Zoas (ZOE-az)
Zoas is the god of the grave. They watch over those who have died and guide them across the astral sea to be with the gods on their islands in paradise. For those who have committed some great sin, Zoas allows one last chance for redemption before sending their souls to the realms of eternal punishment, either in the abyss with the demons or in the nine hells with the devils, depending on the nature of the soul being sentenced. They remain neutral in the affairs of men and gods, perfectly indifferent to the passage of time. They know that their services will be needed one day by all the creatures of the world, and are content to wait. However, they have been known to lend power to mortals who take it upon themselves to destroy the undead, who have disrupted the natural cycle and are abhorrent to Zoas.
Divine Domains
Zoas is the god of inevitability, the afterlife, burial rights, and the grave. They have no male or female aspects, in fact they have only one aspect at all. They are always the gray-shrouded figure standing at the docks of the afterlife, waiting to send each soul on its way to eternal rest. Their clerics are grave domain clerics, and when they make paladins, which is rare, they swear oaths of the watchers or of vengeance.
Holy Books & Codes
Zoas does not speak directly to mortals, but those who have died and returned sometimes come back with messages. The longer the individual waits before being restored to life, the more likely they are to have some comment from the Grey God, however it takes extraordinary measures to revive anyone who has been dead longer than five days. It is thought that this restriction is because five days is as long as Zoas will allow a soul to remain waiting on this shore, and after that the restoration spell must find them in the starry void beyond the living world. What scarce words the priesthood has collected are known as Whispers from Beyond the Grave, and they are sacred, read only by the Grey God's highest priests.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Zoas is represented by a simple watercraft, sometimes with a cloaked figure standing in it, sometimes empty.
Tenets of Faith
Holidays
Funerals are times of reverence for those who follow Zoas, but they claim no other holy days. When a member of the community dies, their body must be bathed and then burned to ensure the passage of their spirit into the afterlife and the peace of their rest. Zoas's priesthood oversees these rites, and comforts the family of the one who has passed on.
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