Heortescrín
The Heart-Cage
Heortescrín is the god of death, funerals, and judgment, and he is commonly regarded as the twin brother as Heorteblostma . He is often characterized as a pallid, horned man wearing a beaked mask, rowing a boat adorned with flowers. In literature, he is often stoic and frank, but polite in personality.
Shrines dedicated to Heortescrín can be located outside of graveyards or other funerary sites, as well as alongside shrines to Heorteblostma. His shrines are built out of wood or stone slabs, usually taking the form of a grave marker with an image of the god guiding a deceased person to a set of scales for their final judgment. Any grave marker can be considered a shrine to the god, and these often show the deceased's name, house, date of birth and death, and a eulogy written by the deceased's family on it, below which is the image of Heortescrín. Statues of the god overlooking graveyards are made of stone, and usually show him holding a torch in his right hand.
Divine Domains
Death
Heortescrín, whose name means heart-cage, is one of the primary gods associated with death. Due to this, depictions of him are show him as an almost skeletal figure, though he often still have skin, albeit decaying and pale as through he were in the process of dying. He is never depicted as an outright skeleton because that would imply he is a god of undeath, which he is not. In fact, Heortescrín despises the undead and asks his followers to bring undead creatures to rest as part of their duties of the god. Many fear but acknowledge the ever-lingering presence of death, and Heortescrín is viewed as the more positive aspect. Death is inevitable, and none can escape it, but it is just an end of one journey and the start of the next. The Soul Guide brings the dead into the cycle of rebirth, where his sister Heorteblostma creates them again in a new form with a new life.Funerals
During most funerals, a priest of Heortescrín presides over the process, and they often start with a prayer for the god of death to guide the soul of the deceased onto their next life. Following this, a priest of Heorteblostma say a prayer in celebration of the deceased's life, followed then by eulogy spoken by friends and family as the body is buried or burned. Funerals by followers of Heortescrín are often cremation by funeral pyre, though in the absence of wood to burn a body with, a dug-out grave will suffice, though it typically not preferred.Judgment
Heortescrín is also know as Fate's End, for death is the inevitable end of one's life. While his twin sister Heorteblostma weaves the tapestry of fate for a person at birth, Heortescrín is the one who is said to ultimately finish this tapestry of life. Following death, the Inevitable One judges the soul of the deceased to determine what they will be in their next life based off of their history, and then he tells his sister this judgment and she begins weaving a new tapestry for a new person with a reborn soul. His torch lights the way for the soul to follow him as the god guides the deceased to his sister to be reborn, telling the dead on their way what His final judgment is for them.Divine Symbols & Sigils
A set of scales in balance with a torch forming the stem of the scale.
Tenets of Faith
Death is inevitable. All life ends in death, but it is not your place to end it early.
Respect the rites of the dead. Everyone who dies is reborn, and you must help to ensure that all souls reach their next life.
Bring judgment to undeath. The undead have escape the cycle of life and death and must be brought back into it.
Social
Family Ties
Heorteblostma
Heorteblostma is either depicted as Heortescrín's twin sister or as his wife. The Twin depiction is more common.Relationships
Divine Classification
Deity
Religions
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Death-born, Decayed Father / Twin, Fate's End, Inevitable One, Life-hunter
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Eyes
Sunken in
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
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