Kelemvor

Kelemvor, formerly Kelemvor Lyonsbane, is the god of death and the dead, and master of the Crystal Spire in the Fugue Plane. In his mortal days, Kelemvor was a skilled mercenary, with the heart of a noble paladin, concealed under rude manners.
Fair yet cold, Kelemvor is the god of death and the dead — the most recent deity to hold this position, following in the footsteps of Jergal, Myrkul, and Cyric. Unlike these other deities, whose rule as gods of the dead made the afterlife an uncertain and fearful thing, Kelemvor promotes that death is a natural part of life and should not be feared as long as it is understood. As a result of his deep respect for life and death, he holds the undead in the uttermost contempt.

Divine Domains

Death, The Dead

Divine Symbols & Sigils

The main symbol is a skeletal arm holding scales in balance.
Servants of Kelemvor are usually clad in somber gray vestments.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Before his ascension to godhood, Kelemvor was a human fighter named Kelemvor Lyonsbane, who was best known for his association with the adventurers Adon, Cyric, and Midnight, the latter two of which also later became deities. Inwardly sensitive and kindhearted, Kelemvor nonetheless exhibited a gruff exterior.
During the events of the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, a curse on Kelemvor's bloodline was removed by then god of strife, Bane. Together with Midnight and Adon he recovered the lost Tablets of Fate, bringing them to Waterdeep, to returned them to Ao to end the Time of Troubles.
In a final confrontation with Myrkul on top of Blackstaff Tower, Kelemvor was killed by a still-mortal Cyric, wielding the sword Godsbane. Cyric would later go on to become the god of death in place of Myrkul, and Midnight became the new goddess of magic, Mystra (taking over from the old goddess Mystra... It's complicated). However, Kelemvor's existence was not ended then and Godsbane, which was actually the god Mask in disguise, syphoned away Kelemvor's eternal spirit, hiding it from the new Lord of Death. For ten years, Kelemvor's spirit lived in this pocket plane, while Cyric searched for him, bent on destroying his former companion for good.
Ten years after the Time of Troubles, after Cyric murdered Bhaal and ascended to godhood, the first thing he wanted to accomplish was to have Kelemvor's soul so that he could gain an advantage over the new Mystra, his most hated rival, and whose portfolio over magic he coveted. However, for ten years, Cyric and his church were unable to find Kelemvor's soul, every divination and spell they tried yielded nothing.
With the help of Mystra, Torm, Oghma, and Cyric's own high priest Fzoul Chembryl (whose loyalty lay with the dead Bane), great chaos was caused in two of Cyric's most important bases of faith: Zhentil Keep and the City of Death.Cyric, though a Greater Power, lost his mind and crushed his sword, which freed Kelemvor, and made his nightmare come true. The two fought, a dead soul against a god. Cyric's fear, indecision, and madness became his defeat, and Kelemvor finally managed to overthrow Cyric's rule in the City. By the wish of all dead spirits and Denizens in the Gray Wastes, in 1368 DR Kelemvor became the new God of Death.

Social

Contacts & Relations

As mortals, Kelemvor and Midnight were lovers, but it is unlikely this was maintained after Midnight's ascension to take Mystra's place as they were afterwards both deities with responsibilities. Kelemvor's greatest enemy is Cyric, but he also fiercely opposed the machinations of Myrcul, the god of corrupted death dead and undead. This also made him an ally of Lathander the Morninglord, who also opposed undeath. Kelemvor maintained practical alliances with good and neutral-aligned gods of death in other pantheons, Sehanine Moonbow primarily. Kelemvor is served by the original deity of death, the mysterious, fatalistic, and pragmatic Jergal, who kept records of the final disposition of spirits of the deceased.
The death clergy of Kelemvor has many duties; most involve tending to the last wishes of the dying and providing burial services to those who die alone. They also set out to cure diseases and defend people from monsters so that folk did not die before their time. Their final and arguably most important task is the destruction of undeath in all its various forms as it is an affront to Kelemvor. Elite priests of Kelemvor are known as Doomguides.
There are two major centers of worship devoted to Kelemvor: the Tower of Skulls in Ormath and a huge monastery in Ormpetarr that has just finished construction.

Divine Classification

Greater Deity

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Lord of the Dead, Judge of the Damned, Master of the Crystal Spire, The Great Guide, Lord of the Crystal Spire

Year of Birth

1330 DR 160 Years old