Gond

Gond

Zionil, Wonderbringer, the Meddler, The Gearsmith. N Intermediate power of craft, artifice, construction [He/Him]

Pantheon: Faerûnian

Symbol: Toothed cog with for spokes

Realm: Outlands / Ringlands / The Wonderhome

Known Proxies: Ferrum (proxy mechanical human blacksmith [he/him], N)

Gond, the Wonderbringer, is the Faerûnian power of craft, smithing, and that nebulous spark of inventiveness that lights up the forges of creation. In the heart of his Wonderhome, Gond reigns supreme, a deity whose hands mould the very essence of invention and creation. Think of a realm where every clang of the hammer sings a hymn to innovation, where the fires of the forge light the eyes of those seeking to shape the new and unthought-of. Gond isn’t just about crafting trinkets, horseshoes or baubles; he’s the divine hand guiding the tools of learning, discovery, and growth. Unlike those gods lost in the clouds of inspiration and arts, Gond’s feet are firmly planted on the ground, among the soot and sparks of practical creation.

Gond’s avatars, now they’re a sight to behold, cutter. Sometimes he’s a brawny, red-hued smith, muscles like twisted iron. Other times, he’s as slight as a gnome, with straw-blond hair and a forge-scarred face. You can tell it’s Gond though because of his eyes, deep dark and sharp, that miss nothing—a reflection of his ever-attentive, inquisitive nature. He dons ordinary leathers, a smith’s smock scarred by his craft, but at a whim, he can call forth glassteel plate armour, hovering close to but never quite touching his body.

Gond manifests throughout his realm at will; he might be that forge hammer wrapped in black smoke, or a pair of piercing eyes in dark clouds, or the sound of anvils ringing in the air. Through these, he speaks, casting spells in bursts of smoke, inspiring his faithful with ideas for new inventions, and pushing the boundaries of what’s known and thought possible.

The Wonderbringer, is as varied in personality as the myriad inventions he oversees. At times disciplined and methodical, at others easily distracted, sardonic, or condescending. But always, he’s driven by a fierce desire to make real any theoretical concept, any wild schematic. Concerns about complications arising from his creations? Pah, to Gond, that’s just the noise of lesser minds. He’s not one to shy away from a commission, no matter who’s asking, so long as the price is right and the challenge worthy.

Amongst the powers of Knowledge and Invention, Gond’s a notable name. His ties with Oghma, the god of knowledge, are strong, though often strained by Gond’s eagerness to release his inventions into the wild without a thought for the morrow. Milil, the god of poetry and song, finds little common ground with Gond, and their relationship is as strained as a lute string too tight. But Gond’s not without allies; he shares bonds with gods of craftsmanship and invention across many pantheons, like Cyrrollalee of the halflings and Flandal Steelskin of the gnomes. Tvashtri of the Vedic pantheon is a sometimes-ally, sometimes-rival; each power guards his secrets closely but can’t help showing off to the other.

More and more these days, planewalkers are toting these nasty noisy exploding hand weapons. While that hippopotamine race of soldiers from Wildspace, seem to be the main cheerleaders of this trend, they owe much to Gond. It was he who bestowed upon them the secret of smokepowder, setting them on the path to creating firearms that would change the face of warfare across Wildspace. A gift or a curse? Depends on who you ask, but to the giff, it’s a boon that has brought them both power and problems.

In the grand scheme of things, Gond’s a force to be reckoned with. His drive to create, to innovate, puts him at odds with forces like Talos the Destroyer, whose very essence threatens to undo all that Gond builds, and the same goes for the other powers of entropy. You’d think he’d be disliked by the Doomguard too, but it seems their lust for his smoke powder wins out over their disdain for his creativeness. But such is the way of the multiverse—creation and destruction, two sides of the same coin, and Gond’s firmly on the face of one side, ever pushing forward, ever crafting the new and the wondrous.

Gond’s best-known proxy is a cutter named Ferrum, who was once a humble smith and is now a living testament to Gond’s inventive spirit. Ferrum was a master blacksmith, known throughout Wonderhome for his unparalleled skill in shaping metal and his unquenchable thirst for knowledge. His life took a turn one fateful day when his workshop was engulfed in a mysterious explosion—a result of an experimental fusion of arcane wild magic and mechanical engineering.

Miraculously, Ferrum survived, but not as he once was. The explosion had melded his body with the mechanical wonders he was crafting. His right arm and part of his torso were replaced by intricate clockwork mechanisms, seamlessly integrated with his flesh and blood. This accident bestowed upon Ferrum an uncanny mechanical strength and precision, making him more than just a man—a hybrid of human ingenuity and mechanical marvel. The chant goes that Gond wasn’t about to let one of his favourites get blown to pieces, and somehow intervened in the explosion, not preventing it but turning it into something more wonderfully inventive.

Ferrum, now a living embodiment of Gond’s domain, dedicates his life to advancing the craft of smithing and mechanics. He views his transformation not as a misfortune but as a blessing, a sign of Gond’s favour, allowing him to push the boundaries of invention and creation further than any mortal could have imagined. His workshop, a marvel of mechanical and magical synergy, has become a pilgrimage site for those seeking inspiration.

Canonical Sources:

• Dragon Magazine #333 [3e] p50 (wondrous item: pouch of black essence)
• On Hallowed Ground [2e] p181 (mentioned in a table)
• Manual of the Planes [5e] p84, (brief mention)

Source: Jon Winter-Holt