The title says it all.
The novels weren't forthcoming and we've heard nothing else in the works.
What's the story?
Info are slowly trickling down through new novels, adventures and Ed's answers to fans' questions. Other than that, I guess that we won't really see much.
I believe I read something about the gods being less meddlesome. Perhaps they become more like the Eberron gods where you BELIEVE they are there but other than spells you have no real proof.
Gods are going to meddle less, but no, they will be as real as ever. In fact during the Sundering gods' meddling reached its peak, and some even directly appeared (Helm, Mystra, Eilistraee, Vhaeraun did that for example), but after the Sundering they are forced to be more distant by Ao's reforging the Tablets of Fate. Also, it wouldn't really make sense, in the Realms gods' existence is a known reality, people aren't all of sudden going to forget what they have seen in the past.
What's left to do? The Spellplague pretty much killed everybody but Drizzt and Elminster. 
And the Sundering is resurrecting them all 
We can have both. However I can see your point there, and I'm ambivalent about characters returning, depending on what said character is capable of. I have no problem at all accepting deities coming back, because they perceive reality in a way that mortals can't, they prepare contingencies and backup plans, they split their essence to survive assassination attempts -in short, they never really die, especially if their cult somehow survives, and it is hard to make them stay down-.
However, when it comes to mortals, it has to be done with particular care IMO, unless the character was just MIA, like Alustriel and Laeral (but then, killing any major character -divine or mortal- should be done with particular care, while the 3e-4e transition didn't do that at all, IMHO).
Irennan wrote:
My opinion? Forgotten Realms post-Sundering will be what Ed likes the most about his own setting, or what he thinks is best as a product. Publishers will have a say on this, of course, but I'd say what Ed wants an what the Powers That Be want is more than compatible.
Artifex1979 wrote:
Irennan wrote:
We can do as we prefer in our own games (including completely ignoring the events that led to the god's removal/return), but the published Realms is a different matter.
IMO, modifying the plot of the adventure so that Bhaal stays dead would lead to a more satisfying result, assuming that you are playing ''good'' characters (if you use alignment), since his presence isn't exactly a boon for Toril. So, more power to you there.
Irennan wrote:
Yeah, now that I think about it, preventing the last bhaalspawn from being murdered is what would do the trick (or does every kind of demise count?). However, being someone's bodyguard for so much time sounds like a kind of game that not many would enjoy (unless said someone leads a very exciting life, travels around and so on).
Irennan wrote:
I kind of want to run a campaign now where one of the PCs is actually the last Bhaalspawn.
Actually Bhaal was the Lord of Death (as opposed to Myrkuls as Lord of the Dead), so dying peacefully in his sleep would be totally in line with his portfolio.
He earned the moniker Lord of Murder only because he was impatient and thus prefered death through murder over having to wait for death of old age.
So one would have to somehow prevent the last bhaalspawn from every dying at all (stuck on the astral plane, petrification, imprissonment spell, etc.)
Mirtek wrote:
Less meddlesome? Like having Mystra come over to your house for dinner and music? (yes, this happens at the end of one of the books)
"Less meddlesome" is pretty vague in a setting where one of the War Gods literally went on a murderous rampage through a major urban center for the giggles.
But I look forward to the hopefully forthcoming info on the most unique and interesting of the less talked about deities, like Eldath, Leira, and the aforementioned Garagos.
Beguileuse wrote:
When it comes to deities, I personally want to see more info on Eilistraee, Vhaeraun and Leira post-Sundering. We only know that they are back and that's it (and for Leira, even that is vague).
More Shaundakul would also be very welcome. All these deities are truly unique and FR-specific, they deserve some (good) spotlight.
Is there, in fact, even a central index of 5E sources for the FR?
The novels are easy enough to pin-point (and I have been keeping up with Ed's and Erin's) but what about the others?
...somehow WotC's approach seems to have me doubting it this time.
The only current sources are the novels. They have some updates in them (like Eilistraee and Azuth being alive), but we have no other reference. Perhaps this Sword Coast Adventurer's guide will have some general updates...
Irennan wrote:
Iluvrien wrote:
primuspilushb wrote: