Malgelirion
Malgelirion is the god of the dead, nightmares, and omens and is often depicted as a thin, frail figure in jet black clothing. They govern the honoured dead in Sanctuary with the assistance of their designated Court Macabre. Originally, the Lord of the Dead and Dreams misliked elves for their extended lifespans and their habit of evading sleep and, as a consequence, would rarely grant an elf their power. In modern times, Malgelirion's disinclination towards elves has lessened among Nachthyrian elves, whose culture has evolved around death and nightmares, and Somnian elves, with the unique (among elven races) ability to dream naturally.
Malgelirion rose to godhood during the First Era while the early water genasi were lengthening their life with the waters of youth. Malgelirion misliked their search for immortality and considered it an unparalleled arrogance to alter the lifespans gifted to mortality by the Prime Three. In searching for the strength to stop elvenkind's search for immortality, Malgelirion claimed true godhood and, ironically, violated the Prime Three's First Rule.
Malgelirion communicates with his faithful primarily through dreams. Regrettably, the Lord of the Dead has long since lost touch with the concepts of fear and horror from a mortal's perspective and, given the frightening nature of their portfolio, these dreams often include nightmarish landscapes and visions of unforgettable dread. Consequently, followers of Malgelirion are often either of ironclad mental constitution, or the opposite.
Niramour, Lord of Dreams
Ignotus, the Ferryman (See Court Macabre)
The Reaper (See Court Macabre)
Malgorok, Lord of Plague
Maraadt, the Accursed Soulbound
Maraadt is a now-disgraced Archon of Malgelirion who was originally tasked with hunting the undead and those who sought immortality. During the middle of the third century, Maraadt developed an obsessive vitriol toward concepts of undeath, an obsession so strong as to twist his mind and warp his original purpose. Maraadt begun considering any who had been resurrected to be "undead"; he hunted down and massacred hundreds of adventurers before he was restrained and imprisoned in the Shackles of Eternity (in the Astral Sea), an extradimensional prison. Maraadt was imprisoned for five decades before another group inadvertently released him. He was later assigned by divine order the position of Warden of the Shackles and remained at his post for a time, before succumbing to a heretical abandonment of faith, becoming the first Godless Archon.Other Archons
Relationship with the Nachthyr
Malgelirion dislikes the elves for their ability to evade sleep and their long lifespans, both seen to him as violating sacred laws of mortality. Nevertheless, the Nachthyr (Elves of the Night) have entered into an unknown sort of pact with this God of Death such that they perform rituals in his name, wield his power and are even governed by Priestesses of the highest order--the Queens of Night.The Queens of Night
The Nachthyrian dwell deep underground, away from the furthest reaches of daylight. Their cities are divided into several factions of Malgelirion's priestly orders and governed by immensely powerful clerics. To date, those known to surface dwellers are the Queens of Bats, of Spiders, and of Wolves, but it is suspected that more dwell in the deepest recesses of the underdark.Rituals
Death's Embrace
. A powerful ritual performed by the Nachthyrians beneath the light of a full moon. The elves make pilgrimage to the surface world, bringing with them a powerful cleric of Malgelirion. The cleric, a willing and revered participant, is administered a luminous death cap beneath the moonlight while the elves carry a chant to the death god. As the chanting subsides, the cleric is slain and the slayer is bestowed a blessing of Malelgirion.
