Blood of Vol

What just god would allow death and suffering? The Blood of Vol teaches that we all have the potential to become divine beings—and that death is a curse, designed to kill you before you can unlock the divinity within you.
The Blood of Vol is a grim faith. It asserts that death is oblivion, that the universe is uncaring, and that if the Sovereigns exist, they are cruel. Its followers study the secrets of blood and life, and because they believe that death is the end, they see nothing wrong with using the bodies of the fallen to serve the living. Seekers of the Divinity Within (as the faithful call themselves) are glad to be reanimated after death; at least they can do some good.
Because of this association with necromancy, many believe the Blood of Vol embraces death and its followers want to become undead. Both ideas are false. The Blood of Vol sees death as the ultimate evil. Seekers don’t want to become undead; they want to become divine beings. The faith teaches that divinity is tied to blood and soul, and the undead can never fully harness that power. The mummies and vampires of the Blood of Vol have sacrificed their chance at divinity to guide the living. They’re martyrs, not something to envy.
In addition to a general revulsion toward the undead, the public opinion of the Blood of Vol is colored by the actions of the Order of the Emerald Claw. This extremist sect serves a lich known as the Queen of Death, and it employs necromantic magic in acts of terror. However, most Seekers don’t support the Emerald Claw. The Blood of Vol has its strongest following in Karrnath and the Lhazaar Principalities. For a time, it was the national religion of Karrnath. Though fallen from favor, the faith is still practiced openly in that nation.

Necromancy and the Undead

The Blood of Vol emerged from collaboration with Aereni necromancers, and the undead have always been associated with the faith. First and foremost, this link is born out of practicality. Seekers have no reverence for corpses; the divinity within is tied to life and to the soul, and once those things are gone, what’s left is just meat and bone. As an extension of this, most Seekers want their corpses to be put to use. The faith is driven by the idea of serving a community—why let your corpse go to waste when it can help your friends and family? As such, mindless undead are commonly seen in Seeker communities serving as guardians, performing manual labor, and completing other simple tasks.
However, a common misconception is that Seekers want to become undead. Some do, driven purely by the fear of oblivion, but undeath is a miserable half-life, not a triumph. The divinity within is bound to your blood and your soul, so Seekers believe that the souls of undead are trapped in their corpses, the spark of divinity lost to them. Those who embrace undeath are seen as martyrs, and generally expected to protect and serve their Seeker community. One of the most public of these champions is the mummy lord Malevanor, the high priest of Atur. The former high priest of Atur was the mummy Askalor, who held the post for over four hundred years—but he was weary of his long undead existence. When Malevanor was grievously injured during the Last War, Askalor transferred his power and his undead existence to his apprentice. This raises an interesting question: if the divinity within lies in the blood, how does Malevanor cast divine magic? The answer is that Seeker communities ritually draw their blood and share it with these champions. Vampires drink this blood, while mummies or liches may bathe in it. Through this, undead priests draw their power from the blood of the living faithful.
Another factor in the long association between the Blood of Vol and necromancy is that Seeker communities have often formed in or near manifest zones to Mabar. While such areas are often inhospitable or dangerous, over the course of many centuries, Seekers have learned how to tap the energies of these places. Because Mabaran manifest zones are usually blighted, outsiders often accuse the Seekers of causing blights. In reality, the Seekers often perform rituals that limit the negative effects of the manifest zones—so instead of causing the plagues and blights associated with Mabar, they often prevent them.

War and Peace

Throughout its history, the Blood of Vol has been treated with fear and suspicion by the people of the Five Nations. It’s a faith that has dwelled in the shadows. This changed early in the Last War. His nation crippled by famine, King Kaius I accepted the aid of the Blood of Vol. The Seekers provided undead soldiers and necromantic expertise; with the resources of the crown behind them, Seekers developed necromantic rituals and weapons never before imagined. In exchange, Kaius elevated the Blood of Vol to the official state religion. Warlords were encouraged to embrace the faith, and Seeker families were given lands and titles.
For a time, the Blood of Vol spread and was celebrated—or so it seemed. Most of the old warlord families still despised the Seekers and felt that the use of undead in battle debased the proud martial traditions of their ancestors. Toward the end of the war, Regent Moranna turned on the faith and the Blood of Vol became a scapegoat for all of Karrnath’s troubles. Moranna claimed that the famines and plagues the people had suffered were caused by the Seekers. Its nobles were stripped of their lands. Chivalric orders of Seekers were disbanded. Some—notably the infamous Order of the Emerald Claw— refused to surrender, but most Seekers remained loyal to their nation even when it betrayed them.
Today, the Blood of Vol has returned to the shadows, though there are still Seekers who serve the crown. Kaius III has sealed most of his undead forces in the crypts below Korth and Atur, but he isn’t willing to entirely surrender this strategic advantage. Fort Bones and Fort Zombie remain bastions of loyal Seekers. But the faith is no longer celebrated, and the old warlord lines still mutter that they would have won the war if only they’d relied on skill and steel instead of foul magics. In playing a Karrnathi Seeker, do you support the crown and believe that Kaius III is only doing what he has to do to maintain the support of the warlords, or do you despise Kaius III and Moranna for betraying your faith?

Cosmological Views

The Divinity Within

“Divinity lies within our blood.”

In the eyes of the Seeker, life and the soul are both divine forces. Every soul has the potential to evolve and develop divine power—but this takes time and willpower, and most mortals die before they accomplish it.
As a divine spellcaster who follows the Blood of Vol, you believe that your power comes from your own soul. As a paladin, you are calling on the power of your own blood when you heal your allies or smite your enemies. The visible manifestations of magic of the Blood of Vol typically involve crimson energy, as if luminous tendrils of blood are flowing from you. But it’s not simply your power. Consider the Seeker priest who casts commune; how can they gain information they don’t already know? The answer is that the divinity within is something far greater than you. It is a god, possessing celestial power you can’t understand or imagine—but it is still in its chrysalis, waiting to be born. When you cast your spell, you awaken a sliver of its power; once the spell is done, it returns to its rest.
Or at least, that’s a Seeker believes. Scholars of other faiths argue that the Seekers are deluded, that their powers are simply drawn from some other source, the same kind of delusion that allows a warforged cleric to draw magic from their devotion to the Lord of Blades. However, Seeker priests can reverse this same argument. What proof is there that all clerics aren’t simply drawing on their own divine sparks—that even a paladin of Dol Arrah mistakenly thinks their power come from above, when really, it’s always come from within?

Tenets of Faith

• Everyone has a spark of divinity. Find that power within.
• Death is the end, Dolurrh is oblivion, and if the gods exist, they are cruel. Stand with those you care for; all we have is this life and each other.

Ethics

Stronger Together

“The universe is against us, and all we have is each other.”

This is one of the most basic principles of the Blood of Vol. Despite its grim outlook, it is a faith that emphasizes the value of friendship, family, and community. There are no benevolent gods looking out for us, so we have to look out for each other. Death is the end, so we can’t let it steal the people we care about without a fight. And since there is no pleasant afterlife waiting for us, we should treasure the time we have with those we love. These values have kept the Blood of Vol alive through the centuries: the deep commitment to community and to working together even in the face of impossible odds.

Worship

Rites

The services of the Blood of Vol focus on drawing the faithful together as a community and encouraging people to find power within themselves. The most important ritual of the faith is the Sacrament of Blood. After a sermon, each member of the congregation sheds a small amount of blood into a basin. This is a symbol of unity, and a message that members of the community would shed their blood to defend one another. In some temples, this blood is donated to vampire champions of the faith.

Temples

A shrine devoted to the Blood of Vol requires only an altar and a means for collecting ritually spilled blood. Temples of the Blood of Vol are fortified structures, built to serve as sanctuaries. In contrast to the Silver Flame, such temples are stark and functional. Temples include vaults or catacombs, designed to hold undead or to store corpses.

Sects

The Seekers of the Divinity Within

The Seekers of the Divinity Within are the largest and most widespread tradition associated with the Blood of Vol. The faith isn’t as formally structured as the Church of the Silver Flame or even the Sovereign Host. For the most part, Seekers keep to themselves, living in their own villages and small towns or in isolated neighborhoods of larger communities, where they can practice their traditions without drawing the ire of their neighbors. The exception is the city of Atur: known as the City of Night, this remains the most public bastion of the Blood of Vol. Expanded and fortified during the Last War, Atur is the seat of Karrnath’s necromantic research and development.
While Kaius III has stripped the Blood of Vol of much of its standing, he still recognizes its potential value should the war begin anew, and many believe that he continues to provide support to Atur. The mummy lord Hass Malevanor is the high priest of Atur and the current spiritual leader of the faith. However, there are stories of undead champions who have guided and protected the Seekers for centuries. Sometimes known as the Crimson Covenant, these enigmatic figures may be the true power behind Atur.
Outside Atur, for the most part, each Seeker community relies on their abactor—the priest that oversees a temple or community—and they rarely reach out to the world beyond. The largest temple in a region serves as a hub, coordinating with the other Seeker communities around it. But every community has its own stories and traditions and they’re generally unconcerned with “heresy”; feel free to develop your character’s own unique beliefs
As an acolyte of the Blood of Vol, you’ve been ordained as a priest, but not bound to a single community as an abactor. You can receive shelter in any Seeker community. Are you following orders from Malevanor or the Crimson Covenant itself? Are you guided by visions from your own divinity within? As a Seeker hermit, you spent your time in isolation communing with your divinity within, and your Discovery may relate to the faith. Perhaps you have an insight into how to unlock your own power. Or perhaps you’ve learned a secret about the Crimson Covenant, and believe that a malevolent force is manipulating the faithful Seekers—can you find a way to bring down this ancient evil and free your people?

The Bloodsails

The elves of the Bloodsail Principality occupy the island of Farlnen in the Lhazaar Principalities. The Bloodsails share the same roots as the Blood of Vol, as the principality was founded by Aereni exiles. However, they have followed a different path and hewn closer to the traditions of their ancestors. They don’t believe in the divinity within and readily seek immortality through undeath. However, the island can only support a limited number of vampires, and Bloodsails must earn their afterlife by paying velgys—blood money—to the lords of the land. Those who fail to earn enough to buy a better afterlife are instead bound to objects after death. This is similar to the Aereni techniques described in chapter 2, but Bloodsail elves are often tied to ships and sails, enabling their vessels to move across a windless sea, sails driven by ghosts.
Bloodsail elves often bear crimson tattoos that are tied to their families and vessels. The Bloodsails are exceptional sailors, so both sailor and pirate are logical backgrounds for a player character. As an adventurer, you might have been exiled from your island, or you could be searching for a way to quickly earn the blood money you need to leave mortality behind

The Order of the Emerald Claw

The Order of the Emerald Claw began as an elite military force comprised of devoted Seekers. When Regent Moranna turned on the Blood of Vol, the Emerald Claw refused to stand down. Today, members of the order include both Seeker extremists and Karrnathi patriots furious at Kaius III for embracing peace. The ultimate leader of the Emerald Claw is the lich known to most as the Queen of the Dead. She claims that her violent actions are for the good of Karrnath and the Blood of Vol, but in truth, they primarily benefit her and serve to spread terror.
The Order of the Emerald Claw is full of villains whose actions have cast all Seekers in a bad light, and most Seekers despise the Emerald Claw. If you have ties to the Emerald Claw, you could have served with them before realizing that the Queen of the Dead is pursuing her own evil agenda; if so, you could be determined to find some way to destroy the lich and restore honor to the order. Or you could be convinced that she truly does have = the best interests of your people at heart. Has she been unjustly vilified? Or are you simply a tool?
If you wish to play a Seeker veteran without the villainous ties of the Emerald Claw, the Order of the Onyx Skull was another elite unit comprised of Seekers, but disbanded on Moranna’s orders. As a paladin of the Blood of Vol, you could be a knight of the Onyx Skull who has taken up adventuring after being cast aside by your nation. Are you still loyal to Karrnath? Or do you believe Kaius III is a traitor to your people?

Thieves of Life

The Seekers of the Divinity Within value community, urging the faithful to stand together. But there are others who follow the principles of the Blood of Vol who prefer to stand alone. The hermits known as Thieves of Life are determined to unlock their divinity within at any cost—not to help others, but solely to further their own quest for power and immortality. Thieves of Life are often master necromancers, but never become undead themselves; instead, they specialize in magics that allow them to drain the life from their foes.
As a hermit devoted to the Blood of Vol, you could choose the path of the Thief of Life. You are utterly devoted to the pursuit of your personal divinity, and your Discovery has likely shown you the path you must take. You might be a cleric, a Divine Soul sorcerer, or an Undying warlock (with your patron being your own nascent divinity within). What binds you to your fellow adventurers, and why would they choose to associate with you? You may be utterly devoted to your quest for immortality—but what is your redeeming feature, your anchor to humanity?
An unusual option for a Thief of Life hermit is to say that you’ve actually been in a state of suspended animation for decades or even centuries—your Discovery was made on an inner journey. You were once far more powerful than you are today, but your powers have yet to return; as you gain levels, you are actually regaining the power you once had. If this is the case, it could be that one or more of your adventuring companions are actually descendants of yours; while you’re obsessed with your quest for immortality, you also care about your own bloodline.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Leader

Hass Malevanor