Origins of Gond [Archive] - Wizards Community

Origins of Gond [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Karsus the Mad
03-19-07, 01:36 AM So, anyone know?:)
Arbourean
03-19-07, 02:04 AM He was probably formed when the first idea was made into something tangible.
Stigger
03-19-07, 02:28 AM An interloper brought over by the Gnomes when they migrated, and soon after adopted by humanity as part of it's pantheon... but given that it was Gnomes who brought him over, no one recalls the fact. Yet more meaning behind the Forgotten Folk name they've acquired for themselves...

But the reckoning of the Gnomes is at hand and you shall all suffer... :evillaugh

Or maybe it was something else entirely...
Old Sage
03-19-07, 03:12 AM KtM, do you mean within the Realms, or as part of Ed's development of the FR setting?

If it's the latter... then Gond is simply Hephaestus renamed as Ed noted in DRAGON #54 -- "Down-to-Earth Divinity".
Karsus the Mad
03-19-07, 06:55 AM KtM, do you mean within the Realms, or as part of Ed's development of the FR setting?
Within the Realms:) Is he an ascended mortal, an interloper deity from another pantheon, crystal sphere, or is he a "natural" deity that has simply always existed?
I'm thinking of incorporating him in my version of "Osse" as being the last of an ancient, highly advanced (magically as well as mundane) "first race", who eventually ascended. Over the eons after his race died off (or were destroyed, or simply moved on to other planes of existence...haven't decided yet) he eventually migrated further and further west (or east, doesn't matter much really at this point in the development) under various aspects to his current posistion as Gond in the Faerunian Pantheon. He'll be the one responsible for Lantan's clockwork addiction, as he's trying to recreate "home", so to speak. However, if his origins are printed somewhere, I'd rather not mess it up.
If it's the latter... then Gond is simply Hephaestus renamed as Ed noted in DRAGON #54 -- "Down-to-Earth Divinity".
I didn't know (tho' I guessed as much) that he was a copy of Hephaestus. Is he litterally the greek god?
Thanks for the info:)
Old Sage
03-19-07, 08:41 AM Not as such. Gond represents the inventor and artisan aspects, as well as that of the blacksmith.
Lord Karsus
03-19-07, 02:08 PM -Like I mentioned in PM, Gond is the kinda guy the Tinker Gnomes of Krynnspace would like, so he might somehow be tied to them.
TomCosta
03-19-07, 04:42 PM As I recall from Ed's old Dragon article on crafting a pantheon, Gond was derived from Hephastaeus of Greek myth. As for his origin within the Realms itself, I don't think we know, nor do I think we have any reason to believe he is actually an interloper power from another plane and actually Hephastaeus himself.
Gray Richardson
03-20-07, 01:26 AM Gond is perplexing. He has been one of the hardest for me to associate with a pre-Dawn Cataclysm human proto-pantheon or culture.

Given that his major center of worship is on Lantan, and that Lantan is closest to Calimshan, that could indicate that Gond may have originally come from the Coramshite pantheon. The ancient Coramshite pantheon included Bhaelros, Anach, (or Anachtyr) and Ibrandul, but we know very little about it. There is a temple to Gond in Baldur's Gate, which used to be controled by Calimshan. Curiously, there are no major temples of Gond mentioned anywhere in actual Calimshan itself that I know of. It seems unlikely that he would have been part of the Coramshite pantheon without any modern day temples in the Calimshan area, but maybe he fell out of favor at somepoint.

Gond could just as easily have been a deity native to Lantan.

He has a temple in Suldolphor, so perhaps he originated somewhere around the Border Kingdoms with Waukeen, and from the Lake of Steam area he spread east to Lantan, and inwards to the Sea of Fallen Stars. Gond has temples all around the dragon coast and in a lot of port towns around the inner sea, even as far north as Melvaunt.

It would not surprise me if Gond and Waukeen once formed a mini-pantheon of gods of industry and trade based around the Lake of Steam region--which may explain why he is known and venerated so heavily near port towns. His worship may have spread wherever the common tongue was used heavily for trade.

I imagine also that as a god of the forge and mechanical things, he would have been revered by sailors. They would have asked him to bless their riggings, pulleys, wheels and rudders. It is not surprising really that his religion has spread to many port towns.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Karsus the Mad 03-19-07, 01:36 AM	So, anyone know?:)
Arbourean 03-19-07, 02:04 AM	He was probably formed when the first idea was made into something tangible.
Stigger 03-19-07, 02:28 AM	An interloper brought over by the Gnomes when they migrated, and soon after adopted by humanity as part of it's pantheon... but given that it was Gnomes who brought him over, no one recalls the fact. Yet more meaning behind the Forgotten Folk name they've acquired for themselves... But the reckoning of the Gnomes is at hand and you shall all suffer... :evillaugh Or maybe it was something else entirely...
Old Sage 03-19-07, 03:12 AM	KtM, do you mean within the Realms, or as part of Ed's development of the FR setting? If it's the latter... then Gond is simply Hephaestus renamed as Ed noted in DRAGON #54 -- "Down-to-Earth Divinity".
Karsus the Mad 03-19-07, 06:55 AM	KtM, do you mean within the Realms, or as part of Ed's development of the FR setting? Within the Realms:) Is he an ascended mortal, an interloper deity from another pantheon, crystal sphere, or is he a "natural" deity that has simply always existed? I'm thinking of incorporating him in my version of "Osse" as being the last of an ancient, highly advanced (magically as well as mundane) "first race", who eventually ascended. Over the eons after his race died off (or were destroyed, or simply moved on to other planes of existence...haven't decided yet) he eventually migrated further and further west (or east, doesn't matter much really at this point in the development) under various aspects to his current posistion as Gond in the Faerunian Pantheon. He'll be the one responsible for Lantan's clockwork addiction, as he's trying to recreate "home", so to speak. However, if his origins are printed somewhere, I'd rather not mess it up. If it's the latter... then Gond is simply Hephaestus renamed as Ed noted in DRAGON #54 -- "Down-to-Earth Divinity". I didn't know (tho' I guessed as much) that he was a copy of Hephaestus. Is he litterally the greek god? Thanks for the info:)
Old Sage 03-19-07, 08:41 AM	Not as such. Gond represents the inventor and artisan aspects, as well as that of the blacksmith.
Lord Karsus 03-19-07, 02:08 PM	-Like I mentioned in PM, Gond is the kinda guy the Tinker Gnomes of Krynnspace would like, so he might somehow be tied to them.
TomCosta 03-19-07, 04:42 PM	As I recall from Ed's old Dragon article on crafting a pantheon, Gond was derived from Hephastaeus of Greek myth. As for his origin within the Realms itself, I don't think we know, nor do I think we have any reason to believe he is actually an interloper power from another plane and actually Hephastaeus himself.
Gray Richardson 03-20-07, 01:26 AM	Gond is perplexing. He has been one of the hardest for me to associate with a pre-Dawn Cataclysm human proto-pantheon or culture. Given that his major center of worship is on Lantan, and that Lantan is closest to Calimshan, that could indicate that Gond may have originally come from the Coramshite pantheon. The ancient Coramshite pantheon included Bhaelros, Anach, (or Anachtyr) and Ibrandul, but we know very little about it. There is a temple to Gond in Baldur's Gate, which used to be controled by Calimshan. Curiously, there are no major temples of Gond mentioned anywhere in actual Calimshan itself that I know of. It seems unlikely that he would have been part of the Coramshite pantheon without any modern day temples in the Calimshan area, but maybe he fell out of favor at somepoint. Gond could just as easily have been a deity native to Lantan. He has a temple in Suldolphor, so perhaps he originated somewhere around the Border Kingdoms with Waukeen, and from the Lake of Steam area he spread east to Lantan, and inwards to the Sea of Fallen Stars. Gond has temples all around the dragon coast and in a lot of port towns around the inner sea, even as far north as Melvaunt. It would not surprise me if Gond and Waukeen once formed a mini-pantheon of gods of industry and trade based around the Lake of Steam region--which may explain why he is known and venerated so heavily near port towns. His worship may have spread wherever the common tongue was used heavily for trade. I imagine also that as a god of the forge and mechanical things, he would have been revered by sailors. They would have asked him to bless their riggings, pulleys, wheels and rudders. It is not surprising really that his religion has spread to many port towns.