Temples to Morr are dedicated to him either as Lord of Death or Dreams. A broad doorway with a lintel stone distinguishes all of the cult’s temples. These doorways are always open, like the gates of the underworld and the Dreamlands. There is very little contact between the cult’s temples, but every ten years a convocation of the Priesthood is held in Luccini, Tilea. There, matters of doctrine and rite are debated and decided upon.
Temples of the Lord of Death are places of burial. Normally only used for funerals and the preparation of the dead, the “Gardens of Morr” are burial grounds, where the dead are planted. Mortuary temples are built upon or next to these cemeteries. These temples are solidly built, usually of stone. They are bare inside, and generally very cool. Dead people are brought to the gates of the garden by their relatives and handed over to the Priests, who prepare and bury the bodies.
Temples to the lord of dreams are less plentiful than his Gardens. They are usually domed structures with an oculus. The insides are filled with incense smoke and braziers. People come to these temples to have their dreams interpreted and to ask the Priests to perform divinations.
Shrines to Morr almost always take the form of a gateway, consisting of two plain pillars and a lintel. In some cases, one pillar is of marble and the other of basalt. People usually do not maintain shrines in their homes to Morr, since his symbols are generally thought to invite bad luck. The exception to this is when people wish to have peaceful dreams or visions of the future. In these cases, they keep a small brazier, etched with a stylized raven, burning in their homes at night.
Holy Orders
The cult’s Priesthood is divided into two orders: the Order of the Shroud and the Augurs. The Priests in the Order of the Shroud officiate at the cult’s funerary temples and guard nearby tombs and cemeteries against grave robbers and necromancers. These Priests have a reputation for being dour and unreadable, but there are also stories of their quiet kindness: anonymously supporting a widow and her children, embracing a bereft lover, saying prayers for the deceased who have been forgotten by their own families.
The Augurs are few, but they are much sought after for their expertise at interpreting portents and practicing divinatory magic. They rarely travel far from their temples, most of their time being spent in trances and speculations. When an augur does travel abroad, it is a result of a dream or other sign. Augurs tend to be aloof but suddenly become animated when conveying a vision or interpretation. Wizards sometimes befriend augurs and share the secrets of their arts.
Church Skills and Talents
Prominent Figures
In Talabheim, a notable figure within the cult is Paul van Soleck. A member of the Augurs, Paul is the order’s greatest living seer—at the young age of fifteen. Few are comfortable in his presence. Without blinking, he fixes his sapphire eyes on anyone who speaks to him, and his face has a beauty that disconcerts more than it attracts, for it is cold like a statue. Paul is known throughout the city not only for his visions but also for his eccentricities. Many nights, he sleeps among gravestones. He claims the dead whisper the future to him, a claim few are willing to dismiss, given the accuracy of his foretellings. The Count of Talabheim has taken a liking to Paul and frequently invites him to private audiences to be counselled by the youth’s visions.
Holy Days
The cult has two holy nights, when the world’s two moons are full. The first is Hexensnacht (Witching Night), the eve of the new year. The second is Geheimnisnacht (Night of Mystery), a few weeks before the beginning of autumn.
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