Maal
Steely Eyed, the Judge, Firstborn, Judge of Souls, King of Souls
Maal (MAHL) is the lawful neutral god of justice, law, the dead, the land of the dead, retribution, lawyers, magistrates, judges, and all others who make their living through the law, or have a special love for it. Law is everything to Maal; his laws are perfect and wise, and would be thought to be “good” were they the laws of any mortal realm.
Maal is most popular among humans and dwarves, both of whom often have elaborately legalistic societies. Dwarves love him further because he was the first to delve into the earth and build a home. The King of Souls is also beloved of mixed races, particularly half-orcs who reject the chaotic nature of their orc brethren. This is because Maal’s law applies to all equally, and knows no prejudice. Regardless of popularity, all mortal races worship Maal, since they all come to stand before him in the end.
Divine Domains
Law and Justice
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Maal is associated with the owl, a bird said to know no partiality, sitting in judgment of the world from its bough, and with the sphinx, the first of which was born from one of his many adventures. When shown in icons, Maal stands as one of the tallest of the gods. He’s thin, with long hair, and adorned in shining black armor. He is shown to have steely gray eyes that pierce deep into men’s souls. He is always represented with Justice, his sword, either held before him with the point toward the ground, or held aloft in his right hand, tip skyward. When pointed down it means that Maal has found someone guilty or unworthy, or that he stands in judgment. The upward sword means he is pleased by an act of righteousness. Many people in the world, even those who are not adherents of Maal’s church, cheer a great deed by raising their swords aloft, tips to heaven.
Maal’s symbol is the sword Justice. Holy warriors of Maal have small silver swords, generally pointed upward, for their symbol. Clerics also use this symbol, but sometimes the sword lays sideways with an owl— Wisdom—perched on its edge, with the sword vertically behind the owl, or otherwise arrayed with it. Justice was carved from metals created by the Nameless One, so more expensive and formal symbols are crafted from the most exotic metals the faithful can find. The sword in these symbols usually has the word “Justice” carved into it in the cleric’s native language.
Tenets of Faith
Judge the Dead
Maal judges the soul of every mortal who dies, and it is through Maal the final reckoning comes for all. He stands beyond good and evil, but Maal determines whether a mortal has lived a good or evil life by listening to the tales of their lives, and then consulting the black and white ledgers of their deeds, as recorded in Gehenna and Elysium, respectively. Once he has learned all there is to learn, he hands down one of four judgments.- The truly evil are cast down into Hell, Gehenna, or the Abyss.
- Those who led acceptable lives, but failed to distinguish themselves in thought and deed, remain in his realm until it is time for them to be reborn.
- The truly good, or those who have wrongly suffered, remain in eternal bliss in one of the four halls (see “Servants” for details on the four halls).
- For those who led lives in total devotion to a god, their souls might find a place in that god’s realm, if the deity requests them from Maal.
Holidays
Holy Days
The courts of Maal observe many minor holy days, each generally tied to days of remembrance of the dead. The holiday all observe at the beginning of the year is called the “Day of Offering.” On this day, people are expected to come to the courts, and pray to Maal to forgive them any transgressions they might have committed in the previous year. They accompany their prayers with an offering given to the wronged party. In cases where this is not possible , an offering it is given to the court, to be distributed to those who have been wronged, but received no offering. It is a day filled with tears and apologies. Most people go to the courts of Maal on the Day of Offering, including those who rarely pray to Maal, as it is considered one of the highest and most holy holidays of the gods. It is, after all, courting favor with the king who will ultimately determine the fate of your soul.Servants of Maal
Maal’s companion and servitor is Wisdom, an owl who sits on his left shoulder when he holds court. From time to time, Wisdom delivers messages from Maal to the Material Plane. The god’s kingdom also teems with celestials who aid souls in their transition from the mortal sphere to eternal life, guide reborn souls back to the Material Plane, take chosen souls to new homes with their patron gods, and escort the souls of the wicked to the infernal planes. Chief among these servants are the Four Riders, who were in the past sent to the Material Plane on great and terrible steeds, to enact the will of their lord. Ever since the Compact, the Four Riders have rarely entered the mortal world.The riders also act as the wardens of the four halls, where souls who performed great deeds in life are rewarded with eternal bliss. Issama, Counselor to the King
Issama is Warden of the First Hall, the resting place of those who are wise and good of heart. She stands to the left of Maal’s throne, and advises the King of Souls on matters as varied as elven customs, legal loopholes, and contemporary marriage practices. She keeps abreast of the mortal sphere, though she rarely travels there on the back of her grey steed. Fratricide, Retribution of Blood
The only member of the Four Riders who still ventures into the Material Plane regularly, Maal sends Fratricide to punish those who kill their kin. This doom is as old as the gods’ fratricide, when Tinel and Terak slew one another, and Maal’s father was born. While many who kill their own blood face mortal justice, Maal might still send Fratricide to punish such criminals, whether they’ve been apprehended or not. No one knows why some receive divine justice and others do not. Fratricide fetches these villains and hurls them into the pits of Hell. Fratricide is not a single figure, but an office inhabited by a living, loyal servant of Maal for one hundred years and a day, after which time the servant experiences the rest of his mortal life, and after dying, becomes one of the captains of Maal’s kingdom. Fratricide rides upon a flaming, blood red steed. The Retribution of Blood also acts as the Warden of the Second Hall, wherein reside the souls of those who committed great acts of valor and loyalty. When Fratricide rides abroad former bearers of the mantle, who have died and become Maal’s captains, oversee his hall. Remorse, Weeper for the Wronged
No one knows how Remorse came into Maal’s service, but her role in the kingdom of the dead is quite clear. When souls come before Maal who have been grievously wronged, Remorse asks the King of Souls to right the wrong, and give the wounded succor. Essentially, Remorse petitions on behalf of the most pathetic of the dead. Sometimes Maal ignores Remorse’s pleading, but more often, responds by sending the soul to the Third Hall. Sometimes the tale of sorrow angers the King of Souls so much, he sends Fratricide to right the wrong if it is a blood crime, or names a talesman to do so. Remorse rides a black steed, and is Warden of the Third Hall, where those who suffered such horrible pain in life reside, so that they need never return to the mortal sphere. Maal’s Voice, Herald of the Court
If Maal’s Voice ever had a name, it is long forgotten, but it is said he was once great among the div, and thus was chosen to be Maal’s first servant. When Maal sits upon the Throne of Judgment, any word he utters is a lasting law or judgment, so for lesser matters of the court, Maal’s Voice speaks for his master. Riding a white steed on the rare occasions he travels forth, Maal’s Voice is Warden of the Fourth Hall, wherein reside those who brought great beauty into the world. Any spell that allows casters to speak with Maal, such as commune, is answered by Maal’s Voice.
Divine Classification
God
Religions
Alignment
Lawful Neutral
Church/Cult
Spouses
Naryne
(Wife)
Siblings
Children
Related Myths
