is given credit. When one hears three rolls of thunder
in succession, it is thought to be a sign from Hoar that
some act of.vengeance has been performed. Many
human societies have the custom of ringing a bell or a
gong three times when judgment of a crime is rendered
or an execution takes place.
Folk speak Hoar's name when they want revenge,
particularly when they are incapable of avenging them-
selves. This invocation might be in response to a petty
slight or a true injustice, and the acknowledgment of
Hoar might be a short prayer said aloud or might be
written down somewhere. It's generally believed that
the more permanent the form of the prayer, the more
likely it is to be fulfilled. For this reason, some etch
their prayers in lead and bury it or hide their prayers
inside diaries. Aside from bounty hunters and those on
crusades of vengeance, few truly revere Hoar, and he is
served by fewer still who would call themselves priests.
Temples or shrines of Hoar are almost nonexistent ex-
cept for ancient sites in Chessenta and Unther.
Hoar became a member of the Faerfinian pantheon
when his worship extended beyond the lands that origi-
nally revered him. Most consider Tyr to be the arbiter of
laws, and Hoar to be the god who metes out punishment
that comes as a result of breaking those codes. A judge
might favor the worship of Tyr, while a jail or or a heads-
man is more likely to pray to Hoar.
lLMATER
The Crying God, the Rack-Broken Lord, He Who
Endures
Ilmater is the god of suffering, martyrdom, and perse-
verance, renowned for his compassion and endurance.
It is he who offers succor and calming words to those
who are in pain, victimized, or in great need. He is the
willing sufferer, the one who takes the place of another
to heft the other's burden, to take the other's pain. He is
the god of the oppressed and the unjustly treated.
It is said that if he had his way, the Crying God would
take all the suffering in the world onto himself, so as to
spare others. Since he can't, he blesses those who endure
on others' behalf, and he alleviates suffering when he can.
Martyrs who die that others may live are always blessed
by II mater with a final rest and reward in the god's after-
life, should they so choose.
Ilmater's priests take in the ill, the starving, and the
injured, and his temples give most of what they receive
to help offset the suffering of the world. His followers
SYMBOL OF lLMATERCHAPTER 1 I WELCOME TO THE REALMS
provide succor when they can, but also use force to
put an end to torture and suffering inflicted on others.
Ilmater's priests travel to places where the worst pos-
sible conditions exist, ministering to the needs of the
oppressed, the deceased, and the poor. They put others
ahead of themselves, are sharing of all they have, and
emphasize the spiritual nature of life over the welfare of
the material body.
Priests of Ilmater who are on a quest to aid others
can be recognized by their hair shirts, vests of coarse
fur worn against the bare skin. It is taboo to harm such
priests as they go about their duties, such as when they
administer to the wounded on a battlefield. The taboo is
so strongly felt among humans that other races respect
the custom. Even ores and goblinoids will avoid directly
attacking a peaceful priest of Ilmater, as long as the
priest administers to their fallen warriors as well.
Most folk deeply respect the work and the sacrifice
of Ilmater's faith, and lend aid to such endeavors where
they can. When a temple of Ilmater sends its faithful to
help refugees of war or victims of plague, their willing-
ness to sacrifice their own well-being always prompts
ordinary people to support them, whether they are in-
spired or shamed into action.ERG AL
The Final Scribe, the Pitiless One, the Bleak Seneschal
Legend has it thatJergal is an ancient deity. The story
goes that in the time of Netheril he was worshiped as
the god of death, murder, and strife. Yet with the passing
of time, he became bored with his position. Then one
day three mortals, each a powerful adventurer, metJer-
gal in the lands of the dead, determined to destroy him
and take his power. Instead,Jergal calmly abdicated his
throne of bones and allowed each of the three mortals to
take part of his divinity. Thus it was that Bane assumed
the portfolio of strife, Myrkul the rulership of the dead,
and Bhaal the portfolio of murder.] ergal lost his former
stature and became a scribe of the dead.
Jergal is now seen as an uncaring custodian of the
dead. He is thought to record the passing of the living
and to aid Kelemvor in seeing that souls are properly
bound to their appropriate afterlife. He is rarely ac-
knowledged directly, except for being mentioned at
funerals and among those who practice the custom of
writing the name of the deceased on a sheet of parch-
ment and placing it in the corpse's mouth. This rite isSYMBOL OF JERGAL