Congregation of the Dead

Culture

RAIMENT

Like their patron, these clerics are clad in jet black, flowing robes. All clerics but Novitiates wear pendants.

Tenets of Faith

ADVANCEMENT

Advancement within the Congregation of the Dead is by number of souls harvested, seniority and undead status. Level within the church is indicated by the type of gem worn on their pendant.

Ranks

Ranks. Title <> Pendant Gem

Novitiate <> no pendant
Messenger <> plain pendant with no gem
Collector <> malachite
Butcher <> hematite
Malefactor <> azurite
Fiend <> white onyx
Hellion <> sardonyx
Reaper <> amber
Harvester <> jet
High Harvester <> black sapphire

Worship

SACRIFICE & FREQUENCY

Humans or other sentient beings every full moon (Veshemo). During the Soul Harvest as many souls as possible are offered. Many congregations hold prisoners for months in anticipation of this day. In addition to the usual sacrifices, at least one cleric is offered up to the Harvester of Souls. The sacrificial cleric can be from any religion and a member of the Congregation of the Dead is offered if no other cleric is available.

PLACE OF WORSHIP

Temples and altars dedicated to the Harvester of Souls are located in or beneath graveyards.

Priesthood

The Harvesters

The Harvesters are the Lord of the Underworld’s messengers of death and collectors of souls. They are well known for their eagerness to take a life and their willingness to die while taking one. Members of the Congregation kill for the sole purpose of sending the souls of their victims to their Lord. The Harvesters believe that the Bringer of the Grave needs souls of victims in order to gain enough strength to enter the world and make the other gods submit to his will.

The Harvesters know that through their actions and devotion to the King of the Undead they will be rewarded at death by being granted undead status. The number and strength of the souls that a cleric takes directly reflect on his future undead status and dying while attempting to take a soul is said to grant automatic undeath. However, many clerics fear dying before harvesting enough souls and thus attaining only zombie status. Therefore, there is a great tension between risking an early death to slay powerful foes who presumably have strong souls or going the slow but safe route of butchering helpless peasants and children. The ultimate goal, of course, is never to actually die, but to become a lich.

Many powerful High Harvesters of the Congregation of the Dead are actually vampires or liches that serve their dark god eternally. Wights, wraiths, ghouls and other intelligent undead also serve the Bringer of the Grave. These undead typically do not allow their victims to become undead, for such status is only for the deserving. Powerful individuals, such as adventurers, are, however, considered to be highly prized victims that are worthy of serving in this capacity. The Harvesters adorn their weapons and themselves with skulls. The skulls on their weapons are designed in such a way as to cause an eerie whistling when they wield them. The sounds created by a group of clerics in combat will send shivers up the spine of even the bravest warrior.

Harvesters adventure for the purpose of sending as many souls as possible to their evil god’s possession. They gain prestige for killing great numbers of people and glory for killing important or highly visible people.