The Beastlord, Lord of Beasts, the Black-Blooded Pard, the Ravaging Bear
Holy Symbol: A brown-furred, bestial claw with long, curving talons tipped with fresh red blood
Savagery and strong emotions defeat reason and careful thought in all things. The strong must slay as frequently as possible and exult in the doing if they are to survive and achieve dominance of the pack that society truly is under the polite veneer it maintains. Taste the blood of those you slay and never kill from a distance. The glory and danger in the hunt should be told to all in grand tales. Work against woodcutters, farmers, and all fools who seek to cut back the forest and slay beasts because they are dangerous. Suffer no druid to live, for they believe not in survival of the strong, but in a weak-minded balance that allows the inferior to survive and often to rule. Slay not pregnant wild creatures, young wild creatures, or deepspawns so that dire beasts to hunt may always be plentiful.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Cleric, Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Shaman, or Were-Beast
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Any race
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You may not use weapons with a range greater than "close"
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You must not kill the young or pregnant
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You must eat everything and everyone you kill
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Initiation: Slaughter an animal (or person) using only your bare hands, then eat it.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Level 0 Spell: Sanctify
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Strong stomachs care not for taint of flesh.
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Level 1 Spell: Sanctuary
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None may feel safety.
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Level 3 Spell: Hold Person
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Subdue your foes with strength or not at all.
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(If you wish to become clergy of this god, you must take only one vow from those below—if you violate it you lose any moves, spells, and any other benefits granted by this god until you atone.)
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Strength (Forbidden: Allowing anyone to prove themselves stronger than you; all who are weaker than you must be killed if they oppose you)
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Glory (Forbidden: Showing fear, being cautious, being unprepared for danger; be always alert and ready for the last battle of your life)
Malar (MAH-larr) is the god of the savage wild. Along with Umberlee and Auril, he is one of the Gods of Fury who revel in the kill or who hunt for sport or to excess, fallen rangers, sentient carnivores, and lycanthropes. Those who suffer the depredations of wild beasts attempt to placate the Beastlord with offerings of freshly killed and bloody meat, but Malar rarely recognizes their entreaties. In his more favorable aspects he is revered by beings who identify with the untamed nature, grace, and amorality of predators.
Malar achieves almost sensual fulfillment from the hunt and the kill. He revels in the fear radiated by the hunted and hungers for the blood of his prey. He speaks only in low growling undertone or vicious snarl. The Lord of Beasts despises the Balance sought by druids and their deities and seeks to overthrow it through the actions of his faithful.
Home Plane
Fury's Heart
Portfolio
Predation, bloodlust, hunting, cannibalism, evil lycanthropes
Favored Weapon
Beast's Claw (A claw bracer)
Myths
Malar's Avatar
Malar manifests an avatar in Orben in an endless hunt across the Realms whenever the mood strikes him—which is almost constantly.
History
Malar and his church pre-date civilization, and thus he pre-dates most other gods. His church has shrunk mightily since towns, cities, and kingdoms have claimed more of the land, and his opponent Silvanus has held strong within his wild bastions. However, whenever Malar's church is cornered it seems to experience a resurgence with renewed ferocity.
Relationship with other gods and churches
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. Almost every other god hates him, including a number of other "evil" deities.
Malar and Silvanus are not fond of each other and typically view each other as opponents.
Associated Lesser Deities
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Malar is not a popular god with many devoted followers. Like Umberlee, he is invoked usually to prevent his intercession (usually heralded by wild beasts) as opposed to beseeching it. Groups devoted to following him are present, however, terrorizing civilized areas and surviving by poaching what they need.
Rites and Duties
Worship of Malar centers around the hunt and tends to consist of personal prayers to the Beastlord offered before the chase, during pursuit, and while drinking a toast over the slain quarry (sometimes a toast of the blood of the very animal killed). The droning Bloodsong is intoned over the bodies of all creatures slain during a hunt—and specific ritual prayers and chants should accompany feasting on any beast slain during a hunt.
The only high rites of the faith are the Feast of the Stags and the High Hunts. The Feast is celebrated at Higharvestide, when Malarite clergy parade through settled areas bearing the heads of the beasts they have slain during the previous tenday (a frenzied orgy of killing) and lead all who desire to eat to a feast. The beasts hunted down by Malarite hands are the main dishes at this two-day-long revel of gluttony, and all folk are invited (even druids may come and dine in safety, protected by "the Peace of the Table"). At this feast, clergy publicly undertake to hunt throughout the winter ahead for the tables of specific widows, aged folk, infirm individuals, and orphan children. This day marks the annual high point of regard for the faith of Malar in most communities.
By Malar's command, every hunt (religious ceremony) of his worshipers must celebrate at least one High Hunt in each of the four seasons of the year. A High Hunt is a sporting event attended by all Malarite clergy members able to walk. They wear boots and headpieces made from the skulls or heads of beasts they have personally slain, and each wields only a single knife or the claws of Malar. Their quarry—a sentient humanoid, usually a human male—who is set free in a wooded area (or extensive cavern complex if necessary) ringed by Malarite clergy members. The quarry is armed and armored with all the nonmagical items he or she desires that can reasonably be obtained—and then hunted to death for the glory of Malar. However, if the prey escapes the boundaries of the hunt (set up at its beginning) within a day and a night or survives until the sun has cleared the horizon on the morning after the hunt begins, he or she wins freedom, can never be so hunted again, and can ask any boon of the Huntmaster that is within his or her power and does not involve killing a Malarite.
The prey is often a druid and cannot be a worshiper of Malar. (Huntmasters cannot use the High Hunt to eliminate potential rivals within the clergy.) When slain, victims of the hunt are eaten.
Priests of Malar indulge in hunting as often as possible and strive to route the hunt to make it as dangerous as possible, so that its finale (the killing of the quarry) takes place in a settled area (so that the Malarites can demonstrate their superiority, of course). Common folk who do not appreciate having desperate leucrotta, wolves, displacer beasts, and the like chased through town tend to hate and fear Malarite clergy members—which is the whole idea: Those who do not venerate the Lord of Beasts should respect him out of fear.
Malarite clergy members also preach the joys and the bountiful yields of the hunt and work to thwart the expansion of farms and settlements so as to preserve as much wilderness as possible. They work against the priesthoods of Chauntea, Deneir, Eldath, Silvanus, and Ilmater, staging raids and vandalism much as outlaws and bored young noblemen indulge in.
Malarite clergy seek to slay druids of all faiths whenever possible, for they see the natural Balance that druids promote and maintain as the true foe of all who love to hunt. They believe it interferes with the rightful triumph of the strong over the weak. Consequently, druid organizations, those with druidic connections, and those sponsored even partially by nature deities (including the Harpers) also seek out and destroy Malarite strongholds at any opportunity.
For Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Clerics/Wizards
If you are a Cleric or Wizard (and your god permits your class), choose from the following domains. You add all spells of the chosen domain to your spell list, up to level 7 (once you meet the mana requirements) or up to level 9 (if it's the primary domain and once you meet the mana requirements).
Primary Domain
Predation (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and this level 9 spell)
Primary Domain Move
Claw
When unarmed, you can use your fingers and nails as deadly weapons, with a Grit of 8.
Level 9 Spell
Animal Growth | Level 9 | Ongoing
You grow to twice your size and your Claw increases to a grit of 10. You gain +10 health, +1 to all Damage rolls, and +1 to all STR and CON Defy Danger and Saving Throw rolls, however you are vulnerable to every opponent who is able to attack you, regardless of whether you take damage or not, and you cannot cast spells while this is ongoing. You cannot end this at will; it ends when you Last Gasp or at the next dawn.
Secondary Domains
Murder (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Wilds (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
For Non-Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Non-Cleric/Wizards
If you are not a Cleric or Wizard, you gain access to all spells of your chosen domain up to level 3 and can cast them using the Cast a Spell Cleric move (you do not however gain any spells from the Cleric spell list). You can also gain a secondary domain move from that domain, in addition to the domain spells.
Primary Domain
Predation (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and a Secondary Domain Move)
Primary Domain Move
Claw
When unarmed, you can use your fingers and nails as deadly weapons, with a Grit of 8.
Secondary Domain Moves (choose 1):
Alpha
Standard
When someone challenges your authority, you can stare into their eyes and attempt to establish your superiority, so long as they don’t look away and their eyes aren’t covered. When you do, roll +CHA.
On a 10+ They acknowledge your primacy… for now. Take +1 forward against them
On a 7-9 They are calmed, and won’t engage in a fight until you leave their presence
On a 6 or lower they take +1 forward against you
You can only use this once per person per day. The effect of a 7+ ends if you attack them (you still get +1 from a 10+). (Clergy of Bane, Eldath, Ilmater, and non-Standard races are immune to this move)
So Juicy Sweet
Standard
When you eat something (or someone) you’ve just personally killed, heal 1d8 HP.
Secondary Domains
Murder (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
CSI: Evasion
When using Defy Danger to escape from the scene of a crime (or hide evidence) take +1.
Wilds (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
Don’t Be Hasty
If you wait one round before acting upon a source of danger, take +1 to Defy Danger.