Orrual
Orrual is the demigod of necromancy from the Menedynn heritage, and now a revered figure within the Hantzuism pantheon. He serves as the guardian deity for liches and those delving into the mysteries of Undeath. Notorious for his arrogance and obsession, the Archmage of Necromancy conducts his divine experiments on both the living and the dead, indifferent to the casualties his research incurs. He inspires his followers to embrace a similar disregard for the sanctity of life.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Clergy, Temples and Worshippers
The Church is hierarchical structure is mostly confined to individual temples. Clerics within this church primarily engage in necromantic research, aiming to deepen the faith's understanding of life, death, and Undeath. Many of these clerics have crafted hundreds of undead servants, including some distinctive ones. Once these undead have fulfilled their intended roles, the clerics often mark them with Orrual's symbol on their chests and send them aimlessly wandering across Theras. Other clerics focus on ancillary activities that support the faith, such as grave robbing, embalming, or educational roles. A small number of approachable junior clerics also perform minor healing services for the local community. This not only helps raise funds and procure supplies for the church but also facilitates the gathering of intelligence on potential adversaries.Priestly Vestments
The attire of Orrual's clergy resembles decaying, once-magnificent wizard robes. These clerics wear clothes in various colors—any except red—and prefer somber tones. While most embellish their garments with skulls and bones, the faith's relative youth means that uniform symbols denoting different ranks have yet to be established. In their ventures, members of Orrual’s clergy typically carry iron-shod staves or maces made of cold iron or silver, which prove effective against undead adversaries. Most forgo armor, finding it too cumbersome for their spellcasting, although a few clerics might wear conventional protective gear. Commonly, priests and necromancer disciples of Orrual regard a cohort of undead servants as the most fitting protection.Rituals
Clerics of Orrual conduct their prayer sessions at midnight, a time they believe is optimal for uncovering nocturnal secrets. The Orrual clergy has rapidly developed a multitude of holy days and rituals. However, the faith has not yet formed a unified doctrine, leading to significant variations in rituals not only between different temples but also within the same temple. Two rituals, however, have gained considerable acceptance: The Binding of the Crypt and The Pact of the Everlasting are rituals conducted by the faith's powerful clerics, designed to either allow them to return as undead beings or to be automatically resurrected if they perish. Both rituals entail a series of grim incantations and the dark sacrifice of many good-aligned beings. Leading theologians within the faith assert that these rituals are just two of seven that Orrual will reveal on the path to achieving immortality.Tenets of Faith
- True power resides in the liminal space between life and death.
- Advancing and expanding our understanding of life, death, and all forms in between enriches our comprehension of the universe's complexities.
- Life and death are the inseparable aspects of eternal existence; embracing both avoids obscurity.
- Mastery over life and death through knowledge grants ultimate power over all entities, whether living or undead.
- Pursuit of this transcendent knowledge should proceed unimpeded, as the outcomes will vindicate the sacrifices made along the way.
Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
Manfiestations
Orrual often appears as a flaming skull engulfed in red, pale blue, or blue-green flames. He is known to signify his favor or presence with gemstones in shades of black, purple, maroon, rust-red, gray, and a vivid, unnatural green similar to green slimes. The unexpected emergence of a bloodrose is considered a sign of his arrival.Mental characteristics
Personal history
During his mortal existence, Orrual was a rebellious archmage from the Menedynn Empire, notorious for his allegiance to various malevolent elder evils. His pursuit of demigodhood led him to concoct a potion requiring the blood of numerous divine creatures, a deed that earned him infamy even in the Free Marches. The catalyst for his ascension was a process devised by Talos, the god who sought a new demigod. Orrual achieved this elevation in the year 6,425 BB.
However, his allegiance to Talos proved unsustainable, as it demanded a rapid expenditure of his divine energy. After millenias he shifted his loyalty to Sophis and formed a covert alliance of convenience with Talos, leveraging his undead minions to sow chaos and destruction. This double-dealing drew ire from both deities.
In a spell-battle against Vecna, Orrual found himself in a stalemate, resulting in Vecna usurping his status as a demigod.
Yet, with Vecna's demise, cultists in Epeoris resurrected the fallen deity, leading to Orrual's resurgence as a demigod through the sacrifice of numerous followers of the Andorian Church.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
As a deity, Orrual possesses cunning, vanity, and selfishness, driven by a preoccupation with revenge and relentless experimentation on the living and the dead. Remarkably, these traits closely mirror those he exhibited in his mortal life.
Social
Contacts & Relations
While ostensibly aligned with Sophis, Orrual secretly rekindled an alliance with Gruumsh and engaged in a flirtatious rapport with Nyx. He forged an allegiance with Kiaransalee while positioning himself as an adversary of Vandi, Sehanine Moonbow, and Urogalan.
Titles:
The Vaunted;The Undying;
The Wraithlord;
Patron of Liches;
Divine Classification
Demipower
Religions
Alignment
Neutral Evil
Realm
Children
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
| LG | NG | CG |
| LN | N | CN |
| LE | NE | CE |
Comments