Alignment: Neutral Good

Domains: Knowledge, Good, Luck, Healing

What is life without innovation? Exploration and creation is the goal of all good gnomes. Though occasionally this means washing clothes for two days to get out the stench of a triggered gas trap or replacing your favorite hat destroyed by an unfortunate explosion triggered in a lab. Those are the simple and minor costs of progress. Temples to this god are usually places of great industry where the visitors are expected to watch their step, to avoid walking into some experiment or other.
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It is said that it was Soralan who first invented the wheel, but that he forgot it the next day. This forgetful inventor represents progress in the pantheon, which makes many wonder how things ever made it past the Bronze Age. Soralon means well enough, it just seems as though he can never remember what he is doing from day to day. He is often considered the joke of the pantheon; the gods only take him seriously when they need him to make something for their own personal plots and plans. Due to his forgetful nature their tactic offers a safe way to get whatever needed, since Soralan wouldn’t be able to tell anyone in the future. Paragor has used Soralan’s devices several times. These mechanical devices are often enchanted with Paragor’s own magic to generate undead skeleton and zombie minions. Just as gods of evil intent make use of his services, so do Serena and other deities with more benevolent intentions. Serena finds Soralan’s inventions can often make her job of healing easier, although some inventions break down quite rapidly. Nimeth considers Soralan her favorite of all the other deities, for his traps and devices are the greatest challenge she or her champions can face. Her rewards to those that can beat these ingenious devices are very generous and are proof of a master thief’s skill.

Many consider it a small miracle that Soralan would take interest in the material world at all beyond his toys, inventions and innovations. When Soralan declared that he would be patron to the gnome race, many gods were surprised, even more so when they had to remind Soralan several times of his patronage responsibilities. The reasons behind Soralon’s acceptance of the Gnomes as his people is still a mystery, though most of the other gods have simply decided that their mutual love of tinkering with gimmicks and toys is what connects them. Soralan never actually contacted the gnomish population directly, and some say he doesn’t know how. Instead of direct contact, those who are the greatest of innovators and those who work on things they’ve never worked on before will occasionally get flashes of insight. These flashes offer possible solutions to their most difficult problems…unfortunately as often as not these solutions are the wrong ones, for Soralan believes that one can learn as much from failure as success.

Temples of Soralan are hives of activity and experimentation, as gnomes of all shapes and sizes congregate to try out new devices, share recipes and compare inventions. Priests of Soralan spend half their time working on new inventions and the other half tending to burns, cuts singed hair and the other injuries that such progress inevitably brings. To combat these accidental injuries Soralan grants his priests an affinity with healing magic, and his high priests have the ability to make salves that can soothe burns, and that harden a gnome’s skin against the hazards of their tinkering. Many keep their scars as badges of honor, particularly when they finally get their newest invention to work. Though primarily gnomes work as priests of Soralan, anyone that seeks progress through trial and error can take him as their patron.

Gnomes are considered the only race crazy enough to allow Soralan guide their lives. The occasional human, Halfling or dwarven inventor has proven that broad statement wrong, as these dedicated few have proven every bit as dedicated to progress as the gnomish followers of Soralan. Those of lawful tendency also find that the ingenuity and abstract thinking required for invention can be more then they can handle, so that most who follow Soralan are also of chaotic bent.

© 2003, Geoffrey Quick, All rights reserved