-The Lady of Death-
The Lady of Death, or simply The Lady, is a somewhat obscure Korami Goddess, representing death, winter, fate, and vengeance. The Lady of Death was once a mortal woman, but ascended while in the afterlife, taking the mantle of Death God from its previous holder. Her mortal name is known to none, and to give her a name is considered a sin. Her followers are secretive, which has led to her obscurity. She stands against undeath, and necromancy, her followers are tasked with seeking it out to destroy it. The Lady of Death is also known to some as the Lady of Vengeance, and is prayed to by some before going off on a path of revenge.
Her followers see the bird Equinox as her servant, they treat the bird the same as they would treat another follower, with respect and dignity, but less-so worship. Phoenix is not associated with the Lady of Death, but is given a similar level of respect.
Due to her obscurity, it would take a Korami well versed in the various religions of their culture to know anything about the Lady of Death, and those not of Korami likely would know nothing about her at all.
-Description -
Appearance
When depicted, The Lady of Death is described as a tall slender Arsa Sidhe woman, wearing a long, impossibly black robe. Some say that her robe is so dark it does not reflect light at all, and absorbs the light of the room into itself. She always wears a white skeletal looking mask, and has pure white hands. Some depict her holding a farmer’s scythe, while others draw her holding a sword called the “Soul of Night” it's blade the same blackness as her robes, it is said to be strong enough to kill even divinity. She is often drawn rising out of a pool of blood, which she is heavily associated with, her home in the afterlife is next to an ocean of blood, and her followers believe that she can be spoken too through blood.
Occasionally she is depicted with the bird Equinox, which is said to be her servant. When the bird Equinox dies, someone from her faith is chosen to become his replacement, and thus her followers treat Equinox as an equal.
Places of Worship and Holy Sites
Midnight Meadow
A small temple and library in Korami, several priests and monks live here, worshiping and teaching those who wish to learn. Prayer is done exclusively under the cover of night. Powerful warriors who worship the Lady of Death pass by this place regularly, to pray to her at the Altar of Blood, a fountain of blood in the temple's basement. It is here where Satsuki was raised and molded into who she is today.
Symbols
A medal, on one side is a black scale, with a white skull in its center. On the other side is a small blade, worshipers at times prick their fingers and use a small amount of their blood to fill the scales on the front side of the medal. Followers believe the Lady of Death can be spoken too through pools of blood.
The scale is heavily associated with the Lady of Death. When one dies and finds themselves in the afterlife, they will be judged by her scales based on their deeds in the world of the living, and sent away according to them.
Some choose to wear black feathers on their cloaks and capes, to invoke the bird Equinox, wishing to prove their worthiness and take the place of Equinox when the time may come. Other followers will go as far as to keep skeletal bird masks, and wear them while combating undead and necromancers. Followers mostly wear darker colors, and excel in stealth.
Tenets
Death is the natural end of life, it must come to us all. Give grief to the fallen, but not pity.
Undeath is sin, those who partake in it must be punished with death. Pity those made undead against their will, death to the necromancer who forced it upon them.
Provide the deceased with a proper funeral so they may move safely to the afterlife.
Violence met with Violence, Kindness met with Kindness, do not revel in your vengeance, take it swiftly and lethally.
-Myth-
A wife and husband were two farmers in the world of the living. They had a large farm, and provided for their village. One day, the wife grew sick, and died. The husband was so heartbroken he spent days praying to give her strength, eventually his livestock, and even the crops prayed for her to grow stronger. She grew so powerful, that the current god of death, who had grown old, and longed for the death he had been god of for so long, gave all of his power to her, allowing her to become the new Goddess of Death.
After her husband had spent so much time praying, he had not provided for the village as he normally had, which made the villagers angry. They stormed his farm, killed him, and his livestock. The Lady of Death saw his murder as it happened, and was so enraged she left the afterlife to kill the villagers that had murdered her husband, and on that day, she became known as the Goddess of Vengeance as well. Her original name was lost to history, and her followers consider it a sin to try and give her one, she is known only as her title, the Lady of Death.
She now rules over the afterlife in secret, fading into obscurity, waiting for souls to come to her to the afterlife so they may be judged by her scales. Some still put their faith into the original God of Death, which empowers her all the same. Only her followers know the truth of her existence, and of the ties her servant Equinox has to her.
Inspirations
The Raven Queen/Matron of Ravens - Forgotten Realms/DND/Critical RoleThe Grey Lady - HollowworldIzanami - Japanese Mythology
DISCLAIMER(Disclaimer. None of this should be considered “Canon” to the existing lore/pantheon. It is merely a goddess my own character, and a few inconsequential NPCs, worship. If you find it interesting you are more than welcome to have your character worship as well. When I write something like, the worshippers believe their god can be spoken with through blood, that is what they believe, it has 0 basis in actual server lore. Do not expect anything on this page to be “Canon”, or to get anything from staff for continued IC worship involving this goddess/religion, its just for fun/flavor)
