(Lord of Song, the Lord of All Songs, Guardian of Singers and Troubadours, the One True Hand of All-Wise Oghma)
Lesser Power of the Happy Hunting Grounds, NG
PORTFOLIO: Poetry, song, eloquence
ALIASES: None
DOMAIN NAME: Brux/Library of All Knowledge
SUPERIOR: Oghma
ALLIES: Oghma, Deneir, Lliira, Sune, Mystra, Finder Wyvernspur, Stillsong, Hanali Celanil, Corellon
Larethian, Sehanine Monnbow, Rillifane Rallathil, Erevan Ilesere, Labelas Enoreth, Lathander
FOES: None
SYMBOL: A silver harp, often depicted as a five-stringed instrument whose body is made of silvery
leaves
WOR. ALIGN.: Any
Milil (Mihl-LiLL) is depicted in religious art and song as a handsome male human or elf with a charismatic manner and a haunting, melodic voice. He is venerated by human, elf, and half-elf bards, who see him as the One Who Watches While Music is Alive (when they are performing), the Guardian of Singers and Troubadours, and the One True Hnad of All-Wise Oghma. (Deneir is the other "Hand.") Deneir, Gond, and Milil serve Oghma, though Milil has little in common with Gond, and their relationship is strained. He is on excellent terms with a number of powerful gods, including Mystra and Sune, and often works closely with Lliira. He is welcome in the elf pantheon as well as the Faerûnian pantheon because of the beauty of his song.
Milil is the ultimate performer: self-confident, inspired, possessed of total recall of anything he sets a mind to remember, able to improvise facilely out of desire or necessity, well-educated in general theories of conduct and broad areas of knowledge, and masterful in all sorts of performance technique (including a passing knowledge of disguise derived from costume theory), especially within his sphere of knowledge—music, poetry, and elegant speech. However, he is also self-centered and egotistical and likes to be the center of attention. When he is not the center of attention, he bores easily, and his mind wanders or he leaves. He is also given to flirtation with both deities and mortals for his own enjoyment, to deep annoyance of more sober powers.
Milil's Avatar (Bard 30, Spellsinger 22, Mage 21, Cleric 21)
Milil oftens appears as a young, charismatic male human or elf with handsome features and a voice of unearthly beauty. He most commonly appears clean-shaven, with shoulder-length brown or blonde hair. He dresses in the gard of a troubadour and favors bright clothing, elegantly patterned cloth, and gold or bejeweled clothing decorations and jewerly.
Milil uses spells from any wizard school or priest sphere, though he favors spells that charm or have musical, vocal, sound, or instrumental effects or manifestations. Any spell he uses with musical, vocal, sound, or instrumental effects or manifestations is cast at triple normal effectiveness in all respects and the targets of such spells receive a -3 penalty to their saving throws if any are allowed.
AC -2; MV 15, Fl 21; HP 168; THAC0 6; #AT 1
Dmg 1d6+5 (rapier +3, +1 STR)
MR 70%; SZ L (10 feet)
STR 16, DEX 21, CON 19, INT 22, WIS 22, CHR 24
Spells P: 12/12/12/12/10/6/2, W: 6/6/6/5/5/5/4/4/3
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 5, BW 7, Sp 4
Special Att/Def: Milil can conjure weapons and items from midair and is considered proficient with any weapon he uses. He favors Sharptongue, a magical rapier +3 that has the abilities of a sword of quickness and a sword of dancing when he uses it. He sometimes loans Sharptongue to people performing a great quest or service for him or his church, and in the hands of a mortal it behaves as either a sword of quickness or a sword of dancing in a round, but not both (and obviously must perform as a sword of dancing if it is apart from its wielder).
Milil can use spell turning and ironguard (detailed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures tome and Pages From the Mages) spells at will to protect himself from normal attacks. He can sing so as to shatter magical silence or to make all beings within 90 feet cease all acts of violence, instantly, and remain peaceful until he ceases to sing, even it their weapons or other items are taken from them or they are attacked. One of Milil's favorite methods of demonstrating his divinity to skeptics is to play a harp woven of flames, which he conjures from the air.
By touch, Milil can place the knowledge of a song—both tune and lyrics—in the mind of a mortal, so that it can never forgotten, or confer upon any being with the ability to play a single type of instrument as if with years of mastery. He has often used the former power to preserve clues about the whereabouts of treasure or tasks that should be done for generations to come (trusting that his song will be handed down). Milil can also either convey or cure deafness by touch. There is no saving throw allowed against deafness caused by Milil, and creatures so stricken cannot be cured except by the hand of a deity.
Milil plays any instrument, even those from other crystal spheres or planes, with supreme mastery. He never forgets any tune that he or any of his priests have ever heard and can perform them all superbly. When he wishes, he can project his voice as a group of voices in harmony or create the sound of any instrument or combination of instruments from thin air to accompany his performance.
Milil is immune to spells and spell-like effects that have musical, vocal, sound, or instrumental effects or manifestations unless he wishes them to affect him.
Other Manifestations
Milil often manifests as haunting music, particularly in clearings deep in woodlands. He appears as a wordless, lone male voice soaring through the air where no singer can be seen. At times, Milil draws the image of two dancing hollyphants in the air in glowing yellow lines or in ink (that appears from nowhere) on parchment to signify his approval. This seems to indicate his delight in watching such creatures dance to his music. More often, Milil manifests as a radiance surrounding a bard, storyteller, or epic poet in the throes of inspiration—a sight always heralding a performance that moves an audience to tears, blind obedience, enthusiastic offerings of money, or whatever else the performer desires them to do. Milil often places helpful visions (mental pictures of the whereabouts of treasure, lost loved ones, or directions overland) in the mind of a singer or musician who pleases him.
Milil also acts through the appearance or presence of aasimar (all accomplished singers), hollyphants, light aasimons, movanic devas, and solars. More commonly he sends songbirds (especially nightingales), white horses or pegasi, calico cats, red or yellow roses, lilies, peonies, perfect gemstones or any sort, and peregrine falcons to show his favor and as a sign to inspire his faithful.
The Church
CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, mystics, bards, spellsingers
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: Yes, Mys: No, B: No, Spell: No
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, Mys: No, B: No, Spell: No
All cleric, specialty priests, and mystics of Milil receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. All priests must take singing and musical instrument as two of their initial nonweapon proficiencies.
Milil attracts those who love music—and who need to be a part of it, not merely listeners. Such folk tend to be sensualists. They love good wine, good food, pleasing art and architectural or natural surroundings, the amorous company of others, and the beauties of nature—many faithful of Milil enjoy rising before the sun to watch the wakening radiance. For reasons lost in the mists of time, all clergy of Milil are known as Sorlyn (probably after a founding patriarch of the faith), and specialty priests of the faith are called tuneservants. Both genders are represented fairly equally in the faith, and the ranks of the clergy are about two-thirds human, with a quarter of the remnant being elves, and the remainder half-elves. Sorlyn all tend to be charsmatic and physically attractive. All are also good singers skilled in the use of at least one musical instrument. Additionally, many are accomplished composers and musicians or even dancers. They tend to be active perfomers and travelers, not recluses or cloistered scriveners.
About half of the total priesthood of Milil are clerics, the remainder being specialty priests with a few bards, mystics, and spellsingers in the service of the Lord of All Song. In general, before the Godswar the priests in the larger cities, with more organized churches beneath them, were clerics, while the churches in more remote areas were commanded by tuneservants; however, the number of tuneservants in the faith has been growing steadily since the Time of Troubles. Relations between the clerics and the specialty priests are good, though the more conservative clerics are a bit concerned about recurring incidents of tuneservants using their enthrall and suggestion powers to enhance their own status and the tuneservants' continual support of "ner'er-do-wells" (adventurers). A quick way to determine whether a local temple of Milil is run by a cleric or a tuneservant is to listen to its music. All temples of Milil have very good choirs, songmasters, organists, and/or musicians, but the type of music varies. Clerics tend to play traditional songs and hymns while tuneservants prefer newer works, some of which may be disconcerting to the parishoners.
Milil's is an organized faith, with all churches paying heed (or at least lip service) to the Patriarch of Song in Waterdeep. Unfortunately, the influence of the Patriarch diminishes with distance, such that those congregations in Sembia tend to pay attention only to the most urgent messages.
Sorlyn adhere to clear rules and an organized hierarchy. They use the titles (in ascending order of rank) of: Mute One (novice), Chanter, Chorister, Soloist, Lead Voice, First Voice, Songmaster, and Glorian—a title used by all senior clergy in addition to any temple rank of office they may also hold. Typical temple ranks include Castellan, Master Tutor, Master Wind, Master Serenader, Master Librarian, Master Instrumentalist, Prior, and Patriarch. The specialty priests of the faith address each other as Harmonian, regardless of rank or accomplishments, and are noticeably (and acceptably) lax about using the formal titles of other clergy members—except the Patriarch of Song, who they revere profoundly.
The mysterious Patriarch of Song appears as an old man with kindly features, a flowing white beard, and ice-blue eyes. He is probably the best harpist in the world. His knobby old hands are able to make a harp sing, moan, drone, and almost seem to talk, as well as emitting the more usual sounds of such an instrument. His voice is a magnificent baritone, though, he has a falsetto that seems like the clear, high voice of a young elf girl or very young human maiden. His true name and origins have been forgotten, but he has adopted various names—and appearanes—in recent years, even apparently switching gender from time to time at the command of the Lord of All Songs. He is rumored to be ablt to enthrall intelligent beings with a song so beautiful that they enter a trance and hear only the music soaring endlessly in their heads until freed by rough handling. Sorlyn believe he has been given speical powers by Milil beyond his apparent immortality, and that as long as he survives, music in Faerûn will grow and flourish. Legend insists that the Patriarch flits about the Realms from time to time insiring youthful and promising singers by showing up at their local tavern as an old minstrel and givning a performance that leaves everyone present weeping and yet bright-eyed with hope.
Mililan temples are soaring, catherdrals of splendid architecture. All of them have choir lofts, facilities for presenting stage performances, workshops for the repair and construction of musical instruments, extensive music libraries, and carefully crafted acoustics.
Dogma: Milil is a god of creativity and inspiration, of the whole song more than just the lyrics or the music. He represents the finished thought, the process that takes an idea from conception to completion. As a result, the ethos of Milil teaches to consider the world in terms of a continuing process, a song that begins at birth and is only silenced with the final chord.
Novices in the Mililan faith are given the following charge: "Life is a song: Strive always to make it more beautiful. Destory no music nor instrument, nor stop a singer before the tune is done. Listen to the world around as well as filling it with you own sound. One singer's music is another's noise, so still no bad music if its making be joyful. Spread the teaching of song and musicianship always. Sing to Milil every day. Music is the most precious thing folk can create—so encourage its training, use, and preservation at all times and in all possible ways. Awaken a love of song in all folk you can, and offer its performance freely around campfire or on the trail. Cease not in your own seeking for new tunes, new techniques, and new instruments to master."
Day-to-Day Activities: Most Sorlyn spend their time learning lyrics, tunes, and how best to perform them on a slowly expanding repertoire of instruments both in their temples and on the road. They take care to write down both original compositions and those they have learned, as well as recording tunes through the use of the singing stone spell for those as yet unborn. Such records are to be cached in hiding as well as stored in temple vaults to make the survival of the music as likely as possible. Sorlyn also work as tutors to all who profess faith in Milil or who pay for the training, as well as judging many bardic contests and adjudicating bardic disputes between individuals, companies, or colleges.
Tunesevants are more adventurous. They roam the roads of Faerûn rescuing or protecting common minstrels and great bards alike when such individuals fall on hard times or into peril. They also accompany adventurers of other faiths on deeds of heroism so that they can compose ballads about what befell (from "Brave Sir Dobbyn Ran Away" to "She Was Only a Wanton Weredragon, But She Was a Fair Lady"). They also embark on adventures of their own to recover music, instruments, and the like from old ruins and tombs, or learn of music long gone by using their stone tell abilities and similar magics is such places.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Devout worshipers of Milil call out to him in a Song of Praise at least once a day and usually also after every victory in battle or great thing that benefits them. They also participate in either a personal song to the Lord of All Songs upon awakening or (in a temple) join in the softly voiced chorus of the Sunrise Song.
Other rituals include the solemn, beautiful polyphonic chord-singing of the Song of Sorrowing, performed at the funeral of any faithful of Milil, and the Song of Welcoming, sung when someone is welcomed into the faith. The calendar-related festivals marked by rituals sacred to Milil are Greengrass, when the Call to the Flowers is sung by all faithful, and Midsummer, when the Grand Revel is held. The Revel involves a feast, dancing, and much roistering, and is marked by parodies and wickedly satirical song, but all other shared (by two or more clergy members and laity) rituals of worship to Milil involve a sung or played opening call, a prayer and solo song while kneeling before the altar, a unison hymn followed by a sermon or supplication to the Lord of Song (and the proffering of any offerings), and then a closing song that rises to a thunderous, grand crescendo that typically makes devout listeners or participants weep with joy—and those of other faiths stop and listen in wonder.
Major Centers of Worship: The most significant temple to Milil is currently Arbalest's House in Athkatla (Amn), whence Milil journeyed during the Time of Troubles to personally found a singing circle. The Lord of Song charged the Patriarch of Song, the aged overlord of his church, to oversee this new temple's development. The Patriarch remains active in encouraging the faith in Waterdeep (notably the rising Temple of Good Cheer and the bards' college of New Olamn) and journeys often by means of a secret gate created by Milil between the hilltop temple in Athkatla, with its mightly Bellows of Milil organ and its growing circle of adherent bards and minstrels, and his own abode in Waterdeep.
Affiliated Orders: Milil has one knightly order of personable (and sometimes swaggering) fighters, paladins, and bards, the Harmonious Order, whose members, along with the clergy, guard temples and holy sites. Its members also often pursue quests or do good works in Milil's name, and tuneservants love to accompany them on these romantic and glorious quests. Though Milil's symbol is the silver harp, his symbol is not meant to directly link him to the Harpers, who use the cresent moon and harp; however, the church of Milil does have ties to Those Who Harp.
Priestly Vestments: Sorlyn wear robes of rich, lustrous fabic—usually crimson adorned with cloth-of-gold dragons, bards, or warriors arching and spiraling the length of the garment. Metal chimes are often worn as earrings, anklets, or on bracelets when outdoors, but these are always easily removable so as not to mar music-making. Hair is worn short or—in the case of tuneservants—bound up in a golden hair-net so as not to get in the way of playing instruments or listening acutely. Their holy symbol can take the form of a real harp or the symbol of Milil formed into an artfully crafted piece of jewerly.
Adventuring Garb: Sorlyn prefer the security of full (often chased and ornamented) armor when adventuring or traveling overland in dangerous regions, and defend themselves with magic, maces, and enchanted musical instruments. Song has its place, but in a world full of orcs, dragons, and critics, it is best to be prepared for anything.
Specialty Priests (Tuneservants)
REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 14, Intelligence 13, Charisma 14
PRIME REQ.: Wisdom, Charisma
ALIGNMENT: NG
WEAPONS: All bludgeoning (wholly Type B) weapons
ARMOR: Any
MAJOR SPHERES: All, astral, charm, creation, divination, guardian, healing, necromantic, protection,
summoning, thought
MINOR SPHERES: Elemental, sun, weather, travelers
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS: Singing, artistic ability (lyric poetry)
BONUS PROFS: Musical instrument (pick one), artistic ability (song-writing), modern languages (pick
one)
2nd Level
Battle Song (Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere: Charm, Combat
Range: 60 yards
Components: V, S
Duration: 7 rounds
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 50-foot cube
Saving Throw: None
This spell is readily recognizable by its ringing song, a loudly ascending refrain that raises and releases the magic at the instant of its ending, affecting all beings within a 50-foot-cube centered on the point selected by the caster. This spell cannot be cast stealthily. Creatures in or leaving this area when the casting is complete are affected, but beings entering that area afterward are not. While it lasts, a battle song conveys a +1 attack bonus, a +1 damage bonus, a +1 bonus to saving throws, and a +2 bonus on all ability checks. A faint echoing keeps the sound of the caster's song alive until the spell expires; this can readily be heard by those who listen for it. Note that any vocal infliction or gag prevents the casting of this spell. This spell can be used in conjunction with a chant and/or prayer spell, but no more than one of each type of spell can be in effect at a time.
3rd Level
Dispel Silence (Abjuration, Alteration)
Sphere: Combat
Range: 0
Components: S, M
Duration: round / level
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: 10-foot / level radius
Saving Throw: None
This spell is the priest version of the dispel silence spell presented in Pages From the Mages. This spell negates the effect of magical silence within the area of the dispel silence for the duration of the spell. Following the casting of dispel silence, all spellcasting, speaking, and actions can proceed normally.
For the duration of the spell, the area protected by dispel silence is proof against silence spells, they do not function within the area of the dispel silence. The area of effect is immobile, however, and does not move with the caster.
The material components of this spell are a pinch of powdered diamond worth at least 50 gp that is flung into the air and the holy symbol of the casting priest. The holy symbol is not consumed in the casting.
Song of Compulsion (Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere: Charm, Law
Range: 60 yards
Components: V
Duration: 1 turn + 1d6 rounds
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: One to six beings in a 60-foot cube
Saving Throw: Neg.
To set this spell in motion, the caster sings the first verse of a popular and mindless traveling song having many verses (such as "Ninety-Nine Barrels of Ale on the Wall"). Song of compulsion prevents the affected beings from taking offensive actions, casting spells, using psionic abilities, using magical items, or leaving the area of effect until they finish the song (which is assumed to occur when the spell duration expires). Affected creatures may still defend themselves (that is, they receive no Armor Class penalties) and move about within the area of effect, and the effects of a song of compulsion on any creature are negated if it is attacked.
The effect is centered on a point selected by the caster, and it affects persons selected by the caster within the area of effect. If the spell is cast at three or more beings, each gets its normal saving throw; if only two creatures are being enspelled, each rolls its saving throw with a -1 penalty; if the spell is cast at but one creature, its saving throws suffer a -2 penalty. Saving throws are adjusted for Wisdom. Those creatures who succeed in their saving throws are totally unaffected by the spell. Mindless undead creatures and undead creatures with (individually) more Hit Dice than the caster has experience levels cannot be affected by a song of complusion, and neither can beings who cannot hear or do not understand the language of the caster (although the caster may employ magical means to make himself or herself understood and then affect such creatures).
4th Level
Singing Stone (Alteration)
Sphere: Divination, Elemental Earth
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: One stone
Saving Throw: None
This spell traps a short tune—one that the caster can sing with three breaths or less—in a stone. Whenever the stone is either tapped or entirely immersed in water, it emits the tune, repeating it at 1-turn intervals if immersion continues. Any sold stone no larger than the caster's fist will serve, and the music can consist only of sounds the caster can make himself (in other words, singing, playing an instrument, and thumping out a rhythm simultaneously is about as complex as the captured sound can be). In the past many gemstones have been used for this spell, though it is a false rumor that granite and other simple stones cannot carry tunes as beautifully.
The "tune" need not involve vocal sounds or may be a message spoken or chanted rather than sung—but in any case, the pitch, timbre, and inflections of the voice and/or instrumental sounds are precisely duplicated, and listeners could mistake the sounds of a singing stone for a particular person's actual voice. This spell has been used to prepare traps, leave behind wills or dying messages, and to preserve the best work of the bards. Certain temples of Milil have entire libraries of carefully racked stones. Long tunes are played back by tapping a row of stones, each one enchanted with this spell to capture a segment of the ongoing tune.
The maker of the sound to be captured must be the caster. There is no known way to use this spell to capture the words or song of another being. The spell does not pick up the words of others or background noise, even if such things were present as the spell was cast, but it does preserve throat-clearings, mistakes, and other noises—such as the clatter of something dropped by the caster—that the caster may not want preserved. The sound is preserved at the volume level reaching the stone. Loud shouting or music is recorded as loud.
The spell range refers to the fact that the stone must be touched. The caster can, if desired, move away from the stone to achieve an echoing effect or a distant sound and may even choose to move continuously toward, away from, or around the stone while recording. The recorded sound will reflect this. the recording time is the three breaths following the round of casting when the stone is touched, and the magic causes the stone to glow a faint rose-red while it is capturing sounds.
The material component of a singing stone spell is a small hollow metal tube (chime).
5th Level
Forgotten Melody (Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere: Charm, Combat
Range: 120 yards
Components: V
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 8
Area of Effect: One to four creatures in a 60-foot cube
Saving Throw: Neg.
To set this spell in motion, the caster sings the first phrase or the chorus of a tuneful, catchy song. Victims of forgotten melody must make a successful saving throw vs. spell at a -4 penalty or mentally obsess on that song. They cannot get the song out of their heads until they finish it, and they worry the lyrics around in their minds over and over trying to remember them and complete the song. While victims are trying to finish the song, they cannot cast spells or use psionic abilities since they cannot focus on any other intense mental activity other than finishing the song.
Forgotten melody is especially devastating to very intelligent beings, who tend to be able to concentrate intensely, since it subverts that very capability. The duration of the spell is determined by the Intelligence of the being affected by it: Beings who fail their saving throws are affected for the number of rounds equal to their Intelligence. This duration is affected by their magical defense adjustment (determined by Wisdom). Those affected beings with a magical defense adjustment bonus may subtract the number of rounds equal to the bonus from the spell's duration; those with a magical defense adjustment penalty must add the number of rounds equal to the bonus to the spell's duration.
Mindless undead creatures and creatures with animal intelligence or less (an Intelligence of 1 or less) cannot be affected by a forgotten melody, and neither can beings who cannot hear or do not understand the language of the caster (although the caster may employ magical means to make himself or herself understood and then affect such creatures).
7th Level
Harp of War (Alteration, Evocation)
Sphere: Combat
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn or less
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
This spell creates a five-stringed silver harp of glowing force in the caster's hands. This is a weightless instrument that can be "hung" in midair to allow the caster to cast other spells or engage in other activities. If can be banished by application of dispel magic, but only the caster can actually touch it, move it, or evoke its powers, which are awakened by plucking the harp strings. One string can be plucked per round, and each string holds only one power and works only once, vanishing when called upon. When the last string fades away, so too does the spectral harp. The caster is always aware of which string calls forth what power. The normal selection of powers includes the ability to:
The material component of this spell is a thin strand of silver wire.