The Keeper

The Shepherd of the Dead, Writer of the Eternal Record, and Master of All that is Gone

It is unknown to where the Keeper sends the souls of the deceased, but there is no doubt that he does. He judges the dead before whisking them away under his billowing black cloak, not to be seen until another grim day. In a world of gods and magic, his frightful visage is the reason men fear their demise. The teachings of the Keeper implore people not to resist death, but it offers little respite from the fear of mortality. His priests are few, but they often serve as grave-tenders – their god demands proper burial. Likewise, the Keeper positions himself as the enemy of the undead and others who would circumvent the inevitable. According to his strictures, the only true path to immortality is history, and knowledge of it is the only thing that will prevent the races of the world from dooming themselves to an eternal cycle of misery.

Divine Domains

• The Keeper is the god of death and repose, as well as the keeper of history and the master of fate.

• Clerics of the Keeper typically choose the Death, Grave, or Knowledge Domains, and paladins devoted to him usually swear the Oath of Vengeance, undertaking quests to destroy the undead.

Holy Books & Codes

• The Pages of Dedication encompass the Keeper's holy text. It is said to be the first few pages of the Black Book of the Dead. It is a fairly short text, which contains his commandments, as well as the details of proper burial rites.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

• The symbol of the Keeper is an opened book with black covers; this is the book he records the names of the dead in, as well as the history of the universe as it occurs. It is known as the Black Book of the Dead.

• Priests of the Keeper typically maintain their own black books, filled with scripture, prayers, and the names of the deceased in their own lives and communities.

• The Keeper is associated with ravens and crows. According to myth, the Keeper appears with two crows, perched on each shoulder, that serve as his advisers. One is knowledgeable about all of history, and the other can see the future. The Great Raven is a lesser deity in its own right, an exarch of the Keeper whose job is to spy on the The Prince of Undeath. Churches of the Keeper sometimes use ravens as messenger birds.

Tenets of Faith

• Do not fear the Keeper's judgment, for He is Wise. But do not escape the Keeper's judgment, for He is Vengeful.

• Study History, for it is a Coiling Serpent that will Strike you in the Back.

• Respect the sanctity of Death as you would Life. Honor the Dead, and do not pervert their Presence with the Dark Art of Necromancy. Stand Against those who would Defile Death; Tomb Robbers, Blasphemers, and Necromancers.

Divine Classification

Deity

Alignment

Lawful Neutral