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Boars were wild relatives of the domestic pig.[5] They were favored animals of the deities Gruumsh, Gwaeron Windstrom, Ilneval, Luthic, Rillifane Rallathil, Shargaas, and Yurtrus.[6]

Description[]

Boars were covered in thick fur, often brown or grayish in color. The exact size of a boar varied from species to species, from roughly human size to roughly the mass of an ogre or similarly sized creature. All varieties of boars were armed with sharp tusks that jutted out from beneath their snout and which were capable of causing serious injury. Boars also had a highly developed sense of smell.[7]

Behavior[]

Though not predatory by nature, boars were ill-tempered and territorial, a combination made worse by boars' powerful musculature and sharp tusks.[7]

Species[]

There existed several species of boar in the Realms, some of which are listed below.

Boars - Jim Nelson

A dire boar (right) and a thunderfury boar (left).

Dire boar
Larger than usual boars with increased aggression.
Pig
The domestic variant of boars, raised for livestock.
Thunderfury boar
The fey derivative of boars, which were far more ferocious than their Prime kin.

Ecology[]

Boars usually traveled in groups known as sounders.[5]

Habitats[]

Boar Shoat

A young boar shoat.

Boars were found in most locales across the world, from chilly tundras to hot jungles.[5]

In north Faerûn, wild boars inhabited the medium woods of Cormanthor, Daggerdale, and Shadowdale. Particularly the Border Forest and Vale of Lost Voices.[8] They could also be found in the Marsh of Chelimber,[9] the forests of Mistledale, around the Pool of Yeven,[10] and in the Ardeep Forest.[11][12][note 1] They were found throughout the Savage Frontier.[13]

In interior Faerûn found in Cormyr, while in west Faerûn they could be found in Tethyr[14] and in Amn, where they were so common along the Trade Way near the Battlescarred Bard inn that some believed a local landowner must have been using a deepspawn to create them.[15] They were also particularly common throughout the forests of the Vast.[16] In the Unapproachable East, they could be found in the Forest of Lethyr and Yuirwood.[17] In the Hordelands, they could be found on the Katakoro Plateau[18] High Meadows,[19] and Central Steppe.[20] In the land of Anauroch, they could be found in the fertile reaches of the Plain of Standing Stones[21] as well as the bordering Desertsmouth Mountains.[22]

Arctic boar

An arctic boar from the frozen north.

Beyond Faerûn they could be found on the island of Evermeet, where they were non-hostile towards elves and occasionally hunted by gold elves.[23] On the continent of Laerakond, boars could be found in Eskorn, Fimbrul, and Relmaur.[24] In Zakhara they could be found in the land's hills and badlands.[25] White-furred arctic boars were known to inhabit Icewind Dale and the Frozenfar.[26]

Beyond the Prime Material plane, boars could be found in the Feywild,[5] on Yggdrasil,[27] the Cavern of Rest. They were particularly known to act as guards in this divine realm of Marthammor Duin.[28][29]

Usages[]

Floor pig

A dwarven mosaic floor depicting a boar, found in the House of Gems of Myth Drannor.

  • Most elves had distaste for boar flesh, though still some prepared it as a stew in a similar manner to lulleth.[30]
  • It was quite common for inns of average quality in the Realms to serve boar meat as the third part of a four-course meal. Rural way-inns and the best eateries of small towns were also known to serve boar meat, albeit in gravy.[31] Roasted boar was often scored to allow for cloves or garlic to be embedded in the meat for cooking.[32]
  • Taverns would sometimes serve a boar and barley stew in mugs. These stews were intentionally very salty in order to encourage more drinking.[33]
  • Boar was one of many types of game popular and common at tables in the Dalelands.[34]
  • Along the Sword Coast, boar innards—including hearts, livers, and even lungs—were cooked by first crisping them over a fire and then simmering them in broth until ready to serve, at which point they were dried, crisped once more, and minced into a gravy with wine and warm cream.[35]
  • It was quite common for high-end establishments in the Realms to serve a whole roasted wild boar as the seventh part of a full-course meal.[31]
  • In Neverwinter, boar meat was one of the many common fillings used in savory pies[36] and in sausages.[37]
  • Thick-cut boar bacon was sometimes eaten as a centerpiece of a morning meal, often with eggs or fruits.[38]
  • Boar fat was a common cooking ingredient in places like Tethyr.[39]
  • Boar dumplings were a mainstay food among the poor of Amn[40] while simple farmers in The Vast used it to make wildsage stew.[41]
  • The so-called beef tea was a mixture of stock, roast drippings – most often boar, and a dash of potent alcohol, such as zzar.[42]
  • Roast boar fritters were a dwarven dish cooked using salt, flour, diced apples, and dates, served together with thinly sliced roasted boar.[43]

History[]

A petrified boar was kept on the Arcane Chambers level of Undermountain by Halaster.[44]

Members of the church of Silvanus often encouraged the hunting and eating of boar under the belief that the nobles who owned forests which were good for hunting would take efforts to preserve or expand those woodlands.[14]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

Notes[]

  1. Dragon #128's article "Welcome to Waterdeep" states that Monster Manual II's "cold, civilized forest" table is representative of what can be found in Ardeep forest.

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Adventures

Novels & Short Stories

Comics

Gamebooks

Referenced only
Spawn of Dragonspear

Video Games

Board Games

Card Games

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

External Links[]

References[]

  1. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 319. ISBN 978-0786965614.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook (October 2000). Monster Manual 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 270. ISBN 0-7869-1552-1.
  3. David "Zeb" Cook et al. (1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume One. (TSR, Inc), p. 14. ISBN 0-8803-8738-6.
  4. Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 11. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 35. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
  6. Sean K. Reynolds (2002-05-04). Deity Do's and Don'ts (Zipped PDF). Web Enhancement for Faiths and Pantheons. Wizards of the Coast. pp. 12–15. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2018-09-08.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook (October 2000). Monster Manual 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 194. ISBN 0-7869-1552-1.
  8. Jeff Grubb and George MacDonald (April 1989). Curse of the Azure Bonds. (TSR, Inc.), p. 93. ISBN 978-0880386067.
  9. Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “Cyclopedia of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 59. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
  10. Random encounters table included in Ed Greenwood (1989). Tantras (adventure). (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-88038-739-4.
  11. Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 135. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
  12. Ed Greenwood (December 1987). “Welcome to Waterdeep”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #128 (TSR, Inc.), p. 8.
  13. Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 93. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 166. ISBN 0786960345.
  15. Ed Greenwood (July 2000). Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II. Edited by Duane Maxwell, David Noonan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 63. ISBN 0-7869-1626-5.
  16. Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 146. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  17. Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 90, 94. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.
  18. David Cook (August 1990). “Volume II”. In Steve Winter ed. The Horde (TSR, Inc.), p. 118. ISBN 0-88038-868-4.
  19. David Cook (August 1990). “Volume II”. In Steve Winter ed. The Horde (TSR, Inc.), p. 117. ISBN 0-88038-868-4.
  20. David Cook (August 1990). “Volume II”. In Steve Winter ed. The Horde (TSR, Inc.), p. 115. ISBN 0-88038-868-4.
  21. James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Anauroch”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 13. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  22. Jeff Grubb and George MacDonald (April 1989). Curse of the Azure Bonds. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 978-0880386067.
  23. Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. (TSR, Inc), p. 10. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.
  24. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 204, 208, 211. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  25. Encounters Tables included in Wolfgang Baur, Steve Kurtz (1992). Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix. (TSR, Inc). ISBN l-56076-370-1.
  26. Black Isle Studios (August 2002). Designed by J.E. Sawyer. Icewind Dale II. Interplay.
  27. Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Travelogue”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 42. ISBN 1560768746.
  28. Ed Greenwood (October 1990). Dwarves Deep. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 22–23. ISBN 0-88038-880-3.
  29. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 74. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  30. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 0786960345.
  31. 31.0 31.1 Ed Greenwood (2019-10-06). Four-course meals of the Realms (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2019-10-17. Retrieved on 2021-05-16.
  32. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 82. ISBN 0786960345.
  33. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 80. ISBN 0786960345.
  34. Ed Greenwood (January 1996). Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-0406-2.
  35. Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 84. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
  36. Ed Greenwood (2019-11-25). Neverwinter Cuisine (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-11-26. Retrieved on 2021-05-16.
  37. Ed Greenwood (November 2000). “The New Adventures of Volo: Dragonwing Stew”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #277 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 93.
  38. Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 181. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
  39. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 88. ISBN 0786960345.
  40. Ed Greenwood (July 2000). Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II. Edited by Duane Maxwell, David Noonan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 48. ISBN 0-7869-1626-5.
  41. Ed Greenwood (January 1991). “The Everwinking Eye: At Home in Maskyr's Eye”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #57 (TSR, Inc.), p. 21.
  42. So Saith Ed 2010-2016. (25-11-2021). Retrieved on 25-11-2021.
  43. Ed Greenwood (2022-11-03). “Dwarven Cuisine” (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-11-03. Retrieved on 2022-11-03.
  44. Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
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