Kelemvor Kelemvor ( pronounced " KELL - em - vor " ) , formerly Kelemvor Lyonsbane , also known as the Lord of the Dead and Judge of the Damned , was the god of death and the dead , and master of the Crystal Spire in the Fugue Plane . In his mortal days , Kelemvor was a skilled mercenary , with the heart of a noble paladin , concealed under rude manners and thwarted by his mysterious family curse . Fair yet cold , Kelemvor was the god of death and the dead — the most recent deity to hold this position , following in the footsteps of Jergal , Myrkul , and Cyric . Unlike these other deities , whose rule as gods of the dead made the afterlife an uncertain and fearful thing , Kelemvor urged knowledge that death was a natural part of life and should not be feared as long as it was understood . As a result of his deep respect for life and death , he holds the undead in the uttermost contempt . Worshipers . The death clergy as they were known had many duties , most involve tending to the last wishes of the dying and providing burial services to those who die alone . They also set out to cure diseases and defend people from monsters so that folk did not die before their time . Their final and debatably most important task was the destruction of undeath in all its various forms as it was an affront to Kelemvor . Elite priests of Kelemvor were known as Doomguide s . Servants of Kelemvor were usually clad in somber gray vestments and brandished hand - and - a - half swords , or bastard swords . There were two major centres of worship devoted to Kelemvor , the Tower of Skulls in Ormath and the huge monastery in Ormpetarr constructed in 1479 DR . Biography . Before his ascension to godhood Kelemvor was a human fighter named Kelemvor Lyonsbane who was best known for his association with the adventurers Adon , Cyric , and Midnight , the latter two of which also later became deities . Inwardly sensitive and kind - hearted , Kelemvor nonetheless exhibited a gruff and dark - mooded exterior as a way of coping with the unusual curse which had befallen his family . Early life . Kelemvor was born to Kendrel Lyonsbane and Cyndril Lyonsbane , of whom he was the fourth and last son . Cyndril , for whom it had been ten years since her last child , died giving birth to Kelemvor , for which Kendrel would later blame his son . Even without this burden of guilt on his shoulders life would not have been easy for Kelemvor , who was constantly expected to meet the high standards set by both his father , a crippled war veteran and military advisor , and elder brothers , who , by the time Kelemvor was eight , were already forging their own legends . Contrary to his father ' s desires , however , Kelemvor demonstrated an affinity for artistic pursuits and beauty , developing a deep fondness for his sensitive teacher , Tannith . When Kelemvor was ten his father decided he had tolerated Kelemvor ' s inaction long enough , deciding to take full responsibility for Kelemvor ' s education so as to ensure he followed the martial path chosen for him . Kendrel discharged Tannith and beat her senseless along with a group of friends , leaving her for dead . When Kelemvor learned of this weeks later the hate for his father that would later haunt him began to well up inside of him . This righteous fury was channeled by the young boy into martial skill , making him a deadly warrior much to the delight of his father , who failed to recognize the source of Kelemvor ' s power . It would not be long before Kendrel came to realize the truth , however . When Kelemvor was thirteen he met a beautiful girl two years his senior named Lilianna . Filled with joy and a love for Kelemvor she began to melt the younger boy ' s cool exterior , reminding him of his first crush Tannith . When Kendrel discovered this affair he sought once again to end what he considered a distraction to Kelemvor ' s education and assaulted Lilianna , beating her . When Kelemvor came upon them he leapt to Lilianna ' s defense but was knocked aside . As Kelemvor rose to his feet the hidden curse within him manifested , transforming him into an adult panther . In his new form he tore his father apart as well as the two guards that leapt to the man ' s defense . Lilianna , once she realized the terrifying beast still had Kelemvor ' s mind and soul , helped her lover escape from Lyonsbane Keep and into the woodlands surrounding it , where he dwelled for some time , coming to terms with his new form . The Lyonsbane curse . After the death of his father , Kelemvor wandered the woods outside Lyonsbane Keep , shifting back and forth between human and panther form . Though at first he had been able to control himself Kelemvor soon found himself , even in his human form , to be little more than a savage beast . After six months time , however , Kelemvor regained control of his mind , returning to human form with full possession of his senses . It was shortly after this that Burne Lyonsbane , Kelemvor ' s uncle , discovered Kelemvor , for whom he ' d been searching . Unlike Kendrel , Burne was understanding of Kelemvor ' s sensitive side and had pitied his nephew throughout the years . Once he and his adventurer companions discovered Kelemvor he took the young man in and explained to him the nature of his family ' s curse . The curse of the Lyonsbanes had been passed down for generations within Kelemvor ' s family and had its roots in the actions of the greedy mercenary Kyle Lyonsbane , who during a battle abandoned his wounded companion , a sorceress , on the battlefield to die so that he could plunder an enemy ' s stronghold . As vengeance the sorceress cursed Kyle and his family , transforming them into a strange variety of werepanther that would transform into their beastly form if ever they did something purely for profit . However , the curse ended up backfiring and instead of remaining with Kyle and his ancestors it was visited on the mercenary ' s children . Furthermore , the cause of the transformation was gradually reversed and by the time , five generations later , Kelemvor was born it now made it impossible for any Lyonsbane to perform an act " without " asking for a reward , lest they transform into the beast . The result was a long line of mercenaries in the Lyonsbane family , and as family members grew old it become more dangerous for those who lived around them , since the patriarchs could no longer remember if a reward had been offered or not . Thus it became the responsibility of every Lyonsbane to slay their father when they reached the age of fifty . Life as a mercenary . Kelemvor , with the help of his uncle , managed to adjust to the curse that he had regrettably inherited , however and joined Burne ' s company to become yet another sellsword . For three years Kelemvor was able to keep his bestial side under control , and though forced into a path he had not chosen for himself and had never wanted , became fond of Burne and his other companions . Still , Kelemvor longed for and dreamed of the life he could have had were it not for his curse and the cruelty of his father . Upon his eighteenth birthday , however , all of Kelemvor ' s new life came crashing down around him . In an ambush , Burne ' s party was slaughtered to a man by Kelemvor ' s eldest brother Guntharr . Filled with rage for his uncle ' s death Kelemvor awoke the beast within him again and tore both Guntharr and his companions to pieces except those who managed to flee . Horrified and disheartened Kelemvor fled once again , though he eventually returned to the mercenary lifestyle . More bitter than ever , Kelemvor became resentful of the emptiness in his involuntary career as a sellsword and of the incompetent superiors who hired him . Though Kelemvor could have taken a leadership position for himself he never did , haunted by memories of his father ' s corruption by power . Still , Kelemvor dreamed of a day when he could perform heroic deeds free from the curse , becoming a true hero as in those stories he had read when he was a child in the Lyonsbane castle . After a time , Kelemvor left his employers behind , pulled by an unexplainable urge to search for something , a prize to give his life meaning but whose form escaped him . It was shortly after this , that he met up with Midnight and Adon of Sune . During the events of the Time of Troubles the curse was removed by the god of strife , Bane . Together with Midnight and Adon he recovered the lost Tablets of Fate , bringing them to Waterdeep , to return them to Ao . In a final confrontation with Myrkul on top of Blackstaff Tower , Kelemvor was killed by still - mortal Cyric , wielding the sword Godsbane , who would later go on to become god of death in place of Myrkul . However , Kelemvor ' s existence was not ended then and Godsbane , which was actually the god Mask in disguise , siphoned away Kelemvor ' s eternal spirit , hiding it from the new Lord of Death . For ten years Kelemvor ' s spirit lived in this pocket plane , while Cyric searched for him , bent on destroying his former companion for good . Revolt against Cyric . Ten years after the Time of Troubles , after Cyric murdered Bhaal and ascended to godhood , the first thing he wanted to accomplish was to have Kelemvor ' s soul so that he could gain an advantage over the new Mystra , his most hated rival , and whose portfolio over Magic he coveted . However , for ten years , Cyric and his church were unable to find Kelemvor ' s soul , every divination and spell they tried yielded nothing . Cyric suspected that there were traitors within his own church who fostered Kelemvor ' s soul . He later launched the " Second Banedeath " in 1368 DR , unleashing his Inquisition on Zhentil Keep , Yûlash , Darkhold , Teshwave , and the Citadel of the Raven to cleanse all Zhent holdings of non - Cyricist priests . Cyric also released Kezef the Chaos Hound from Pandemonium , and commanded it to trace Kelemvor ' s soul . Kezef ended up being trapped again by the God of Thieves . Kelemvor ' s soul , was absorped into Cyric ' s sentient sword , Godsbane , in the moment he was killed on top of Blackstaff Tower . The sword was actually Mask , the God of Thieves in guise , who planned to bring Cyric ' s downfall and gain Cyric ' s portfolio over lies . Mask used Kelemvor ' s soul to gain the cooperation of Mystra , all the while planning a revolt in the City of Death against Cyric . With the help of Mystra , Torm , Oghma , and Cyric ' s own high priest Fzoul Chembryl ( whose loyalty lay with the dead Bane ) , great chaos was caused in two of Cyric ' s most important bases of faith : Zhentil Keep , and the City of Death . A great number of Cyric ' s follower lost their faith , thus greatly weakening Cyric himself . Without the will to control the City of Death , dead spirits were freed and roamed about the City . In addition , Cyric ' s nightmare was freed from Dendar the Night Serpent , and the dream found Cyric , causing him to think that Kelemvor had somehow returned to life and to seek revenge . At that moment , Cyric , though a Greater Power , lost his mind and crushed his sword , which freed Kelemvor , and made his nightmare come true . The two fought , a dead soul against a god . Cyric ' s fear , indecision , and madness became his defeat , and Kelemvor finally managed to overthrow Cyric ' s rule in the City . By the wish of all dead spirits and Denizens in the Gray Wastes , in 1368 DR Kelemvor became the new God of Death . Godhood . To be the Lord of the Dead is to be the judgment of the departed souls . In the novel " " , being the new Lord Death , Kelemvor wished to clear all the corruptions in the Realms of Death brought by former Lords of Death . He reshaped the Bone Castle , a twisted citadel in the Gray Wastes where Jergal , Myrkul and Cyric had all ruled from , into the transparent Crystal Spire , its translucency representing that no more should Death be a frightening mystery . While faithful souls would be claimed by their respective deities , faithless souls and those with a false faith that his / her god did not want , are judged before the God of Death . Former Gods of Death would decide whether they were the Faithless , or the False . Either way , in the hands of Myrkul or Cyric , these souls eventually ended up being eternally tortured . Kelemvor , however , was more lenient on those Faithless and False who were virtuous and honorable in life , while the ones who were cowardly or capricious were severely punished . Those souls being judged as noble , would be sent to the then merrier and heaven - like parts in the City of Death , such as the Singing City , or Pax Cloister , while for thieves and cowards there were hell - like parts of the City such as " Acid Swamps " . As a result , honorable and brave mortals no longer feared death , and recklessly threw their lives away , trusting in Kelemvor ' s judgment rather the worshiping of other benevolent gods . The cowardly and crafty mortals became too fearful to do much , lest they die and find themselves before Kelemvor . This , in combination with Mystra ' s unjust granting of magic , favoring only those good , brought unintentional imbalance and robbed the other deities of potential worshipers . Being exposed by Cyric , Kelemvor and Mystra were accused by the Circle of Greater Gods of being guilty of " Incompetence by Humanity " . Kelemvor wondered how he could judge the damned , when he himself failed his own personal judgment . He gradually came to realize that there is nothing human in being a god . To correct his mistakes , great changes were undergone in his realm , as well as in himself . The City of the Dead was changed to a gray world , not truly light , not totally dark , simply dull gray . Gone was the good and evil in the City , only indifference and silence remained . The once diamond - like Crystal Spire was also smoked the color of topaz . Kelemvor also rid himself of all signs of humanity in order to properly fulfill his duties , which means replacing the warrior - like human he used to assume with a darkly robed figure , his raven black hair turned to silver , his eyes became pupiless , his appearance aged , his armor tattered and black , and donned a silver death mask . He then conducted the " Re - evaluation " , where all souls in the City were to be judged according to new criteria , then be sentenced to new places in the City . Souls being judged will not find torture , but neither will they find joy . They will exist with souls ethically similar to themselves . During the process , Adon ( Kelemvor and Mystra ' s mutual friend , as well the patriarch of Mystra ' s new church ) was driven mad by Cyric ' s trickery , losing his faith in Mystra , and had died a faithless soul . Mystra came to Kelemvor and asked for Adon ' s soul , which Kelemvor steadfastly refused since Adon was now one of the Faithless , or perhaps even the False . This , along with Kelemvor ' s loss of passion , eventually caused the breaking up of their relationship . Relationships . As mortals , Kelemvor and Midnight were lovers , but it is unlikely this was maintained after Midnight ' s ascension to take Mystra ' s place as they were afterwards both deities with responsibilities ( " " gives an account of the end of Kelemvor and the new Mystra ' s love — though via a possibly unreliable author ) . Kelemvor ' s greatest enemy was Cyric , but he also fiercely opposed the machinations of Velsharoon , the necromancer god who animated the dead into undead and used them for unjust and evil deeds , and thus stood against everything Kelemvor worked for , and Talona , for the unnatural deaths caused by her diseases . This also made him an ally of Lathander the Morninglord , who also opposed undeath . Kelemvor maintained practical alliances with good and neutral - aligned gods of death in other pantheons — Sehanine Moonbow primarily and formerly Urogalan and Osiris as well . Kelemvor was served by the original deity of death , the mysterious , fatalistic , and pragmatic Jergal , who kept records of the final disposition of spirits of the deceased .