The name of this tribal tradition translates to “Blood Hunters,” and its members worship Vulkoor the Cunning. The drow of the Hantar’kul believe that it is the destiny of their people to rule over all Xen’drik. They despise the giants and other creatures of the shattered land, but they believe that dominance over these creatures is assured; it is foreigners that they see as a threat. As such, the Hantar’kul actively prey on explorers who venture into the depths of Xen’drik. They have been responsible for the destruction of a number of mining and farming settlements, and the Hantar’kul present an ongoing threat to House Tharashk and House Vadalis operations. Although they hate all foreigners, the Hantar’kul have a special vendetta against the elves of Aerenal and Valenar and the drow and half-drow who live within Stormreach.
As with many other drow traditions, the Hantar’kul mantle is borne by a number of different drow tribes. These tribes respect one another but rarely work together, and each has slightly different traditions. The tribe that poses the greatest threat to Stormreach is the Qar Hantar’kul, which uses a curved double-bladed dagger as its emblem. The Qar tribe has recently set up camp in the tunnels below Stormreach; the drow hope to find powerful weapons in the deep dungeons and to establish a strong foothold from which to strike at the foreigners in the world above.
Most Hantar’kul fit the traditional image of the Vulkoori drow, including the pale tattoos and chitin armor. However, the Blood Hunters recognize the power of the past, and they constantly search for magic items and weapons they can use. As students of Vulkoor the Cunning, their numbers include rogues, rangers, assassins, and monks. If the DM is using Tome of Battle, a Hantar’kul tribe might include swordsages specializing in the Shadow Hand, Diamond Mind, and Setting Sun disciplines—ancient traditions dating back to the elf–giant war