Oghma

The Binder of What is Known
Patron of Scholars, Scribes, Bards, and Thinkers

“Truth does not shout. It waits. And when sought with reverence, it answers.”

Overview

Oghma (/ˈoʊ.ɡmɚ/) is the god of inspiration, knowledge, invention, and communication. Known also as the Lord of Knowledge and Binder of What is Known, he is revered across Faerûn by sages, inventors, bards, and any who treasure the act of learning and the sharing of truth.

In Evenshade, Oghma is not merely worshipped—he is lived. The heart of the village is the sinuous and light-strewn Temple-Library of Oghma, a sanctuary of wisdom and debate. Pilgrims from Berdusk, Iriaebor, and beyond seek its alcoves not to perform acts of devotion, but to study, reflect, and sometimes rewrite what they thought they knew.

Where most gods command loyalty through divine power or fear, Oghma commands it through curiosity.

Portfolio

• Knowledge
• Invention
• Inspiration
• Communication
• Song and Speech

Though aligned with knowledge in the broadest sense, Oghma is not merely the god of facts or rote memorization. His domain includes:

• Originality, the spark behind creation;
• Dissemination, the craft of making thought communicable;
• Perspective, the ability to see truth from multiple angles.

Symbol & Imagery

Oghma’s symbol is a simple scroll unfurled, usually blank—an invitation to inquiry, not a proclamation. In Evenshade, it is often embossed on silver pendants or worked into the stone lintels of study alcoves.

Other depictions include:

• A binder's knot, representing the binding of knowledge into permanence.
• An open book with no title, alluding to the idea that no knowledge is ever final.

His colors are white, silver, and deep blue—symbolizing clarity, insight, and the silent vastness of thought.

Tenets of Faith

Oghma’s doctrine is rarely preached—it is debated. Yet some common principles endure among his most devoted:

• Seek truth, always. Not merely facts, but truths that challenge assumptions.
• Preserve what is learned. That which is not shared may as well be forgotten.
• Do not hoard knowledge, but guard it if it is dangerous. Oghma’s followers believe in dissemination—but some knowledge must wait until the world is ready.
• Inspire others. The transmission of knowledge is sacred, and even song and story are valid vessels.

Worship in Evenshade

The Temple-Library of Oghma doubles as monastery and archive, run by a rotating fellowship of scholar-monks and itinerant bards. No sermons are given. Instead:

• Lectures are offered by visiting scholars.
• Disputations are encouraged between clashing theories.
• Silent reading hours are enforced by subtle enchantment to still chatter.

A silent bell rings each dawn, not by sound but by a change in light cast through a specific stained-glass window—reminding all who see it that knowledge waits, always.

Clergy & Devotion

Clerics of Oghma are often indistinguishable from scholars. Many serve as librarians, chroniclers, diplomats, or mediators. In Evenshade:

• Clerics wear robes of white and blue with silver-edged sleeves indicating their years of study.
• Some keep personal books in which they write not dogma but the most challenging questions they’ve ever faced.

They are discouraged from proselytizing. Instead, they seek to model lives of insight and calm curiosity.

Relationships with Other Deities

Oghma’s court includes several deities considered extensions of his will or allied patrons of specific domains:

• Deneir, the god of writing and glyphs, is said to serve as Oghma’s pen-hand.
• Milil, god of poetry and song, gives emotional form to Oghma’s abstract truths.
• Gond, god of craft and invention, provides physical form to inspired thought.

These gods are often worshipped in tandem, especially in Evenshade where their teachings intertwine. Nonetheless, Oghma maintains a quiet superiority—he is not the god of any particular form of knowledge, but of the urge to know.

Myths & Legends

The Silent Debate:
It is said Oghma once debated Mask, the god of secrets, for ten days and nights—without either speaking a word. They moved stones, rearranged glyphs, wrote riddles, and changed the wind itself to make arguments. In the end, no one knows who won, but truth-seekers claim they can still feel the echoes of the debate in the margins of old books.

The Shattered Voice:
A tale known in Evenshade tells of a scholar who tried to capture all of Oghma’s teachings in one tome. Upon finishing the final chapter, she opened her mouth to read it aloud—but her voice shattered into wind. Oghma appeared, smiled gently, and said, “You were close.”

Quotes Attributed to Oghma

Knowledge unspoken is a garden unplanted.

The truth speaks quietly; it does not compete.

Even lies reveal something--if only about the liar.