Mormakers Holy Orders

Two orders make up the sacristies. The ministers (the clergy) see to the dead and prepare them for passage. The obedient brotherhood (holy warriors) fulfills d’Eriq’s promise to Mormekar by hunting and destroying the undead.
There is no central structure to the faith, with each sacristy being run by consensus of the ministers. They all must agree on any decision affecting the entire sacristy. Each member of the faith is wholly independent, however, and can come and go as he chooses. No one gives orders. They all know their duties and do not need such things.
The average sacristy has no more than three ministers and one obedient brother or sister. They are small churches, often little more than a hall with an altar and a massive brazier in the middle, with a small rectory in back. They are austere, grim places, as one might expect. Some of the older sacristies lie over sprawling catacombs, however, and these major resting places of the dead have as many as ten ministers and up to twenty members of the obedient brotherhood keeping the bodies safe from those who would violate them.

Ministers of Mormekar

The ministers perform the rite, and keep the dead safe from desecration. This is the whole purpose of their order and it keeps them quite busy as naturally, people are constantly dying. Ministers almost never involve themselves in secular affairs, and few leave their sacristy but to fetch supplies and bodies. Yet some make it their mission to travel the world, administering the rite to people who cannot reach a sacristy. Others leave to wage war against necromancers and the undead, pledging to destroy them all.
Most Mormekim ministers are neutral. They perform their duty for Mormekar and don’t give two figs about mortal society. While they sometimes perform “good” acts such as opposing the undead, they don’t do them because they believe necromancy is evil, but because it is their duty, and the undead defy the cycle of existence their god protects. This makes them seem quite lawful, but save for the rite and commands of Death, most the ministers don’t care about laws or rules. They don’t give each other orders and recognize no ranks in their churches. They serve Death, not living morality.
Yet many Mormekim are lawful neutral, and care about structures, and authority. They see the Mormekim’s wealth and importance, and believe the only thing keeping the faith from having a more profound impact is its lack of organization. With a proper structure, including a central authority, the Mormekim could spread their faith all over the world and into the halls of power, influencing secular society so greatly that perhaps there would be no more necromancy. Another vocal minority consists of neutral good clergy.
They’re crusaders against the undead, wanderers who wish to extend the rite to those who might never receive it. They believe the withdrawal of the ministers into their sacristies allows much evil to be done in the world. They want to bring the mercy of Mormekar’s edicts to all people. A very few ministers are chaotic neutral, and came to the Mormekim because the faith is about as different from the rest of mortal society as one can get. They enjoy being outsiders concerned only with death, scoffing at “the quick.” Many of these ministers play to the prejudices most folk have about the Mormekim, dressing in black and speaking in mordant voices.
A neutral evil Mormekim cult exists. It rejects mainstream doctrine, reveres the undead and sanctifies killing, making it the sworn enemy of the sacristies.
Joining the Ministers Prospective ministers go to sacristies and take a one-year vow of silence. During this time, they try to understand the stillness of the dead and learn the rite. When they have completed their time of silence, they speak the rite before any other words, and recite it perfectly and in its entirety. If they succeed, they become ministers: clerics with the Repose domain. A minister is addressed as “Father,” or “Mother,” and introduced by full title.

Obedient Brotherhood of Mormekar

The obedient brotherhood upholds the covenant between mortals and Mormekar as expressed by the second utterance, “Death is sacred. Obey my command: Seek out those who violate that sanctity and destroy them.” Unlike ministers, obedient brothers and sisters are not dispassionate beings of duty. They are filled with holy righteousness, and stand opposed to the pure evil of undeath. They are just as concerned with protecting the living from the ravages of necromancy as they are with preserving the sanctity of the dead. They believe the utterances pertain to life as well as death. For instance, since death is sacred, it should not be brought on by something unholy like the undead.
Thus, the living should be protected from the undead. Members of the obedient brotherhood often join adventuring groups, happy to go on missions that might not involve the undead, but they always prefer war against undeath over any other venture. They have no authority structure, and are free to go wherever they will. The order tends to attract grim specimens. Most of the obedient brotherhood are quiet, tend toward dark garb and whispering voices, and have childhoods touched by the ravages of the undead. There are exceptions, of course, and the order does not require a dark outlook. Nevertheless, every obedient brother and sister sees death as one of the two most sacred acts of the mortal races, with the other being birth. They do not shy from the dead and the dying, and wish to give them dignity.
A member of the obedient brotherhood must not permit the defiling of the dead, including creating undead or looting corpses. They oppose violators. Yet one could deprive one of the undead of its treasures, if these were taken after the creature was damned, or could take items from a body if they know (and do not just believe) that the deceased would have desired this. Furthermore, they are not opposed to all necromancy, but only that which disturbs the slumber of death. An obedient brother would rather die than let undead flourish. He administers the rite to any who need it.
Members of this order are excellent traveling companions. While they must give top priority to battling the undead and dark necromancy, they are otherwise completely free. The order commands them only to go forth and oppose the defiling of death, so if their companions aren’t defiling the dead themselves, they make perfectly pleasant company. They have no disposition toward chaos or law, so other holy warriors, rogues, barbarians, wizards, sorcerers, monks, druids—all make fine associates for obedient brothers and sisters. If they will aid the holy warrior in her quest against the undead, even better.
Their favorite companions are Morwynites, who protect life and birth as Mormekim protect the dead and the dying. Together, they make a formidable team.
Joining the Obedient Brotherhood Initiates to the order must find an obedient brother or sister willing to train them. Together they pray for guidance from Mormekar, and if they both feel the god wishes the candidate to become an obedient sister (or brother), she becomes one. She then trains for a year, learning the rite and the secrets of destroying the undead. It’s a very simple process. One is an obedient brother or sister all of one’s life, and there are no higher titles in the order. A member of the obedient brotherhood is addressed as “brother” or “sister” and introduced by name, followed by order: “Ming Tan, an Obedient Sister of the Sacristies of Mormekar.” Most are neutral good, and come from the ranks of rangers (hunter) or paladins (oath of vengeance)

Type

Religious, Holy Order