Malar

Malar

Malar (pronounced: /ˈmɑːlær/ MAHL-arr), The Beastlord, is the lesser deity of the hunt, evil lycanthropes, bestial savagery, and bloodlust. His dogma concerns savage hunts, the spreading of the curse of lycanthropy, and general contempt for civilization. After the events of the Spellplague, he was an exarch of Silvanus.

History

At some point in the 1350s DR, Pasha Abon Duum of Manshaka had fortuitously been granted guardianship of the kittenlord, heir to the power of the cat lord, a minor power of felines. However, Duum desired to corrupt and dominate the child, and therefore made a deal with the mightier power Malar to keep the vengeful old Catlord off his back. Duum wished to use the cat lord's power of planar travel to journey into the Outer Planes and, using the Claw of Malar, even challenge Tyr, god of justice, and gain his awesome power. In exchange, when he was done with the boy, Duum would give him to the Beastlord. Learning of Duum's wicked intentions for the boy, the Catlord came and rescued him, but Malar pounced upon the Catlord as he fled. The Catlord handed over the boy to the rogue Conner (who'd been guided onto the scene by the goddess Selûne and, to buy time for him to carry the child away and hide him, fought Malar. The Catlord and Malar battled for three days and three nights, before the Catlord escaped. It was a year before his wounds healed, although the scars would not. However, in the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR, Duum was tricked and thwarted and Tyr seized the Claw of Malar instead.

Relationships

Malar is one of the Deities of Fury, led by Talos. He holds a long-standing alliance with Lolth against the Seldarine, and other dark deities like Bane and Loviatar. He fights against deities of peace, civilization, and nature, but holds a particular hatred for Nobanion for defeating him in a battle during the Time of Troubles. After the events of the Spellplague, Malar became subject to Silvanus' rule as a resident of the Deep Wilds. Despite this, Silvanus did not rein in Malar.[15]

Worshipers

Malarites believed that it honors Malar to make one's killing bloody and drawn out. His followers sometimes form in bands, called "Hunts". While forbidden to slay the young or the pregnant, Hunts typically follow his dogma and evoke wanton slaughter in Malar's name. Malarites are generally frowned upon by civilization, as they tend to wreak havoc in their wake. One exception where the worship of Malar is allowed is in Cormyr.
One of the most respected servants of Malar is Garmos Saernclaws, who was responsible for the gospel of Saernclaws by which all priests of Malar are bound, ensuring that hunts remain clean and poison-free. The People of the Black Blood are tribes of Lycanthropes that venerate Malar. In the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, it was estimated that the total population was at least 3,000 individuals scattered across the forests of Faerûn in groups of fifty to one hundred.

Holy Days

The High Hunt ritual is a vicious hunt in which a captured humanoid is released, and for the next day and night attempts to escape the prowling worshipers of the Beastlord. If they manage to survive, they win their freedom as well as, perhaps, other things.
The Feast of the Stags day makes Malar's worship more tolerable in certain areas. For this event, all people are invited to partake of the bounty of the hunt, regardless of faith. At this time, priests of Malar choose a handful of widows, orphans, elderly, or infirm citizens and promise to provide meat for their tables for the winter. During the harsh winters in the northern parts of Faerûn, Hunts choose a village in the wilderness, providing food for the people, with one or two Malarites pledging themselves to keeping the village fed through the snows.