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The Deities of Dragonlance are arranged into three groups: good, neutral and evil. In Dragonlance literature, the deities are always referred to collectively as Gods, despite the fact that a number of them are female. Unlike standard Dungeons and Dragons, only the good-evil axis of alignment is prominent in Dragonlance, the law-chaos axis plays a much smaller part.
The arrangement of the Gods is described as a triangle, with each group of Gods pulling at a corner, ensuring that the balance in maintained. Each group of Gods has seven members, with one major Gods, five lessor ones, and a God of magic. In the novel Dragons of Summer Flame, it is also discovered that there was a creator God: Chaos, the father of the Gods. As of the War of the Souls trilogy, the good and evil factions have lost their major God, it is unclear at this point whether this will give neutral the upper hand.
Most of the books in the Dragonlance series focus in one way or another on the role of the Gods in the world. During the periods when the Gods have been missing, for example after the Cataclysm, the focus is on rediscovering the Gods. When the Gods are present, the stories tend to focus on their battles for asscendency. The Gods of Dragonlance take an active role in the world, and many of them frequently roam the mortal world in a variety of guises.
Gods of good
The Gods of good perform a different role than that associated with good-aligned deities in other settings. In dragonlance, the Gods of good recognise the need for balance, and see good as a necessary part of that balance. Rather than seeking to destroy evil, they seek to hold it in check so it doesn't overrun the forces of good and destroy the balance the Gods have sought to create.
Paladine is by far the most prominent God of good, with Mishakal, Majere and Kiri-Jolith also frequently mentioned, along with Solinari, who plays an important role for the mages of high sorcery.
Gods of neutrality
- Gilean, patriarch of neutral Gods
- Sirrion, God of flame and natural power
- Reorx, the forge
- Chislev, nature incarnate
- Zivilyn, God of knowledge
- Shinare, Goddess of wealth, money and industry
- Lunitari, patron Goddess of red-robed magic users
The Gods of neutrality often take a passive, hands off role in Dragonlance. Gilean in particular takes this approach, he rarely acts before considering all possible consequences. He is loath to do anything that might change history, preferring instead to observe. Reorx is the exception to this rule, frequently causing mischef and mayhem.
Other than Gilean and Reorx, and Lunitari's role to the mages of high sorcery, the other neutral Gods are not very prominent in the Dragonlance world.
Gods of evil
The Gods of evil, much like the Gods of good, recognise the need for balance, with the exception of Takhisis. Takhisis is more power hungry than the other Gods, and her attempts to seize ultimate power for herself often earn the wrath of the other Gods. This is what ultimately leads to her downfall, when she went too far and earnt the disapproval of even the other Gods of evil.
Other than Takhisis, Sargonnas plays a prominent role amongst the minotaurs, and Nuitari is of course important to the mages of high sorcery.
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