The Keeper of Souls:
Portfolio: Death, Undeath, Darkness,
Coldness, Necromany, Spirits, Ancestors
The Keeper of Souls is the warden of the dead, the master of all that is devoid of the life spark. Born of the Mother’s shadow, devoid of compassion, empathy, warmth, any emotion at all, the Keeper tends to his duties meticulously, shepherding the dead about their existence that they might not interfere with the affairs of the living, and overseeing the undead that they might lend their ageless wisdom and experience to those that still draw breath. The Keeper is worshipped with every dying breath, every prayer uttered for the swift journey of a soul, every guttering candle that gives way to darkness. He is apathetic, pragmatic, neither good nor evil, caring little for the affairs of the living other than the influence among the gods that their worship brings him. For the Keeper, the counted are appreciated as tools, to be cared for and valued, but most importantly, used to further his ends. As much as the Mother cherishes life and mourns the loss of every heartbeat, the Keeper remains indifferent. For him, life is only the beginning, and in the end, all will serve him, one way or another.
Common Representations: The Keeper is primarily represented in one of two forms: that of a well-dressed, sharp-featured man of middle years, clasping a book his left hand; or as a skeletal humanoid, clad in blackest robes with burning blue fire in his eye sockets.
Holy Site/Areas: The Keeper holds to be sacred all graveyards, crypts, tombs, and any other havens of the dead, be they animate or inanimate. Lonely places, particularly remote hilltops and deep caverns are also considered to be favored by him, as well as his servants. One of the better-known sites sacred to the Keeper of Souls is the Obelisk of Shutep, a gigantic stone monolith that stands just outside the ancient city of Khoptesh in Neshu. Covered in the characters of more than fifteen languages (many of them dead and lost to translators), the Obelisk is said to have written upon it the laws of the dead in their entirety. The Characters extend from the tip of the artifact all the way to the ground, and continue beneath the surface, arbitrarily changing language in its writing as it goes. Indeed, the area immediately surrounding the Obelisk has been excavated over a period of centuries, such that a rent in the earth extends down thirty feet from the surface, and still the symbols spiral their way down into the ground at its bottom. There is no temple affiliated with the Obelisk; in fact, priests of the Keeper generally stay their distance from the artifact, believing it to be beyond their worth to study its nature. However, scholars and sages, as well as lay worshippers of the Keeper constantly surround the site, hoping to learn secrets of how their ancestors live on, in this realm or any other.
Common Livery/Trappings: The priests of the Keeper tend to garb themselves primarily in black, and often cultivate a pale, gaunt appearance, to more closely resemble the generally accepted image of their master. Temples to the Keeper tend to be poorly lit, and with many recesses and alcoves set in the walls, so as to foster shadow and darkness within. The central altar to the Keeper of Souls is always a solid stone slab, usually with a fire pit at its base, in which is kept charred wood, but is never lit. It is said that the Keeper will indicate his divine presence at a temple through the spontaneous ignition of a flickering flame in this fire pit, which burns blue, and is chilling cold to the touch.
Common Times/Circumstances of Worship: The Keeper of Souls, being the God of Death, Undeath, and the dying, is always invoked upon the passage of a man or woman’s life. Soldiers also often call upon him in truly hopeless situations, asking for a quick passage to the beyond, and asking that his gaze be turned upon their enemy in equal measure. The sick and dying occasionally beseech him to stay his hand from them, but most accept that the Keeper cares not for these prayers, instead requesting the Mothers intervention on their behalf. Finally, some pray to the Keeper in the hopes that he will grant them continued life beyond death upon their passing. It’s not known whether or not these rare prayers are answered, but it is a documented fact that undead such as vampires, ghouls, and wights are not states that can be achieved through any mortal process (as lichdom is), so perhaps there is something to this practice…
Omens: Omens of the Keeper’s attention include the appearance of ghosts or banshees in an area, thought to show his displeasure at events or actions transpiring, and the appearance or presence of a flock of crows (commonly referred to as a murder), which is taken to imply his approval.
Strongholds of Worship: Aside from his central temple in New Rukh, the Keeper has a stronghold in the city of Khoptesh, one of the oldest temples to any of the Gods in existence. In addition to this, there is said to be an ancient city, its name lost to time, that lies deep in the dunes of the Neshu desert, and is said to be populated solely by the undead. This ruin is whispered of not only by those who would wish to walk the path of the living dead themselves, but also by those who would seek forgotten knowledge, for it is said that the great Necropolis contains knowledge that dates back to before the Beast Wars, lost and abandoned in its ancient libraries by inhabitants who no longer have any need for the secrets of the living.
Festivals/Holy Days: The Winter Equinox, the longest night of the year, is held sacred to the Keeper of Souls, as is the last day of the calendar year. In addition, the third Saturday of the ninth month of the year is marked as the Festival of Dreams, a celebration in honor of Seshem, the daughter of the Keeper, Guide of the Dead, and patroness of Dreams. During this celebration, ceremonial foods and liquors are imbibed by the faithful, along with prayers to guide them to the answers they seek through their dream travels. It is also rumored that some who follow the Keeper hold rites exactly one month after the Festival of Dreams, but none know why, or to what purpose, and the Church of the Keeper denies any religious significance to that day at all.
Notable Noble Houses: The ruling house of the
Duchy of Neshu has worshipped the Keeper since before written history. Previous
to the conquest of Neshu by Lutha, House Khopterat ruled the nation by divine
right, claiming ancestry to Umamti, Judge of the Dead, and firstborn child of
the Keeper of Souls. One peculiarity of this house is their refusal to adopt
the Luthan epithet “Keeper of Souls”, insisting on continuing to call him by
the ancient Neshu name for the God of the Underworld, Shutep. This house is
lauded for its reputation of fairness and impartiality, members often traveling
the length of the empire at the request of magistrates who seek an impartial
judgment. © Copyright 2004
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