Jergal - Piety System Page

Custodian of the Dead

Bore someone else with your incessant questions.

Jergal is an enigmatic god who acts as a custodian of the dead. Once an ancient power of death, now he serves as a bleak seneschal to Kelemvor, and keeps his own counsel.

Jergal’s Champions

Alignment: Usually lawful
Suggested Classes: Monk, Bard, Cleric
Suggested Cleric Domains: Grave, Knowledge
Suggested Backgrounds: Cloistered Scholar, Far Traveler

Champions of Jergal are those who are deeply and intimately concerned with keeping a true record of the living and dead in Ilvara.

Jergal’s Favor

Jergal’s favour is given exceptionally rarely, and only to those who demonstrate synchronicity with Jergal’s cosmic sense of irony. Whilst Kelemvor will not tolerate the undead to exist, Jergal is more pragmatic, and simply sees that their existence is recorded and any outrageous ambitions are curtailed.

Jergal’s scions are usually meticulous notekeepers and servants in service to more powerful entities. How else to keep an eye on the movers and shakers of fate than to clean their boots? It’s not dignified, but it works.

Why did Jergal seek you out as a champion? The following table offers a few suggestions.

d6	Circumstance
1	You’ve always been close to dead bodies, growing up near a graveyard.
2	When you were born, they thought you were dead for the first 5 minutes, after which you spluttered to life.
3	You have an undead relative who gave you a sterling recommendation.
4	You’ve served your idiot master for years without recognition. Jergal understands.
5	You killed your last superior for some reason. It was probably not a good one, but Jergal doesn’t mind.
6	You’re not sure why Jergal chose you, but you get the feeling “no” isn’t an option.

Devotion to Jergal

Following Jergal means dedicating yourself to bleak servitude. As a follower of Jergal, consider the ideals below as alternatives to those suggested for your background.

d6	Ideals
1	Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what they stand for. (Any)
2	Hard Work. I take pride in my work and no-one appreciates me enough.
3	Freedom. One day I will break free of my obligations, but for now they amuse me.
4	Fatalism. Nothing has meaning and everyone dies. I might as well clean shoes and wash dishes.
5	Apathy. Everyone is always so loud and in a hurry. What could be that important?
6	Secrecy. I hear many things in my line of work. Naturally, discretion comes as part of the service.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score to Jergal when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

• Exerting influence over an entity more powerful than you through feigned servitude
• Using malicious compliance to achieve your own ends
• Ensuring rites and customs are observed

Your piety score to Jergal decreases if you diminish Jergal’s influence in the world or contradict her ideals through acts such as these:

• Disobedience to authority exercised in a way that causes you to lose influence rather than gain it
• Allowing the dead to be desecrated or looted

Deity Traits

Favoured God: Jergal

Piety 3+ Jergal trait
You gain inspiration when you use your advice to influence someone more powerful than you to your way of thinking.

Hourglass Eyes

Piety 10+ Jergal trait
You can identify the age of humanoid creatures on sight, as well as the number of years left in their natural lifespan. This ability fails on creatures disguised by magic or the Shapechanger trait, but does not reveal the reason it failed.

The Endless Sleep

Piety 25+ Jergal trait
You can cast gentle repose with this trait, requiring no material components, and the duration is “until dispelled”. Once you cast the spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Chosen of Jergal

Piety 50+ Jergal trait
You stop ageing entirely.