Uthgar

Father of the Uthgardt, Battle Father

Uthgar (UHTH-gar) is the legendary founder of the Uthgardt barbarians of the Savage Frontier, who take their name from him. He is said in some of their legends to be the son of Beorunna and in others to be the son of Tempus. A proud, strong warrior who founded the Uthgatdt tribes, Uthgar is reputed to have lived three times a normal human life, then ascended to watch over the Uthgardt for all eternity after taking fatal wounds in a one-on-one battle with a frost giant named Gurt. Uthgar mastered all the primeval beast spirits in individual combat, passing down the divine gifts he gained from that mastery to his people, the Uthgardt, at his death. The Uthgardt tribes all follow a beast totem, representing one of the beasts that Uthgar bested.
In reality, Uthgar was probably a Ruathym Northman, Uther Gardolfsson, brother to Morgred Gardolfsson (the "Morgur" of Morgur's Mound), Who led a long raiding career (including looting fabled Luskan) before founding a dynasty of new barbarians, the Uthgardt. He rose to such heights, however, that he did indeed ascend to divinity as he was dying under the sponsorship of the god of war, Who admired his fighting spirit.
Uthgar is proud, fierce, and independent. He makes few friends and remains uninvolved enough with interfaith and interdeity conflicts that he has accrued few enemies. He is served by the primeval Black Lion, Black Raven, Blue Bear, Elk, Golden Eagle, Gray Wolf, Great Worm, Griffon, Red Pony, Red Tiger (Snow Cat), Sky pony, Tree Ghost, and Thunderbeast great spirits. He has recently declared Malar and Auril his foes—Malar since Uthgar holds him responsible for the corruption and subsequent demise of the Blue Bear tribe, and Auril because she has been making such deep incursions into the Elk tribe. He is also contemplating declaring Tyr, Torm, Ilmater, and Helm his foes because of their incursions upon his faithful. He has been counseled against such rash action by Tempus, his one divine ally, since the good deities of Faerün work so closely together that actions taken against them would likely lead to a severe depletion of Uthgar's divine power in his defense against the reprisals from them and their allies.
Uthgar loves a good joke, and his laughter is full and hearty. He enjoys the sensual pleasures of the flesh even in his divine state, and likes to hunt, eat, drink, and be merry in his feast halls With the warrior spirits he has called to serve him in Uthgardtheim. He is a tireless and methodical tactician—not terribly inspired, but driven to win in the long run. His love for the Uthgardt people is strong, and he fights against any odds to protect them in the end.

Divine Domains

War

Divine Symbols & Sigils

That of the individual beast totem spirit

Tenets of Faith

The dogma of the Uthgardt religion varies slightly from tribe to tribe as each beast cult emphasizes different "barbarian" virtues. In general, shamans are charged as follows when they are initiated into the Uthgardt faith:
"Strength is everything. Civilization is weakness. Men should fight, hunt, and raid from the weak to provide for their Wives and families. Family is sacred, and its bonds are not cast aside lightly. Magic that does not come from the gods is effete, self-indulgent, and ultimately leads to weakness, since one depends on magic to accomplish things rather than one's own hands. Shun reliance on secular magic as evil and a false path, for that way leads only to death and ruin.
"Revere Uthgar, Beorunna, the Uthgardt ancestors, and the beast spirit that guides one's tribe. The beast spirits hold wisdom and raw power; take them for your own. Study the beast so that you know its virtues and its weaknesses; claim its virtues as your own and weed its weaknesses from your spirit. Make the others of the tribe fear and respect your power and your knowledge, so that they will heed the wise words your ancestors speak to you in days of trouble and turmoil.

Holidays

The Uthgardt religion is close to nature and is tied to the change of the seasons. The spring equinox and summer and winter solstices are observed by Uthgardt shamans with a ceremony involving a day and a night of fasting (called the Birthing in spring, the Fullness in summer, and the Darking in winter). A vision quest (communing with Uthgar and the spirits), in which the shamans ask their spirit guides and tribal totem for guidance in the upcoming months, is also performed during these times.
The holiest time of year occurs during the autumnal equinox during the month of Eleint (which coincides approximately with the festival of Higharvestide). At this time, all tribal clans converge on the tribe's ancestral mound for the annual Runemeet. The Uthgardt worship their gods, set tribal policy, perform marriages, celebrate births, formalize adoptions, and mourn deaths at these sites. Shamans officiate over these functions, establish new spirit guardians of the ancestral mound for the upcoming year ( through the use of summon ancestor spells), stabilize the gate on the top of each mound for another year, and initiate new candidates into the priesthood.
During the Runemeet, Uthgardt youths desiring to be adults (and warriors of all ages) participate in the ritual of the Runehunr, in which those involved seek victory over one of the tribe's ritual enemies—usually orcs. When youths complete a Runehunt successfully, shamans hold a ceremony, known as the Telhut, to initiate them into manhood. Shamans of Chauntea initiate Uthgardt girls into womanhood at this time as well.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Day-to-Day Activities

Uthgardt shamans tend to the respective needs of their tribes, teaching tribal history and customs passed down by heroic tales and lineage chants in an oral tradition spanning centuries. They provide healing for their tribes, initiate youths into manhood after they complete their tribal quests (often missions against a tribe's ritual enemy), and provide counsel to the tribal chieftain and elders. When the tribe faces a new situation or a quandary, shamans consult With the ancestral spirits and totem animal great spirit to find guidance. All Uthgardt shamans believe that personal strength can demonstrate purity of purpose, and arguments are often settled by a test of strength or a battle to first blood, to surrender, or to the death—if the matter is serious enough. At Rune-meet, shamans officiate over the tribal rites of passage.

Priestly Vestments

For high rituals at the ancestral mound or when honoring the appointment of a new chieftain far the tribe, shamans dress in a high holy regalia of leather-and-fur tunics, breeches, breechcloths, and boots covered in intricate, mystic designs and ornamentation including thongs and fringes to which are attached beads and holy relics of personal importance (usually revealed to them as objects of power by spirits in visions). These relics are fortified with holy power and prayer, and
While a shaman wears his most holy relics for these ceremonies, Uthgar and the shaman's totem animal each bestow a bonus of +1 to his Armor Class (total AC bonus Of +2). When a shaman dies, his relics are buried With him his ancestral mound. Wearing the high holy regalia of a shaman conveys no Armor Class bonuses to anyone except the shaman whose regalia it is.
Rather than a holy symbol, Uthgardt shamans carry a sacred bundle, a leather satchel containing spell components, objects too holy for others to see, and small carved miniature depictions of the shaman's totem animal. These objects have been assembled by the shaman at the behest of his ancestral spirits. Each sacred bundle is protected by a guardian spirit who appears from the bag if it is opened by anyone other than its owner. Sacred bundles are enchanted by the spirit totem of the tribe to automatically succeed at all item saving throws except disintegration or a magical effect of similar power (and even then they receive a saving throw vs. disintegration). This sacred bundle serves Uthgardt shamans as a holy symbol, and while they carry it (or lay its components before them in private) the material component of any priest spell requiring a holy symbol is satisfied, and they need only gesture forcefully away from themselves (or toward themselves) to turn or command undead creatures.

Adventuring Garb

Shamans commonly dress as most Uthgardt do, in fringed leathers and furs (or in more heavy armor if a mission calls for it and they possess it). They accessorize their clothing With brightly colored feathers, quills, and dyework in complicated geometric patterns, mystic symbols, depictions of their totem animal and holy relics. Male shamans tattoo their cheeks with the simple image of their totem beast.
The few women who have fought Uthgardt tradition to become shamans usually do nor sport such facial tattoos, but often decorate their arms with tattooed bracelets and armlets of powerful symbols and the image of their beast totem.

Symbol: That of the individual beast totem spirit
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Uthgardt barbarian tribes, physical strength
Worshipers: Uthgardt tribes, barbarians
Cleric Alignments: Varies with beast totems (see below)
Domains: War
Favored Weapon: Appropriate beast totem spirit (battleaxe)

Divine Classification

Lesser Power