, too, had been adapting his music to enhance it. However, Finder found he could accept this fact. Within a year, Flattery reemerged and attempted to steal the Wyvern's Spur, an artifact and heirloom of the Wyvernspurs. He was killed when Giogi Wyvernspur used the Spur against him.
Now returned to the Realms, Finder was yet again put on trial. this time, to determine whether he could be reintroduced into the realms or returned to the white citadel. After a long and dangerous journey with his halfling friend, Olive Ruskettle, Finder found the love and courage within himself to sacrifice the finders stone and save the realms from the evil Moander. At that time, Moander had enslaved a number of the otherworldly reptilian humanoids known as Saurials, and captured the Turmish mage Akabar bel Akash in a plot to build a new body. By dismantling the stone and using the para-elemental ice at its core, Finder was able to slay Moander's real body in Tarterus, and claim its godly essence for his own. Moander's portfolio of rot and corruption, however, remained unclaimed by the bard.
In doing this, Finder freed the Saurials, one of whom—"Dragonbait"—was travelling with Alias at the time, who had been enslaved by Moander. Finder immediately gained the worship of this stranded race (excepting Dragonbait who followed Tyr), as their own deities remained on the world they left behind. He was also pardoned by the Harpers for his bravery, and his name and songs were restored to the Realms.
Still a fledgling power, Finder started to develop a base of worshippers at the urging of his first priestess, the Saurial Copperbloom. To do so, he manifested himself to a young bard named Joel, posing as the elderly priest Jedidiah, who espoused the wonders of Finder's vision. Joel later became close friends with Finder, as well as his first human cleric, from the time they spent together searching for an artifact, the Hand of Bane.
Related Imagery
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Burlap sacks with the symbol of Finder Wyvernspur on the side.
Quick Descriptions:
Finder Wyvernspur is an attractive, robust, tall, dark-haired man in his 50s. He has a wide smile and eager blue eyes. He is wearing a bright yellow cloak, with a red-floral interior. He has on a silk blue tunic with a decorative white trim and light brown breeches. He has a leather belt lined with pouches, a sheathed dagger and long sword.
The entrance to Finder's temple is an open stone-carved amphitheater, with the front doors in the middle of the stage. About 8 rows of benches, and a short flight of stairs, lead down to the stage. The interior is a beautiful corridor lined with art, lit by chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. Doors to the left and right probably lead to "backstage" and storage areas. At the end of the corridor looks like a music room with a hearth and several chairs lining the walls.
Finder's cleric is a handsome male human with mid-length brown hair, a goatee and a wide smile. He is dressed in a simple but elegant blue tunic with a gold trim, and a fine pair of brown breeches. He has a lute strapped to his back, a flute tied to a string that's hanging from his waist, along with a sheathed short sword and dagger.
