Forgotten Realms

Kelemvor
Lord of the Dead

Johnny Tek
 Written by Johnny Tek

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1
 Oh lion, lion, reacher of the sky.
Your fearsome roar does cause the ground to shake.
Oh lion, lion, how can one deny
The fear and awe you leave behind your wake.
Oh lion proud and mighty have you been
But soon your tower built shall tumble down.
For all things end just as they do begin;
The Judgment comes to all when time comes ‘round.

2
Kelemvor
LAWFUL NEUTRAL
Divine Residence: The Crystal Spire, Fugue Plane
Symbol: A skeletal humanoid arm holding up scales in equal
balance
Divine Portfolio: Death, The Dead, Funerals and Tombs
Divine Allies: Chauntea, Lathander, Sehanine Moonbow,
Selune, Silvanus, Urogalan
Divine Enemies: Cyric, Shar, Myrkul, Talona
Exarchs: Jergal
Kelemvor is god of the dead, as well as funerals and tombs.
Once a gallant human warrior and champion of good, the
Lord of the Dead purged himself of his humanity so that his
role as the supreme judge of the dead could be justly
performed. Kelemvor’s great sacrifice protected the stability of
the gods’ power structure, which he himself endangered
through personal bias.
Kelemvor is a somber, thoughtful deity with a supreme sense
of responsibility. He is burdened with knowledge of secrets
that have filled him with great urgency in his duties as a judge.
Although he maintains neutrality for the sake of balance,
Kelemvor may occasionally assist great heroes in a small,
limited manner if it serves the justice of the afterlife.
Kelemvor is absolutely opposed to the existence of the undead,
as they represent a perversion of life and death that bring a
false terror of death to the living. Gods that are strongly
zealous in the destruction of undead are counted as
Kelemvor’s allies, though destroying undead might be the only
endeavor that he might support together with them.
Shar’s relentless support of dark necromancy is terribly
offensive, but Kelemvor can not directly move against her
because of the divine rules restricting his actions. Talona is
also considered to be an enemy for her spreading of unnatural
death, including foul diseases that make a mockery of corpses
(some going so far as to turn the corpses into undead). Since
Cyric is obsessively hateful of Kelemvor from their shared
history as mortals before ascending to godhood, the mad god
of lies is quite possibly Kelemvor’s most dedicated foe.
Kelemvor appears as an old yet physically fit man in armor
with a hood covering his head and a mask covering his face.
His personal divine weapon is called Fatal Touch, a longsword
specially enchanted to slay the undead.
_ Exarchs
Exarchs are deities and demigods that serve other (usually
more powerful) deities that protect, rule over and/or provide
them with support against their enemies.
Jergal
Jergal was once one of the most powerful gods, and ruled over
many godly domains, including death. Bored of his
responsibilities, Jergal willingly relinquished most of his divine
power to others, and went about serving his successors one
after the other as an adviser.
Jergal is the god of fatalism, proper burial, and the protection
of tombs. He is bland and formal in his disposition, and shows
his disdain through sarcasm. This god shows little concern for
anything, and can not be provoked to convey strong emotions
except under extreme circumstances. His lackadaisical
attitudes are often shared by his followers, many of whom live
quiet, laidback lives as gravekeepers, morticians, and tomb
custodians.
Jergal’s ancient wealth of knowledge spans the history of the
world, so his advice is one of the most valuable resources at
Kelemvor’s command.
Afterlife
The Fugue Plane
The first way stop of all mortal souls in the living realms
before heading to their afterlife destinations. The Fugue Plane
is a dimly lit, grayish expanse that appears as an ocean of fog
and dark clouds to those who travel through it. Travel through
the Fugue Plane is much like swimming through the Astral
Plane; movement through one’s force of will. After souls reach
this place, they are then guided to dimensional gates within the
Fugue Plane that lead to the afterlife realms ruled by the gods
they worship. The servants of the gods guard the souls from
harm as they travel through the plane.
The City of Judgement
Within the Fugue Plane exists an ever-growing island of titanic
size, floating in the gray. Upon this island sits the City of
Judgement, the destination for souls that have no divine patron
leading them to the afterlife.
Kelemvor rules over the City of Judgement from his palace in
the city, known as the Crystal Spire. The palace also hosts the
Court of Souls, where gods of death from the various
pantheons meet in council.
3
The Faithless and The False
The Faithless are those who lived their lives in denial of all
deities, The False have betrayed their gods in some way while
pretending to be faithful.
Every soul among the Faithless and False will roam the City of
Judgement, prevented from leaving, for up to ten days before a
final judgement is applied by Kelemvor’s judgement. During
those ten days, servants of the gods may try to convince the
souls to give themselves over to the gods; devils will attempt to
make contracts with the souls that will bring them to the Nine
Hells as newborn devils. Not all souls are approached however.
Without salvation from a deity or damnation through devil
conversion, the remaining souls are usually imprisoned for all
eternity as part of a massive wall that surrounds the City of
Judgement. The Wall of the Faithless is composed completely
of souls and rune-inscribed stone sections. Souls that are
bound to the walls will slowly lose their memories and fade
into oblivion. The Wall is often raided by demons that tear
souls off and bring them to the Abyss for conversion into
newborn fiends.
The Court of Souls
Following the events of the Sundering, the gods of death from
the realms’ different pantheons were gathered into a council
housed in the City of Judgement. Together in the Court of
Souls, these gods of death preside over various issues
concerning the dead and mediate disputes over souls. Rare
cases of re-evaluation brought before the Court may result in a
Faithless or False being given the chance for a reprieve from an
eternity on the Wall.
As the impartial judge of the dead, Kelemvor has the final say
in the approval of actions collectively taken by the Court, and
chairs every meeting of the death gods.
Since the death gods other than Kelemvor have their own
divine realms to oversee outside of the City of Judgement, they
will send either their avatars or proxies to represent them at
the Court of Souls.
The following are some of the gods that may be seen in the
Court of Souls.
Dumathoin (Neutral)
Dumathoin is the dwarven god of buried wealth, ores, gems,
mining, exploration, and guarding the dead; he is also the
patron supporter of the shield dwarves.
Dumathoin is adventurous and rowdy, encouraging his
worshippers to gather together comrades for grand exploits.
One of the greatest honors among the faithful is the right to
watch over a fallen friend’s or relative’s body to protect it from
predators until a proper funeral and burial can be held. One
of the greatest pleasures is to craft, receive, or discover a
precious stone of the highest cut and quality.
4
Myrkul (Neutral Evil)
Myrkul is the god of death in the Faerunian pantheon, and
was once the judge of the dead, before Kelemvor took on the
mantle. Kelemvor must ever be wary of the twisted
machinations of Myrkul, for the evil god of death covets the
seat of the judge currently held by Kelemvor.
Myrkul is a cold, calculating, intelligent planner who is always
mindful of his behavior and ever vigilant of potential threats
to his influence. He is often at odds with Kelemvor over his
worshippers’ creation and use of undead, but Kelemvor can
not move directly against him without truly just cause.
Myrkul will readily take advantage of any system of rules that
binds the gods at any opportunity that serves his long-term
plans. Myrkul will often work in tandem with Bane, the god of
tyranny, and Bhaal, the god of murder, to further his dastardly
schemes (an alliance known as The Dead Three).
Segojan Earthcaller (Neutral Good)
Segojan Earthcaller is the gnomish god of earth, nature, and
the dead; he is also the patron supporter of the rock gnomes.
Segojan Earthcaller has a direct and straightforward
disposition, with a penchant for pragmatism and reasonable
thinking. He will rarely act in violence, preferring diplomacy,
unless in defense of gnomes and his faithful. The worshippers
of Sergojan Earthcaller follow his pragmatic ways, and are
highly organized.
Segojan Earthcaller keeps a close eye on every member of the
council in the Court of Souls, and always takes some time to
reflect on events before taking action or speaking against
another god of death.
Sehanine Moonbow (Chaotic Good)
Sehanine Moonbow is the elven goddess of death, dreams,
journeys, mysticism, transcendence, the moon, the stars, and
the heavens; she is also the matron supporter of the moon
elves.
Sehanine Moonbow is a kind, compassionate deity with an air
of mystery about her. She is fond of applying subtle meanings
and innuendos in conversation, using her words to veil or
unveil her intentions in a witty manner. Although Sehanine
Moonbow is largely unconcerned with the happenings of the
mortal world, she will on occasion use her magic for the sake
of elves and her faithful, or to support the destruction of
undead infestations.
Although she must suffer the company of certain evil gods in
the Court of Souls, Sehanine Moonbow maintains her
composure for the sake of gleaning any possible hint of what
her enemies (and potential enemies) plan for the future. Her
diplomacy is often surprisingly aggressive, employing small
provocations and jabs to see how the other parties react.
Turtris (Neutral Evil)
Turtris is the god of death and disease in the orcish pantheon.
He embodies the fear that often drives orcs to live up to their
barbaric reputation.
Turtris prefers to remain silent unless it is absolutely necessary
to communicate with others, even with his faithful. He prefers
to observe in contemplation unless his attention is demanded
by the situation. Turtris’ silence makes him an enigma to most
others, and he would prefer to keep it that way; he never
forgives a slight, bearing everlasting enmity that is best kept
hidden until the time comes to strike.
Turtris seeks the downfall of Sehanine Moonbow, Sergojan
Earthcaller, and all goblinoid gods of death in the Court of
Souls. Sehanine’s subtle insults, Sergojan’s condescension, and
a past theft committed by the goblin pantheon’s leader
Magubliyet have placed them all on Turtris’ secret list of
destructive objectives.
Urogalan (Lawful Neutral)
Urogalan is the halfling pantheon’s god of earth, the dead, and
protection of the dead. He presides over burials and protection
of souls that have yet to reach the afterlife.
Urogalan is a pensive, morose deity who takes little interest in
the affairs of the mortal world. Urolagan will avoid being
caught up in squabbles between other gods if possible, but he
absolutely despises Myrkul for allowing and encouraging his
faithful to make mockeries of corpses by turning them into
undead creatures.
Urogalan seems to have a personal grudge against Myrkul, but
he has not spoken of it to anyone, nor has anyone ever dared
to ask. Urolagan’s priests and champions have been instructed
to undermine or even slay Myrkul’s faithful whenever possible.
Dogma
These are the tenets that worshippers of Kelemvor are given
to live by.
● Death may be the end of life, but it is also the beginning of
something more. The great journey continues beyond the veil
so do not despair.
● The dead are equal in the eyes of the gods, no matter their
station in life. All shall receive fair judgement at their time.
● Respect and honor the fallen, for they have joined the
builders of history in their passing. Without those who came
before, no progress could have been possible for any of the
peoples of the world.
● Speak out against the willful prolonging of life beyond a
natural end, especially if it involves the creation of undeath.
● The undead are an abomination that must be destroyed.
Their existence is mockery of both the dead and the living.
5
Clergy
The clerics of Kelemvor, known as doom guides, are often
employed to perform funerals, oversee last rites, and execute
last wills and testaments. They typically build their churches
and monasteries near places that honor the dead, such as
cemeteries and memorial structures. The Church of Kelemvor
maintains a highly organized hierarchy and frequently expands
its activities whenever possible.
The paladins of Kelemvor are known as grim knights. They
are particularly zealous in their hunting of undead, setting out
in crusades of extermination whenever news of an undead
sighting reaches the ears of Kelemvor’s Church. Grim knights
are typically equipped with long swords to honor the martial
lore of their god.
Clerics and paladins of Kelemvor usually pray for their spells
during the first hour of night, symbolizing the arrival of the
dead in the afterlife after a transitional journey.
The standard daily ritual for the cleric or paladin of Kelemvor
is to give a prayer for the fallen once after waking, and once
before sleeping. A few droplets of holy water are sprinkled on
the ground and then flung into the air during these prayers,
symbolizing the acknowledgement of the spirit’s release and
journey from the body to the great beyond.
Traditional ceremonial dress is a long sleeved gray robe with
coarse black lining; the collar is snugly fitted against the neck,
and there is a depiction of an armored knight and a panther
facing each other on the back. A tiny phial of holy water is
worn from the neck on a silver chain, and a long sword is hung
from the belt in a black sheath bearing the symbol of
Kelemvor.
Clerics and paladins of Kelemvor are mandated to offer
condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and preserve
the sanctity of places reserved for the storage of corpses and
remembrance of the dead. If there are undead creatures in the
vicinity, the highest priority is the protection of the living,
followed by the destruction of the undead. If it is not possible
to destroy the undead with current resources, the standard
procedure is to send a request for reinforcements from the
nearest conclaves so that the faithful of Kelemvor can descend
upon the threat en masse as a unified front.
The lifestyle of a cleric or paladin of Kelemvor is typically a
humble one that emphasizes training, prayer, and meditation.
It is common for them to take up a quiet hobby such as writing
literature, or crafting works of art such as sculptures or
paintings.
Feats
Clerics and paladins can take special feats as servants of
Kelemvor.
Doom Guide of Kelemvor
Requirement: Cleric, worships Kelemvor
As a doom guide of Kelemvor, you provide comfort for the
bereaved and defend the people and land from undead
abominations.
● Undead creatures have Disadvantage on saving throws made
against your Channel Divinity: Turn Undead feature. In
addition you are treated as being 3 cleric levels higher when
using the Destroy Undead feature.
● You can cast gentle repose without material components and
you always keep it among your prepared spells without
counting it towards your maximum limit.
● You gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage. When
you use a cleric spell on one or more allies with a casting time
of 1 action or bonus action, those allies gain resistance to
necrotic and poison damage until the start of your next turn.
● You have Advantage on saving throws made to resist or
negate being possessed by spirits or ethereal creatures.
Grim Knight of Kelemvor
Requirement: Paladin, worships Kelemvor
As a grim knight of kelemvor, your blade is the bane of those
who would dare to threaten the souls of the fallen or desecrate
the bodies of the dead.
● Your Divine Strike feature adds double the extra damage
against undead creatures. In addition, you can choose to make
the extra damage necrotic instead of radiant.
● You gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage. Your
Aura of Protection feature extends this benefit to all allies
within the aura’s radius.
● Your weapon attacks ignore the weapon damage resistances/
immunities of undead creatures.
● You have Advantage on saving throws made to resist or
negate being possessed by spirits or ethereal creatures.
Exclusive Spells
Clerics and paladins of Kelemvor are able to prepare the
following spells, unique to worshippers of Kelemvor.
Bond of Fatal Touch
3rd-level transmutation
SPECIAL: You must be a divine spellcaster worshipping
Kelemvor to cast this spell.
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You invoke the blessing of Kelemvor unto a nonmagical melee
weapon; the weapon is imbued with a power that mimics the
properties of Kelemvor’s personal weapon, Fatal Touch.
The imbued weapon becomes a magic weapon with a +1
bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. In addition, the weapon
deals an extra 2d6 radiant damage against undead creatures.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this magic spell with a
spell slot of 5th level or higher, the bonus increases to +2. In
addition, when you hit an undead creatures with the weapon
on a melee weapon attack, the undead creature must make a
Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has
Disadvantage on its attack rolls until the start of your next
turn.
When you cast this magic spell with a spell slot of 7th level or
higher, the bonus increases to +3. In addition, the
Disadvantage effect becomes Disadvantage on attack rolls and
saving throws.
Kelemvor’s Pull
4th-level abjuration
SPECIAL: You must be a divine spellcaster worshipping
Kelemvor to cast this spell.
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You invoke the censures of Kelemvor to force ethereal beings
into the world. All creatures in the Ethereal Plane in spaces
that are parallel to spaces within a 60-foot spherical radius
centered on you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a
failed save, an affected creature takes 4d8 psychic damage, is
pulled into the plane of existence that you are currently on,
and can’t return to the Ethereal Plane on its own for 10
minutes. The creature takes half damage on a successful save.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this magic spell with a
spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4
for each spell slot level above 4th.