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Tenebrae and Mortus, Old Deus of the Afterlife

"Welcome to the final moments of your beautiful and peaceful life. Now, prepare for an even more peaceful sleep, I'll watch over you little one. Sweet Dreams...."
  — Tenebrae, the Old Deus of the Afterlife putting the soul of a kind farmer to sleep.  
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Tenebrae is seen as a terrifying figure, but still peaceful and kind deity of death who leads all she meets to a peaceful afterlife. Death comes to all, even those who wish to defy this very natural process, and when it occurs, Tenebrae or Mortus are there to take each soul by the hand and lead it to the proper afterlife. Tenebrae's priests teach that those who stay on the path of life and don't taint their souls will have a Peaceful rest, while those who do come to find an untimely end. The faithful of Tenebrae generally seek those who stay on the path of life and give them a happy ending and peaceful burial even if the person in question couldn't afford it. The tenets of Tenebrae's faithful compel them to forestall or prevent untimely deaths whenever possible, while Mortus's tenets are much more destructive, commanding their followers to destroy undead wherever they may be found, or any who would defy the natural cycle.   Tenebrae herself it but one half of the whole that makes up the Old Deus of the Afterlife, however. The snakes that surround her are not merely ones she keeps around simply out of fondness for them, no. These snakes are a creature that has been named Mortus. Both Tenebrae and Mortus were birthed from the concept of death, never having existed before this point. Tenebrae and Mortus were given their status because the universal forces deemed it necessary, for a reason that not even Tenebrae and Mortus can divine. The being that used to encapsulate Death forever remaining unknown to the pair.    Tenebrae herself is extremely kind, and comforting towards those who peacefully head into the afterlife when the time has come. Such kindness must not be taken advantage of, however. Any who try to flee their death, or those who corrupt the powers that be, find such kindness evaporating as quickly as it arrived. The snakes that make up the being known as Mortus forming, as a truly horrible end now awaits any who aroused the wrath of the Old Deus of the Afterlife.   Different sects and worshipers define "untimely" in different ways. One group might concentrate on stopping the spread of disease, another on the prevention of murder, and yet another on eliminating the scourge of the undead. It is a topic of rigorous debate of whether Tenebrae and Mortus are actually two separate beings, and if so, should their worship be separated? Are both Tenebrae and Mortus respective members of the Big Twelve, thus making it the Big Thirteen? The official answer as of now is that they are one being, but many scholars still dispute this fact to the point that various sects devote their worship to either only Tenebrae, both Tenebrae and Mortus, or only Mortus. None of these are viewed as heretical by the church, however.   It is also noted that Tenebrae's avatars often differ immensely. Some seem to embody the kindness and acceptance of Lady Tenebrae, while others embody the viciousness and wrath of Mortus. This only serves to incite talks of whether the two are separate, though it is also the reason worship of only Mortus is not seen as heretical.   In fact, all the faithful of Mortus despise the undead and those who would kill those on the path of life and work to some degree to eliminate them, for both are seen as an abomination of the natural order. This belief obviously puts Mortus aligned faithful at odds with necromancers, murderers and those who seek to bring undead to power in any way, shape and form.    

Depiction:

Tenebrae definitely looks like the scary of the two death siblings, but is actually far nicer the her brother. She dresses in a white blood stained dress, that towards the bottom turns into snakes. She has soulless but gentle eyes and carries a lantern to help the lost find their way.  

Allies:

Tenebrae's only lifelong ally is her snakes, Mortus. They share a bond that was forged from the beginning of time itself.    

Enemies:

Tenebrae wouldn't say she has enemies, just people she dislikes. This list consists of people who disrespect the process of death, and people who disavow Mortus.    

Commandments of Tenebrae:

  • Respect the dead and see them to the afterlife. Become a path that can light up their future.
  • All creatures deserve empathy. Even the undead. We should not take them on in a path of righteous glory, but respect them as a sentient race.
  • A peaceful death is its own reward.

Commandments of Mortus:

  • Any who try to avoid their death should be cut down. You do not decide when you die. We do.
  • Undead are an abomination! They must all be destroyed to right the cycle.
  • Those who commit vile acts deserve vile deaths. 
  • Alignment: True Neutral
  • Category: Old Deus
  • Domains: Afterlife
  • Pantheon: Adamantian
  • Symbol: Epitaph of the Afterlife
  • Gender: Female, Male (?)
Tenebrae Symbol
Children

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