Church of the Shadow

Official Church of Molt, The Shadow

Mythology & Lore

In the beginning, when the world was fresh and new from its inception, Bahamut was the first-born of the three Primordial Gods. Where his brother Moradin took domain of the ground, Law, and all that lay on and beneath the earth, and the third brother took domain of the water, life, and creation itself, Bahamut took domain of the Sky, of Morality, and Justness.
As Eons passed, eventually the Primordial of Water fragmented and vanished, replaced by two married oceanic deities. Bahamut and Moradin remained, and as Moradin took control of Creation from the vanished third Primordial, Bahamut inherited dominion over life itself.
During this time, as gods were fracturing and creation was in its infancy, the first life was springing up thanks to the work of the Primordial of Creation...in this way, as the infant races that would one day blossom into the forms that exist in the current day began to claw their way across the surface of Ea and establish fledgling tribes and villages, they were simultaneously learning of life, the world around them, and this wondrous new place they call home.
In this vein, the Church of the Shadow teaches that as these fledgling lifeforms learned and grew, the gravest and most sobering truth they learned of is that of death, and endings. As the first life died upon the surface of Ea, it is taught that Molt himself came into being from that first death, the tragedy and loss of the event giving rise to a deity who oversaw Death, the tragedy it entails, and teaches all of it due to the collective sorrow of life which was expressing its sorrow and its desire for a caretaker.
And in this duty, it can be said that The Shadow has not faltered in his eons of Divine life. Having sprang forth from the most base, primal, and terrifying notions and emotions and fears of life itself, Molt is often spoken of as the closest to life and the races of reality as the sobering avatar of death itself. Inevitable, unavoidable, and even-handed in his work, Molt is viewed as the grandfather of life itself who judges all equally and hands out his punishments and rewards evenly, without bias nor emotion.
In this way, it is taught that he represents that primal fear all life possesses, and perpetually carries out his grim duty in the service of all. In time, it is said he shaped his own servitors such as the Psychopomps and others to be both agents of his mighty will and to go in places where even he cannot...as well as to guide the souls of dead to his great and mighty river of souls, which he is said to have carved from the Planescape itself with a single mighty swing of his scythe as a symbol of his loyalty towards his duty and the races of the Planescape.

Divine Origins

The teachings of the Church of the Shadow came about in the far distant past, when The Shadow was young and death was a new concept for the races of Ea he is said to have inscribed his realizations, beliefs, and notions gained from being the first creature to have died in all of reality to the faithful around him who would one day embrace the musings in the Bonehallow Grimoire and become the foundations of the Church of the Shadow itself.
Having locked all his teachings within the hallowed pages of the Bonehallow Grimoire which he is said to have entrusted to the mortal races as a sign of his willingness to teach them, The Shadow soon ascended to the higher planes as the first of his fledgling followers took his teachings and began to emulate him in their lives, trying to exist between concepts such as Good and Evil so that they may be as even-handed and neutral as Death himself.
Over time, as the faith spread and grew, rituals, teachings, and beliefs naturally spread up as a result of the new followers that would join the Church...but, no matter how large the Church of the Shadow grew over the eons, it has remained oddly the same and retained much of its original beliefs and teachings that developed as life became more experienced with death and developed such things to help them cope with and understand the cruelty of it.

Cosmological Views

The Church of the Shadow believes that in the beginning, as Atlas the Progenitor God gave his great life in the beginning of time, his body formed the cosmos and planescape itself, creating everything as it is in the current era.
Yet, as the great Primordials sprang forth from the corpse of their father who died to give shape to reality itself and began to form life, the elements, and the foundation for all things, The Shadow soon sprang into being as the first of the god's creations grew old and died, having experienced the anguish and pain of death.
With his arrival, the Church of the Shadow teaches that he spurned the gods that existed at the time into action, taking up his mighty scythe, Soulreaver, as a symbol of his pact with those creatures of the Planes and using it to split the then-unformed Planescape into dozens of distinct sections and corridors which would soon form into the basic inner and outer planes.
Slicing apart the cosmic soup and dividing the Planescape into neat sections, The Shadow soon molded the Transitive planes next in his grim work, and with another mighty cleave of his scythe he then formed the river of souls, and the Psychopomps to protect it. His work done, he then is taught to have constructed Purgatory and his own realm, the Timeless Boneyard, atop the Purgatory Spire where he resides even now in his court of death, following the pact he vowed to uphold at his inception.
In this way, the Church of the Shadow preaches that Molt remains ever the stoic watcher of boundaries and transitions...sitting within his even-handed court where he judges all deaths equally, he watches over the boundaries he created so long ago and sees them upheld and kept safe. Some even go so far as to christen him the patron saint of teleportation, though this is an unofficial part of his portfolio.

Tenets of Faith

Loyalty is the greatest virtue. Uphold it, embody it, and punish those who defile it. Protect and Serve. Protect that which requires aid, and seek no glory in the doing of it. Serve faithfully and unnoticed. Duty above all. Whatever it may be, do your duty and see it through to the very end - never turn your back on your obligations, no matter the cost. What has ended cannot be again. Watch over that which has ended and ensure it is not brought back into function or action. Punish those who pervert the sanctity of endings or that which comes after. Broaden your scope. Take no sides quickly, choose no allies lightly, and treat all equally - see past the trappings of tribalism and "sides" to understand the true principles that the struggles of your world is built on, and act accordingly to the benefit of all involved.

Ethics

Often within the Church of the Shadow, the chiefmost maxim that comes up in their daily lives is their vehement hatred for the act of raising the dead as undead.
While the faithful do not inherently dislike undead themselves, and can even get along with sentient undead, they nonetheless share their Gods' views on the subject of necromancy and abhor it greatly, viewing it as a mutation of the natural process of life. As such, they go to great lengths to destroy wandering mindless undead and to prevent those who would raise them for their own purposes. However, there is debate that often rages within the Church as to what motives are used by Necromancers, and whether or not raising the dead could ever possible be acceptable.
Some argue that a necromancer raising his dead wife is a reason understandable, and even acceptable so long as he purely desires such...yet others detract this idea with the notion that no matter a person's motives, the act of returning the dead to life, and ESPECIALLY anchoring the soul of the dead back to a corporeal form is sinning of the highest form, regardless.
Perhaps uniquely, the faithful of the Shadow, while they do often destroy unintelligent undead, evil sentient undead, or necromancers, often are content to watch over and play sentinel to those undead who have sentience and are living their unlives with the morals they did in life, or otherwise attempting to live justly and with reason. These undead, most believe, though their form is a sin are trying to live as best they can, and as such are to be treated with the same respect as they would give others. However, they often attack such sentient undead should they ever give in to their base desires and become bestial or evil.
Otherwise, the followers of the Shadow often debate as to how "neutral" one should stay to remain true to the tenets of Molt himself. Some say true neutrality is achievable only through both good and evil, others say doing neither is preferable, and others yet say other things.
It is widely considered a sin to prove oneself disloyal as well as by raising the dead, and traitors and necromancers alike are oft hunted by followers of the Shadow. Often, the followers of the Shadow keep records of some kind of all those who have stained themselves with disloyalty, so as such the faithful always strive to remain loyal to the cause or lord they swear themselves to and to honor the dead, though it is acceptable to renounce one's loyalty should their cause or lord become unworthy of their loyalty.
Due to their neutrality, the faithful can be found in nearly all walks of life, and can men of action, of words, both, or neither...they are both incredibly varied and yet somehow also incredibly united at the same time, a quite unique trait the faithful all share.

Worship

Worship for the Church of the Shadow is done in many ways similarly to other religions...daily prayers and rites are common, but perhaps the most common practice of the faithful is to inscribe one's skin with simple yet sprawling tattoos of funerary rites, names of the dead, and simply elaborate designs, which the faithful consider to be proof of their faith to the Shadow's name.
Other than decorating their bodies with script and tattoo, members of this church are very pragmatic in their worship and often travel about on pilgrimages spreading the ways of the Shadow's faith to all who can listen. They place no inherent importance on worshipping in churches, and will gladly get down in snow, dirt, or soil if the time for prayer comes. They respect the purpose of holy ground and venerate it, but they see worship and faith as seperate from such things.
Often, as part of their travels for their faith, they will find a cause, purpose, person, or ideal they find suits them and pledge themselves to it for a time or, rarely, forever. In this way, they believe they better themselves through serving a cause loyally and with purpose...though they sometimes move on to greener pastures and new causes as they themselves change.

Priesthood

Much like the Shadow himself, the Church of the Shadow is a simple yet unshakeably powerful thing. Organized across the world into countless churches, parishes, temples, and shrines, the Church can be found in nearly all places and in all societies and walks of life...though the names they know The Shadow by may change and vary, all organize themselves roughly the same way.
The Church's holy ground is a place called Bonehallow Temple, a massive temple system constructed within a frozen Glacier where icy cold avatars of The Shadow's will stalk the halls and protect the faithful as they come to pay homage on great pilgrimages and journeys that last years simply to see its majesty for themselves.
It is here that the leader of the Church of the Shadow resides, a member of the faithful who receives the rank of "Grand Mortician". Guiding their faithful, they lead from within the halls of Bonehallow Temple, where they are granted exclusive and sole access to the inner sanctum of the temple like no others are.
Outside of this hallowed ground, faithful of the Shadow are organized into churches which are led by "Morticians", who act as the Archpriests and lead the lesser faithful in their daily lives. Local churches or spots of worship often have their Morticians communicate and coordinate their actions...in this way, the faith holds tight bonds even over vast distances and can react to threats surprisingly quickly.
Leading beside the Morticians of the churches is the leader of the clerics of a given location, the "Pontifex", and the leader of the Paladins of a given location, the "Scythesman".
Generally, the faithful are distinguished by the shades of the holy shrouds or patches they wear on their bodies or armor. The whiter the garb, the higher rank they are, with pure bone white being reserved for Morticians and the Grand Mortician himself, while Clerics generally have a stripe of gold cut through such cloth or patch and Paladins have a stripe of red.
All places of worship dedicated to the Shadow either take the form of or have a graveyard, catacomb, crypt, or burial ground attached to or located underneath their grounds, so that the faithful there might oversee and protect the dead from meddling.

Granted Divine Powers

The favor of the Shadow can come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, and ways that range anywhere from the dead resting easier and being more resistant to being raised, granting the faithful resistance to attacks or effects that would otherwise harm them or their soul, or returning a particularly evil undead to their true death.
Helping a followers' blade strike true, helping a shaken soul find their true purpose in life, saving someone from a fatal strike or accident...all these things can be seen as the blessing of the Shadow.
It is not uncommon for his favor to manifest in the form of blessing the ground itself where a graveyard or catacomb resides.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Though perhaps not due to a lack of interest, the faithful of the Shadow do not often involve themselves in the world of politics, though there are those who do so. Due to their neutral outlook and even-handed demeanor, the faithful often see little benefit to themselves, the dead, or Molt himself through such things, and see an involvement in politics as a necessary thing but little else.
For those who do get involved in the ways of politics and intrigue, they often serve as mediators and arbiters for a more neutral solution, sometimes going so far as to even open up churches to the Shadow to become neutral ground for political discussions.
Perhaps due to their emphasis on loyalty and critical thinking, the followers of the Shadow often find themselves ill-suited for the Political Landscape, though in more politically-savvy countries this can work in their favor and make them favored agents of certain houses who prize them for that exact loyalty.

Sects

Name: The Silent

Description: The most widespread and popular of all the sects of the Church of the Bonelord, The Silent are so popular and widespread that it is not an exaggeration to claim that many see them as the standard for followers of The Bonelord. They are an order whose members are all sworn to absolute silence, their bodies covered in elaborate funerary tattoos and prayer script from the moment they join The Silent. Though their motives for swearing an oath of silence is unknown by any but themselves, they are an order dedicated to traveling the world and collecting the bodies and remains of those who fall in battle, on the road, or away from civilization so they may give them their proper last rights and burial. They carry their infamous "Corpse Wagons" far and wide across the land, slowly retrieving errant corpses of all those who fall(including some monsters, but not all) and returning them to graveyards dedicated to The Bonelord's name so they may be put to rest and given their proper last rights. Though they move in utter silence and never speak, they have a surprising amount of clout and presence when they choose to use it. Most guard forces and armies know to let these odd men and women pass and collect the dead, for to interrupt their work is to interrupt the will of The God of Death himself. Most times, however, they are unnoticed by most in their travels...many of whom barely give more thought to their presence than they might a passing bird. With this quiet dedication, they constantly move across the land and carry out their grisly work.
Motto/Maxim: None
Home Territory: Widespread. Temples of the Silent(Silent Monasteries) can be found almost everywhere.

Name: Order of The Reaping Wind

Description: A very popular and widespread militant order of the Church of the Bonelord, the Order of the Reaping Wind are a highly freeform but very closely knit and loyal group of The Bonelord's followers who have a mind to take up arms to see loyalty preserved and death's sanctity upheld. Armed with their signature Great Scythes and robes that emulate the garb of the Lord of Death himself, those of this order travel the land in roving bands, mercilessly and silently reaping the lives of men and women alike who dare defile the hallowed dead, those who turn traitor and flee from their former masters or superiors, and even mindless undead who become an issue for townsfolk. Highly organized and well-disciplined, these fighters move as a perfectly synchronized unit, fluttering across the ground as if through levitation as they chase their prey down and cleave them in twain. They never take pleasure or derive enjoyment from their grisly work, and indeed, many who see this order go about their work express fear at the stony, stoic faces they wear as they tear the bodies of their victims into bloody pieces with massive, reaping swings of their scythes. Afterwards, they often clear a path for The Silent to gather up the corpses of their victims to give them their final rights.
Motto/Maxim: "Reap bodies like wheat."
Home Territory: Widespread. Militant Temples of The Reaping Wind can be found almost everywhere.

Name: Order of the Pauper Priest

Description: A simple but widespread order of the Church of the Shadow, the Order of the Pauper Priest is made up of a group of the faithful who believe in the simple maxim of living their lives as modestly as their bodies will exist in once they die. As such, they strive to live very modestly, only ever having possessions that they could completely pack up and take with them and otherwise living a very poor, meager existence. They believe that faith will sustain them in times of need, and that living your life in excess or in pursuit of material wealth is a fruitless, sinful, and altogether pointless life...for since all creatures will soon fill the Corpse Wagons of The Silent and be buried or eaten, such wealth is destined to be useless in the afterlife. In this way, they believe that they purify their spirits with loyalty and hardship so that when they die, their spirits may flow into the river of souls quicker and receive The Shadow's judgement expediently. The members of this order are often found as priests, monks, or simple vagrants or vagabonds, or others who live with meager means and simple existences.
Motto/Maxim: "Live with what you can carry, no more."
Home Territory: Widespread. Temples, Shrines, and Monasteries of The Shadow across the world house members of this order.

Exist beyond morality. See without bias.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Deadmen, The Quiet Watchers, The Molten, The Undecided

Demonym

Moltan

Divines

• Molt, The Shadow

Controlled Territories

• The Timeless Boneyard

Related Reading