Sepulchre of the Holy Martyrs

## General

The Sepulchre of the Holy Martyrs is an ancient structure in Myth Drannor, situated beneath a church dedicated to its worship and spanning a massive, underground maze. Fitting its name, the sepulchre is a burial site. The maze is dotted with giant catacombs, within which may be found overlarge stone beds. And upon most of these burial beds lie the martyrs of Myth Drannor - or, at least, their bodies. The spirits of these long-dead martyrs wander the halls of the sepulchre, semi-aware and intent on spreading the principles for which they once lived. Who in Cormanthor becomes a martyr is not fully understood. There are some who believe the sepulchre is a living structure of sorts, and that it alone chooses whoever becomes a martyr - swiping their bodies and a fragment of their souls upon the moment of the individual's death. In some instances, a martyr could choose another individual to champion the martyr's ideals and, in a sense, become a reincarnation of this martyr; in these cases, these individuals are typically more likely to become martyrs themselves upon death.

This complex was discovered approximately 400 years ago when a meteor struck the area and unveiled an entrance to this underground structure; according to Matron Chahuul (head priestess of the Church of the Sepulchre of the Holy Martyrs), it was possible the original Cormanthan elves may have been unaware of the Sepulchre's existence as a result. Some of the mummified bodies within the complex were those of titanic, inhuman individuals - far too aberrant and far too ancient to be elvish in nature - and it was theorized that these were the enigmatic species which initially created the sepulchre. Further, this structure was theorized to be extraplanar in nature, as it could not be accessed normally except by navigating the chapel above it. And though the intricacies of the sepulchre were not fully understood, it was noted that the powerful conjuration energy in the area was dwarfed by the artifact-level necromancy which pervaded the complex.

As of 496 H.F., following the Cormanthan Civil War, Watchguard Management and Solutions set up an outpost in Myth Drannor to study the nature of the sepulchre.

## Holy Martyrs

The Holy Martyrs were the fragments of spirits, chosen to champion their life's ideals after death and wander the halls of the sepulchre. As echoes of the individuals they represented, the martyrs were only semi-aware of their surroundings. It did not seem that they could retain new information - but they did seem to maintain all the knowledge they knew in life. And if a martyr chose a new "incarnation" in a living individual, and bonded with that individual, the person would gain all the knowledge the martyr knew.

## Church and Following

Within Myth Drannor, a portion of the citizenry ascribes to the worship of the sepulchre's holy martyrs. A church has been erected within the city to cater to this worship: the Church of the Sepulchre of the Holy Martyrs, currently headed by Matron Chahuul. Under this faith, followers are encouraged to bring offerings to the temple, and to pray for protection under the martyrs. For many, it is most comfortable to build a relationship with a specific martyr. A citizen may worship their chosen martyr because they identify personally with the figure, or because the martyr represents a concept the follower would like aid with, or due to cultural associations built up around the martyr. Any number of causes could influence the relationship between a follower and their associated martyr or martyrs.