Karsh

Karsh, often referred to as the Master of Night, the Pale Lord, and the Blooded One, by mortals and undead. He is known as Ka'Shavar by the elves. He is worshiped primarily by vampires, and is the head of the vampiric pantheon. He bestows blessings upon his vampiric children, and was said to have been the one behind the creation of the first of the night kin. Members of the Necrotic Cults pray to him for the gift of vampirism.

## Description

When appearing before his followers, Karsh is described, as a tall, dark cloaked figure, with a fanged skull for a head. Occasionally, he was seen as a cloud of black mist, with glowing red eyes. His cloak was sometimes described as a pair of large, black wings, folded around him.

## Realm

Karsh' realm is Nightshade, a plane of permanent darkness. It serves as an afterlife for vampires who have been too far destroyed to be reincarnated. Vampires on the mortal plane may visit Nightshade, and receive wisdom from their departed predecessors.

## Personality

Karsh was often described as cruel, cunning, and arrogant. Towards those of his vampiric children in his favour, he was kind and accommodating, often bestowing blessings upon them. He held a special hatred for the gods of light and justice, most often associated with paladins and vampire hunters. Though he encouraged bloodshed in his name, he disdained those that slaughtered without meaning.

## History

Unlike the lesser gods in the vampiric pantheon, Karsh has existed since the formation of the world. He grew jealous his brother Alahandors' creation, the immortal elves, and planted a seed of jealousy into an elf lord. This led to the events that culminated in the creation of the first vampires and the Morning War. After his children lost the Morning War and the Night Imperium fell apart, Sharos granted the first vampire, Vaesyros, the power to cover the landmass that would be known as the Shadowlands, in permanent cloud and shadow.

As the centuries passed, and the strength of the vampires waned, Karsh approached the vampire Askor, instructing him to create the vampiric religion surrounding him. Thus, the Clerics of Karsh were formed, dedicated to the Pale Lord. He quickly became the most worshiped of the vampiric deities, and was known to give out blessings to those vampires who gained his favour.

## Worshipers

Karsh' primary worshipers are the Clerics of Karsh', vampires who have dedicated their existence to seeing the will of the Night Master done. However, most, if not all vampires venerate him in some way, and all sentient undead pay at least small homage to him. Karsh' mortal worshipers are the Necrotic Cults, groups of mortals who aim to become vampires, whether through a bite or Karsh' blessing.

### Clergy

The Clerics of Karsh are the Night Masters' most dedicated servants. The highest ranking of these clerics were in possession of Bloodstones, crimson gems blessed by Karsh that stifled their bloodthirst.

## Temples

The Cathedral of Karsh is the largest place of worship for the god of the vampires, and the headquarters of the Clerics of Karsh. It is located in the northwest of the Shadowlands, and one of the most heavily guarded locations in the area. Most towns and every castle has a shrine to Karsh inside, and his clerics visit each shrine on a weekly basis.

Karsh'' clerics will fight to the death to defend each shrine, raising powerful undead to assist them. Vampires from all over the Shadowlands are required to provide assistance to any shrine in distress, and defiling a shrine is punishable by death.

The Ruby Font is a naturally occurring spring of crimson water, said to be tainted with blood. Where this blood comes from is unknown, but vampires from all over the Shadowlands and beyond, make pilgrimages to it.

## Dogma

As the god of vampires and undeath, Karsh encouraged violence against servants of the light, and especially paladins. He taught that vampirism was the highest state of existence, and that his 'children' were superior to the other creatures of Ayvindor. Bloodshed was held as sacred, especially if consumed in his name. Violence was also encouraged against the Forsaken and demons, the powers granted by their dark gods making them immune to vampirism. Because of this, Karsh' followers despise the Forsaken and demonic entities as much as the servants of light.

## Rites

Karsh' followers held a rite known as the Ritual of Awakening, which allowed vampires who had been badly injured, beyond their unnatural regenerative abilities, to be rejuvenated. The second rite practiced by Karsh'' followers was simply known as the Rising. Vampiric practitioners of necromancy were granted greater powers, and able to raise powerful undead.

## Relationships

Due to his arrogant and cruel nature, Karsh had no real allies, outside of vampiric pantheon. Even then, his fellow gods saw him more as a master, rather than a comrade. He does however, get along well with Sarthoneth, the Lady of Shadows, and Ceremor.