The Beastlord, Lord of Beasts
Holy Symbol - A taloned bestial claw on a leather cord
Followers - Malarite(s)
Domains - Nature and Prowess
Worshipper Alignments - N, CN, LE, NE, CE
Druid Alignments - NE
Allies - Talos, Umberlee, Loviatar
Foes - Chauntea, Ilmater, Sune
Faith Manager - Deity Managed
Malar is the deity of hunters, maurauding beasts, monsters, evil
lycanthropes, stalking, blood and bloodlust. He is a god of Fury who serves
Talos along with Umberlee and Auril.
Malar is worshipped by hunters who revel in the kill or who hunt for sport
or to excess. Fallen rangers, sentient carnivores and lycanthropes are also
common worshippers of the Beast Lord. Some who suffer attacks from wild
beasts attempt to earn Malar's favour with offerings from their fresh kills,
bloody meats. The Ravaging Bear rarely recognizes these offerings, however.
Most of Malar's followers are beings who identify with the untamed nature,
grace and amorality of predators. Beings who hunt for the thrill of the
sport.
Survival of the fittest is the main aspect of Malar's practiced dogma.
Thinning out the weak so only the strong are left in the herd to make a
stronger Wild overall is the greatest goal of His followers. "May you die an
old man" is an insult among his followers, for the hunt is the fulcrum of
life and death. The focus in the life of a follower of the Black-Blooded Pard
is the challenge between the hunter and the prey, the judgement of who may
live or die. Every task is viewed as a hunt, every moment to remain alert and
alive. Walk the wilderness with no fear and keep no fear in the hunt. Expect
with boldness to win the day.
Novices are charged as follows, "Savagery and strong emotions defeat reason
and careful thought in all things. The strong must slay as frequently as
possible and exult in the doing if they are to survive and achieve dominance
of the pack that society truly is under the polite veneer it maintains. Taste
the blood of those you slay and never kill from a distance. The glory and
danger in the hunt should be told to all in grand tales. Work against
woodcutters, farmers and all fools who seek to cut back the forest and slay
beasts because they are dangerous. Suffer no druid to live, for they believe
not in survival of the strong but in a weak-minded balance that allows the
inferior to surviv and often rule. Slay not pregnant wild creatures, young
wild animals or deepspawns so that dire beasts may hunt and always be
plentiful."
Malarite clergy hunt as often as possible, and strive to make their hunts as
dangerous as possible. They preach the joys of the bountiful yields of the
hunt and work to thwart the expansion of farms and settlements to save the
wilderness as much as possible. A cleric of Malar is known as 'Lord of the
Hunt' or 'Huntslord'.
All priests of Malar are bound by the Gospel of Saernclaws, a holy decree
created by His renowned servant Garmos Saernclaws. It reads: "The Hunt must
be clean. If disease or affliction is visited on hunters by a beast, clergy
must do all they can to root out and exterminate the taint, that bloodlines
and beasts in the wild remain always strong.".
The Church of Malar is loosely bound. There is no central hierarchy. The
organization of the church is built around the concept of the hunt,
consisting of local, independent cells known as 'Hunts'. The lead of a Hunt
is the most powerful member, be it of any niche, known as the Huntsmaster.
Senior clergy may be called 'Old Hunter', while members of the hunt as
individuals are things like Brother Stag or Sister Wolf, the second name
being that of the strongest prey they have slain.
For more information on this deity we recommend:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malar_(Forgotten_Realms)
http://www.nj-pbem.com/data/Gods/humangods/Malar.htm
. Please ignore all 4th edition and later information.