The Faerûnian Pantheon is the loose organization of all deities worshiped and/or recognized by the human inhabitants of Faerûn. Each deity holds a Portfolio, which is a literal as well as figurative list of the aspects of existence that the god represents and holds dominion over.
The pantheon is inherently hierarchical, with power, influence, and title determined by the number of followers and their relative piety. However, the hierarchical nature of the pantheon is also multipolar: some gods were directly subservient to superiors who have overlapping and overarching Portfolios, while other gods act independently, without a specific superior who controls them but still beholdened to relative title and power.
The pantheon is also inherently dynamic: gods can be created and destroyed through various means such as direct conflict, loss of followers, or metaphysical disaster. Conversely, Portfolios are eternal and indestructible. They can be split or combined and can be passed from one deity to another, but they are indelible characteristics of existence itself.
Greater Deities exhibit almost unlimited power, have Portfolios that encompass fundamental aspects of existence, and have the most followers, who usually number in the millions. Intermediate Deities have considerable power but pale in comparison to their Greater counterparts and generally have followers in the hundreds of thousands. Lesser Deities are usually servants of stronger deities and have followers in the tens of thousands. The key distinction between True Deities and other less powerful deities is the ability to grant spells to their followers.
Demigods are entities that were either born of the union between a True
Deity and a mortal or were born mortal and later achieved godhood. Like other deities, Demigods carried their own Portfolios, but they were usually much more limited in scope. Demigods generally had followers numbering in the thousands, and those followers usually had some sort of common identity between them, such as class, background, or profession. Quasi-deities are entities of divine origin that have severely diminished power due to loss of followers, previous destruction and resurrection, or usurpation of their Portfolios. While they are much more powerful than any mortal being, they tend to work indirectly through mortal proxies, fearing retribution from other deities if they attempt to wield anything resembling divine influence. Dead Powers, also known as Vestiges, are deities that have become virtually powerless or have gone dormant due to near complete loss of followers or destruction of their divine being. While these "Dead Gods" are silent, it is possible that they have not been truly destroyed as there are many examples of Dead Powers being resurrected and regaining their previous might. Exarchs are the most powerful servants, agents, and champions of deities and other extremely powerful entities. Some Exarchs are deities themselves but most are mortal beings who have achieved unprecedented power in life and have been recognized by a deity as worthy of regard and servitude.