Nerull, The Scythe-Bearer
The Dragon God of Death
Nerull, known by the title The Scythe-Bearer, is the Dragon Deity of Stygia, the Plane of Death.
Nerull is known as the god of the transition of death, the bearer of souls from the Material Plane into the afterlives of the pantheon. Those who have experienced the loss of loved ones seek out the quiet shrines in graveyards to Nerull to ask for the safe passage of souls to the beyond. Clerics of Nerull tend to the graves, offering solace and understanding, as all things must die and transition to the next phase of existence.
Those that worship Nerull also offer thanks to Gaia, The Allmother, as the source of all life. They are intrinsically tied, and there is a comfort in knowing that each beginning has an end on its horizon.
As the one that ferries souls, Nerull resides in the Void, a place of transference along the River of Many Paths. His black-sailed ship travels the breadth of the planes of the divine.
Description
Appearance
Nerull is rarely depicted, for those that have seen his form are often those who are near death. His visage is a white skull and scales on a slim, muscular form with tattered wings, shrouded in a black hood.Symbology
The symbol of Stygia is a white, draconic skull in a black hood or shroud. Nerull is associated with grayscale colors. His gemstone is the Hematite and his flower is the Night Tulip. The Repose Coda is a well-known prayer often used during burial rites.Places of significance
Kingdom of Endor
Endor, the First Mountain
Temple of the Flowers – though not as prominent as the temples to Zenethia or Ignosia, here in the upper levels, residents of Endor can leave offerings and prayers to the other Flower Deities. These stone halls and arches have many small shrines in secluded places where small gatherings are held in honor of the Gods or to pray for their boons. However, it is said that each of the gods do have their own full temples in Endor’s lower levels, most do not know where these places might be hidden. Temple of All's Fate – a rebuilt and expanded shrine in the Undercity of Endor, crafted by the magic's of Nerull's follower Leo, Captain of the Black Barrow. Gate of the Maw – there are a number of pillars in the rotunda of the Gate of the Maw. Upon each is a carved depiction of one of the Dragons of Azimuth, including Nerull.Queendom of Keeleon
New Keeleon
The Augurs – a collection of religious monuments for each of the eight Dragons, made of large shards of clay.Porgorag
Nerull's Fane – on the edge of the city is a shrine dedicated to the God of Death. Here, burial rites are performed by the Acolytes of Nerull.Northern Orcish Plains
Roadside Cairn – along the Orc Highway is an old battlefield from the Tarterian War where a stone cairn to Nerull was built. Scythe’s Charnelcroft – in Gimoruk, this Nerull temple tends to the recovery and honoring of those lost in the Demons' Blood Marshes.Principles
As the Dragon of Death, Nerull represents the provinces of Death, Fate, Doom, and the Undead.Tennants
- All things die. Do not pity those who have fallen.
- The path of fate is sacrosanct. Those who attempt to thwart their destiny must be punished.
Holy day
Closure's Call is observed in early Ocana. It is a time of honoring those who’ve passed and reflection on the cycle of life. Often, gifts are offered at gravestones to those lost and to the Scythe-Bearer who tends them.Known worshipers
- Leo, Captain of the Black Barrow: Member of the Zenethian Heroes.
- E'larus: Tiefling member of the Turnip Tillers.
- Daelee Thárdál: Elven leader of The Copper Dozen and paladin of Nerull.
History
The Second Age: The Age of the Severance
After the events of the Severance, the world of Azimuth was left without gods. However, so powerful were those entities that had occupied the divine realms, echoes of the gods remained. The people of Azimuth still prayed, and these echoes heard these calls. Flowering from the seeds left behind, new entities began to coalesce. In the Divine Planes, eight new beings were made, given form and function by the faiths of the mortal races and beasts. These eight, great figures of scale and wing and claw would be named the Dragons.The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow
Campaign One: The Zenethian Heroes
In 4A 995, the Zenethian Children and their ally Gruknock, Captain of Burland, were fleeing the armies of Psaro the Manslayer. In Konenbur they encountered Leo, Captain of the Black Barrow, a worshipper of Nerull. During the course of their journey, Leo would converse with Nerull using his magics. In 4A 995, in the Mausoleum of Dwarf Lords, Leo used his magics alongside Nerull to interrogate the body of Steverossa, the Illithid. In the lands of Santeem, Leo recovered the remains of his lover, Tillius. In honor of his service and dedication, Nerull transmuted these bone shards into gold and transformed them into a golem for his follower. In 4A 996, Leo discovered a lost shrine to Nerull in the underlevels of the city of Endor, the First Mountain. While here, Leo used his magics to converse with Nerull to ask questions related to the party's quests. Leo asked about Chedae, the party's donkey, however Chedae was blocked from Nerull's sight, and he mentioned that the donkey had long eluded his realm as the God of Death. Later that year, the soul of Trip, the One Who Fell, was rescued from Esturk, The World's End. Trip's soul encountered Nerull in the Ethereal Plane. Here, Nerull gave Trip the choice to ascend to Zenethia, the Plane of Light, or to be brought back to life in the Material Plane.Quotations
- “I am the God of Death. The God of the Transition. I have been waiting for you for a long time now.” - said to Trip after her soul was rescued from Esturk.