The Unholy Church of Ergalon the Destroyer
The foremost and dominant religion on Ossara
The Congregation
The congregation is made up of both the living and the dead. However, they have separate ministries for humans and undead.
The main tenets of the Church are:
Undeath is a natural part of the lifecycle, and all members must strictly abide by the Covenant of Bones.
Lord Morgrav’s laws and proclamations are final, and his adjudicants—the clergy—shall interpret and dispense justice. The word of the Church must be obeyed as if spoken by Lord Morgrav himself.
The Covenant of Bones
The Covenant of Bones is the binding pact between the living and the dead, established by Lord Morgrav, God-King and Lich of Ergalon the Destroyer when he threatened to destroy what little was left of their planet. Living practitioners agree to donate their bodies upon death to the undead service of Morgrav’s army of the fallen. Any of the fallen who die in service to Lord Morgrav are resurrected and returned to normal life as free Ossarans—the Returned.
Clerics
The head of the Church is Lord Morgrav, bearing the title God Lich-King of Ossara. Serving beneath him are his High Priests (9th level and above), known as Cardinals. Only the Scardinals have the power to Raise the Dead; and, only Lord Morgrav himself can perform a true Resurrection.
Beneath the Cardinals are the ordinary priests, the Curates Purpurea (level 5 and above). These priests serve as judges, forming the backbone of the Church’s legal system. Below them are the Acolytes, who wear yellow cloaks and serve as attendants or junior officials. Each member of the clergy is accountable to a superior in a rigid hierarchy of obedience and oversight.
In the religion of the undead, it is believed that Ergalon grants new life—a full resurrection—to those who are spiritually or physically destroyed while serving their eternal king. This promise has given rise to a zealot class among the Fallen: undead who actively seek death in service, hoping it will earn them the divine reward of rebirth. These Fallen Zealots throw themselves into impossible missions, martyrdom rituals, and suicide pacts, all in pursuit of the Second Life. But whether Ergalon actually honors this promise remains uncertain. The masses accept the doctrine without question, but in truth, only a handful of Risen have ever been produced. The rest vanish, their fate known only to the Lich-God—or perhaps not even to him.
Anti-Paladins or Paladins who find they have wandered into the wrong pub
Church enforcers—called “Death Collectors” by the general population—are tasked with enforcing the Covenant and carrying out the will of the High Priests. They are issued specific missions and wear cloaks according to rank: black for standard collectors, white for senior agents (9th level or higher). Black cloaks take orders from white cloaks, though the hierarchy among them is murky and seems to depend more on charisma and reputation than formal rank.
Alignments—and Can You Play One?
Alignment within the Church varies widely. Corruption and abuse of power have filled the ranks with both Chaotic and Lawful Evil clerics and collectors. Still, many followers are simply trying to survive—finding in the Church a path of least resistance.
Reform is possible. Your character could be a spy for the resistance, a conflicted believer, or a hidden sympathizer of a forbidden faith. With the right narrative angle and a compelling justification, you can absolutely play a good-aligned character within the Church.
A priest’s primary responsibility is not to the living, but to ensure that the Fallen remain spiritually aligned with their obligations to the Lich-God. In addition, Ergalon’s clergy act as advocates for undead rights in society, ensuring that the terms of the Covenant are honored, that the Fallen are not abused or misused, and that each undead citizen—no matter how decayed—remains a lawful and sacred asset of the God-King’s eternal empire.
The Two Ministries of the Unholy Church of Ergalon
The Unholy Church of Ergalon, architect of the Covenant of Bones, is divided into two primary ministries—each with a distinct and terrible charge.
The Ministry of Ossaran Affairs
This branch of the Church serves the living. Its purpose is to prepare the faithful for death and ensure their obedience in life. Clergy in this ministry oversee baptisms, administer the Covenant, and enforce Ergalon’s proclamations through surveillance, sermons, and judgment. Their task is to cultivate loyalty, extract confession, and maintain order among the living population of Ossara. They are also responsible for the daily legal and spiritual operations of the Church within cities, including the rationing of water, management of burial compliance, and suppression of heretical worship. These priests are seen publicly—at trials, sermons, and executions—and their power is both feared and familiar.
The Ministry of Undead Outreach
This hidden and more sacred ministry serves the dead. Its clerics, necrosophants, and deathwardens oversee the vast armies of the Fallen, organizing undead labor forces, spiritual assemblies, and martial battalions. These priests spend their days deep in necropolises, preaching to the reanimated masses and ensuring that each soul remains bound to its divine duty. Their sermons are laced with cryptic memory-recovery rites, obedience rituals, and encouragements to complete one’s service honorably. Among the Fallen, they are both spiritual leaders and logistical officers—responsible for deploying undead soldiers, preserving discipline, and interpreting the will of Ergalon in times of doubt or decay. It is from this ministry that the Fallen Zealots emerge, encouraged to seek glorious unmaking in the hope of resurrection.
The Undying Cycle
In the theology of the Unholy Church of Ergalon, undeath is not a perversion—it is a sacred stage of existence. The Church teaches that all souls pass through a divinely ordained cycle, established by Ergalon himself. This cycle is the foundation of the Covenant of Bones, and all faithful are expected to submit to it without question.
The cycle is as follows:
First Life – The mortal span. A time of service, discipline, and preparation. The faithful are baptized into the Covenant and live under the watchful eye of the Church.
Death – The surrender of the body to the Church. Cremation or burial is forbidden. Corpses are delivered to the Death Collectors as holy tithe.
Undeath – The body is reanimated and enters the Fallen Host. The soul continues its service, now freed from mortal weakness. This stage is one of obligation, not glory.
Destruction in Service – If an undead is destroyed while fulfilling their duties, they may be chosen for resurrection.
Second Life – A rare and sacred return to the mortal world. Memory of prior lives is shrouded, but the Covenant remains. The Returned are watched closely by the Church.
The Chant of the Returned, or Until death again takes me, My life is my own
First life.
Death.
Undeath.
Return.
Until death again takes me,
My life is my own.
Bound by the Covenant,
Marked by the bone.
Until death again takes me,
My life is my own.