Major Deities of Sefarow

Sefarow recognises a pantheon of 12 Major Deities; personified cosmic forces that have a tangible effect on the world of Adaria and its people. They are listed here. For each God, this page lists their common names, domain, alignment, clergy, practises, and their standing in Sefaran society.

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• Lord of the Dead
• Judge of the Damned
• The Master of Fates

Domains and Alignment

Death, Order, Grave

Lawful Neutral

Beliefs

Kelemvor is not a kind god, but he is a fair god. Many consider him to be aloof and distant but ever-present. His greatest concern is that every mortal soul goes at the time it is supposed to, and that they do so peacefully. When souls come to him, he ferries them to their appropriate afterlife. The god's current avatar, Kelemvor, was once a mortal paladin who took up the mantle of godhood upon his death. Many call Kelemvor an uncaring god, but in actuality he is a fair and caring god who treats all the souls that come to his doorstep with the same honour and dignity, regardless of where he is bringing them. While incredibly rare, if he finds the death of a mortal particularly moving, he may ressurect them, should they be fated to do so. The most recent and well-known example of this is Doomguide Mendenrhil, a cleric who was ressurected by Kelemvor who went on to play a pivotal role in the downfall of the Brotherhood of Asmodeus.

The Church of Kelemvor is known coloquially as the Death Clergy, as their duties include taking care of the dead. While this premise is simple, their duties are very expansive in number and kind. The highest-held belief among Kelemvites is an undying respect for the dead, and maintaining the cycle of life and death. Kelemvites believe that the lifecycle is the most holy order, and that violations of this cycle (such as undead and immortality) are the most abborhent thing a mortal could acheive. Among the duties of a Kelemvite priest are preventing untimely deaths and leading those who cannot be saved to a peaceful end. They seek to de-mystify the process of death and dying and to make it comfortable and approachable, so that people would not fear death. The duties of a Kelemvite are all based on the notion of respecting the dead; some lead the dying to a confortable and noble death, some perform funeral rites and ceremonies, some tend to graves and graveyards, some tend to the bodies of the deceased, some comfort the families and friends of the departed, and some keep ancestral records for future genrations. Kelemvites perform mass very infrequently, as they believe that death is the kind of subject that one should seek to understand in a private and personal way, and that there is not one "right" way to accept the presence of death in life. Scholars and philosophers study the afterlife and various planes of existance, as well as medicine. Converting is seen as a taboo, as whoever joins the Church of Kelemvor has a personal reason to do so, and death does not seek new followers, as it knows that all will eventually come to it. While many churches believe that leaving is heresy, Kelemvites are generally permissable of members leaving, as they know and accept that the work they do wears on the psyche.

Clergy and Organisations

The Church of Kelemvor is quite possibly the most widespread religious organisation in Sefarow, albiet not in large numbers. Almost every city has a permanent population of Kelemvites, but they exist in small groups, with few strictly religious temples. While the "temples" of Kelemvor are mostly the workplaces of coroners, funeral directors, undertakers and healers, they are still considered holy places. The largest temple of Kelemvor in Sefarow is found in (place).

The clergy of Kelemvor is a fairly close-knit community; many consider their work grim and disgusting and generally try to avoid their holy places. Most (but not all) clergymen of Kelemvor were born into the practice, as it is considered by many outside the church taboo to join their ranks. While the reasons why someone joins the clergy is their own, many cite their reasons for joining the Church of Kelemvor as their respect for the dead or a fascination with medical science. The church is hierarchical in nature, and split up into several branches. The hierarchy of the Church of Kelemvor is as follows:

• Overseer of Fates
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• Doomguides
• Mortarchs
• Keepers
• Ensigns
• Candlekeeps

The ranks of Kelemvites start at Candlekeeps, these are generally the children of priests who have not been properly sworn in to the order. Their duties quite literally lighting candles and other small tasks like fetching supplies and assisting in rituals.

The next rank up is Ensign. These are generally new members or Candlekeeps who have been sworn into service of Kelemvor once they become of age. Their duties are to learn and perform basic funeral rites and to assist higher-ranking members of the order. At this point, many start to choose which path they would like to persue, whether it be ceremony masters, healers, coroners or even paladins.

After Ensigns come Keepers. Keepers make up the bulk of the clergy. The vast majority of priests who direct the everyday operations of a non-temple holy place (such as an infirmary or a funeral home) are Keepers. This rank has the most expansive array of duties, as this rank is given to many different roles among the clergy. These members are often the most specialised group, as many have persued their specialties for some time and are proficent in their chosen role. Any given Keeper could be a healer and another could be an undertaker, with little overlap in their duties and yet still have the same rank.

The prestige within the Church of Kelemvor starts with Mortarchs. They are generally more senior members of the clergy who have many years of experience. The role of a Mortarch is to be the master of ceremonies; they are specialised priests who deal with funerals and their associated rites. Members of this rank often take a step back from practical duties to take over the logistic or administrative aspect of temples, prefering to spend their time in study or office while leaving lower ranking members (usually Keepers) in charge of the day-to-day duties.

Considered by many to be most desireable role with in Death Clergy, Doomguides are the true jack of all trades. They are usually the most senior member in any given temple (save for the head temple in place), as well as one of the most versatile skillsets. Doomguides duties include those of a Keeper, but with extra specialties such as medic and combat training. Doomguides are expected to travel between cities as courriers or to lend aid where needed. Many Doomguides are combat priests who train with the Bleeding Roses, and many join adventuring parties should their cause be deemed worthy. Some others become full-fledged clerics; an incredibly uncommon and respected feat of devotion.

The church of Kelemvor have several related organisations that aren't directly managed by the clergy, notably the Most Solemn Order of the Silent Shroud and the Holy Sacred Order of the Bleeding Rose. The former, known commonly as the "Silent Shroud" are an association of undertakers, gravediggers, embalmers and other professions that deal with the treatment of the dead but are not directly religious or ceremonial in nature. The latter, known commonly as "Bleeding Roses" are an order of paladins devoted to Kelemvor.

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