Hoar (Forgotten Realms)
| Game background | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) |
The Doombringer Lord of Three Thunders |
| Home plane | Barrens of Doom and Despair |
| Power level | Demipower |
| Alignment | Lawful Neutral |
| Portfolio | Revenge, retribution, poetic justice |
| Design details | |
Hoar (pronounced HORE [1]), is a fictional Faerûnian deity of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is the deity of revenge, retribution and poetic justice.
Publication history
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Hoar was first described in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set's "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).[2]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Hoar, along with his clergy, was further detailed in Warriors and Priests of the Realms (1996).[3] He was described fully in Powers & Pantheons (1997).[4]
His relationships with the nonhuman deities in the Forgotten Realms was covered in Demihuman Deities (1998).[5]
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
Hoar appears in 3rd edition in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book (2001),[6] and was further described in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).[1]
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
Hoar appears in 4th edition in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (2008).[7]
Description
Hoar is one of the lesser deities in Faerûn. There is no organized church of Hoar, but some cities have small individual shrines set up by his disciples and clerics. This is owing partially to the fact that Hoar is not native to the Forgotten Realms. He was once a member of the Untheric pantheon. During the Time of Troubles, Hoar slew the Untheric deity Ramman (the god responsible for Hoar's exile) but his rival's portfolio was stolen by Anhur.
Hoar, also known as The Doombringer, is the vengeful deity of retribution invoked by those who seek to repay an eye for an eye. He is also an exarch of Bane.[7] He is a bitter deity, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Ever since the Time of Troubles, the Doombringer has been consumed with plotting the downfall of Anhur, the Mulhorandi deity of war, and to a lesser extent, the pantheon that spawned him.
Followers
Aside from a handful of scattered temples, the church of Hoar is composed primarily of lone wanderers who travel the realms, agreeing to pray for Hoar's aid on behalf of those who seek or fear vengeance, in exchange for a small fee. Charlatans who would try to scam people in this manner quickly feel the punishment of Hoar. His followers seek out victims of injustice, hear and appraise their stories, and track down the perpetrators in order to inflict a fitting form of punishment. No injustice is 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.
History\Relationships
Hoar is actually the ancient Untheric deity worshiped in the eastern Inner Sea lands as Assuran. Centuries past he was driven from Unther by Ramman, although his cult remained strong in Chessenta. He eventually slew his rival during the Time of Troubles, but Anhur stole Ramman's unclaimed portfolio before Hoar could act, earning Hoar's ire. Both Tyr and Bane contested for Hoar's tormented soul, as the Dark God sought to turn him into a servant of blind vengeance and bitterness while the Maimed God sought to unlock Hoar's bittersweet humor and shift his portfolio to favor irony and poetic justice. With Tyr's death, Bane has recruited Hoar as an exarch. Meanwhile, Hoar conspires with Beshaba in unleashing bad luck on the deserving.
Dogma
Uphold true and fitting justice and maintain the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law. Fitting recompense will always accrue for one's actions. Violence will meet violence and evil pay back evil, but good will also come to those who do good. Walk the line of the Doombringer's teachings, seeking retribution, but do not fall into the trap of pursuing evil acts for evil's sake, for that way is seductive and leads only to one's downfall. Vengeance must be sought for all injustices, and all punishments must fit the crime. Revenge is sweetest when it is sharpened with irony. All attacks must be avenged. Those who do not respond to attacks against their person or that which they hold dear only invite further attacks.
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, the Untheric god of war.
Other media
Quinsareth, an agent of Hoar, appears in the 2006 forgotten realms novel Bloodwalk by James P. Davis.
Nicco, an agent of Hoar, appears in the 2004 forgotten realms novel "Venom's Taste" by Lisa Smedman.
References
- 1 2 Boyd, Eric L, and Erik Mona. Faiths and Pantheons (Wizards of the Coast, 2002)
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb and Karen S. Martin (1987). Forgotten Realms Campaign Set. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
- ↑ Terra, John. Warriors and Priests of the Realms (TSR, 1996)
- ↑ Boyd, Eric L. (1997). Powers & Pantheons. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-0657-X.
- ↑ Boyd, Eric L. Demihuman Deities (TSR, 1998)
- ↑ Greenwood, Ed; Reynolds, Sean K.; Williams, Skip (2001). Forgotten Realms: Campaign Setting. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- 1 2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Wizards of the Coast. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.