Myrkul
Myrkul, also known as the Lord of Bones, the Lord of the Dead and the Reaper, is a god of the dead. He was originally a mortal man, a necromancer named Myrkul Bey al-Kursi, who ascended to godhood alongside Bhaal, the god of murder, and Bane, god of fear, hatred and tyranny.
Myrkul's influence is inspired through the fear of death. He isn't widely worshiped so much as dreaded, and even blamed for the natural difficulties that accompanied growing old. He had mastered the skill of sparking unease and fear amongst mortals through every action or mere word. His face, the white skull shrouded in a black cowl, is recognized across as the symbol of fear and death, the paragon of nightmares.
In Kauvet, Myrkul is heavily endorsed by the Church of
Hecate and, by extension, the royal family under the reign of Queen Everly Lavandin. While
Kelemvor has historically been more widely worshipped as the god of death, Myrkul has gained prominence in the last few decades because of the emphasis of non-wastefulness in the form of necromancy. This has ruffled many feathers of worshipers of Kelemvor who widely oppose necromancy of all forms.
They're a secretive religion, and not much is known about their operations, but they have been trying to take back the boneyard from
The Mysta of Kelemvor for years. The entire religion revolves around making the most of what is available to you; they're all about recycling and upcycling and rehoming trash. After all, you make the most from the resources you have. These emphasis on minimizing wastefulness aligns very well with the Church of Hecate and as such they are on very good terms with one another to the detriment of their relationship with
The Mysta of Kelemvor.
Description
As a mortal, Myrkul Bey al-Kursi was described as a reticent and withdrawn individual. His thin frame and gangly limbs were hidden behind dark robes, and he spoke in a high-pitched but soft voice.
The avatar of Myrkul appears as a skeleton of a man hidden in flowing black robes. His wrinkled, lesioned skin and blackened, cracked lips give the appearance he is just on the verge of death. He speaks in a rather high whisper, though his words never show enough inflection to convey feeling or concern. Like all deities of Kauvet, he has the ability to transcend gender and race to make himself appear however he wishes.
It is very important to Myrkul that the mortals always keep him in the back of their mind. He never misses an opportunity to remind the world that he is waiting for them all.
Realm
Myrkul rules from the realm of the Bone Castle, within the Gray Wastes.
Worshipers
The worship of Myrkul has grown in popularity over the last few decades as the endorsement of the Church of Hecate arose under Queen Everly Lavandin's reign. His worshipers, who are often undertakers in one form or another, are a morose, secretive lot, reticent to share their faith with those outside their church. These Myrkulytes are tasked with ensuring the people of Toril both feared and respected death. To aggrandize Myrkul's power, they propagate rumors that merely touching one of his priests would bring certain death.
The Church of Myrkul Beliefs
The church is:
- Frugal
- Giving to Community
- A welfare organization in towns and neighborhoods hardest-hit by poverty and inequality
- Supports educations and self-betterment (because brains and brawns persist when reanimated)
- All in all is really unexpectedly wholesome
- Just wants to take back what they view as theirs, namely the bones of the necromancer Osdominus Ater which reside in the Ater Boneyard, as Osdominus was a follower of Myrkul
- The priests sometimes preach the "fear of death" thing, but only in as much as it helps people make the most of their time living. For higher ups in the church and people who clearly have zeal, they drop that act and go even harder on the self-betterment and altruism angle.
Notable Followers of Myrkul
Most information about Myrkul has been gathered from here.
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