Church of Cehbris
Structure
There were many titles and jobs in the Church of Cehbris, listed as follows:
Doomguides - First and foremost, the primary duties of doomguides involved the consolation of the dying, showing reverence to the dead, and providing comfort to those who were left to grieve and deceased. Like other priests of the faith, doomguides officiated funerals, particularly those of great importance. They performed resurrection rituals when it was warranted, particularly when members of their own faith were slain. Beyond this, doomguides were tasked with the eradication of necromantic practices, along with anyone who propagated the existence of the undead. To this end they often traveled with adventuring companies, aiding them when presented with the threat of the undead. While important, their roles as undead hunters was entirely secondary.
Mortarch - Mortarchs were specialized in the arts of funerals. Their main duties were to consecrate graves, maintain and pass on knowledge regarding burial customs, and to provide comfort to the grieving family members of the deceased.
Necrobane - The duty of a necrobane was to seek out and destroy any undead creature. They halted the spread and destroyed animated corpses such as skeletons and zombies. They also sought out undead souls, such as ghouls and wights, so that they may be put to rest. Necrobanes held a burning hatred for all forms of undead. While they casually slaughtered mindless undead, they held pity for the restless souls trapped in undeath and considered it a compassionate act to free them. This pity and compassion did not extend to beings such as lichs or vampires. They saw lichdom as a premediated act and considered vampires to be among the most vile creatures.
Culture
It was believed Cehbris took the essences of the deceased and assigned them to their appropriate places in the eternal cycle of existence. He was the Great Guide, who led everyone into their next life. His clergy proclaimed that this was the case for all souls, regardless of their faith (though that was not technically true). Cehbris had his faithful understand that death was part of life, that it was a beginning rather than an end and a necessity rather than a punishment. It was not the ultimate end; instead, it was a step in a continuing and wonderful journey. They viewed death as an orderly process, without deception or chaos. It was not to be rushed, prolonged, or evaded through undeath.
Public Agenda
Cehbris were bidden to help people to meet their deaths with dignity at their proper time and not before. Unlike followers of some gods of death, they had no intent to wreak devastation and spread death. In word and deed, they opposed those who extended their lifespans beyond what was natural by using necromancy and other magic. Nor should they pass on without knowing that Cehbris would meet them in the afterlife and that he was merciful and just and not to be feared. Thus the clergy believed their highest duty was to seek out folk close to death and aid them. The church of Cehbris considered the undead as an abomination and sought their destruction whenever possible. They also sought out and destroyed anyone who extended their lives well beyond the natural limit, such as liches.
Worship
Clerics of Cehbris pray for spells at sundown. Most holy ceremonies involve blessing a soul for the transition into the afterlife. If present at the moment of death, a cleric of Cehbris performs the Passing, a simple ritual alerting Cehbris to the arrival of this new wanderer on the Final Road.
Death is but part of life: fear it not, evade it not, and view it not as evil. To fear death delivers you into the hands of those who can bring death down upon you.
