-Dermolgmar-
Goddess of Death and Keeper of the Tower
Symbol: Crows or black feathers often adorn the embellishments of the servants, but bare skulls are also used to symbolize the Goddess. Another common symbol is the depiction of the Tower of Death which could be presented as a stone made tower with a mirrored image of the ascended and descended towers.
Plane of Existence: All the Universe, though this is limited to the Tower of Death which is infinite and bound to all the Realms. The Ascended Tower throughout its infinite scale is the portion considered to be nearest to the Heavens of Christianna and is above the Elemental Realms and Nhearn, while the Descended Tower is at risk of torment by the powers of Annabel's Hell as it falls below the Realms and the light of Sol.
Signs: The appearance of black birds, such as crows and ravens, either suddenly or in flocks, as they are considered harbingers of death or the ferriers of souls. Some of her servants claim that counting the number of black birds as they appear is a declaration of meaning, while others believe the birds themselves were dedicated servants in life who now continue their purpose in death, assisting in the collection of souls from the universe to bring to the Tower.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Following the surrender of Gedreathmogg, the primordial lord of death, to the new age of gods within the Expanse, a great and infinite Tower was created and it was anchored to the universe to serve as a respite for all of the creations of life. This Tower now reaches across to all the realms and it crosses at all intersections of the universe. This domain is the protected home of souls following the end of the life that the gods of creation had made for their machinations.
To oversee the Tower of Death arose the Goddess of Death, Dermolgmar, who is oath sworn to protect the souls that were created by gods who had been granted powers of creation within their realms and upon Nhearn. As these souls pass from their mortal shells, Dermolgmar ferries them to their final rest within the Tower, acting as a judge when managing their place within the infinite, granting them passage to places that could lie beside their honored deities, favored Realms, or even adjacent to beautiful memories. It is believed that her servants continue their purpose after death, assisting their Goddess in leading souls to their place of rest within the Tower, taking on forms of black birds to complete their tasks.
While the servants of Dermolgmar are focused on the concepts of death and what awaits in the afterlife, their purpose in life has proven useful to most of Nhearn. Christiannan churches host Dermolgmarran clerics who offer proficient funerary rights, manage professional preparations of the body, and they act often as keepers of graveyards and cemeteries for many communities. Within the human settlements of the Empire, Dermolgmarran clerics have been commonly employed to research plague, investigate causes of death, and join medical teams for hospitals and as military doctors throughout the Imperial Legion. Across Nhearn, Dermolgmarran servants find acceptance for their roles in similar fashion to their human counterparts. Elven dead-glades and dwarven deep-tombs are attended to most often by priests of the Goddess of Death. Most who offer themselves to the Goddess's purpose throughout their lives actually work to correct ill effects on the soul, practice medicine and surgery, or work as morticians, coroners, and investigators.
Though their purpose is done in good faith, the servants of Dermolgmar are still often seen as bad omens among more practiced faiths and common folk, as they tend to embrace more macabre aesthetics or seem sinister and mysterious in their ritualistic practices. Within their places of worship are skulls, at times depiction or motifs, but real bones are very common sights at altars, shrines, and doorways. Black paints and dark stylings adorn their temples and wardrobes. Black feathers are used for ritual, decoration, garb, and tools while roosts for dark birds are built around Dermolgmarran complexes to house what could be servants of the Goddess.
Enemies are many to this deity, as powers of evil have discovered many terrible uses for all varieties of souls. Wicked gods have been known to devour the spirits of life's creation to harness sustenance, while others enjoy enslaving them for twisted purposes, and there have been documented cases of evil powers breaking pure souls for rituals of greater torment. As the Age of Woe progressed, more evil cults began to discover ways to corrupt the soul, awaken the dead, and even reverse the bondage of the Tower. These are unnatural paths which Dermolgmar despises, though the use of the arcane practice of necromancy is an especially sinister act. Dermolgmar and her servants seek to uproot such problems or undo the harm that this brings upon the Realms, working often with the forces of Good to combat the workings of Evil.
Although the cult of death is considered small compared to those who practice other faiths and the rituals of Dermolgmar's servants are mysterious and grim, there is certainly a place for the Goddess of Death among the other religions upon Nhearn. The worshippers of other deities have learned that Dermolgmar acts as a proper judge who can place one's soul closer to their perfect rest within the Tower, creating alliances with many differing viewpoints and friendships from many different cultures across the world.