The Worship of Koraris
Koraris is the deity of The Void. He governs the cleric domains of Death and the Grave. Worshipping him is forbidden in Nerevarn, Sarayne and Taar. However there are rumors of a secret, clandestinely state-sanctioned temple in Taar, where a select few of the most resilient, savvy and trustworthy clerics are relied upon to appease Koraris while avoiding entering into any of his pacts. This results in a constant battle of divine and mortal wits behind the closed doors of the temple.
History
It is believed that in the eons preceding the ascension of King Gabraeil as the first King of Nerevarn, the entire peninsula was enslaved to Koraris, and all souls went to The Void after death to feed his power. After Dianecht - the nemesis of Koraris and previously too weak to oppose him - saved the life of Gabraeil upon condition that he and his descendants devote themselves to Him forever, Dianect gradually rose in power through the worship of the new Kingdom and through their acts done in accordance with his will, eventually becoming more powerful than Koraris and able to throw him into obscurity. With Koraris worship outlawed under the Kingdom , the deity of The Void was essentially denied souls, causing him to lose his power in the face of the ascendency of his nemesis, the deity of Life.
Now that the monarchy has been replaced by a Republic, the legal injunctions against Koraris worship have been repealed in the name of freedom of religion. Despite this, there remains a great deal of societal taboo regarding it, and Koraris is not regarded as a deity worshipped by people who should be trusted. It was only a short time ago that the citizens elected their first ever Koraris aligned Senator, despite worship of the void lord having by now been legal for over a century.
Execution
Koraris is worshipped, by those who choose to face the many pressures against it, mostly through one of two methods. The first is through entering into pacts with Him, whereby he claims the soul of the pact maker after death in exchange for whatever is the agreed upon reward. This is the main method chosen by low-level or unskilled worshippers who seek to gain an inflated importance, wealth or power for short term gain in this life. The other form of worship, almost always preferable to the worshipper but requiring more magical skill and knowledge than most posses, is done through the giving of other souls - not one's own - to Koraris in exchange for whatever the worshipper seeks. This requires an altar to Koraris, a victim (either unsuspecting or physically unable to resist), and sufficient skill in the darker magics to perform the appropriate sacrifice.
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