Order of Eternal Repose
Few deny the importance of caring for the dead and dying, but fewer still are willing to perform such grim duties. These people are the followers of the god Ilovar, and serve almost as messengers of death, and perform these thankless tasks for all who need such macabre services.
Despite their grim reputation, these death priests are often very caring people. They often serve as healers in addition to their duties as caretakers of the dead and work to comfort grieving friends and relatives. No matter what, the priests of the Order of Eternal Repose do what they can to ensure that the end comes as gently as possible.
Structure
Few religious organizations have a presence everywhere in the Twin Worlds. Even though the same pantheon has power over the entire Twin Worlds and are therefore worshiped by the entire Twin Worlds, different cultures often have their methods of worship and often their own organizations.
Due to its role and nature, the Order of Eternal Repose is something of an exception to this. Even on Kirris, where most worship the Great Divine in an almost monotheistic manner, Ilovar's order still has a presence. These followers are divided into chapters, allowing members to better serve those around them.
Curiously, not all members of the order are priests. Many are instead necromancers that have specialized in snuffing out the unlife that animates the undead. These are often referred to as "white necromancers" to differentiate them from their more traditional counterparts. Chapters are made up of both priests and mages and are led jointly by a high priest and magus, respectively, representing both sides.
The order overall are led by the hierophant and archmagus. While these two have powerful magic that usually allows them to communicate, they are very rarely in the same place, better allowing them to manage the entire order more effectively. These leaders have no particular place they operate from and traditionally remain on separate worlds, although this is not a requirement.
History
After a fashion, the Order of Eternal Repose dates back to the time before Ilovar's apotheosis. The Order of Dust was the organization dedicated to Lesav, the original goddess of death. They fulfilled much the same function as the modern order, although they were somewhat more tolerant of the undead.
Unfortunately, when Selai, goddess of war and sister of Lesav, fell in love with a mortal warrior, she intended to calm herself and serve as a guardian to mortals. Lesav went mad at her twin sister's apparent betrayal and grew bitter and obsessed with murdering the entire Twin Worlds.
Her followers grew divided when their goddess began to descend into bitter madness. Some of the more devout members remained loyal and joined in her crusade against all that lives. Others, however, saw this as a betrayal of the natural order and opposed their fellows.
In punishment for her betrayal of the cycle of life and death, the Great Divine burned her and cast her down into Carceri, lost and vengeful. He then granted her divine office to the mortal judge Ilovar. Once he ascended to godhood, he appeared before the order and told them what had transpired, commanding them to spread the word that death was not something to be feared.
Those that had sided against Lesav, and even some others became the Order of Eternal Repose, dedicated to ensuring the dead sleep peacefully. Their enemies, however, remained dedicated to Lesav, becoming known as the Fraternity of Bone and Ash. They began lurking in the shadows, bringing death and raising corpses to please their goddess.
Since that time, the Order of Eternal Repose has become a fixture in the Twin Worlds. Primarily, they perform their duties in society and make very little impact on history other than their constant war with the Fraternity of Bone and Ash.
Tenets of Faith
As is fitting for a god of death, the Ilovaran faith primarily centers around the relationship between life and death. The central message of the religion is that death is simply another part of a soul's journey, and is a natural part of the order of reality. It is nothing to be feared, and makes all mortal life kindred to one another.
As such, the members of the order are obligated to do everything in their power to help the dead sleep peacefully. One of their primary duties is the performance of funeral rites. Also, the existence of undead is anathema to Ilovar. As a violation of the cycle of life and death, many followers of Ilovar make it their duty to hunt undead and ensure the move on to the next life.
The order's members are also called to ensure that the passage of life and death has as little suffering as possible. As such, they care for the dying to ease their pain. Some go as far as mercy killing, although this is meant only to be used as a last resort. A poison known as the Sleeping Tea is used exclusively for this purpose, putting the drinker to sleep before they die in peace.
Worship
Temples to Ilovar never attract large crowds on a regular basis. Therefore, many of them are little more than chapels in graveyards. For such a rigid faith, the time of most Ilovaran priests are mostly spent informally caring for the injured and dying, as well as counseling grieving friends and family of the deceased.
The only time most people attend an Ilovaran ceremony is during funerals. Specific rites vary from culture to culture, especially in treatment of the body. However, it is almost universal for the priest involved to say a prayer asking Ilovar to watch over the soul of the deceased, and their friends and family gather to honor their memory.
Priesthood
Overall, the membership of the Order of Eternal Repose is quite small. The Ilovarans have a reputation for being grim and somber, and most prefer not to think about their own mortality, let alone dedicate themselves fully to the dead and dying. Those that do are often kept at arms length by society.
That said, the order does have a very diverse membership. Death comes to all indiscriminately, so what recruits they do receive tend to come from all walks of life. These people are often grieving a death and seek to help others through such a difficult time or have lost family to the undead. Others are raised in the order, either as the children or wards of members. Just as with the dead, Ilovar accepts all.
Not all members of the Order of Eternal Repose are priests. Many are mages-- necromancers who have turned their knowledge and power towards snuffing out the undead. Some of these are dark necromancers seeking atonement, or are mages who suffered much the same tragedies as the priests have. Their knowledge is heavily valued by the order, and many such necromancers are well respected by their priestly peers.
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