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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 04:21:10
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Anyone have any info on this Temple?
The Old City of Splendors says its a Temple/Orphanage to Helm and provides some brief info under some of the NPCs but nothing more
Neither of the City of Splendors list it in the temple sections so is it just an Orphange?
Is there any further info on it?
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Emperor Sigismund
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 14:18:11
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I wouldn't think it's a temple in the "traditional" sense.
As I recall, it wasn't listed in the "Temples of the Realms" listing here at Candlekeep. And from what we know in the Realmslore, hardly any specific temple duties are performed in the Hall beyond it acting as a special function centre operated by a paladin of Helm. There doesn't appear to be a specific clergy either.
I would tend to think that Helm's Hall, as an orphanage, is acting in a "guardianship" capacity for those orphaned children and lost youngsters Ederick is bringing in from the streets of Waterdeep. Helmite philosophy and practices may feature in the operation of the Hall itself, but it may not be exclusive faith training in the worship of Helm -- merely those aspects dealing with protection, guardianship, and looking out for others.
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 15:31:49
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Sage has it exactly right: it's a working orphanage. It's consecrated as a temple, and has a simple altar, so that daily services of worship to Helm can be performed for the "charges" living there, and for and by the Helmite staff, so they need not leave (often and daily) in order to venerate the god "properly."
We Knights visited it once, seeking a lost heir among the charges (she wasn't there). The charges are of both genders and all "good" races, BTW, though the vast majority are human.
love,
THO |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 20:15:47
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| My DM used the innkeeper of the 'Raging Lion', Lhaerlim Masram (sp?), as a temporary "high priest"/attendant of Helm's Hall. I do not have the boxed set, so I cannot comment if this is canon or not. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 21:05:53
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Ok thanks guys
One of my players is going to run a Favored Soul of Helm in my Sword Coast campaign so the orphanage will probably come in handy for a background story but if the Inn keeper at the Raging Lion doesnt fan out it looks like the character will have to travel all the way to Helm's Hold for training
On a side note how well do you reckon Followers and Clerics of Helm are treated in Faerun generally and specficly places like Waterdeep (Mykruls Legion), Arabel/Northern Cormyr (The Helmlands) and Tantras (Site of a battle between Bane and Torm) where they suffered heavy casualties during the Time of Troubles? Do you reckon they would still hold a grudge against Helmites? While the people of Waterdeep probably wont burn a Follower of Helm at the stake they may well be less keen to help him
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2006 : 02:50:45
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I've thought about that one a bit, since I had a player with a cleric of Helm that was trying to start up a temple in the Dales.
We know that it has been stated that Helm isn't as popular in the North now due to the events of the Time of Troubles and rumors filtering in from Maztica. I'll not contradict that, but I would point out that the majority of common people wouldn't know exactly what happened during the Time of Troubles (they may know that Helm was the only one not cast down, and perhaps they may have heard that he had a hand, so to speak, in Mystra's death).
What I would say is that people "in the know" might have a bit of a grudge against Helm. In other words, Harpers, government leaders and people in government organizaions (i.e. the War Wizard), and clergy might know what happened well enough to actually know what went on.
We know that after the Time of Troubles, Arabel had a shrine to Helm (dedicated to the Order of He Who Watches Over Travellers), and Tilverton had the Altar of Shields. This would seem to indicate that Helmites weren't run out of town on a rail because of the Time of Troubles.
So if we know Helmites are not well regarded in the North, but they aren't run out of town, how are they regarded? I would say that individual Helmites aren't looked down on that much. Sir Cealdar Sundercrown of the Purple Dragon Knights, paladin of Helm, for example, is still well liked by his troops and trusted by his superiors because of his long history of service.
How I see this manifesting is in situations like this one . . . Helmites trying to establish new temples ("we don't need any more temples, we've enough godly intervention thank you very much"), or Helmites that are representatives of temples large enough to be considered part of "THE" church of Helm, for example, a large delegation from Tsurlagol that has high ranking priests. Such a group might be closely watched, and definately considered to be scheming and power hungry.
I would say individuals are more or less "allowed" to make thier own reputations, and I think depending on the branch of the faith the representative comes from, that they might be regarded differently. For example, since Arabel has a shrine to "He Who Watches Over Travellers," I would guess that priests saying blessings over patrols and caravans heading out into the wild would be looked on well enough, even if they aren't "popular." A Helmite that is connected to an orphanage, especially one that has an overall good reputation, is likely going to be well regarded as well.
Oh, and the further away from an event, the less I think a given individual is to be blamed. While Helm might get some grief for the incident with Mystra and the Helmlands, things that happened later, and without Helm's direct participation, like the battle between Bane and Torm, or Myrkul's Legion in Waterdeep, are likely to be blamed on Bane and Myrkul, not Helm.
One last thing that strikes me as interesting. When it was first posited that Helm was not appreciated because of his role in enforcing Ao's edict, Ao was actually known. The more Ao fades from memory, the more the whole incident looks like a game between the gods that went awry, and Helm may start to look like he is "above it all."
Then again, with that image fading, there is the public relations black eye that Bishou Dominicus gave Helm and his followers . . .
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Edited by - KnightErrantJR on 12 Dec 2006 02:56:08 |
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Ateth Istarlin
Seeker
United Kingdom
80 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 11:16:18
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I seem to remember something in "Powers of Faerun" about Helm's church spreading the idea that what happened during the ToT had been distorted by various evil religions to besmirch Helm's reputation?
I don't have my books with me just now, so I can't look it up. |
The more I read about 4FR, the more depressed I am.
Politician - An elected official who tries to be all things to all people, while always looking out for his/her own interests first. |
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Helm's Hall in Waterdeep
