Order of the Lord of Chaos
Morgath, is served by only one established clerical order, The Order of the Lord of Chaos.
In Hârn this religion is legal only in the Kingdom of Rethem and the Thardic Republic.
Significant temples can be found in the City of Coranan in the Thardic Republic and in the City of Golotha in Rethem.
Minor temples and shrines are distributed throughout both of these countries, and clandestine temples and covens are hidden within the other kingdoms.
The church of Morgath is unified and always mercilessly crushes heresy and dissent. Temple edicts, rules, and laws are absolute. However, interpretation of them can be subjective and a useful weapon for those brave enough to use them.
Morgathian temples are always very dangerous to both the participants as well as a casual worshipper. Ruthless ambition, power blocks, and treachery are the expected, with the weak cast aside in favor of the strong.
All temples are equipped with torture chambers, sacrificial chambers, vaults filled with undead, large archives, and death traps. The Shadow of Bukrai permeates these temples.
As Morgathism is far from a popular Religion, the church relies on fear, spies, informants, blackmail, intimidation, and the corruption of local government officials and leaders to maintain political power. Very few are willing to challenge this church, those that do often disappear and suffer a fate worse than death.
Structure
VYNKHADUR (Pontiff)
The seat of the supreme "mortal" servant of Morgath is in Meokolis, in the far Azeryan Empire. The pontiff, Vynkhadur III, commands a large and rigid bureaucracy spanning the civilized world. His words are the law.
GURIM (Primate)
Order of the Lord of Chaos insists upon an extraordinarily rigid hierarchy with a temple. This includes ideally thirteen priests, one of which is the high priest and a variable number of acolytes. In areas where the church is illegal, the temple may well be a hidden shrine and the priests a mixture of locals and wandering clerics.
Khidarmur (High Priest)
The master of the temple. The Primate typically promotes a priest to this rank. Politically it is usually a local priest, but occasionally an outsider may be installed. The Khidarmur leads important ceremonies and makes temple policy.
Khala (Priests)
Most temples have twelve Khalas, each appointed by the Khidarmur. Each Khala has specific responsibilities.
- Khala-Agash is the Guardian of Treasures controlling the temple’s finances.
- Khala-Bukrin is the Master of Archives is responsible for the temple's library and temple relics.
- Khala-Gekesa is responsible for relations with government authorities.
- Khala-Longai is the master who oversees the training of the junior acolytes.
- Khala-Kenat-Retsa is the master who presides at Kenat-Retsa rituals.
- Khala-Khida is the master who oversees the temple's day-to-day operations.
- Khala-Morvrin is the Guardian of the Unlamented Dead, responsible for the temple crypt and the undead within.
- Khala-Naman is the Master of Judgement who presides over internal temple courts.
- Khala-Nyardath is the Master of Ritual who presides over the ceremonies of the degrees of Nyardath.
- Khala-Shadryn-Vars is the Master of Low Ritual who presides over all ceremonies held for the laity.
- Khala-Sungai is the master who oversees the training of senior acolytes.
- Khala-Zhada is the Master of Discipline, responsible for temple security and spy networks.
Smaller temples and covens need to be more flexible, and certain positions will be non-existent or have different specific duties.
Longai and Sungai (Acolytes)
For the first two years of training, acolytes are called Longai. They are forced to do all menial tasks. After passing some rigorous tests and achieving some mastery of the low rituals, the Longai are promoted to Sungai.
The Sungai serve as messengers, lieutenants for the Khalas, special agents, and undertake various other duties at their superiors' command. Some Sungai grow quite powerful and have to plot and scheme to gain the rank of Khala.
Hyadak (Morgathic Face Masks)
These are the terrifying Masks, made from wood, hide, bone, ceramics, leather, paint, and glass, shaped to resemble monstrous and demonic creatures.
These are crafted by a cleric and worn ceremonially when the priest gains Sungai (Senior Acolyte) rank. New, more horrifying masks are created as a priest proceeds up the ranks. Khala (priest) or higher rank clerics can wear the mask at any time, often to disguise the identity, otherwise to intimidate. However, when a priest sacrifices a human life, they must reveal their true face – naked before Morgath.
In the presence of the Shadow of Bukrai, Hyadak seem to distort and become even more horrifying. In a particularly strong manifestation of the Shadow, masks seem to have a baleful life of their own.
Public Agenda
The Order of the Lord of Chaos has four long-term objectives;
- Promotion of principles of Chaos and Evil.
- Harvesting souls to be fed to Bukrai.
- Create Gulmorvrin (undead) armies to serve the whim of Morgath.
- Seek the destruction of all established governments and a return to a world where each man is measured by his abilities, not his birth.
Assets
In The kingdom of Rethem
Major temple in Golotha - the seat of the Primate.
Effective control over the city of Golotha by having majority control of the Heptarchial Council.
Shrine of Aekluhaya or Balsha’s Shrine- It is rumored that the undead remains of the Prophet Balsha haunt the shrine.
Extensive business investments.
Generous revenue from worshipper donations and blackmail.
In the Thardic Republic
Major temple in Coranan
Some support in the Senate
Extensive business investments
Moderate revenue from worshipper donations and blackmail.
Access to the cities under city cisterns.
Extensive funds from the sale of a property.
Minor Temples
Ten minor temples throughout Tharda and Rethem and the thirteen clandestine covens in the other kingdoms require substantial financial support.
History
The church formed from a wandering band of necromancers and cultists, around 250 BT. They founded temples in the mountains of Azeryan and slowly and carefully grew the church into an unappealing death cult.
By 100TR, the church took on a more hedonistic doctrine, which did boost popularity; however, it slowly became a conflicting muddle, filled with heresies. By the 6th century, it badly needed to be reformed.
The most successful and dramatic heresy took place on Hârn when the Prophet Balsha argued that the afterlife's misery could be eased by exchanging the immortal soul for undeath or the thirteen lives. The Council of Murshel convened in 591 and revised its doctrine, combining old dogma with Balshanism. The many Clerical Orders were violently consolidated into a single organization, the Order of the Lord of Chaos, creating the modern church, which has, for the most part, remained unchanged since that date.
Tenets of Faith
The Shadryn-Vars (Low Ritual)
The Morgathian church holds masses are held on the 26th of each month. These consist of lengthy, canted prayer, and some form of blood sacrifice. A human is preferred. If a human is unavailable, an animal may be substituted. The primary purpose of this ritual is to instill a sense of awe and terror.The Kenat-Retsa (Low Ritual)
Supplicants train for 13 days in ritual and dogma, and during the next mass, they are given a test. If they pass, they join the congregation and able to participate in church services. They are considered "the Wreaker’s Flesh" or lay worshipers of Morgath).The Degrees of Nyardath (High Rituals)
On the 13th of each month, these thirteen ritual ceremonies are restricted to the priesthood only.The ritual, or degrees, become more difficult and complex than the last. They also become progressively more dangerous as some rituals involve summoning and control of undead, demons and the Shadow of Bukrai.
The first twelve degrees are divided into groups of four groups of three rituals, the Shadath, Huldath, Amaldath, and Varedath.
Although not mandatory Human sacrifice is common to the first twelve degrees. Human sacrifice is mandatory for the Thirteenth ritual called Ukrandath. Such a sacrifice is believed to attract Morgaths attention and feed the Shadow of Bukrai.
TORKENA-MATAN (The Holy Office)
The Morgathian pontificate controls the temples and priests by means of this sinister organization. The Torkena-Matan report to the pontiff and a secret organization called the Jury of the Dark Orb (the Namana-Khidur). Each temple has hidden agents and reports on heresy and impious behavior.
Other Articles
Shadow of Bukrai - D&D 5E Notes.
Alignment Guidlines
Morgathic Priests
Adherants/Lay members
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