Hela, The Black Queen
Hela is the former goddess of death. She judged souls before they entered the afterlife, and guarded the Gates of the Dead, stopping souls from escaping, and turning back those not ready for the afterlife. After her betrayal her worshippers divided into two main factions:
The faction of the Undead and Doom: the souls she unleashed began worshipping Hela as their god, and her transformation into the God of Undeath was complete. As befits her aspects, she is depicted as a skeletal figure wrapped in a funerary shroud. Most of her original worshippers, attracted by the power given to them by this aspect turned their practices into worshipping this aspect only. This faction sees followers of Hela of the Old ways and Scaetha as Heretics and they'll engage and murder any given chance.
The faction of the Sprits and Redemption: When Hela freed all the souls from the Abyss, it brought calamity to the world in the shape of a plague of undead. A few of the old ways worshippers interpreted Hela's action as one of redemption. Even though the price had been high by creating thousands of undead, she had freed thousands if not millions of times that many souls. They called themselves The Cult of the Old Ways
Although thought by many as an evil goddess, Hela is not popular with the other dark powers. The souls in the Abyss belonged to Niht, Vali, and the demon lords, and Hela’s act as much betrayed them as it did the good gods, for it robbed them of many followers.
Most of Hela’s public shrines in civilized lands have been supplanted by those of Scaetha. Shrines within the Withered Lands are dedicated to her new aspects, bedecked in the skulls of sacrificial victims, and stained with the blood of countless innocents. Temples to Hela may exist, but few sane folks have entered the Withered Lands in the last few decades, and even fewer have returned. Worshipping Hela grants no safe passage in the lands of the undead unless one has the power to defend oneself.
Hela’s priests of The New Way are concerned with creating a realm of undeath on the mortal realm. Raising the dead is a core part of their daily routine. Paladins serve as guards and recruiters for the undead army (a term which refers both to murder and grave robbing) and combat both Hela's guardians of the Old ways as well as Scaetha’s mortal worshippers. Both are expected to loyally serve any liche they encounter, for these vile undead are Hela’s most powerful mortal servants.
Legends say that disciples of the Black Queen know the secrets of becoming dread liches and black knights, though thankfully such knowledge must be extremely rare, for these fiends are among the rarest of the undead.
Divine Domains
Aspects: Death, corruption, decay, darkness, evil, undead.
Holy Books & Codes
- Priesthood: Death Lords or Ladies (priests Death Knights (paladins).
- Herald: A skeleton in a black cloak.
- Signature Power: TBD. Priests and Paladin don’t turn undead. Instead, they have fear powers/aura. Create Zombie/undead
- Trappings: Spells must have a necromantic or darkness trapping whenever possible.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Symbol: A clenched, mummified fist.
Tenets of Faith
Sins:
- (Minor) giving burial rites to any creature, refusing to turn a corpse into an undead, refusing to aid or working against an undead; Refusing to engage Heretics.
- (Major) refusing to kill a Hela (Old Ways) worshiper when given the chance, willfully slaying a lesser undead;
- (Mortal) willfully slaying a major undead.
Holidays
Holy Day: First and last day of Deorcmonan each month. (Same as evil, it is considered a day of truce)
Festivals involve either ritual sacrifice (not always a sentient being) or the raising of the dead. Mournful wails, dirges, and dark litanies accompany these acts. Worshippers wear skull masks during these celebrations, mimicking the forms they hope to achieve once Hela creates her realm of undeath.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Duties: To destroy life, to aid Wild Card undead, to expand the Withered Lands.
Titles
The Black Queen, Supreme Necromancer, Lady of Decay, the Unholy Witch, the Mummified Lady, Vampire Queen, Lifestealer, Opener of the Gates.
Divine Classification
God
Children
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