Gond

Whether forging a sword or tinkering with a clockwork contraption, makers of all sorts pray to Gond to guide their work. He is a god of invention and craft, and his followers are responsible for much of Faerûn's industrial and magical innovation.

Gond is a driven and energetic god. He is the foremost god worshiped on Lantan; over a century ago, he appeared on that archipelago in the form of a gnome and granted its islands the secrets of smokepowder. Since then, Gond communicates more subtly with mortals. He appears in dreams, providing inventors with the hint of inspiration they need to get their next big idea off the ground. On dire occasions, the flames of a forge twist into a semblance of his face and speak in his voice.

Temples of Gond double as workshops and laboratories. Blacksmiths, woodworkers, engineers, and other crafters count themselves among Gond's followers, but inventors carry Gond's spirit of innovation and are most likely to become his priests. Priests of Gond practice experimentation and innovation and encourage these virtues in others. These priests rarely stay in one place for long, believing that to stagnate physically is to stagnate mentally. They wander the land in saffron vestments; belts of large, linked metal medallions; and enormous sunhats. A traveling priest of Gond offers services to distant villages as a tinker and civil engineer. When priests of Gond invent something, they make two copies: one to be stored in a temple and one to be smashed or burned as an offering to Gond.

Gond's faith has its own units of currency, called Gond bells. These small brass bells are equal in value to 10 GP and vary slightly depending on which temple of Gond constructed them. Priests of Gond delight in discovering Gond bells from faraway temples, understanding them as symbols of the speed at which ideas travel.

Chosen of Gond are gifted with a knack toward problem-solving and innovation. They can discern how an object works with a mere glance or design never-before-seen clockwork trinkets. It is said that they channel the inspiration of Gond himself.

The Gatherers of Gond is a clandestine order that secures materials and intelligence required for new inventions. Gatherers spy on builders or inventors unaffiliated with the faith—not to sabotage them, but to bring back trade secrets they can iterate and improve on.

The Gatherers of Gond partners with dwarf miners to find valuable metals such as adamantine, and they scour the Underdark alongside svirfneblin guides in search of sturdy zurkhwood bark. Gatherers explore ruins of ancient cities and draw schematics to record architectural techniques from bygone civilizations. Experienced Gatherers seek out magic items so the faith can study how they work.

To join the Gatherers, an individual must present the order with an original invention. A sword made of a unique metal, an innovative clockwork contraption, a new weaving technique—all are viable submissions. Initiates are welcomed in a "forging" ceremony where they step into the heatless fire of a Continual Flame spell and emerge as official members. (If your campaign uses renown, a character must also have a Renown Score of 5+ with the Gatherers of Gond to join the organization.)

The Gatherers' ranks include the Lockkeepers, members skilled in tracking and coercion. Gond's priests keep a few ideas proprietary: most notably, the secrets of making smokepowder. Whenever Gond's priests becomes aware of a breach in confidentiality, the Lockkeepers hunt down the suspect and make sure the secret doesn't spread, defusing the situation amicably. When targets are less cooperative, Lockkeepers steer clear of outright assassination, resorting to blackmail or spells such as Modify Memory.

The Gatherers of Gond partners with followers of Lathander, Oghma, Tempus, and Waukeen, since the inventions Gond's priests create often relate to creativity, knowledge, profit, or war. The Gatherers of Gond opposes Talos, whose unhindered destruction threatens not only Gond's inventions but also Gond's dominion over devices of destruction.