Malar (MAHL-arr)

Overview

Malar epitomizes the dark side of nature, the world that is red in tooth and claw. His faithful believe the hunt is the center point between life and death — the facing off of hunter and prey, forcing the issue of who lives and who dies. People believe that Malar can’t be propitiated and knows no mercy, so he receives prayers only from those engaging in a hunt. Such supplicants pray to Malar for two reasons: to beg the aid of his peerless skill as a hunter or to adopt his fearsome mantle and thus ward off other predators. Malar is the god of those who delight in the hunt, don’t shy from bloodshed, and savor the fear of their prey. Many lycanthropes consider Malar to be their divine father, as do some other intelligent predators. He has many devotees who are druids and rangers of particularly savage inclination, and many barbarians take Malar as a patron for his ferocity and cruelty. His priests use claw bracers, impressive gauntlets bedecked with stylized claws that jut out from the ends of the fists, as ceremonial weapons. Malar appears as a great, black, cat-like beast, its ebony fur matted with blood, and with blood dripping off its talons and fangs. Weakened with the growing strength of Talos, he has found new worshippers among the nonhuman tribes.

(The hunt is a sacred act - death is life to those who understand the faith of Malar)

Ethos & Dogma

In civilized settings, the church of Malar is widely loathed, for its members--often evil lycanthropes--are some of the most dangerous threats to the safety of the local populace. Along the frontier and in wilderness settings, however, those who must hunt for food reluctantly pay homage to the Beastlord, even as they fear his cruelty. Outsiders sometimes differentiate between “Hunts,” that operate openly and those that stalk the night. Some realms, such as Cormyr, legally recognize the former as having dominion over hunting while considering the latter to be little more than dangerous predators to be driven off or slain. Clerics of Malar pray for spells at night, preferably under a full moon. They also offer prayers to the Beastlord before the chase, during the pursuit, and while drinking a toast over the slain quarry (sometimes with its blood). The droning Bloodsong is intoned over the bodies of all creatures slain during a hunt, and specific ritual prayers and chants accompany feasting on any prey. Two great rituals are the Feast of the Stags and the High Hunt. In the former, clerics and worshipers of Malar hunt plenty of game before Highharvestide and then invite all (especially those not of the faith) to join them at a feast, where they pledge to hunt in the coming winter to provide for the needy. (This is one of the few things the church does that pleases the common folk.) During the High Hunt, held each season, worshipers adorned in kill trophies hunt a humanoid, who can win his or her life and a boon by escaping or surviving a day and a night. Malar’s clerics often multiclass as barbarians, rangers, or druids.
The hunt is the center point of life and death the challenge between the hunter and the prey, the judgment of who may live or die. Savagery and strong emotions will defeat reason and careful thought in all things. A brutal, bloody death has meaning. The church of Malar is loosely bound and without a central hierarchy. This makes it all the more difficult to counter or remove, for as soon as one den of Malarites is contained, another arises. The leader of the local church may be a priest, mage, or warrior, and is known as the huntmaster. The huntmaster can be identified by his headpiece: usually a bear, great cat, or other creature that the leader has killed with his bare hands. Malar was a divine scavenger who foraged for worshipers among perhaps a hundred predatory races across an equally vast number of worlds. Malarites were generally frowned upon by civilization, as they tended to wreak havoc in their wake. One exception where the worship of Malar was allowed was in Cormyr. Malarites believed that it was an honor to Malar to make one's killing bloody and long. His followers sometimes formed in bands, called "Hunts". While forbidden to slay the young or the pregnant, Hunts typically followed his dogma and evoked wanton slaughter in Malar's name.

(Those under Malar's influence often see the world in harsh terms in which the strong rule and kill to survive)

Religious Orders

• Church of Malar
• More information coming soon!

History & Relationships

Malar is an ancient deity that dates back to the days when the first beasts stalked the land. He has always hated the Fair Folk and maintains a long-standing alliance with Lolth against the Seldarine. Over the centuries, he has tried to usurp power from other deities with varying degrees of success. He is one of the Deities of Fury, along with Talos (his superior), Auril, and Umberlee, and he is allied against the deities of peace, civilization, and nature, but harbors a particular loathing for Nobanion since that deity defeated him in a fierce conflict, known as the Roar of Shadows, during the Time of Troubles. Malar was one of the Deities of Fury, led by Talos. He fought against deities of peace, civilization, and nature, but held particular hate 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.

(Many evil lycanthropes find worship in Malar as justification for their curse and a reflection of his greatness)

Tenets of Faith

• The hunt is the center point of life and death.
• The challenge between the hunter and the prey, the judgement of who may live or die. 
• Savagery and strong emotions will defeat reason and careful thought in all things. A brutal, bloody death has meaning.
• May you die an old man is an insult among Malarites.

(The Beastlord, the Black-Blooded One)

Holy Symbol

(The holy symbol of Malar)

Statistics

Titles

• The Beastlord
• The Great Beast
• The Beast of Beasts
• The Bloodgod
• The Black-Blooded One
• The Wild Hunter
• Master of the Hunt

Adjectives

• Malarite
• Malarian

Portfolio and Domains

• Nature
• Animal
• Bestial
• Chaos
• Evil
• Gluttony
• Hunt
• Moon
• Strength
• Wrath

Common Worshipers

• Hunters
• Lycanthropes
• Barbarians
• Druids
• Rangers

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Divine Classification

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

It is ever the way of nature that the strongest should rule.
— Malar explaining his philosophy