Cult of Morr

“Sometimes I question why the primeval Gods were so cruel. To devise an existence where living beings have to kill to survive. Why must death have to exist? We call death Morr, and though I know she suffers no less than the rest of us, I still fear death.”
-Priest Joli Cossam of Borgas

The Cult of Morr has become one of the most widespread cults across Tural since the generations long period of constant warfare after the collapse of the last great Empire. Most citizens have therefore come to reconcile their natural fears and come to accept death as a necessary part of life, while others consider the cults view on the afterlife and their burial books as strangely comforting.
For most, this is a relatively new phenomena but for the likes of the Elanians in The United Nerall Empire to the South East; their fascination with this particular Goddess and her aspect as death goes back to before the written word. In fact some might say they have an unhealthy fascination with her, incorporating symbols of death in all things. From the skulls that decorate their banners to the martial culture that infuses their society, death is everywhere, and its master is Morr.

The Cult of Morr does not worry about what the world thinks. Everyone comes to the cult eventually, and it has enough to do guarding those who are already in its care. Followers of Morr are far from uncaring, but they do not typically see the living as their responsibility. This responsibility to the dead is taken very seriously by cultists, with soldiers telling stories of priests on battlefields giving last rites and carrying away bodies from both sides while ignoring those still breathing. While this sense of duty can sometimes extend to carrying out the last wishes of a dead person, or providing some comfort to the bereaved, on the whole the Priests of Morr have little to do with the affairs of the living.

Beliefs

"What do you grow in a garden? Food! Why do you think the priests of Morr are always so well-fed, even during famines? What’s in their Gardens?"
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The fundamental belief and intention of the cult is to prepare and guide the dead to the afterlife and their final judgement with Morr. This requires many rituals and incantations to be preformed on the body and deceased spirit, as well as a number of burial goods to protect it through the coming trials of the underworld. If these rites are not preformed on a body, the soul will likely become lost and be devoured by one of the many monsters and demons that prowl the between space, and souls know this on an instinctual level. Thus, the spirits of the unburied dead cling to the mortal world rather than face complete annihilation, remaining a ghosts.

Book of Morr

A book, once a scroll, and before that a series of painted illustrations on the walls of royal tombs, is an ancient funerary text that is placed within the tomb or grave of a deceased individual. Its earliest written form has been found in the ruins of the city of Hazan'kor in Elan, consisting of 31 incantations within 11 sections on a 78 ft long scroll.
The book of Morr is not a single text, but a selection of incantations and illustrations that the person to be buried, or their immediate kin, thinks would be most vital for them in their own progress to the afterlife. The size of each persons book can thus range in thickness depending on how many pages they can commission the cultists to write out for them, though the basics come with the cost of burial.
These incantations were used for many things, such as giving the keys to pass through one of the many gates and doorways a souls may come across. The required words to pacify one of the grotesque demons that stalk the road through the underworld such as "He who dances in Blood" and even make it extent its protection toward the soul. Another breed of monster are known as "slaughterers" who actively hunt and kill the unrighteous, though certain passages can hide a prepared spirit from their attentions.
The use of these books in burials has spread across Tural along with the spread of the cult, especially when it grew to encompass common people, and not just kings and queens. Now almost everyone is buried with at least the minimal 8 incantations beside them, though if one has the means the pay for more, every penny would go towards making sure either their or their loved ones immortal soul is as prepared as possible for its final journey.

Strictures

• Protect the dead.
• Observe all rites of funeral and wake.
• Be respectful and considerate of the dead and their families.
• Never refuse to conduct a funeral.

Structure

"Morr's breath!"
-Common exclamation in the south

Temples of Morr are completely independent from one another in day-to-day matters. Once every 12 years, the priesthood gather in conclave at Viadeza to agree upon burial rites, matters of doctrine, and additions or subtractions from Morrs book. In theory, all priests should attend, but with the spread of the cult all across the continent, and the constant state of warfare over the past few decades means this isn't normally possible, let alone the thought of leaving the temples unstaffed and unguarded. As such, each temple sends at least one representative to the nearest conclave within their respective region, and from there, if possible, a number are sent on to Viadeza. This has since led to differences in doctrine, burial rites, and Books depending on how long each region has been cut off from Viadeza, instead only holding regional conclaves.

Initiation

Each cult abides by the fundamental beliefs that underpin the organisation, but as each temple is independent, over the generations they have each thus developed their own sets of initiation rites and procedures. Lay followers, though far less common than with other cults, tend to be servants of the priests, digging graves, helping to prepare corpses, or even just acting as guards for the temple and Garden of Morr.
Acquiring new initiates is not something the cult actively pursues, since all come to Morr in their own ways - either in life or in death. Individuals are usually drawn towards the cult for their own reasons; be it devotion, some trauma, or simply for the solitude and dependable work.
Initiates generally find themselves doing prolonged, boring tasks that require constant concentration. They are also subjected to lectures by the Chaplains on the inviolability of the dead and tests to remember all the incantations within Morrs Book, as well as the duty of a Morrian priest. Initiates are allowed to quit; this is how the cult weeds out the unsuitable who make it this far, though few do. As a result, the priesthood is perennially short of applicants, let alone recruits, and standards sometimes slip.

Cultists

"The dead never interrupt, they just arrive."
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Priests and Priestesses of Morr dress only in black, though depending on the climate this can change. Elanians in the hot south for instance usually get by with a black

A Morrian Priest and Morrite A'kin Mage.

skirt and shawl, with dyed black mud to cover their torso in an attempt to stay cool while still wearing the colours. Little ornamentation is used, but a small amount of copper is acceptable. A few even train ravens or crows to sit on their shoulder and peer at passers-by. Hair is generally kept short, and men are clean-shaven.
Most people think that priests of Morr are all dour, solemn, quiet individuals. This is because they only meet them at funerals. Humour, hobbies, and even a select circle of friends are not uncommon among the priests. Interests that promote steady hands, and artistic eye, good sewing skills, or produce plenty of sawdust are all encouraged by the cult. It is true that social butterflies, the frivolous, and hedonists tend not to join the cult of the God of the Dead, but priests of Morr are more likely than most to surprise those who get to know them well.
Cultists, and by extension the Cult, tend not to care what the world thinks of them. They are a necessity to all as all will come to the cult eventually, and they have enough work to do guarding those already in their care without worrying about those not yet within their Goddesses embrace. This independence perhaps started out as just another show of Elanian self-reliance, but it has extended to all temples across the continent, likely bolstered by the fact that those who decide to join the cult generally aren't the sort of people who need or look for the support of others for their decisions.

Ranks

Initiate

Initiates acts as servants to priests within the temple, digging graves, watching an helping wrap bodies and other menial labour when not taking lessons from the temples Chaplain.

Priest

Priests prepare and wrap the bodies brought to them and carry the coffins into the garden for burial. They have more free time than the initiates and thus can take up hobbies. Those that can read and write help the Chaplains in writing out Books of Morr.

Chaplain

A Chaplain presides over the ceremonies conducted at the temples alter. Speaking words over the body and organising the service. They are also the ones who write the Books of Morr that are placed with the coffin. Beyond that, they teach the initiates of their future duty, Morr, and her book.

Head Priest

Head Priests are chosen by the Crows and is a rank normally only found within cities. They preside not only over their own temple but the smaller ones found within the surrounding towns and villages. It is their job to make sure everyone is holding to the correct doctrine and using the proper rites, while occasionally leading the burial ceremony of nobles or royalty who donate enough to the temple. They are the ones who travel to Viadeza once every twelve years, though many will choose a Chaplain or Priest to take the honour instead.

Apprentice

If a young Initiate goes through the awakening sickness, or a family brings a child to the Temple who has, they are handed over to the Cults magical sect. If their Dream of Power is A'kin, they begin their training immediately under the tutelage of one of the Cults Mages. If not, they are given basic training to stay safe and discover their Dream, before being handed over to one of the other Cults in the region that specialize in their particular Dream of Power.
The Cult takes its apprenticeship format from the Cult of ---------, so to begin with, little of their daily routine when an Initiate would change, though with some added learning of tedious mental drills and formulas, not to mention various arcane languages and so on.

Mage

Their tutor has deemed them worthy of the shroud and thus the Apprentice graduates to a full mage. From here they will either remain within their temple and use the Dream of Power to commune with the dead, or be moved to a different temple that currently has no mage.

Speaker

A Speaker is a veteran Mage within the Order of Communion, able to contact the most distant of spirits and still understand them. A Speakers skills are highly sought after, but it is usually only kings or queens that have the coin to hire their services; a good thing for the mage, as they will likely have burned through much of their life by this point. They are also the only ones within the Order that could potentially know some of the more deadly spells open to a Mage of the Death Dream.

Wanderer

The path of the Wandering Mage is for those who find life within the Temples too stifling. They travel across Tural preforming last rites to those who would otherwise have no priest, or preforming communions for those with the coin. As they are not part of any temple, no temple has authority over them which causes some problems within the Cult. Even so they continue their work, traveling battlefields that were unattended by priests and other such dangerous places, usually with the protection of a Knight of the Black Rose. A parting gift from the Head Priest of their Temple.

Arch Mage

Arch Mages stand outside the normal hierarchy of the Cult. They have talked with thousands of spirits, their knowledge of the A'kin Dream keeps increasing, the pull to go deeper growing ever stronger. They make preparations, writing down all they have discovered before vanishing into the Dream for the last time. After a week of no contact a Chaplain is sent into their office, the Raven Knights part their halberds, and the mages works are retrieved to be pored over by their previous underlings.

Crow

two benches of twelve Crows reside in Viadezas Obsidian Temple, with another two representing the Cults military wing. These men and women are answerable only to the Raven, and local governments have no sway over them. The two benches represent both sects of the cult and together they debate, sometimes loudly, about the future of the cult and vote on issues. Mages bring up new sights or viewings found within the Dream while Priests voice the thoughts of the people and any new ideas to add into the book. When decisions are made they are spread to the visiting Head Priests or their representatives.
The Rank of Crow is highly sought after for many reasons, necessitating their protection by the Cults elite Black Rose Knights.

Raven

A new Raven is voted for from among the Crows. They break deadlocks between the Crows and have the final say on weather a decision passes or not, and what gets added into Morrs book. By the time anyone reaches the rank of Raven they are old but knowledgeable on the cults workings, those who are weak of body or mind have no claim to the title.

Sects

The Cult is divided into two primary Sects: The Order of the Grave and the Order of Communion. The Order of the Grave are the largest of the two, being the Sect that runs the temples, performs the necessary rites and inters the dead within the Gardens, writes the Books of Morr, and protects the dead from graverobbers. It is usually junior priests of the Order who perform these duties, although a larger donation to the temple will ensure the service of a more high-ranking priest. Urban temples tend to be very busy, and suitably large to accommodate all, while more rural temples may only have one burial a day, depending on how many villages they serve.
The Order of Communion are much smaller, but made up almost entirely of A'Kin mages, with a few supporting junior priests. A'Kin mages are one of the few instances in which the cult will actively move to recruit a person. Within the temple, junior priests greet visitors and receive donations, keep the temple clean, and conduct visitors to the mage, after which the A'Kin priest uses their powers to contact a spirit, asking and relaying answers between the visitor and the spirit as best they can.
Despite this division, there is very little tension between these two groups, as neither infringes on the other. Beneath these two main Sects are a number of smaller Orders that hold allegiance to one or the other of the major Sects:

• Order of Communion
• Knights of the Black Rose
• The Black Guard
• Knights of the Raven

Temples and Holy Sites

Temples of Morr are almost always built of stone, and always feature a broad stone doorway, with no door and a heavy lintel-stone. The doorway leads into a reception area and a stairwell that leads down to the temple proper.
The temple itself is usually rectangular in plan, with several side chambers in which bodies can be prepared for burial, and where seats and pews are stored for funerals. They are always quiet places, with a cool temperature and good ventilation. The alter it as the back of the chamber, with a bier in front where the deceased is placed during a funeral. Larger temples can have more than one alter room so multiple funerals can be conducted at once. Behind each alter is another doorway leading back to the surface and the fabled Gardens of Morr. The doors to the Garden can be closed and locked.

The Garden is a black rose garden, tended to by priests, with stone monuments to the dead dotted about. The bereaved may visit the Garden in the company of a priest of Morr to lay offerings and clean the site themselves with their families, but layfolk are not allowed into the Garden by themselves. To help enforce this, most Gardens are surrounded by high stone walls, and the only entrance is through the temple itself. Accommodation for the priests is normally built along one wall of the Garden.
In some cases however, when space is lacking, or in the case of Viadeza and other Elanian cities, the garden is also underground, instead being made up of vast rose carved catacombs that spread out underneath the parent city. These "Gardens" where usually the ones built before trade of the black roses from the west was possible. Some still build these catacombs, but most now prefer to bury the dead in the sun.

Communion temples are typically six sided domes with an oculus at its peak. These domes can be above ground, or sometimes below. Entry into the temple is through a reception area, from which guests can find a number of subsidiary rooms where they are served refreshments until it is their turn to meet with one of the resident A'Kin priests within the dome room. Accommodation for the priests is part of the main building on the other side of the dome room. Communion temples do not have a Garden attached, but it is not unusual for temples of both Orders to be found close together.

Smaller Shrines to Morr, such as those found in households usually consist of a stone picture frame constructed like a doorway, holding a black rose between two panes of glass, or a rose icon. Below the frame is a small table for burning incense, a flower vase for black roses, and space for small trinkets or portraits of those who have passed into Morrs embrace.

Cult of Morr

Rose of Morr

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Seat of Power

Viadeza

Head of the Cult

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Primary Orders

Order of Communion
The Black Guard

Major Festivals

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Holy Books

Book of Morr
Song of Ravens

Holy Symbols

Black Rose, Raven, Doorway