Thard Harr (thard harr)
Thard Harr was the dwarven deity of jungle survival and hunting, one that lived with the beasts of the wild as kin. The Disentangler was also the patron protector of the wild dwarves, watching over them and working to ensure their continued survival against the rampaging beasts within the jungle and the incursions of intruders without.
Only on rare occasions did the wild dwarves make offerings to the other dwarven gods, and even if they did, they only truly worshiped the Disentangler. Most were completely ignorant to the existence of the Morndinsamman, a failing Thard had done nothing to correct. In the practically monotheistic folklore of the wild dwarves, the Morndinsamman were reduced to mere powerful nature spirits, typically associated with certain landmarks or natural phenomena. On the other hand, Thard was far removed from the cultural concerns of hill and mountain dwarf life, and was only venerated by a meagre handful of gray, gold, and shield dwarves, assuming they even knew who he was.
The clerics, druids, and specialty priests of Thard, the latter of which in particular being known as the vuddor (a dwarvish word loosely translated as "those of the jungle"),enjoyed a position of reverence in their sheltered homelands as a result of their kind's religious focus. At the same time, the wild dwarves had a strong tradition of divine magic, taking the blessings of Thard as transmitted through a spellcaster for granted and treating them as no more unusual than fighting prowess or survival skills. Many were called upon to serve Thard in a multitude of ways, though most arcane magic made them anxious due to inexperience. Commonly they were combination druids, rangers, and barbarians, with clerics also being ordinary.
Thard's clergy eschewed many of the traditional aspects of dwarven religious institutions. Instead of a formal hierarchy of titles, priests were called shamans and High Old Ones were collectively known as the Lords and Ladies of the Jungle. Most priests were male, but since the wild dwarves stopped following dwarven tradition regarding deity and gender long before the Time of Troubles, this gender disparity was far less noticeable than in other clergies, being a mere 60/40 split in favor of males. Lawfulness and/or evil was not allowed, and each individual priest received a title in a dream on the night of their initiation, such titles typically including the name of a great jungle beast the priest was believed to then receive a small amount of supernatural control over.
Thard Harr's priests were meant to be his representatives, protecting the dur Authalar with their god given powers, leading them on prosperous hunts and cautious expeditions, acting as generals for their loose armies, and speaking for their people and society as a whole. Part of this responsibility was eliminating persistent, non-dwarven intruders that trespassed into wild dwarf territory, leading the attacks with the dauntless diligence of Thard himself. If unable to defeat the foe, they tried mentally calling Thard himself, who often responded with either a manifestation or very rarely an avatar.
There were no formal Thardite military orders, with the clergy instead collectively deciding when it was best for the wild dwarves to go to war. The best warriors of the widely scattered hunting bands formed "the Pack" including bloods (weaker warriors) war leaders (more powerful warriors) and priests of demonstrable fighting skills. Like an orcish horde of North Faerun, the Pack was nearly unstoppable as it carved its path, and once their objective was completed, such as the destruction of a batiri village or yuan-ti enclave, the members would quickly disperse and the survivors would return to their small hunting bands.
Personality
Thard rarely spoke, but had been known to purr, growl, snarl, and roar like a great cat. He was an emotional being prone to vast mood swings and grand gestures, and had zero tolerance for pretentiousness, social restraint, or civilized ways of any kind.Worshipers
While some hunters of all races and philosophies in jungle regions sometimes turned to Thard for guidance, his chosen people were the wild dwarves, or dur Authalar (their word for "the people"). Nearly all wild dwarves, regardless of their alignment, beat their drums for the Lord of the Jungle Deeps, viewing him as the patron of their kind, a font of wisdom and a source of greater experience. Worship of Thard Harr had been ingrained so deeply and firmly in wild dwarf culture that no matter their morals or ethics, it was practically impossible for them to conceive of an alternative faith, with few even considering the possibility of other religions.Only on rare occasions did the wild dwarves make offerings to the other dwarven gods, and even if they did, they only truly worshiped the Disentangler. Most were completely ignorant to the existence of the Morndinsamman, a failing Thard had done nothing to correct. In the practically monotheistic folklore of the wild dwarves, the Morndinsamman were reduced to mere powerful nature spirits, typically associated with certain landmarks or natural phenomena. On the other hand, Thard was far removed from the cultural concerns of hill and mountain dwarf life, and was only venerated by a meagre handful of gray, gold, and shield dwarves, assuming they even knew who he was.
The clerics, druids, and specialty priests of Thard, the latter of which in particular being known as the vuddor (a dwarvish word loosely translated as "those of the jungle"),enjoyed a position of reverence in their sheltered homelands as a result of their kind's religious focus. At the same time, the wild dwarves had a strong tradition of divine magic, taking the blessings of Thard as transmitted through a spellcaster for granted and treating them as no more unusual than fighting prowess or survival skills. Many were called upon to serve Thard in a multitude of ways, though most arcane magic made them anxious due to inexperience. Commonly they were combination druids, rangers, and barbarians, with clerics also being ordinary.
Thard's clergy eschewed many of the traditional aspects of dwarven religious institutions. Instead of a formal hierarchy of titles, priests were called shamans and High Old Ones were collectively known as the Lords and Ladies of the Jungle. Most priests were male, but since the wild dwarves stopped following dwarven tradition regarding deity and gender long before the Time of Troubles, this gender disparity was far less noticeable than in other clergies, being a mere 60/40 split in favor of males. Lawfulness and/or evil was not allowed, and each individual priest received a title in a dream on the night of their initiation, such titles typically including the name of a great jungle beast the priest was believed to then receive a small amount of supernatural control over.
Thard Harr's priests were meant to be his representatives, protecting the dur Authalar with their god given powers, leading them on prosperous hunts and cautious expeditions, acting as generals for their loose armies, and speaking for their people and society as a whole. Part of this responsibility was eliminating persistent, non-dwarven intruders that trespassed into wild dwarf territory, leading the attacks with the dauntless diligence of Thard himself. If unable to defeat the foe, they tried mentally calling Thard himself, who often responded with either a manifestation or very rarely an avatar.
There were no formal Thardite military orders, with the clergy instead collectively deciding when it was best for the wild dwarves to go to war. The best warriors of the widely scattered hunting bands formed "the Pack" including bloods (weaker warriors) war leaders (more powerful warriors) and priests of demonstrable fighting skills. Like an orcish horde of North Faerun, the Pack was nearly unstoppable as it carved its path, and once their objective was completed, such as the destruction of a batiri village or yuan-ti enclave, the members would quickly disperse and the survivors would return to their small hunting bands.
Divine Domains
Nature
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Physical Description
Specialized Equipment
Thard Harr wore scaled, adamantine gauntlets ending in jointed, razor-sharp claws strapped to his forearms at the elbow (as high as they reached). Though the wild dwarves sometimes spoke of opponents or forces so powerful or dangerous that they might "blunt the claws of Harr himself", they never alluded to the claws being broken, for they were supposedly unbreakable.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Outside of the Chultan peninsula, Thard and the wild dwarves were regarded as little more than legend. Even the gold dwarves of South Faerûn regarded him more as myth than anything else, but long ago he was more tightly tied to the other dwarven subraces.
Back in the days of Shanatar, Thard Harr was venerated by deep-dwelling shield dwarves as the Lord of the Green Mantle, god of the forest above and dwarven god of nature. By the time High Shanatar was founded in -5960 DR, the concept of patron dwarven gods affiliated with individual kingdoms had passed, but it was nonetheless considered his domain. With the fall of High Shanatar, he was only remembered as a lost god in ancient dwarven tradition and the ancestral tales of a few gold dwarves, particularly those dwelling near High Shanatar's ruins.
Back in the days of Shanatar, Thard Harr was venerated by deep-dwelling shield dwarves as the Lord of the Green Mantle, god of the forest above and dwarven god of nature. By the time High Shanatar was founded in -5960 DR, the concept of patron dwarven gods affiliated with individual kingdoms had passed, but it was nonetheless considered his domain. With the fall of High Shanatar, he was only remembered as a lost god in ancient dwarven tradition and the ancestral tales of a few gold dwarves, particularly those dwelling near High Shanatar's ruins.
Social
Contacts & Relations
While Thard Harr undoubtedly shared the blood of Moradin and had always been a member in positive standing, he was emotionally and geographically estranged from the rest of the Morndinsamman. His relations with the others were friendly, but practically nonexistent, and on the rare occasions the entire pantheon was brought together, he alienated the others more than anything else, especially as a result of him communicating through strange animal calls and physical gestures.
Moradin was still his superior, but the Disentangler didn't have a close relationship with him. Abbathor wasn't Thard's explicit foe, nor was he an ally, though the duergar deities Laduguer and Deep Duerra were definitely enemies of his. The only dwarves that interacted with Thard on a regular, but still infrequent basis was Sharindlar and Dumathoin, the former being interested in the jungle's rampant fertility and the latter for the Chultan dwarves that fell into his purview and who occasionally came into contact with their wild dwarf kin.
Moradin was still his superior, but the Disentangler didn't have a close relationship with him. Abbathor wasn't Thard's explicit foe, nor was he an ally, though the duergar deities Laduguer and Deep Duerra were definitely enemies of his. The only dwarves that interacted with Thard on a regular, but still infrequent basis was Sharindlar and Dumathoin, the former being interested in the jungle's rampant fertility and the latter for the Chultan dwarves that fell into his purview and who occasionally came into contact with their wild dwarf kin.
Divine Classification
Lesser deity
Religions
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Lord of the Jungle Deeps
The Disentangler
The Disentangler
Children
Comments