Many gods have died in the many millinium of Realms history, but a few have arisen from the grave as well. This is a few ideas of how an epic level character could return a god to Faerun and beyond.
1) Following the Footsteps
Basically this is the use of the Demigod Epic Destiny to turn yourself into a replacement for the missing god. In this case you have been researching the deity you feel an attachment to or one you believe is needed in the world of the Spellplagued Realms. You have learned their lessons and mimic their deeds as you try to attune your spirit to their former flames. Once you have passed the test you need to gain the divine insight and power, you are transformed into a weaker version of the deity... a demigod version.
(Some of this is based on the Demigod ED, but it might blend well with the idea of Siamorphe, a deity who is passed down to it's descendants whether male or female. Perhaps this was part of the method of it being choosen).
2) A Spark Lights the Bonfire
The god has passed on from this realm and even the Astral, but you have a plan to bring them back to the land of the living. Yet with all great magics, you research has proven it takes a sacrifice. Your spirit and soul must be used as the building blocks for the divine body of the god, so you must train all aspects of yourself so a strong deity will return. You must also spend your time preparing for the deity. Making sure nothing will prevent their return, creating a space for their new realm in the Astral, foiling plots by their eternal foes and more. Once completed your immortal soul is given freely to the deity for their use as even in your destruction, your are close them all to your personal saviour.
After the resurrection ED:
3) Food for the Gods
Your god has returned, but they are in a weaken state. Even as their traditional foes hunt for ways to return them to the grave. So you and your fellow followers have decided to give all you can for your god. You have decided to increase your own personal power so that your deity can increase their divine abilities by feasting on your soul, binding the two of you together. To do this, you must absorb the power of other beings who oppose your god. Immortals, devils, demons, elementals, even powerful mortals. You devour their soul matter, so that your deity can feed on all you have gather.
Note: This is all in rough, I might increase the details for people who want more. I also did it this way to begin with to avoid people feeling intimidated by anything I do. Other aspects might include trying to figure out what kind of sphere a god might have (I personally can see Eilistraee as a goddess of redeemption). Or where they would live on the planes. Plus whatever else was there is in people's imaginations.
Still, there's some interesting ideas here to be had.
Inanna has stories in her (earth) mythology where she journeys to the land of the dead and gets strung up and left there (long story.
) Anyway, she finally gets released and comes back to the living. This made sense with her role as a Fertility (and War) goddess. She embodies fertility and rebirth associated with the changing seasons in this myth (The Descent of Inanna) and her fickle personality.In the Forgotten Realms, Inanna was one of the many members of the Untheric pantheon killed by the orc avatars during the orcgate war. I was always surprised that they never took advantage of her rebirth potential in the Old Empires and Unapproachable East.
My storyline plays on Inanna hearing/becoming aware of a doom foretold that she would meet her death but be reborn in the wasteland of her destruction. She thus insured that her clergy would continue on in one form or another until she would arise again. She was defeated when fighting and slaying some lesser[/b] (and therefore expendable to both Gruumsh and Ilneval) member of the orc pantheon. Ilneval conspired with Tiamat to both bring about the death of his rival (the expendable one
) and the death of Inanna. Tiamat supplied the magic poison that led to Inanna's death but not before she tore a hole in the fabric of reality destroying the opposing army and of course Ilneval's rival. Inanna's Axe was thrown off into the (or at least what would be if it were not already so...) the Elemental Chaos along with her herald the angel Shulgu and her aide Humbaba the cyclops.Then Tiamat swept down with intentions of feasting on the body of Inanna but was met by Marduk (Bahamut) in their great battle.This gives an excellent point and reason for a character to be a follower of Inanna. Her rebirth would be in-line with her mythology. She would have enemies who would be after her: Tiamat, Gruumsh, Tchazzar should he return and she would have some ready made allies looking to help such as Bahamut and eprhaps Selune or Chauntea. Perhaps the final destiny could be retrieving Inanna's Axe from the clutches of a primordial or storm titan lord within the Elemental Chaos. The wasteland of her destruction could perhaps be the hordelands and the Lake of Mists could perhaps be the site of an entry into the Elemental Chaos on the path following her axe.
In the specific case of Coliar with the Two Stars mercenary company the wasteland of her destruction was the gray orc race. When a dying cleric of Inanna found the young runaway Coliar and ordained her (servant of the fallen, she was originally a 3rd edition creation...) as a cleric the rebirth began. Before the spellplague she attained the following: Fighter 2, Barbarian 2, Cleric 12 Divine Disciple 4 (with a BAB of +16, a caster level of 16, and the domains Destiny, War, and Rebirth) Then for 21st level she took the 5th level in Divine Disciple, ascending to something more than mortal (the Ascension class feature and became a native outsider) which when combined with her unique status as the 'living incarnation' (from Divine Disciple description) of a dead goddess of fertility and rebirth whose mythology involved returning from the dead perfectly qualified her as a Monster of Legacy. In effect she was the 'Chosen' of a dead deity. A summary of her is in the sblock.
The Seed of Inanna
Coliar first made herself known in the Unapproachable East as the commander of her mercenary company and the priestess of a lost goddess. It was said by those who had faced her (and been allowed to live...) that she had the best footwork of any soldier to have ever walked on the face of Toril. In battle, her every step was a dance and none could match her. During their conquest of Unther, the Mulhorandi sent numerous Glorious Servitors (great divine warriors...) of their gods to slay her and yet the Black Lion, as the Turmic slave escapees referred to her, always emerged victorious. She ascended to something more than mortal before the spell plague and after her return from the Elemental Chaos (where she recovered Inanna's Axe and found Shulgu and Humbaba) has been busy re-establishing the company and spreading the faith. She is also searching for clues to lead her to the Lost Plane of Zigguraxxus where Gilgeam laid Inanna's body to rest after her death in battle. Perhaps she will bring about the rebirth of Inanna in her own person when she finds it. The few tales of her deeds in the Elemental Chaos and Feywild that have reached Toril have been shrouded in enough mystery to keep her true power a secret from most.
Description:
Coliar appears as a female Gray Orc with an aura of electricity about her. She is very tall and remarkably long limbed. Her long black hair is often fixed into eight braids and her eyes are as blue as a summer sky. She carries a grataxe with fiery red rosettes etched into its surface which is always polished to a glorious shine. A single piece greatbow is usually carried over her shoulder along with its quiver. Coliar often goes topless, wearing only a silk skirt, also inlaid with rosettes. She is often in the company of Shulgu (the Herald of Inanna,a battle angel w/the paladin template) and Humbaba (the cyclops storm shaman (w/wizard template) or running with the Pride ( a group of feline shifters, level 11 skirmishers (w/the ranger template)
Note: the below stats still need a lot of work. I might bump her up to a thirty.
Coliar first made herself known in the Unapproachable East as the commander of her mercenary company and the priestess of a lost goddess. It was said by those who had faced her (and been allowed to live...) that she had the best footwork of any soldier to have ever walked on the face of Toril. In battle, her every step was a dance and none could match her. During their conquest of Unther, the Mulhorandi sent numerous Glorious Servitors (great divine warriors...) of their gods to slay her and yet the Black Lion, as the Turmic slave escapees referred to her, always emerged victorious. She ascended to something more than mortal before the spell plague and after her return from the Elemental Chaos (where she recovered Inanna's Axe and found Shulgu and Humbaba) has been busy re-establishing the company and spreading the faith. She is also searching for clues to lead her to the Lost Plane of Zigguraxxus where Gilgeam laid Inanna's body to rest after her death in battle. Perhaps she will bring about the rebirth of Inanna in her own person when she finds it. The few tales of her deeds in the Elemental Chaos and Feywild that have reached Toril have been shrouded in enough mystery to keep her true power a secret from most.
Description:
Coliar appears as a female Gray Orc with an aura of electricity about her. She is very tall and remarkably long limbed. Her long black hair is often fixed into eight braids and her eyes are as blue as a summer sky. She carries a grataxe with fiery red rosettes etched into its surface which is always polished to a glorious shine. A single piece greatbow is usually carried over her shoulder along with its quiver. Coliar often goes topless, wearing only a silk skirt, also inlaid with rosettes. She is often in the company of Shulgu (the Herald of Inanna,a battle angel w/the paladin template) and Humbaba (the cyclops storm shaman (w/wizard template) or running with the Pride ( a group of feline shifters, level 11 skirmishers (w/the ranger template)
Note: the below stats still need a lot of work. I might bump her up to a thirty.