The Land of the Hunt
| Divine Realm | |
|---|---|
| Plane: | Carceri |
| Layer: | Colothys |
| Powers: | Malar |
- The hunt is everything. A sod is either a predator or prey in the hunt of life, and anyone who doesn't hunt is in his turn hunted.
Malar, a lesser power of Toril, controls the Land of the Hunt. He's a wild, feral power, one who's more than willing to tear the guts from his enemies with his own hands - and lick the same hands clean. He's barmy by human standards, but that doesn't seem to deter his worshippers.
Malar's realm is fairly small, as realms go. Here the land's a little less rugged than most of Colothys, and it contains more greenery. Actual paths wind through the mountains, and the canyon bottoms are habitable, though most of the residents gather in the caves that permeate the rock walls.
Game wanders through the realm, ranging from rabbits to elephants, and great cats and wolves're also common. Anytime a body needs food, all he needs to do is hunt. It's a strange truth in Malar's realm that any prey hunted is going to be as strong as, if not stronger than, the hunter. The hunter has to show cunning and foresight to take down his prey, and he's got to wear it down before he closes in. The more brutal the kill, the better the quality of meat on it.
The air of the Land of the Hunt bears a strange quality. It carries scents and sounds far more easily than most places, but only for those who have a predatory instinct in them, or for those who're tied to nature somehow. Thus, a ranger or a druid experiences some sensory sharpening, while an ordinary berk doesn't.
Sites and Cities
The towns of the Land are not really towns, as such. They're caves hewn into the rock canyons in which packs of Malarites live and breed. Hundreds of dens cluster into the mountainside, holding packs ranging in size from four to 4,000 in number. They arrange themselves in pack hierarchy, with one male or female dominating the group. Any member of the pack can challenge the leader at any time; duels are, of course, to the death.
Some dens allow visitors, and even encourage trade. These dens export animal furs and import things like metals and other crafts that the Malarites have no talent for. Of course, a merchant seeking out each den to see if they wanted to trade would have to be downright barmy...