Which Forgotten Realms deity would be most likely to tell his/her followers to expand civilization and settle new frontiers?

Question

In my experience, some players will be clerics, druids, or rangers that advocate that nature should reclaim lands or that civilization should be stopped. I want to play a cleric that believes that civilization should spread as much as it possibly can because chaotic places should be brought to order.

I'm partially inspired by Abadar from Pathfinder's Golarion. He wants to bring civilization out into the wilderness and tells his followers to civilize frontiers. That concept is really cool to me, and that's what I want my character's motivation for becoming an adventurer to be: a holy mandate to expand civilization.

I looked at the deities on the civilization domain page of the wiki, but none of them explicitly said they want followers to civilize frontiers, from what I saw. Most seemed to see civilization as a useful means to an end, rather than a worthy goal on its own. The best I saw from that page was Amaunator, due to his love of order, but the wiki also seems to suggest that Amaunator is dead.

If it helps, I'm playing a lawful neutral Dwarf and not concerned with the race of the deity. Furthermore, I'm unconcerned with the domains available. We're playing a 5th edition game, if that's relevant.

Answer 1

There is no direct equivalent to Abadar in the Forgotten Realms setting.

You had the right idea by looking up the Civilization Domain as a starting point, and you are right that none of the available gods represent "civilization for the sake of it".

You may, however, push civilization as a way to honor many different gods.

When we consider Abadar, other concepts are attached to the idea of spreading civilization: there is the implicit idea that building a city where there was only wilderness brings order, law, and morality in a place that was devoid of all of that. That gives you many possibilities:

• In the Civilization domain, Waukeen is probably your best choice, since she represents trade in its modern sense, i.e. the exchange of goods and services via currency, the concept of wealth, and its central importance in civilization. The perfect deity if your character has an accountant bend to them.

• In the Knowledge domain, Deneir is the deity of cartography, literacy, and is mostly associated with scribes. If Waukeen if fit for an accountant, Deneir is perfect for a librarian, a scholar or a researcher who believes that civilization's strength is how it gathers and preserves knowledge.

• In the Planning domain, Siamorphe is not a deity but rather a vessel for semi-divine power and represents the divine right to rule. She represents the obligation of nobles and other higher-ups to set an example for, and assert their rule upon the commoners. The idea of civilization being brought by the powerful to the masses fits very well in her dogma.

Answer 2

While deities like Waukeen, Deneir, Gond, Siamorphe have tangentially close dogmas to your character's goals, I think there is a more obvious choice: Moradin.

Dwarven history has many stories involving dwarves relentlessly carving out new domains and kingdoms, expanding their territories, shaping the "wild" ore into tools and weapons, and turning formless rock into grand halls and underground cities. The dwarven pantheon overall represents many facets of this dwarven spirit, and above all, Moradin, All-Father, whose portfolio covers creation, smithing, metalcraft and stonework. According to the 3.5e Faiths and Pantheons, part of his dogma even goes like (emphasis mine):

Advance the dwarven race in all areas of life. Innovate with new processes and skills. Found new kingdoms and clan lands, defending the existing ones from all threats.

It is not hard to imagine that the dwarves see themselves as bringing order to the uncivilised underdark. They will also see their human neighbors, or other trade partners as disorganized and unable to form lasting civilizations like they do. Your character might have decided to dedicate his life to bringing that civilized mindset to others by living amongst them and shaping the surface world along the time-honoured dwarven traditions.

Finally, Moradin is LG in alignment, while you stated that your character is LN. Your interpretation of Moradin's faith could actually fit this alignment difference, as you are trying to impose the "lawful" side of dwarven culture to others who are not necessarily asking for it.

Answer 3

Shaundakul, a lesser diety, seems to be the best fit. His portfolio includes:

• Exploration
• Travel
• Caravans
• Portals

For dwarves, another diety whose portfolio includes Exploration would be Dumathoin.

Answer 4

Lathander is probably the God you're looking for. According to Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (pg 32) "The faithful of Lathander embrace the founding of new communities and the growth of civilization..." as a part of his portfolio and interest in renewal, potential and beginnings.

Answer 5

Chauntea may be a good fit. Or at least an aspect or worshipper that focused on the agriculture and plant cultivation parts of their portfolio.

It's been a while since I read them, but the novels set in the MoonShae Isles had a small part of the storyline discuss the conflict between the followers of the EarthMother (which focused on nature and wilderness) and the followers of Chauntea (which focused on developing the agriculture of the land). Both the EarthMother and Chauntea are good (and I believe they are now actually different aspects of the same goddess), but that doesn't mean there can't be conflict between worshippers.

Your character could be devoted to spreading agriculture and protecting the farming communities by taming the wilderness.