Gilean
The Void, the Book, the Sage, the Gray Voyager. N Greater power of knowledge [He/Him]
Pantheon: Krynnish
Realm: Outlands / Hidden Vale
Symbol: Open book
Known as the Book, the Sage, and the Gray Voyager, Gilean’s the patron saint of sages, librarians, and scholars. He’s the one holding the Tobril, that divine plan penned by the High God. He’s big on free will and choice, a real believer in letting folks find their own path. He’s one of the top dogs among the gods, right up there with Takhisis and Paladine.
The chant on the streets of Sigil and beyond tells tales of the origin of Gilean, and let me tell ya, it’s a twisted tale. Some berks claim Gilean was once a mortal scribe, so perfect in his craft that not a single blot marred his scrolls. The High God of Krynn, impressed by such meticulousness, plucked him from his mortal coil and cast him back to the beginning of time itself, handing him an eldritch tome to be the keeper of. This weren’t no ordinary book, mind you; it’s said it held the secret names of every creature that ever was or would be, the entire history of everything, from the first spark to the last ember.
There’s a legend, a real mind-bender, that says Gilean was tasked by the High God to ensure his own existence by lifting a mortal scholar who would one day become him. Talk about a paradox! This scholar, likely Astinus, watches over the Great Library of Palanthas, penning down history as it unfolds.
But there are those who reckon that story’s a load of barkle. They say a mortal achieving such perfection is as likely as the Lady of Pain hosting a tea party, with cakes. But regardless of how he came to be, Gilean is what he is—a power with a love for information for its own sake. He’s not one to pick sides in the great scheme of things; to him, knowledge is as pure as the waters of the River Ma’at, untainted by good or evil.
In the grand squabble of the gods, Gilean’s the one playing mediator, always tipping the scales to maintain the balance. The gods of neutrality see him as a guiding light, while the gods of light hope he’ll swing their way eventually. Even the gods of darkness try to twist things so Gilean has no choice but to side with them.
Gilean, he’s a master of many faces – a gray-clad scholar, a rogue with lock-picks, a grizzled warrior, or a grim field commander. Whatever form he takes, his presence is as commanding as it is enigmatic, a beacon of knowledge in a multiverse teeming with the unknown.
Canonical Sources:
- Hellbound: Dark of the War [2e] p73 (attitude of Gilean to the Blood War)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e]p47,165,180 (description of the power)
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p84, (brief mention)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt