Church of Hoar

The Church of Hoar was a collection of clerics, crusaders, secret clergy known as nemeses, and specialty priests called doombringers devoted to Hoar, the Lord of Three Thunders. The church rarely held sermons and organized worship.

Clergy
Hoar's church was divided into roughly equal numbers of clerics, crusaders, and doombringers. The Hurler of Thunders had scant temples scattered across various nations in the Heartlands. Most, if not all, were humble yet intimidating-looking stone structures, often found atop secluded hills or mountains, where the clergy could contemplate acts of vengeance and poetic justice.

Most of Hoar's faithful spent their time wandering the Heartlands, aiding those who suffered grave injustices and praying for those in need of vengeance. The church's clergy actively sought victims of injustice out to take in their stories and investigate the crimes. When Hoarites evaluated the veracity of victims' accounts, they sought the criminals and dispensed the "essential justice." The fitting justice delivered by Hoar's clergy could be as small or as grand as the crime demanded. Tyrists and town watches often branded Hoar's clerics as vigilantes. This disapproval from the Church of Tyr pushed the reputation of the Church of Hoar to prominence among commoners as the patrons of the downtrodden. Imposters who collected tithes in the guise of Hoarites were entitled to receive a fitting punishment from Hoar's ghostly hand.

Dueling among the clergy of Hoar was quite widespread, similarly to the churches of Bhaal, Myrkul, and Shar, while other faiths disallowed the activity. Duels among worshipers of Hoar were usually done one-on-one, and it took only one round to determine the victor.

Ranks
Forty percent of Hoar's clergy were clerics, with crusaders and specialty priests–doombringers, evenly sharing the other sixty percent. There were many split factions within the church that squabbled over ancient disagreements. Titles among Hoar's faithful in ascending order included Eye of Irony, Hand of Doom, Fist of Vengeance, Claw of Revenge, Fateful Eye of Irony, Fateful Hand of Doom, Fateful Fist of Vengeance, and Fateful Claw of Revenge. The senior priests within the church were known as Lords of Thunderous Vengeance.

Holy Objects

 * The Black Bow, an enchanted longbow that was used as an instrument of vengeance in Cormyr. Many speculated that the bow was blessed by the Doombringer himself.
 * Talons of the Danse Macabre, eight pairs of weapons created by Assuran's priests in Chessenta that could attack a target when a command prayer was uttered.

Abilities
Regular clergy of Hoar were trained in divine magic and all types of weapons and armor. They could battle their opponents if blinded and were expert trackers. They also received linguistic training in two languages in addition to their local language or Common. The most common languages taught were dwarvish, elvish, gnome, halfling, orcish, or Untheric. Doombringers were taught to enter a focused rage, becoming machines of destruction, focused on a specific person or group.

Magic
Unlike regular clerics of Hoar, Doombringers cold not turn undead. Instead, Hoar gave them the ability to command undead to attack their creator. However, that ability could only affect creatures who were unwillingly turned into undead. Doombringers themselves had a way to create undead through the Prayer of Revenance. If uttered upon the death of an individual who prayed for vengeance with their dying breath, the Prayer of Revenance had a chance of raising the wronged as a revenant. Doombringers killed unjustly themselves returned to unlife as revenants.

Doombringers were granted additional spells, apart from the regular divine magics, such as shocking grasp, lightning bolt, Hand of Hoar, thunder staff, as they grew in power. More senior Doombringers were granted the permanent aid of the protection from arrows spell. Additionally, those clerics, paladins, and priests who worshipped Hoar could access certain spells granted only by that particular deity. These spells included scent of vengeance, hand of Hoar, and revenance.

Equipment
The ceremonial attire of the priests of Hoar consisted of a black tunic over a long gray robe, with gloves of soft black leather. When on an official "hunt," they donned masks of surreal design that concealed their faces. Around their waists, they wore dark-red sashes with silver borders; priests often kept trophies or tokens of past victories attached to this. They also wore an item of jewelry that displayed the holy symbol of Hoar and served as one for a cleric's powers. Finally, they always carried curved daggers. The priests wore these vestments whenever they could unless they needed to hide their identity or occupation while pursuing a wrong-doer. When adventuring, clergy of Hoar preferred to wear leather armor when in need of speed and stealth but did not hesitate to equip themselves with heavy plate mail when storming enemies headfirst.

Members of the church were usually trained in the use of all weapons, and when adventuring, they carried at least one blunt, one piercing, and one type of slashing weapon. This was done not to be more effective in battle, but to strike back at their opponents using the same type of weapon that was used to injure them. When clergy defeated their opponents, priests used the opponent's own weapons to finish them off.

Dogma
The tenants of the Hoarite faith dictated that his worshipers were to upload the spirit of the law, but not the letter of the law. True and fitting justice was more important than lawful procedure and prosecution. Eye for an eye, violence bred violence, and evil paid back evil, and good always returned to those of good intentions. The Church of Hoar was strict at saying down the rules that encouraged its members to carefully walk the thin line of payback evil and not do evil acts that were uncalled for. Poetic justice was encouraged, while evil led only to one's downfall. Hoarite dogma demanded justice for all wrongdoings and injustices and requited punishment to fit the crime, served with irony.

Holy Days and Rituals
Few major official holidays and celebrations existed within the church. Instead, individual priests were required to celebrate anniversaries of their personal acts of vengeance. The clergy members were also expected to observe anniversaries of crimes, insults, and injuries that were yet to be avenged. This was done in prayer and quiet contemplation, while those from outside the Hoarite faith often considered it to be nothing more than brooding. In reality, this time of contemplation was used to form plans and strategies for delivering appropriate punishments to the perpetrators. When non-Hoarites landed aid to the clergy members, they were rewarded lavishly and practically. The church did not waste time on empty honorary titles and praise; instead rewards were personal and significant. Each member of the Hoar's clergy was ought to praise the deity inwardly or loudly, when appropriate, as revenge was delivered.

One of the two official celebrations was the Penultimate Thunder, a festival recognizing Hoar's eventual triumph over Ramman, on Eleint 11. The Thunder was celebrated with grand feasts that served dishes of game, bread, fruits, and mead. The Impending Doom, a ceremony honoring future justice, was celebrated on Marpenoth 11. The observance of the holiday lasted for an entire day. The Impending Doom festival was filled with ceremonies of oaths, exhausting acts of purification, all performed to the music of rumbling drums.

Hoarite clerics preyed for the divine spells nightly at midnight as bells tolled for those in need of justice.

Regions
There were few permanent structures dedicated to Hoar. In South Faerûn, the leadership of the Church of Hoar was torn between two temples. The Thunderous Hand of Vengeance in Akanax where the temple was fiercely loyal to the crown and many members of its clergy were government officials. The Amphitheater of the First Thunder in Mourktar was built in the shape of an amphitheater and hosted gladiatorial battles, or duels, between the accused and accusers. Locals believed that Hoar manifested himself to guide each duel. The Hidden Hand of Fate in the Arch Wood in North Faerûn was slowly rising in prominence, following the Godswar, while temples in the south slowly hemorrhaged worshipers.

Further to the north and the Sword Coast North, a small shrine to Hoar was built in the city of Baldur's Gate by the late-15 century DR.

Hoar had limited worship in Thay. The City of a Thousand Temples – Bezantur had a Temple of Hoar, main place of worship in the region.

History
The Church of Hoar originated in the ancient land of Unther, in the Sea of Fallen Stars, where he was worshiped as Assuran. The church and worshipers were banished from Unther following a battle between Hoar and Ramman, the god of war. After banishment, Hoar lost place in the pantheon and his church was reduced to being the cult of the Doombringer in Unther. With time, even the cult suffered a loss of worshipers to Anhur, the Mulhorandi god of war, introduced to Unther by Chessentan mercenaries.

During the Time of Troubles, Hoar manifested himself in his avatar – King Hippartes of Akanax. Under his leadership, devote Hoar-worshiping mercenaries were taken to taw against Chessentan cities of Cimbar, Soorenar, and Luthcheq, and later, attacked the god's ancient enemies in the Church of Ramman. Hoar briefly triumphed over Ramman but lost once again when the Church of Anhur and Mulhorandi armies defeated King Hippartes and banished Hoar from Unther once again. This defeat cost Hoar dearly, many of the mercenaries in his army started venerating Anhur.

Following the Time of Troubles, Hoar's almost completely retreated from the Realms, making some doubt him being alive as of a decade past the days of gods walking the earth. His church continued to grow, albeit slowly, throughout the Heartlands.

By the 1370s DR, Mulhorand took control of the two-thirds of Unther, and faith in Hoar was lit anew with zealot passion. Along with Hoar, zealots of Tiamat, Anhur, Selûne, and Horus-Re all fought for religious dominance. While Hoarites waged vengeful war against Untheri and Mulhorandi enemies, Hoar himself was searching for a worthy emissary in Unther to guide the faith to its former glory. The center of Hoar's worship grew in Unthalass. However, the zealot war of the Hurler of Thunders was a clandestine conflict, as the clergy operated through emissaries and go-betweens in the guise of goodly priests who sought prosperity for Unther.

Associated Orders

 * Fellowship of Poetic Justices, a group of bards and crusaders that venerated Hoar and Tyr who worked to spread tales of poetic justice through songs and actions.
 * Hunters of Vengeance, a small order of bounty hunters, part of a hidden cult of Hoar in the depths of the Arch Wood.
 * Order of the Gauntlet, a 15 century DR order that included paladins and clerics of Tyr, Helm, Torm and Hoar.
 * Sons of Hoar, a clandestine organization of nobles dedicated to Hoar and opposed to the Simbul in Aglarond.
 * Three Thunders, a Mulani and Turami order of assassins who dedicated themselves to Hoar's war for restoration against Mulhorandis in the 1370s DR.

Notable Members of the Church of Hoar

 * Gural of Chessenta, a priest of Hoar to brought poetic justice to Redani, who murdered of her many loves after growing bored with them. Gural sent an army of reanimated lovers to slay her, and claimed the magical mace – The Love of Black Bess.
 * Hrusse of Assuran, a human cleric of Hoar and a member of the Force Grey in the mid-to-late 14 century DR.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Bloodwalk &bull; Venom's Taste &bull; Viper's Kiss &bull; Vanity's Brood &bull; Cry of the Ghost Wolf
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter
 * Icewind Dale
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * The Worst of All Snares &bull; Twisted Roots Run Deep
 * The Worst of All Snares &bull; Twisted Roots Run Deep
 * The Worst of All Snares &bull; Twisted Roots Run Deep