Garagos

Demigod Also called The Reaver, Master of All Weapons or Lord of War Symbol: a counterclockwise pinwheel of five snaky arms Alignment: chaotic neutral Portfolio: War, skill-at-arms, destruction, plunder, clutching swords Worshiper alignment: N, CE, CG, NE, NG Cleric alignment: N, CN, NE, CE Domains: Chaos, destruction, strength, war Favored weapon: "The Tentacus" [a pinwheel of five black, snaky arms each ending in a sword] (longsword)

Centuries ago, during the age of Netheril, Garagos was part of the Netherese pantheon and known as Targus. Garagos and Tempus are the only pair of deities that violate the otherwise strict rule against two gods sharing the same portfolio, as both have the portfolio of War. Tempus merely tolerates Garagos for reasons of his own, a reason that many Realms scholars believe stems from the fact that Tempus dislikes mindless slaughter and destruction, and would be obliged to take on that portfolio if he slew his rival. Though both are chaotic neutral, Garagos is far more heedless than Tempus in what war wreaks, reveling in destruction and slaughter while the greater deity values honorable combat; this distinction between the different modes of war they represent may be the reason that Ao does not enforce his otherwise strict edict against portfolio sharing by stripping one or the other of his dominance over War.

Clerics of Garagos, known as Bloodreavers, spend their days fomenting strife throughout the continent, knowing that each conflict contributes to Garagos's continuing rebirth. They believe that Garagos eventually will regain his divine strength, unseating the hated Lord of Battles and reclaiming the mantle of Deity of War. They continually create and expand networks of spies, faithful warriors, and other agents to increase the power of the cult, and the leadership of a cult cell is usually determined by the result of power plays between the agents of rival clerics.

Though chaotic neutral, the debased, insane Garagos stands on the brink of evil. A nearly elemental force of destruction, the Reaver has no allies in the pantheons of Abeir-Toril, the other gods deal with Garagos simply by staying the hell away from him. Despite his vacant mind, Garagos still harbors deep resentment against Tempus and his catspaw, the Red Knight. Should these deities meet in the field of combat, there's little doubt that the Reaver would come out the worse of it. Eventually, however, Garagos's destructive capabilities might transcend his tactical weaknesses, and on such a day, the followers of Tempus are sure to know true despair.