Kelemvor

Oh lion, lion, reacher of the sky. Your fearsome roar does cause the grou nd to sh ake. Oh lion, lion, how can one deny The fear and awe you leave behind your wake. Oh lion proud and mighty have you been But soon your tower built shall tumble down. For all things endjust as they do begin; The Judgment comes to all when time comes 'round. Владыка Мёртвых, Судья Проклятых Келемвор рассматривается как справедливый, честный и утешающий бог смерти. Смерть прихо¬дит за всеми, и когда такое случается, Келемвор за руку ведёт каждую душу к её посмертию. Жрече¬ство Келемвора учит, что те, кто поклонялся богам согласно заветам их религии, поступали верно и им будет предложено соответствующее посмертие. Последователи Келемвора предоставляют людям спокойный переход в лоно Владыки Мёртвых. Они помогают умирающим привести их дела в порядок и помогают с похоронами тем, кто не может себе позволить, к примеру, пышности похорон собствен¬ной веры. Принципы последователей Келемвора призывают их препятствовать и предотвращать безвременным смертям, когда это возможно. Разные группы и поклонники дают разные определения «безвремен¬ности». Одна группа может сконцентрироваться на том, чтобы остановить распространение болезней. Другая, на предотвращении убийств. Иная - на истреблении нежити. Характерно, что все верую¬щие Келемвора презирают нежить и так или иначе работают над её искоренением, так как любая не¬жить расценивается как искажение естественного порядка вещей. Эта деталь не только очевидным образом противопоставляет последователей Келем¬вора некромантам, жрецам Миркула и всем прочим, кто приветствует создание нежити, но и порождает, казалось бы, неожиданные конфликты. Например, жрецы Келемвора методично истре¬бляют все записи о создании нежити, которые они находят - такие действия оскорбляют тех, кто це¬нит знания ради самих знаний, таких как последо¬ватели Огмы и Денеира. Также существует нежить, которая не является злом, такая как баэлнорны, которых эльфы считают святыми. Последователи Келемвора пытаются уничтожить и их, не обращая внимания на этот факт. Лорд Мертвых, Судья Проклятых Великое божество Символ: Вертикально скелетная рука, держащая золотые весы правосудия Домашний план: План Фугу Мировоззрение: Законно нейтральное Сфера: Смерть, мертвые Прихожане: Умирающие, семейства умирающих, могильщики, охотники за нежитью, гробовщики, присутствующие на похоронах Мировоззрения клериков: БЕ, БО, БИ Домены: Судьба, Закон, Защита, Покой *, Путешествие Одобренное оружие: "Фатальное Касание" (полуторный меч) * См. Приложение. Келемвор (келл-ем-вор, /ж//-ет-уог) - последний в длинной линии фаэрунских божеств, командующих силами смерти и наблюдающих за судьбой мертвых. Смерть была величайшей константой во всей человеческой истории, но пути, которыми люди смотрели на эту неизбежную силу, значительно разнились по мере того, как различные божества возникали для присмотра за ней. В течение господства загадочного Джергала смерть и загробная жизнь содержала для обычной персоны множество тайн. Большинство боялись того, чего не знали или не понимали. Когда Миркул забрал должность Лорда Мертвых после того, как Джергал утомился ей, наихудшие страхи человечества обрели форму. Злые культисты напомнили живым о силе и влиянии мертвых, простиравшихся далеко за пределы их могил. В тех дни линия между мертвыми и нежитью стерлись, и обыватели знали, что быть принятым в объятия Миркула - не защита от того, чтбы вас поднял некий сумасшедший некромант. Все стало еще хуже, когда Миркул был уничтожен в течение Времени Неприятностей и роль принял Цирик. Печально известный мелочный и испорченный Черное Солнце, казалось, не давал даже тех бледных гарантий, что его предшественники. Келемвор, принявший мантию десятью лет спустя после Войны Богов, принял решительно отличающийся подход. Келемвор торопит своих клериков действовать как распорядители загробной жизни и учить народ Фаэруна, что смерть - естественная часть жизни. Нет ничего, чего стоит бояться при переходе, ибо лишь действительно злой, Неверующий или Ложный должен бояться мира вне Плана Фугу. Келемвор рассматривает всю нежить как нечто отвратительное, приказывая своим служителям уничтожать ее при любой возможности. Келемвор - молчаливое божество, и до недавнего времени он не был полностью уверен в себе или в своей роли. Однако, от отодвинул назад эту неуверенность и подошел к своей обязанности судьи загробной жизни искренне, умеряя свое сильное чувство правосудия добротой и решительностью. Однако, он не особенно умен и предпочитает решать проблемы прямым действием, что иногда приводит к непреднамеренным результатам. Клерики Келемвора стараются служить простому народу, демистифицировать процесс смерти и помочь тем, кто понес тяжелую утрату. Большинство народа приветствует появление клериков Келемвора, благодарные их светлому прикосновению и успокаивающему поведению - долгожданная перемена с тех дней, когда тревожные клерики Миркула требовали такую похоронную плату, которая была больше похожа на вымогательство. Дети (особенно выросшие поблизости от злых королевств) побаиваются воинственных клериков и паладинов Келемвора как охотников за нежитью, и общины, окруженные вниманием некромантов или грабителями могил, часто приходят к его духовенству за помощью. Клерики Келемвора молятся о заклинаниях на закате. Большинство святых церемоний включают в себя благословение души для перехода в загробную жизнь. Присутствия при моменте смерти, клерик Келемвора исполняет Прохождение, простой ритуал, подготавливающий Келемвора к прибытию нового странника на Финальной Дороге. Когда поле битвы или разоренное чумой сообщество требуют последнего обряда, приверженцы-келемвориты исполняют Оплакивание Павших. Эта церемония, подобная Прохождению, характерна низким, гудящим скандированием и ритмичным биением посохами золы по открытой земле. Приватной церемонией, известной как Даэум, клерики Келемвора отмечают успокаивающую доктрину своего божества и финансируют действия церкви товарами тех, кто умер без наследников. И Шилдмит, и Банкет Луны имеют для сторонников Келемвора особое духовное значение, в это время клерики пересчитывают Дела Мертвых, чтобы они никогда были забыты. Изредка мощные клерики используют эти дни для наложения истинного воскрешения, возвращая к жизни героев далекого прошлого, необходимых в настоящее время. Клерики Келемвора иногда мультиклассируют как некроманты, рейнджеры или проводники рока (см. Главу 4), используя свои знания для выслеживания и уничтожения нежити. Клерики Келемвора никогда не упрекают и не командуют нежитью. История/отношения: Если бы не Время Неприятностей, смертный воин, известный как Келемвор Лайонсбэйн, вероятно, умер бы на некоем поле битвы, одинокий и неоплаканный. Он был жертвой изумительного наследственного проклятия, которое вынуждало его принимать форму сильной магической пантеры всякий раз, когда он делал редкое доброе дело. Однако, он присоединился к банде авантюристов, включавшей Цирика из Жентил Кипа и молодую тайную заклинательницу по имени Миднайт. К концу Войны Богов они втроем стали божествами через хитрые заговоры, предательство и чистейшую случайность. В качестве божеств три бывших компаньона все еще сохраняют то, что можно назвать отношениями. Цирик презирает и Келемвора, и Миднайт (которая стала Мистрой), обвиняя их в своих частых неудачах. Цирик бесконечно строит заговоры, чтобы вернуть доминион над смертью, доменом, который он некоторое время удерживал, и инструктирует своих смертных последователей выступать против таковых Келемвора, тревожа мертвых, калеча трупы, чтобы не дать их опознать, и поддерживая все виды некромантской деятельности. Будучи смертными, Мистра и Келемвор были любовниками, хотя сомнительно, что их отношения пережили события прошедших четырнадцати лет. Мистра время от времени помогает Келемвору, но требования ее статуса предотвращают частые контакты. Келемвор ненавидит Велшаруна за его поддержки некромантии и Талону - за ее яды и болезни, преждевременно посылающие множество душ на Плану Фугу. Келемвор проводит много времени в компании Джергала, с которым живет в Кристаллическом Шпиле на Плане Фугу и у которого он изучает обязанности и требования своего статуса. Однако, абсолютный прагматизм и почти пугающий недостаток жалости Забытого беспокоят Келемвора, и хотя он уважает Джергала, не стоит утверждать, что он доверяет старшему божеству. Догма: Признайте, что смерть - часть жизни. Это не окончание, а начало, не наказание, а потребность. Смерть - организованный процесс без обмана, укрывательства и хаотичности. Помогите другим умереть с достоинством в их назначенное время - и только в их назначенное время. Выступайте против тех, кто искусственно продлевает свою жизнь сверх естественных пределов, типа нежити. Почитайте мертвых за их стремление в жизни сделать Фаэрун тем, чем он является теперь. Забыть их - значит забыть, где мы теперь и почему. Не позволяйте ни одному человеку на всем Фаэруне умереть естественной смертью, когдя рядом нет одного из клериков Келемвора. Духовенство и храмы: Клерики Келемвора ведут похороны, улаживают дела мертвых и часто призываются местными лордами или чиновниками для наблюдения за исполнением последних просьб и завещаний. Они проповедуют массам доктрину мирного путешествия в загробную жизнь и гарантируют, что тела мертвых будут захоронены благополучно и согласно религиозной традиции. Они отмечают участки, разоренные болезнью, предупреждениями о чуме, и пытаются излечивать болезнь везде, где сталкиваются с ней. Клерики Келемвора рассматривают всю нежить как отвращение и делают все, что могут, чтобы отправить ее на вечный покой. Они утверждают, что создающие нежить, которую ждет лишь быстрое и решительное уничтожение, являют собой важное различие между келемворитским духовенством и таковым Джергала, которое держит на службе кое-какую нежить. Келемворитское духовенство иногда объявляет крестовые походы против нежити или против существ, которые могут причинить слишком много несвоевременных смертей. Иногда это приводит их к найму авантюристов для решения проблем, с которыми они не могут бороться в одиночку. Члены духовенства обычно молчаливы, даже угрюмы время от времени. Многие пришли в церковь после потери любимых при вторжениях нежити или даже после собственной смерти, настолько глубоко затронуты этим, что вступили в духовенство вскоре после возвращения к жизни. Многие из старших членов духовенства некогда почитали Миркула, и даже четырнадцать лет спустя после уничтожения этого божества у некоторых есть трудности с принятием различий в доктринах этих двух вер. Многие из храмов Келемвора ранее были храмами Миркула и, следовательно, имеют менее заманчивую или успокаивающую архитектуру, чем предпочитают их высокие клерики. Мотивы "костей и черепов" преобладают, и в некоторых из больших храмов есть даже ныне запечатанные палаты, некогда использовавшиеся для возвращения к жизни или для еще более темных обрядов. KELEMVOR LAWFUL NEUTRAL Other Names or Titles: Judge of the Damned, Lord of the Dead, Master of the Crystal Spire, The Great Guide Divine Residence: The Crystal Spire, Fugue Plane Symbol: A skeletal humanoid arm holding up scales in equal balance Divine Portfolio: Death, The Dead, Funerals and Tombs Divine Allies: Chauntea, Lathander, Sehanine Moonbow, Selune, Silvanus, Urogalan Divine Enemies: Bhaal, Cyric, Kiaransalee, Myrkul, Shar, Talona, Velsharoon Exarchs: Jergal Kelemvor is god of the dead, as well as funerals and tombs. Once a gallant human warrior and champion of good, the Lord of the Dead purged himself of his humanity so that his role as the supreme judge of the dead could be justly performed. Kelemvor’s great sacrifice protected the stability of the gods’ power structure, which he himself endangered through personal bias. Kelemvor is a somber, thoughtful deity with a supreme sense of responsibility. He is burdened with knowledge of secrets that have filled him with great urgency in his duties as a judge. Although he maintains neutrality for the sake of balance, Kelemvor may occasionally assist great heroes in a small, limited manner if it serves the justice of the afterlife. Kelemvor is absolutely opposed to the existence of the undead, as they represent a perversion of life and death that bring a false terror of death to the living. Gods that are strongly zealous in the destruction of undead are counted as Kelemvor’s allies, though destroying undead might be the only endeavor that he might support together with them. The mantle and responsibility of being judge over the dead originally belonged to the ancient deity Jergal, who had grown tired of the role after eons of service. When the Dead Three (Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul), approached Jergal to steal the god’s power, the Pitiless One gladly distributed his powers freely to the daring mortals that had so brazenly appeared in his presence. Myrkul reigned for more than a thousand years afterwards as the god of the dead, judging souls and inspiring fear of death in the realms. His doombringers were charged to encourage the mortals to be both terrified and awed by the Lord of the Dead; they were otherwise expected to earn the trust of the people as patient teachers of lore. Myrkul ultimately desired to be venerated as the supreme deity of all existence even if it were not the truth, but for the time being he contented himself with spreading terror of dying to those who still lived. Undead creatures were among the aptly named Lord of Bones’ favorite toys for deadly games of amusement. In 1358 DR, Bane and Myrkul stole the Tablets of Fate from an even higher power rumored to be known as Ao. As punishment for the theft, nearly all the gods of the realms were cast down for a time onto the living world as immortal Avatars that could be killed. In this period, known as the Time of Troubles, the vulnerable Myrkul was slain by the adventuring mage that would later become the current god of magic, Mystra (though a small portion of his essence survived in an artifact, making it possible for Myrkul to be resurrected during the events of the Second Sundering). After the death of Myrkul, the adventuring murderer Cyric ascended to godhood and took the authority of the judge over the dead for about ten years. Cyric’s time as the judge was an era of even greater terror than the deceased Myrkul because of his heinous cruelty and boundless greed. Out of folly in his mad ambitions, Cyric lost that authority in 1368 DR to his former companion Kelemvor, who currently presides as the Lord of the Dead. Kelemvor Lyonsbane, a human champion ascended to godhood, began his duties biased by the kindness and compassion he adopted in his mortal existence. He veered away from the evil of the two that preceded him and brought about new teachings of death as something not to be feared but to be accepted as part of a great journey that continues into the afterlife. Kelemvor would also direct his servants to battle against undead creatures in protection of the people, as he would have in his days as a warrior. The biased reforms of Kelemvor resulted in the imbalanced judgement of souls, granting significantly favorable treatment to good souls while punishing evil souls to suffer terribly as they awaited final judgement. This uneven treatment triggered migrations of faith that would chaotically disrupt the balance among the gods if left unchecked. Moreover, many living people became flippant with death in expectation or desire of Kelemvor’s rewards, disregarding the sanctity of life as a result. The Judge of the Damned was then himself judged by a court of his divine peers. The Lord of the Dead was tried and made to realize that his humanity and desire for good had clouded his judgement and resulted in a greater evil than he had ever conceived. It was then that Kelemvor made the decision to largely divest himself of the mortal attachments and emotions that were getting in the way of his responsibilities, and became the impartial judge that he is to this day. Kelemvor would continue to teach others to accept death as an inevitable event at the end of life, but his teachings would be tempered by encouragement to recognize death as neither a desirable transition nor a disturbing one. The servants of Kelemvor would continue to fight the undead however, since such creatures are a twisted mockery of death itself. Chauntea, goddess of agriculture, plants cultivated by humans, farmers, gardeners, and summer, is dedicated to preserving places and creatures of natural beauty, and is sympathetic to the needs and vulnerability of living mortals. As such, the Great Mother is a valuable ally against undead and necromancers, threats against the very natural beauty and people that Chauntea wishes to protect. Her servants are especially helpful to those of the church of Kelemvor in civilized areas such as towns, villages, and cities, since they are particularly adept at divining unnatural disturbances in lands cultivated by gardeners and farmers. Lathander, god of athletics, birth, creativity, dawn, renewal. self-perfection, Spring, vitality, and youth, teaches the faithful to make the most of their lives and to treasure the experiences in life that help them grow stronger and wiser; for this, the teachings of Kelemvor are a highly compatible complement, because appreciating life motivates the living to not rush enthusiastically towards death, while bravely accepting the inevitability of death motivates the living to make the most of the time they do have left before facing judgement in the afterlife. Aside from agreeable philosophies, the Morninglord is an enthusiastic ally in Kelemvor’s eradication of the undead wherever they can find such abominations. Although Sehanine Moonbow, elven goddess of mysticism, dreams, death, journeys, transcendence, the moon, the stars, the heavens, and moon elves, is largely unconcerned with the happenings of the mortal world, she will on occasion use her magic for the sake of elves and her faithful, or to support the destruction of undead infestations. Aside from allying with Kelemvor on battling the undead, the Lady of Dreams is also one of the first to join the recently established Court of Souls, in support of organizing the gods of death and their duties. The Master of the Crystal Spire will however not show any bias in favor of Sehanine for his part as the presider and chair of the Court of Souls. Selune, goddess of good/neutral lycanthropes, the Moon, navigation, questers, stars, and wanderers, is among the oldest gods of the realms, having been born at the same time as her sister Shar during the forming of Realmspace. The Moonmaiden is therefore an invaluable source of sage advice and insight against the machinations of the evil goddess Shar, who is far older and more experienced than Kelemvor, who is not even two centuries old. The teachings of Silvanus, god of wild nature and druids, emphasize the pursuit of balance in all things, which is a philosophy that Kelemvor currently tries hard to emulate in the treatment of souls entering the afterlife; for this reason, the Master of the Crystal Spire holds great respect for the Forest Father, and vice versa. The two deities are also currently allied in the destruction of undead creatures, since Silvanus can not stand the imbalance of forces and unnatural ugliness that comes with raising the undead. Urogalan, the halfling god of earth, the dead, and protection of the dead, is an ally for the purpose of protecting the bodies of the dead from desecration, especially by robbers or necromancers. The Black Hound is also a member of the Court of Souls recently formed by Kelemvor to organize the gods of death, but Kelemvor offers no favorable treatment to Urogalan in the dealings of the Court. Bhaal, god of murder, ritual killings, and assassins, is another evil user of undead that Kelemvor must contend with. Ever since the Lord of Murder returned to life during the era of the Second Sundering (he died during the Time of Troubles), he has been up to his usual troublemaking ways. Kelemvor’s greatest concern about Bhaal is whether the returned member of the Dead Three will clash with Cyric or join together with the imprisoned god in their murderous ambitions; given the overlapping portfolios of the two gods of murder, there remains the possibility that they will either try to subsume each other’s church or ally with each other for some nefarious scheme. For now the Judge of the Damned chooses to cautiously observe from the sidelines for suspicious actions taken by Bhaal and Cyric. When Cyric, god of murder, lies, intrigue, deception, and illusion, was imprisoned as punishment for murdering Mystra. Though the sentence officially ends in less than a thousand years, Kelemvor was greatly relieved, since the Prince of Lies ever covets regaining the portfolio of the dead. The feud between them is highly personal, but Kelemvor having cast aside his humanity does not hold a grudge so much as a wariness of Cyric’s dark ambitions. From within his prison, the Black Sun plots vengeance against Kelemvor and orders his faithful towards that end, so the Lord of the Dead must be ever vigilant. Kiaransalee, drow goddess of the undead and vengeance, managed to survive what was thought to be her destruction during a game of intrigue between her, Lolth, and Eilistraee. It is speculated that the goddess, having formerly been a lich before ascending to divinity, may have staved off her demise by using the magic of a phylactery. Even so, the Lady of the Dead returned much diminished in the wake of the Second Sundering, and is barely more than a demigod in her current state of existence. As Kiaransalee moves towards avenging herself against the ones responsible for her losses, she is sure to wreak havoc with her necromancy and raise hordes of undead minions, so Kelemvor will gladly aid any effort to stop or contain the Revenancer. Myrkul, god of death, decay, old age, exhaustion, dusk, and Autumn, is a member of Kelemvor’s Court of Souls, but also an active creator of undead. The Lord of Bones is fond of playing with undead monsters like toys, and cares not for the horror that such “toys” bring to the realms. After joining the Court of Souls, Myrkul has been careful not to overly antagonize Kelemvor, but the Lord of the Dead knows that given the opportunity, Myrkul would gladly retake the mantle of judge over the dead. Shar, goddess of caverns, dark, dungeons, forgetfulness, loss, night, secrets, and the Underdark, was the source of conspiracy that led Cyric to murder Mystra and unleash the Spellplague in 1385 DR. Although Cyric was imprisoned by Lathander, Sune, and Tyr as punishment, none could move directly against Shar since she had no direct involvement in the wide-affecting debacle. The vast experience and cold, nihilistic intelligence of the Mistress of the Night leads to grand plays over the course of a long game, and Kelemvor is not immune to being targeted by Shar’s designs. Shar seeks the end of everything, and her actions have caused or risked great cosmic imbalances towards that end. She cares nothing for the sanctity of life and death, and will use any means, even undead creatures and necromantic magic, to get what she wants. Kelemvor worries that his lack of experience will lead him into one of Shar’s traps, and expects her to try to entrap him somehow; the Lord of the Dead therefore maintains contact with deities such as Selune who might help him against Shar’s potential threat to the very balance of death and the afterlife. Talona, goddess of disease and poison, is a cruel purveyor of suffering and unnatural ends to mortal lives. The Lady of Poison and her faithful have been responsible for the untimely deaths of many, and left unchecked would imbalance the influx of souls into death. The protect the balance of life and death in the realms, Kelemvor can not allow Talona to have her way so his servants are authorized to take action in containing or staunching the illnesses being spread by Talona’s church. Velsharoon, god of necromancy, necromancers, evil liches, and undeath, represents the epitome of cheating and perverting the concept of death. Despite the Archmage of Necromancy being a diametrically opposing foe for the Lord of the Dead, the conflict between them has never resulted in heated violence. Velsharoon cares only for his personal explorations of necromantic research, so he tends to act only to acquire information and materials to that end. It is Velsharoon’s worshippers that Kelemvor is most concerned with, for among the faithful are included the insane and ambitious. EXARCHS Exarchs are deities and demigods that serve other (usually more powerful) deities that protect, rule over and/or provide them with support against their enemies. JERGAL (LAWFUL NEUTRAL) Jergal was once one of the most powerful gods, and ruled over many godly domains, including death. Bored of his responsibilities, Jergal willingly relinquished most of his divine power to others, and went about serving his successors one after the other as an adviser. Jergal is the god of fatalism, proper burial, and the protection of tombs. He is bland and formal in his disposition, and shows his disdain through sarcasm. This god shows little concern for anything, and can not be provoked to convey strong emotions except under extreme circumstances. His lackadaisical attitudes are often shared by his followers, many of whom live quiet, laid-back lives as grave keepers, morticians, and tomb custodians. Jergal’s ancient wealth of knowledge spans the history of the world, so his advice is one of the most valuable resources at Kelemvor’s command. AFTERLIFE THE FUGUE PLANE The first way stop of all mortal souls in the living realms before heading to their afterlife destinations. The Fugue Plane is a dimly lit, grayish expanse that appears as an ocean of fog and dark clouds to those who travel through it. Travel through the Fugue Plane is much like swimming through the Astral Plane; movement through one’s force of will. After souls reach this place, they are then guided to dimensional gates within the Fugue Plane that lead to the afterlife realms ruled by the gods they worship. The servants of the gods guard the souls from harm as they travel through the plane. Due to the interconnected nature of the Fugue Plane, almost any creature from any plane is able to enter the realm if they find the right portals leading to it. Beings of great power such as deities, primordials, demon lords, or archdevils however are barred from entry without invitation. Powerful angels and other servants of the Lord of the Dead patrol the plane as well, but do not harass any creatures that refrain from causing trouble in the Fugue Plane, even if their kind is known for causing trouble. THE CITY OF JUDGEMENT Within the Fugue Plane exists an ever-growing island of titanic size, floating in the gray. Upon this island sits the City of Judgement, the destination for souls that have no divine patron leading them to the afterlife. Unlike the rest of the Fugue Plane, there is normal gravity in the City of Judgement, with its inhabitants having to use magic or magical abilities to fly if they are not traveling on foot. Souls that do not petition for a particular faith’s afterlife remain in the City of Judgement to await judgement. They take form in the same likeness as their original body in the living world, but without disabilities that prevent them from moving around physically. Such souls are first led to a registration area where their identities and situations are organized and filed for records. The souls of children are taken to a special district where they receive special protections from potential harm; adult petitioners are allowed to accompany or visit the children that they are related to (not necessarily by blood) as long as it has been determined that the children will not be harmed by such allowance (assessments are made on an individual case-by-case basis). THE CRYSTAL SPIRE Kelemvor rules over the City of Judgement from his palace in the city, known as the Crystal Spire. The palace also hosts the Court of Souls, where gods of death from the various pantheons meet in council. This building provides a vantage point from which Kelemvor can observe the rest of the city in his personal chamber, which is located at the top of the Crystal Spire. It is made of stone, obsidian, and a dark steel alloy, with an architectural aesthetic that resembles a grand crown with many sharp skyward protrusions. The structure is the tallest in the City of Judgement, and its pointed cap emits a blindingly bright sphere of radiance at the tip. This light will heal and temporarily empower any servant of Kelemvor that enters it, and severely damage or even destroy any undead creature that touches it. Outside of the sphere, illumination extends from it all the way to the edges of the large courtyard that the Crystal Spire rests upon. The illumination will weaken and slow any undead interlopers that it touches, and serves a way to detect intruders that do not belong in the city. THE FAITHLESS AND THE FALSE The Faithless are those who lived their lives in denial of all deities, The False have betrayed their gods in some way while pretending to be faithful. Every soul among the Faithless and False will roam the City of Judgement, prevented from leaving, for up to ten days before a final judgement is applied by Kelemvor’s judgement. During those ten days, servants of the gods may try to convince the souls to give themselves over to the gods; devils will attempt to make contracts with the souls that will bring them to the Nine Hells as newborn devils. Not all souls are approached however. Without salvation from a deity or damnation through devil conversion, the remaining souls are usually imprisoned for all eternity as part of a massive wall that surrounds the City of Judgement. The Wall of the Faithless is composed completely of souls and rune-inscribed stone sections. Souls that are bound to the walls will slowly lose their memories and fade into oblivion. The Wall is often raided by demons that tear souls off and bring them to the Abyss for conversion into newborn fiends. The city patrols do not officially interfere with these raids unless they threaten the integrity of the Wall itself, though it has become a game for some of the guards to engage with and destroy raiding demons. THE COURT OF SOULS Following the events of the Second Sundering, the gods of death from the realms’ different pantheons were gathered into a council housed in the City of Judgement. Together in the Court of Souls, these gods of death preside over various issues concerning the dead and mediate disputes over souls. Rare cases of re-evaluation brought before the Court may result in a Faithless or False being given the chance for a reprieve from an eternity on the Wall. As the impartial judge of the dead, Kelemvor has the final say in the approval of actions collectively taken by the Court, and chairs every meeting of the death gods. Since the death gods other than Kelemvor have their own divine realms to oversee outside of the City of Judgement, they will send either their avatars or proxies to represent them at the Court of Souls. The following are major gods that may be seen in the Court of Souls. DUMATHOIN (NEUTRAL) Dumathoin is the dwarven god of buried wealth, ores, gems, mining, exploration, and guarding the dead; he is also the patron supporter of the shield dwarves. Dumathoin is proactive and moves his worshippers through action and dreams. The Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain encourages his followers to gather together comrades for grand exploits, to watch over the fallen, and to appreciate the hard work that produces precious stones of the highest cut and quality. Silent and enigmatic, this deity plays at being an eternal mute and rarely reveals his true thoughts and emotions. Even the infamously cold Myrkul marvels at the self-control that Dumathoin exercises in hiding whatever tells a god may possess, even in the presence of other gods. Dumathoin joined the Court out of deep curiosity, and has not once been disappointed. Such a diverse gathering of death gods will either result in great triumph or great tragedy, and the Silent Keeper means to bear witness to the unfolding events. Despite his refrain from ever speaking aloud, Dumathoin casts his votes with simple gestures and shares his thoughts through visual illusions; his methods of communication can sometimes be louder than words. IZANAGI AND IZANAMI (LAWFUL NEUTRAL) Izanagi and Izanami, a married pair of deities, are collectively the gods of life and death in the “Eight Million Gods” pantheon that is worshipped widely in the Kozakura region of Kara-Tur, and sparsely in the Wa region of Kara-Tur. The husband Izanagi and the wife Izanami are the highest ranked elders of their pantheon, but delegate most matters in the mortal realms to their children. Naturally calm and collected as a result of the confidence gained from many millennia of experience, the divine couple is difficult to provoke, and approach problems from a fair emotional distance as one would approach a casual game of strategy. On the rare occasions when Izanagi and Izanami are moved to take action, they usually send their most trusted exarch, a demigod of warriors and fealty named Yamamoto Date (Lawful Good), whom the couple raised to divinity after a long term of service as a human paladin. Yamamoto Date attends the Court of Souls as the proxy for his masters. He is a grimly serious servitor with a stoic nature who speaks only when spoken to unless there is a dire issue to address. Izanagi and Izanami permit Date to speak from his heart on their behalf, even if it would risk conflict with other gods; the couple might actually welcome some trouble once in a while to alleviate their boredom. MICUHTIL (LAWFUL NEUTRAL) Micuhtil is the Maztican god of death, nocturnal beasts, night, and darkness. He dutifully manages the Maztican tenemo (plane) of Matzlan, a divine realm where the passing souls of Mazticans go before being sent to their most suited afterlife realms. Since Matzlan has always been closely connected to the Fugue Plane, Micuhtil has had a long relationship with all holders of the title of Lord of the Dead. Jergal in particular has been a long-standing friend of the Night Bringer. Micuhtil enjoys watching the intrigues of the Court of Soul play out, but is rarely one to make provocation. Occasionally, Micuhtil’s wife Siwatal, Maztican goddess of presiding over the dead and the bones of the dead, will attend the court as Micuhtil’s proxy. Siwatal (Chaotic Neutral) has more of a mischievous side to her, and will think nothing of laying the foundation for conflict with carefully chosen words. MYRKUL (NEUTRAL EVIL) Myrkul is the god of death, decay, old age, exhaustion, dusk, and Autumn in the Faerunian pantheon, and was once the judge of the dead, before Kelemvor took on the mantle. Kelemvor must ever be wary of the twisted machinations of Myrkul, for the evil god of death covets the seat of the judge currently held by Kelemvor. Myrkul is a cold, calculating, intelligent planner who is always mindful of his behavior and ever vigilant of potential threats to his influence. He is often at odds with Kelemvor over his worshippers’ creation and use of undead, but Kelemvor can not move directly against him without truly just cause. Myrkul will readily take advantage of any system of rules that binds the gods at any opportunity that serves his long-term plans. Myrkul will often work in tandem with Bane, the god of tyranny, and Bhaal, the god of murder, to further his dastardly schemes (an alliance known as The Dead Three). Osiris is the Mulhorandi god of vegetation, death, the dead, justice, and harvest; he is a kind, generous provider of bountiful harvests and a stalwart protector of tombs, making him one of the more popular deities of his pantheon. Osiris has a stern demeanor that has been proven a challenge to crack. The more playful deities in the Court of Soul often try their best to make the Reaper of the Harvest smile or laugh; such attempts usually end with a harsh glare and a silent turn of the head. In the presence of children however, Osiris takes on an uncharacteristically warm demeanor, taking care to adjust his presence so that he does not frighten the younglings. Osiris will argue passionately to reunite children with their loved ones if doing so would not cause the children harm, and has a habit of starting arguments with those whom he considers dishonorable. Osiris must struggle to hold himself back from attacking those in the Court who are known to raise undead or spread fear among the mortals. Shajar is the Zakharan god of rivers, life, growth, death, and decay. He is one of a small number of Zakharan gods that survived the transition of ancient civilizations to the modern day; the River Lord is prayed to for the safe passage of loved ones into the afterlife, as well as the safe births of new children. Shajar is a temperate deity with a strong sense of responsibility and a wry sense of humor. He is a sociable deity that enjoys the banter currently shared in the Court of Souls, and always welcomes the challenge of intellectual and ethical quandaries. Shajar favors any decision that would preserve balance in the cycle of life and death, much as a river provides both life and death (life in the form of bountiful sustenance and death in the form of drowning by flood). Although Shajar is uncomfortable being in the presence of the likes of Myrkul and Turtris (for the imbalance their evil has caused in the past), he looks forward to seeing how their cooperation affects the status quo created by the grand experiment that is the Court of Souls. SEGOJAN EARTHCALLER (NEUTRAL GOOD) Segojan Earthcaller is the gnomish god of earth, nature, and the dead; he is also the patron supporter of the rock gnomes. Segojan Earthcaller has a direct and straightforward disposition, with a penchant for pragmatism and reasonable thinking. He will rarely act in violence, preferring diplomacy, unless in defense of gnomes and his faithful. The worshippers of Sergojan Earthcaller follow his pragmatic ways, and are highly organized. Segojan Earthcaller keeps a close eye on every member of the council in the Court of Souls, and always takes some time to reflect on events before taking action or speaking against another god of death. SEHANINE MOONBOW (CHAOTIC GOOD) Sehanine Moonbow is the elven goddess of death, dreams, journeys, mysticism, transcendence, the moon, the stars, and the heavens; she is also the matron supporter of the moon elves. Sehanine Moonbow is a kind, compassionate deity with an air of mystery about her. She is fond of applying subtle meanings and innuendos in conversation, using her words to veil or unveil her intentions in a witty manner. Although she must suffer the company of certain evil gods in the Court of Souls, Sehanine Moonbow maintains her composure for the sake of gleaning any possible hint of what her enemies (and potential enemies) plan for the future. Her diplomacy is often surprisingly aggressive, employing small provocations and jabs to see how the other parties react. TURTRIS (NEUTRAL EVIL) Turtris is the god of death and disease in the orcish pantheon. He embodies the fear that often drives orcs to live up to their barbaric reputation. Turtris prefers to remain silent unless it is absolutely necessary to communicate with others, even with his faithful. He prefers to observe in contemplation unless his attention is demanded by the situation. Turtris’ silence makes him an enigma to most others, and he would prefer to keep it that way; he never forgives a slight, bearing everlasting enmity that is best kept hidden until the time comes to strike. Turtris seeks the downfall of Sehanine Moonbow, Sergojan Earthcaller, and all goblinoid gods of death in the Court of Souls. Sehanine’s subtle insults, Sergojan’s condescension, and a past theft committed by the goblin pantheon’s leader Magubliyet have placed them all on Turtris’ secret list of destructive objectives. UROGALAN (LAWFUL NEUTRAL) Urogalan is the halfling pantheon’s god of earth, the dead, and protection of the dead. He presides over burials and protection of souls that have yet to reach the afterlife. Urogalan is a pensive, morose deity who takes little interest in the affairs of the mortal world. Urolagan will avoid being caught up in squabbles between other gods if possible, but he absolutely despises Myrkul for allowing and encouraging his faithful to make mockeries of corpses by turning them into undead creatures. Urogalan seems to have a personal grudge against Myrkul, but he has not spoken of it to anyone, nor has anyone ever dared to ask. Urolagan’s priests and champions have been instructed to undermine or even slay Myrkul’s faithful whenever possible. Yama is the god of death, justice, crafting, and reincarnation in the Vedic pantheon, which is worshipped in the Jungle Lands nations of Kara-Tur. Using his extraordinary ability to read the intentions and memories of a mortal in a single glance, Yama guides countless souls to their best fitting karmic destinations. Yama is a highly intelligent and thoughtful deity who prefers to focus his concerns with matters related to the Vedic pantheon, and finds little interest in anything else save his own duties as a god or his innovative explorations of the weapon-crafter’s art. It was the god Yen-Wang-Yeh, one of Yama’s few friends outside of the Vedic Pantheon, who convinced Yama to participate in the Court of Souls. Although the Vedic god of death was at first reluctant, he now feels that it may be an obligation of responsibility to make sure that the “young” god Kelemvor is not swayed by some of the more distasteful elements that have become part of the Court. These are the tenets that worshippers of Kelemvor are given to live by. • Death may be the end of life, but it is also the beginning of something more. The great journey continues beyond the veil so do not despair. • The dead are equal in the eyes of the gods, no matter their station in life. All shall receive fair judgement at their time. • Respect and honor the fallen, for they have joined the builders of history in their passing. Without those who came before, no progress could have been possible for any of the peoples of the world. • Speak out against the willful prolonging of life beyond a natural end, especially if it involves the creation of undeath. • The undead are an abomination that must be destroyed. Their existence is mockery of both the dead and the living. The clerics of Kelemvor, known as doom guides, are often employed to perform funerals, oversee last rites, and execute last wills and testaments. They typically build their churches and monasteries near places that honor the dead, such as cemeteries and memorial structures. The Church of Kelemvor maintains a highly organized hierarchy and frequently expands its activities whenever possible. The paladins of Kelemvor are known as grim knights. They are particularly zealous in their hunting of undead, setting out in crusades of extermination whenever news of an undead sighting reaches the ears of Kelemvor’s Church. Grim knights are typically equipped with long swords to honor the martial lore of their god. Clerics and paladins of Kelemvor usually pray for their spells during the first hour of night, symbolizing the arrival of the dead in the afterlife after a transitional journey. The standard daily ritual for the cleric or paladin of Kelemvor is to give a prayer for the fallen once after waking, and once before sleeping. A few droplets of holy water are sprinkled on the ground and then flung into the air during these prayers, symbolizing the acknowledgement of the spirit’s release and journey from the body to the great beyond. Traditional ceremonial dress is a long sleeved gray robe with coarse black lining; the collar is snugly fitted against the neck; the collar is iron-colored for lower clergy, silver for full priests, and gold for higher-ranking priests. There may be a depiction of an armored knight and a panther facing each other on the back; alternately, instead of the back embroidery, a symbol of Kelemvor may be be sewn into the chest of the robe. A tiny phial of holy water is worn from the neck on a silver chain, and a long sword is hung from the belt in a black sheath bearing the symbol of Kelemvor. For clergy leading a ceremony, a silver headband is also worn, and never taken off until the ceremony ends. Clerics and paladins of Kelemvor are mandated to offer condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and preserve the sanctity of places reserved for the storage of corpses and remembrance of the dead. If there are undead creatures in the vicinity, the highest priority is the protection of the living, followed by the destruction of the undead. If it is not possible to destroy the undead with current resources, the standard procedure is to send a request for reinforcements from the nearest conclaves so that the faithful of Kelemvor can descend upon the threat en masse as a unified front. The lifestyle of a cleric or paladin of Kelemvor is typically a humble one that emphasizes training, prayer, and meditation. It is common for them to take up a quiet hobby such as writing literature, or crafting works of art such as sculptures or paintings. Practically all traditional rituals in the faith of Kelemvor are led by the clergy. There are two daily services performed by the clergy: the Remembrance and the Daeum. The Remembrance is performed in the morning at locations with graves, such as cemeteries or mausoleums. The clergy tour by each grave while singing hymns. Mourners that hear the hymn are able to call over the singing clergy so that the priests can offer prayers of blessing at the graves being visited by the mourners. The Daeum is performed in the evening at any place of worship dedicated to the faith of Kelemvor, even if it is a temporary one. This ceremony involves prayers of thanks to the Lord of the Dead and brief readings of holy scriptures, spoken aloud if there is a willing audience. At the conclusion of this ceremony, the last will and testament of a deceased individual may be shared according to the wishes of the departed and their loved ones. If the attendees are all faithful of Kelemvor, then the leading clergy may instruct all to hold hands in a circle for a concluding prayer; during this prayer, messages or enlightenment may arrive in the form of visions from Kelemvor (or his servitors). When a person dies and a priest of Kelemvor is present for the event, the priest performs the Passing, in which a chant is performed to call on Kelemvor to watch over the soul of the newly deceased as it passes into the afterlife. This is often requested for those who are on their death beds. Loved ones who are also present for the Passing are asked to join hands together with the priest performing the ceremony, so that all can send off the beloved departed together. When a priest of Kelemvor visits a site where many have died, such as a battlefield or the ruins of a community, there is a tradition of performing The Lament For The Fallen. In this ritual, the performer sings a short hymn that gives homage to the predecessors of those who are currently living, to those who have lived before and now await in the afterlife; the song reminds the faithful of the grand legacy that they are all a part of in the cycle of life and death, and offers hope that they might see their deceased loved ones again when their time comes. The two most recognized holidays for the church of Kelemvor are Shieldmeet (once every four years after Midsummer) and the Feast of the Moon (every year at the beginning of Winter, typically in the first tenday of the 12th month, Nightal). During Shieldmeet, priests of Kelemvor hold a service during which they give sermons extolling the legacy passed down to all by past ancestors throughout history. These sermons include telling stories of great contributors to history; these are known as the “Deeds of the Dead”. During the Feast of the Moon, priests of Kelemvor powerful enough to do so are able to perform resurrections of dead heroes without the normal cost of material components. Their castings of speak with dead are also enhanced during this time - they are able to speak freely with the actual departed souls. Clerics and paladins can take special feats as servants of Kelemvor. DOOM GUIDE OF KELEMVOR Requirement: Cleric, worships Kelemvor As a doom guide of Kelemvor, you provide comfort for the bereaved and defend the people and land from undead abominations. • Undead creatures have disadvantage on saving throws made against your Channel Divinity: Turn Undead feature. In addition you are treated as being 3 cleric levels higher when using the Destroy Undead feature. • You can cast gentle repose without material components and you always keep it among your prepared spells without counting it towards your maximum limit. • You have resistance to necrotic and poison damage. When you use a cleric spell on one or more allies with a casting time of 1 action or bonus action, those allies gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage until the start of your next turn. • You have Advantage on saving throws made to resist or negate being possessed by spirits or ethereal creatures. GRIM KNIGHT OF KELEMVOR Requirement: Paladin, worships Kelemvor As a grim knight of kelemvor, your blade is the bane of those who would dare to threaten the souls of the fallen or desecrate the bodies of the dead. • Your Divine Strike feature adds double the extra damage against undead creatures. In addition, you can choose to make the extra damage necrotic instead of radiant. • You have resistance to necrotic and poison damage. Your Aura of Protection feature extends this benefit to all allies within the aura’s radius. • Your weapon attacks ignore the weapon damage resistances/ immunities of undead creatures. • You have Advantage on saving throws made to resist or negate being possessed by spirits or ethereal creatures. Clerics and paladins of Kelemvor are able to prepare the following spells, unique to worshippers of Kelemvor. BOND OF FATAL TOUCH 3rd-level transmutation SPECIAL: You must be a divine spellcaster worshipping Kelemvor to cast this spell. Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Touch Components: V Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You invoke the blessing of Kelemvor unto a nonmagical melee weapon; the weapon is imbued with a power that mimics the properties of Kelemvor’s personal weapon, Fatal Touch. The imbued weapon becomes a magic weapon with a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. In addition, the weapon deals an extra 2d6 radiant damage against undead creatures. At Higher Levels. When you cast this magic spell with a spell slot of 5 th level or higher, the bonus increases to +2. In addition, when you hit an undead creatures with the weapon on a melee weapon attack, the undead creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has Disadvantage on its attack rolls until the start of your next turn. When you cast this magic spell with a spell slot of 7 th level or higher, the bonus increases to +3. In addition, the Disadvantage effect becomes Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws. KELEMVOR’S PULL 4th-level abjuration SPECIAL: You must be a divine spellcaster worshipping Kelemvor to cast this spell. Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (60-foot radius) Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You invoke the censures of Kelemvor to force ethereal beings into the world. All creatures in the Ethereal Plane in spaces dimensionally parallel to spaces within a 60-foot spherical radius centered on you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, an affected creature takes 4d8 psychic damage, is pulled into the plane of existence that you are currently on, and can’t return to the Ethereal Plane on its own for 10 minutes. The creature takes half damage on a successful save. At Higher Levels. When you cast this magic spell with a spell slot of 5 th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4 for each spell slot level above 4th. UPDATE LOG Changes in v1.1: Replaced image on poem page with new image, moving old image further into pamphlet into the Afterlife section. Added Other Names or Titles entry to Kelemvor's opening section on page 3. Added Kiaransalee and Velsharoon to Divine Enemies. Removed paragraph describing Kelemvor's personal image (redundant with cover image) and brief paragraph describing his relationships with deities (to be replaced by more in-depth descriptions). Added paragraphs describing Kelemvor's rise to godhood and some of the events between then and the current post-Sundering era. Added paragraphs describing Kelemvor's relationships with Chauntea, Lathander, Sehanine Moonbow, Selune, Silvanus, and Urogalan. Added paragraphs describing Kelemvor's relationships with Kiaransalee and Velsharoon. Added alignment to Jergal in Exarchs section. Added more paragraphs to the Fugue Plane and City of Judgement entries in the Afterlife section. Moved entry about Crystal Spire from City of Judgement entry to new Crystal Spire entry. Added entry about The Crystal Spire in the Afterlife section. Added sentence about city patrols to the end of the Faithless and the False entry in the Afterlife section. Added more complete description of divine porfolios for Myrkul's entry in Court of Souls section. Moved sentence about opposing undead in Sehanine Moonbow's entry in Court of Souls section to paragraph describing her among the entries describing Kelemvor's relationships with his divine allies. Partially adjusted the language in Kelemvor's Pull entry in Exclusive Spells section for more clarity. Minor spelling and grammar fixes on existing text. Changes in v1.2: Replaced title image with same image re-edited to better fit the aesthetic of the pamphlet series. Revised the entry for the dwarven god Dumathoin in the Court of Souls, to be a more accurate match with his canon description. Added Izanagi and Izanami, the "8 Million Gods" pantheon's gods of life and death, to the Court of Souls. Added Micuhtil (non-canon god based on the real life Aztec deity Mictecacihuatl) to the Court of Souls, to represent death in the Maztican pantheon, which canonically has many (unnamed) gods in addition to its eleven major gods. Added Osiris, Mulhorandi god of vegetation, death, the dead, justice, and harvest, to the Court of Souls. Added Shajar, Zakharan god of rivers, life, growth, death, and decay, to the Court of Souls. Added Yama, Vedic god of death, justice, crafting, and reincarnation, to the Court of Souls. Added Yen-Wang-Yeh, the Celestial Bureaucracy's god of death, to the Court of Souls. Revised paragraph in Clergy section describing traditional ceremonial dress. Added Customs of the Faith section.