Hoar

The Doombringer, Lord of Three Thunders, Poet of Justice

Hoar (pronounced: /ˈhɔːr/ HOR), also known as The Doombringer, was the vengeful deity of retribution invoked by those who sought to repay an eye for an eye. He was also an exarch of Bane. He was a bitter deity, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Ever since the Time of Troubles, the Doombringer was obsessed with plotting the downfall of Anhur, the Mulhorandi deity of war, and to a lesser extent, the rest of his pantheon.

Divine Realm

In the Great Wheel cosmology, Hoar held his Doomcourt, as his divine realm was known, on the lawful plane of Mechanus.

History & Relationships

Hoar was actually the ancient Untheric deity worshiped in the eastern Inner Sea lands as Assuran. Centuries past, he was driven from Unther by Ramman, the Untheric god of war, although his cult remained strong in Chessenta. During the Time of Troubles, Hoar stalked the Old Empires, appearing in Akanax, where he took the body of King Hippartes as his avatar. Then he appeared in Thay to obtain a cache of weapons, and he showed up in Unther, where he slew his ancient rival Ramman. However, Anhur swooped in and took Ramman's portfolio before Hoar could gain control. Both Tyr and Shar tried to influence Hoar after his empty victory. The Dark Goddess pushed him to become more like his "Doombringer" persona and be her servant of bitter vengeance at all costs. The Maimed God cajoled him to embrace the humor and irony of life and bring poetic and satisfying justice to those with a sad view of fate. But Hoar rebuffed them and dallied with Beshaba instead, working with Lady Doom to spread misfortune to those that did not honor them. With Tyr's death, Bane recruited Hoar as an exarch, causing Hoar to take on a more evil persona. Following the Second Sundering, Hoar shifted back to his more neutral outlook. He became something of a counterpoint to Tyr—concerned with punishing those who would break the law, whereas Tyr focused more on his role as an arbiter.

Followers

Aside from a handful of scattered temples, the church of Hoar was composed primarily of lone wanderers who traveled the Realms, agreeing to pray for Hoar's aid on behalf of those who sought or feared vengeance, in exchange for a small fee. Charlatans who would try to scam people in this manner quickly felt the punishment of Hoar. His followers sought out victims of injustice, heard and appraised their stories, and tracked down the perpetrators in order to inflict a fitting form of punishment. No injustice was too small or too large for revenge to be sought and a fitting punishment meted out, earning the church of Hoar the ire of town watches and Tyrists alike as well as the adulation of the downtrodden. If one wanted to seek vengeance on another by praying to Hoar, it was believed that writing prayers down made them more likely to be answered. To ensure a long-lasting reach for prayers, some vengeance seekers carved them into items made of lead. These were then buried to keep others from knowing about them. Temples to Hoar were rare, and usually found in antique parts of Chessenta and Unther. In the lands around the Sea of Fallen Stars Hoar was worshiped as Assuran, a deity of revenge. The ceremonial attire of the priests of Hoar consisted of a black tunic over a long gray robe, with gloves of soft black leather. When on an official "hunt", they donned masks of surreal design that concealed their faces. Around their waists they wore dark-red sashes with silver borders; priests often kept trophies or tokens of past victories attached to this. They also wore an item of jewelry that displayed the holy symbol of Hoar and served as one for a cleric's powers. Finally, they wielded curved daggers. The priests wore these vestments whenever they could, unless they needed to hide their identity or occupation while pursuing a wrong-doer.