Thard Harr

Thard Harr is the dwarven god of jungle survival and hunting, and the patron of the wild dwarves; he watches over them and works to ensure their continued survival. His followers revere the jungles they live in and do their best to live in harmony with and to protect the jungles (and themselves) from outsiders who would do either of them harm. His followers tend to be suspicious and isolationist, and they rarely willingly interact with outsiders. Only those who had proven themselves over a long period time can gain their trust. Thard Harr is also an exarch of Moradin.

Worshipers, Clergy & Temples

Thard's clerics and druids enjoy a position of reverence in their sheltered homeland. The worship of Thard Harr is so deeply ingrained in wild dwarf society that few even consider the possibility of other religions. Though some gold dwarves of the south (especially those dwelling near the ruins of High Shanatar) remember ancestors' tales of Thard as a lost dwarven nature deity, most wild dwarves remain completely ignorant of the rest of the Morndinsamman, a failing Thard does nothing to ameliorate. Priests lead their charges on prosperous hunts, acts as generals for the loosely organized armies of the wild dwarves, and speak for the society as a whole.

The responsibility for eliminating persistent intruders (unless dwarven) into wild dwarven territory falls to the Disentangler's priests, and they are expected to lead such attacks as fearlessly and diligently as Thard himself. If a foe is too strong, a priest tries to mentally call Thard himself to the scene, and the Lord of the Jungle Deeps often responds by either sending a manifestation, or in very rare situations, by dispatching an avatar to deal with the threat directly.

Thard's wisdom teaches that one can best defeat an enemy that one knows well. Seasoned wild dwarves try to capture at least one intruder alive for questioning, before sacrificial use. If sparing the intruder seems likely to bring possible future benefits to the dwarves, they do so. Jungle dwarves are interested in trade-metal, glass objects, and tools-in return for pelts, meat, or even live beasts. They conduct trade so long as they can conduct it on territory of their choosing, to set up traps and ambushes to guard against treachery under the direction of priests of Thard.

Vestments

Priests of Thard bear the god's crossed-gauntlets sign as a tattoo, usually on one shoulder or on the scalp, overgrown by their hair. Priests of Thard never cut their hair (even the females), but instead braid them into ropes that they tie around their waists or shoulders. If an enemy or beast cuts a priest's beard, there is no penalty；if it is done by the priest himself or herself, it is a sign that she or he is turning away from Thard's service and can no longer expect aid from the god. The skull of a large jungle beast, such as a rhinoceros, great cat, or giant crocodile is worn as a helm. For ceremonial purposes, the pelts or skins of jungle monsters are worn as robes.

Like other wild dwarves, the Disentangler's priests rarely don clothing, with the exception of their beast helms, as their long, woven hair serves as adequate garb. They cover their bodies with tattoos and grease. The grease serves to keep off insects and makes them hard to hold. When going to war, priests of the Disentangler plaster their hair and bodies with mud that, when combined with the grease they normally coat their bodies in, forms a crude but effective armor (AC 7). Thard's priests favor metal weapons and tools, if available, but otherwise they employ their fists and clubs.

Hierarchy

Thard's clerics and druids are known as vuddor ("those of the jungle"). Priests of the Lord of the Jungle Deeps are known as Shamans and eschew the use of a formal hierarchy of titles. High Old Ones are collectively known as the Lords/Ladies of the Jungle. Each priest receives a personal title in a dream on the night the individual is initiated into the clergy. Such titles typically include the name of a great beast of the jungle over which the priest is then believed to have a small amount of supernatural control.

Temples

Temples of Thard rarely incorporate artificial structures like buildings or dwarf-carved caves. The Disentangler is worshiped in isolated sanctuaries of incredible natural beauty rich in animal and plant life. Soaring cliffs, great waterfalls, vast gorges, hot springs, natural caverns, and volcanic mud flats deep in the heart of the jungles are common places for Thard's worshipers to gather. Usually up to a dozen priests of the Lord of the Jungle Deeps watch over such holy sites, and they can call on the beasts of the surrounding jungle as well as nearby tribes of wild dwarves to defend these sanctuaries.

Rituals

Vuddar pray for spells in the morning. Ceremonies venerating the Lord of the Jungle Deeps are held on nights of the full and new moon. On such occasions, several hunting bands come together under the direction of one or more priests of Thard. The drums and chants of the wild dwarves then echo throughout the jungle, striking terror in the hearts of intelligent beings and beasts alike. Whenever the moon is full, and often when the moon is new, blood sacrifices of beasts and/or intruders are offered up to the Lord of the Jungle Deeps. Although they are not cannibals and do not usually eat intelligent beings, the assembled wild dwarves then often eat the still-warm sacrifice, regardless of its species.

Orders

The Thardite faith has no formal military orders. However, on rare occasions, Thard's clergy collectively determine that it is in the best interest to go to war. At such times, the best warriors of the widely scattered hunting bands come together to form the Pack. The Pack includes bloods (young warriors), war leaders (more experienced warriors), and priests of demonstrable fighting skill. Once assembled, the Pack is a nearly unstoppable juggernaut that drives beasts and beings, great and small, from its path. Once the Pack's objective is achieved – the destruction of a yuan-ti enclave or a Batiri village, for example – the Pack quickly disperses and its surviving participants return to their small hunting bands.

Dogma

Like the great tigers of the jungle, be strong and wary of beasts, whether they walk on two legs or four. Live in harmony with nature and gain the protection of the Lord of the Jungle Deeps. Seek to understand what you do not, but be wary of bringing unknown gifts into your lair. Honor the ways of your people, but assume not that Thard's way is the only way--just the best way for his children.

Appearance, Manifestations

Thard Harr is a tattooed, pot-bellied dwarf. He is an obscure, feral creature wearing an ornate copper helm fashioned in the shape of a crocodile's head.

Thard seldom speaks, but he has been known to purr, growl, snarl, and roar like a great cat. He is given to great swings of emotion and grand gestures. The Disentangler has no tolerance for pretentious behavior, civilization, or social constraints of any sort.

Relationships & History

The Lord of the Jungle Deeps maintains friendly, but distant, relations with most of the other members of the Morndinsamman, but he is far removed from the concerns of dwarven life, at least as expressed by the gold and shield dwarf cultures of Faerun.

Sharindlar and Dumathoin are probably the only dwarven powers to interact with Thard on a regular basis, the former for her interest in the rampant fertility of the jungle and the latter for his oversight of the albino shield dwarves of Chult who come into occasional contact with their wild kinfolk.

Thard has forged alliances and developed hatreds for many of the other powers whose worshipers dwell or have dwelt in the jungles of southern Faerun. Notable allies include Jazirian, lord of the couatl, and Ubtao, Father of the Dinosaurs, Founder of Mezro, and god of the Tabaxi. Finally, although they are not true powers in their own right, Thard has forged close relationships with many of the Animal Lords who also dwell in the Beastlands.

The Disentangler's most notable foes include Eshowdow the Shadow Giant, Ubtao's antithesis and lord of the Eshowe (jungle humans), Sseth the Great Snake, god of the yuan-ti, and Kuro (Khurgorbaeyag), the most widely worshiped god of the Batiri (jungle goblins).

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Source: Faiths and Pantheons