The Custodians

## Brief History and Ethos

In the days before the coming of the comet there were the old magics of the Skagriagaard and the Zoranethi, the Giant Kin and the Angelus. When the comet came it bought with it the first of the changes, the new magic, the source of magic; source magic. From source magic through the belief of others the three Gods of old were born: The first was Kalarin a goddess founded in the forges of War, battle goddess: The light of the Heavens. The next was Malice the made being created of spite and sin wickedness founded of one man's ambitions to rule the lands: The Dark One. The last was the balance, weaver of order and bringer of the peace, founded by need and necessity and a call for common ground: Tremalian the Grey. As they rose to the heavens so they gave Focus to the power of the Source. Focus Magic was created and so, powered by the belief of their followers and a pact made with Fae of Eidelos they prospered.

For many hundreds of years they ruled the heavens and the stories of their followers, the Angels and Archangels and indeed even the Gods themselves are many. Epic Legends when all powers strode the lands and did battle, causing so much devastation that the great Tharinos’ was called in which all powers were as equal and the Gods could be called to answer for their actions. Eventually however the eyes of Malice, inspired by the will of the Torakaylin family line, turned to the control of the lands of the Basin and beyond and it called upon its General Gabrak to lay waste to the other great churches in its name. It was in these great Pantheonic Wars that the Gods of this time were destroyed and the Gods that we know and venerate today where born.

Power and belief of that time are mysterious forces to the modern day Priest; the fall and rise of Gods and Goddesses, that seems so alien to us now, was a real threat to the followers of the faith in that day and age. It is almost impossible for us to imagine seeing the raw power of our God overshadowing a city and being cut to pieces by the power of Daemons and enemy casters. Yet this is how the deities of the past were ended but it was not the end of the belief nor the power and portfolios that they represented. It was almost as if the Gods had prepared for the final days of their mortality and had chosen new vessels for their powers but rather than the simplicity of the three deities their power was extended to meet the demands of a larger, growing base of Priests. Seemingly normal folk were raised up and became the new powers of Gods and Goddesses beyond the boundaries of Soul Anchor.

One of these powers was known among the mortality of the world as Notelexus; representing the serenity of death, the inevitability of entropy and the fear that comes from such eternal finalities. There are many legends of the birth of the God Notelexus but the truth is still very much unknown. In the aftermath of the Pantheonic Wars there was so much death across the world, the fallen littered the battlefield awaiting the Elysium halls of their afterlife. Here the first priests of Notelexus became aware of his presence and began the first ceremonies that would become embedded in Basanic society for all time. Those first spirits that passed over experienced the ritual that would become the dogma of the priesthood and grant it its exulted place in Basanic society; the litany of the dead and the rules that governed their passing, that without the written record of their passing they could not stand among their ancestors. But the Church would not rise without adversity.

In the early days, with the Church under the leadership of Carowld Wells, Notelexus guided the priesthood to a unity with the other Churches of the Royal Basin. Through the alliances with the Church of Yarrianne and the Church of Bethylak the Custodians gathered much political strength within the Six Duchies. There were many spirits and powers, that have been called, most commonly, Undead or Ancestors, allied to various faiths. Velmourne, Ghuls, Remnants and the Awakened were not common but had some presence throughout. Where once they had been given remit to govern their own existence through contract with Malice now they were without such freedoms. Equally the manipulations placed into those contracts by Malice were still lingering and they had come to be considered a threat by most of the Faiths. Their divinity, however, was without question which led to difficult decisions for the Clergy and ones that led the path of the Notelexian development in clear directions.

Notelexus was handed the contracts of many of the Undead that were allied to Temples, Colleges and, equally, many independent Undead came forward rather than face long term persecution. These Malician contracts were undone by his Divine Power and whole orders of, newly trained, Notelexian Priests were tasked with creating new contracts for them. With these powerful ancestors came the powers over the returned, lesser walking dead and spirits that could be called upon to give insight, perform tasks or fight if necessary for Notelexus. They operated under a global contract that prevented the misuse of their spirits and gave them a reverential status among the Priesthood. At this time the Goddesses Ekimelahw and Rayvahn were creating the Hells and the journeys to them and so it was that Notelexus was given a Hell for those that could be summoned back as punishment to serve without contract or hope. Sadly the dead were already feared and many had fought against them in the Pantheonic Wars, despite Notelexus being seen as a deity of passing over and of leading through old age the addition of the ancestors to his portfolio led to a great fear in the hearts of the people.

Many see this as the time that led the Church into corruptive darkness; many of the powerful Undead that came to Notelexus were strongly behind the power of Malice and carried many of his old policies. Lurking in the semi shadows and forming alliances with these Undead and the priests that had shifted from Malice to Notelexus were those followers of the Devourer who sought dominance in the Basin and beyond. Once the final transitions from old to new were over these whispers were fully entrenched and as the Church began its reign under the leadership of the Ahmeker Del who, unbeknownst to all at the time, was a Devourite. Ahmeker went to great lengths to forge alliances with the Church of Rayvahn and the, trusted at the time, Church of the Devourer whilst planting seeds of hatred among the Tiberiusite and Naedite faith towards the Ancestor Spirits. Seemingly the Notelexian faith fostered a great strength within the community, many were led to trust in the Notelexian way and to allow the God of the Dead to see to the deceased. The traditions of marking graves and keeping records of the dead became sacrosanct to such belief that even to this day if there is no marking of the passing of life that soul will not fade nor join the heavens.

So as the traditions grew so too did the legends and the power of our people grow; Death were not the only reigns that Notelexus held; the armies of the Royal Basin called firmly to us and many of our Priests joined their ranks giving strength to the troops and weakness to our enemies. Debilitation and control of the battlefield are the gifts of our Lord although the presence of the Faithful among the combatants did little to suppress the jealousy felt by the Tiberiusite and their God of Righteous Battle. Seats upon the Generals Council, the Iron Table, The Azure Table were all won by the Church but this, again, was all part of the plan placed down by the Devourer to plant trust and then to shear it from us when it was most required. Ashamedly we were the first to fall to them;  as the power of Malice spread through the Church of the Devourer they set their sights on the throne through the power of other churches that they were seeding with their influence. The Undead still loyal to Malice spread through the Church of Notelexus and slowly they in turn began to push into the hearts of the Rayvahnites. Over the next few centuries the Devourites and the Notelexians became embroiled with attempts to support Gabrak in efforts to subvert the lands eventually succeeding in him becoming the General of the armies. In the end our betrayal was complete and we believed that the trust of the people would never be returned to us. So began the Age of Darkness.

After many wars involving armies of Undead and the rise and fall of the coalition of the three Churches they were finally driven either out or underground of the Royal Basin. A small collective, under the leadership of Ubern Von Geth remained loyal to the King which managed to keep some credibility for the future although many of the relics and artefacts of that time period were moved to hidden locations. We operated, again, as soldiers for the armies although this time it was the armies of Gabrak Shadowmane, the most feared General of all time and it was the army of the Dead that walked with us. City after City, including the great capitol of Maryat were marched through in Victory with the banner of the great skull of Notelexus fluttering overhead as our enemies were crushed underfoot. Our crimes were many and to be open the majority were against our God, our disrespect for his traditions hurt him and turned him into a monster, a reflection of his people; the Children of Notelexus became prevalent during this time and St Lucien was born. It can never be allowed to happen again, that beast, that drinker of life must not be left to return to the heavens let alone the world for he will herald the end of days.

When Gabrak fell and the Dark Alliance collapsed, the Zoranethi gave the Churches sanctuary upon one of their floating islands, including the Devourites although the Devourites were supposed to be unsuspecting dupes who would be one day betrayed. However it was their suspicions that led the Hounds of Hell of the Rice Empire to the doors of the Church of the One and an all out war between the Underworlds of the Rice Empire and the Royal Basin erupted. The battles, in the main, took place out of sight of the mainstream churches and helped to develop the rigged personalities of the alliance that took us to safety, personalities such as our own Venn-Ra of the Church of Notelexus, Sebastian Blackthorne and Seth Karshish of Rayvahn. This war culminated in the destruction, or so we believed at the time, of the Devourer and led us into the direct conflict that was the Codex Wars. Due to the actions we had taken in preventing the rise of the Yama Lords the Royal Basin agreed to return Rayvahn and Notelexus to their appropriate places and once more we entered the fray. A majority of our records, relics  and what once was have been lost or yet to be recovered; The Church struggles to reclaim much of what they lost then.

As the years have passed the Churches have developed new outlooks as they strive to meet the demands of the people that they serve. It has been a mainstream struggle between the old guard and the new thinkers and in recent years the new thinkers have won through. Whilst many would point to the actions of the old "Dark" Churches that brought us together it is clear that the new order of the Clergy: The Churches of Dawn, Day and Dusk would not have become prevalent had it not been for the Holy Order. The Dawn Churches, Yarrianne, Naed and Tiberius represent the dawn of life when we are fresh and full of life, naivety and energy. The Day; Bethylak, Terref and Ekimelahw, represents the middle of our lives when we have become wise and wealthy and live more ordered lives. The Dusk shows us as we approach the end of our lives, when our burdens have weighed heavily upon us, we are wearied and tired and death is but a corner away on our journey. This aspect of our faith is represented by the Churches of the Kraken, Notelexus and Rayvahn. Thus the coming together of the faiths has occurred and we hope that this unity will be reflected inwardly to all faiths that have shared a schism such as ours and that it will one day be for the best of us.

During the recent cataclysm of 2006-2010 the Church solidified a return to the Royal Basin having been instrumental in the downfall of the Devourer. Now under the leadership of Venn Ra, the Church has undergone many changes recently. The role of Notelexus has definitely changed, he seems likely to have made an alliance with Ekimelahw and Yarrianne; he becomes the Yang to Yarriannes Ying and provides Ekimelahw with a vital part of her duties. He also has tenuous links to Rayvahn although an alliance seems unlikely at this time, too much happened in their wilderness years to allow them to come together too openly. However the old enmity between Notelexus and Tiberius has lessened as these two old foes gain common ground in the Undead. The addition of Spirits, Ancestors, Ravens, Perpetuity and Blood are all new aspects of the game for Notelexus. The fact that he now has access to those that have passed over shows that his role as a guardian of the dead now allows him access to the heavens of each particular deity, presumably to facilitate communication between mortals and their ancestral dead. It can also be presumed that he has the ability to drag them from such celestial courts and bring them once more before Ekimelahw should a scenario occur where this is useful.

His power over the realm of Ravens and blood is an unusual combination; Ravens, traditionally guide the dead to their resting places, so they become his creatures, seeing with his eyes. They also share a cross over with the wild realm and this smacks of some agreement made between two supernatural powers. With regards to Blood this is clearly another aspect of power that the shares with Yarrianne, where she is the power of life’s blood so he is the power of the last moments of blood dripping from the veins of the wounded. With the portfolio of Undeath gone from their manifesto the face of the Notelexian Church is changing. Many of the old guard tried to turn their hearts to the power of Krannix and with ascendance of the Kraken there is a case for other followers to step in that direction. As Notelexus steps into his new role of custodian of the dead and voice peace of the ancestors his anthromorphic abilities change to match his deific attitudes. Regardless of the changes we as a Priesthood are to stand in the light of the Great and Mighty Clergy and to never turn our backs upon the Royal Basin.

The Clergy have long been the ruling body and government of the faiths of the Royal Basin. At times it has been severely understaffed, particularly in the periods when the Churches of the Devourer, Notelexus and Rayvahn were left awash in the wilderness. In recent years the Clergy has been in constant debate and argument but in 2014 the decision was made to appoint a full head and re-establish the Azure Table to sit with the Golden Table of the Royal Basin. Initially the vote seemed likely to be in favour of Sebastian Blackthorn to rule the table in the name of the Church of Rayvahn but it was Yarriannes Mirelle Silverlight who won the majority vote and became the new leader of the Azure Table. Now the Azure Table/Clergy begin a time of rebuilding and unity that will bring a new and prosperous time for all faiths and a togetherness that we hope will endure a thousand years of Basanic life.

### Code of the Clergy and the Azure Table

* The Clergy stands above the individual churches with regards to the following issues:
* Ratification of any new Church Policy
* Ratification of any change in Church Dogma
* Ratification of any policy that crosses the Golden Table
* Expenditure of Azure Table Resources
* Identification and direction of Divine Law
* Interpretation of the words of the Gods at Tharinos

#### The Clergy expects

* Full respect to all other faiths that stand within the pantheon of Dawn, Day and Dusk
* The adherence to both Divine and Mortal Law
* To show adequate respect to the laws of the Clergy and the members of the Azure Table that uphold them.

#### Code of the Church of the Notelexus

* You will see to the will of the dead, executing it to the extent of the law, you are the wishes of the dead upon the land and only through you should they speak.
* You will seek to assist in the writing of the will of those soon to die no matter where they should be found to assure them that they will cross over well and that their lands and title would be safe in hands of the clergy and the Custodians.
* You will offer yourselves as intermediaries between the living and the dead that ancestors may pass on that which is theirs to the next realm, their children and their children's children.
* You will seek those ancestors or Undead that are not bound to the will of Notelexus and offer them contract to the God wherever you may find them.
* Those Undead that refuse the contract of Notelexus are enemies of the Faith, the Clergy and the Royal Basin and will be eradicated.
* You will treat with reverence and respect any spirit or ancestor that is summoned to your aid unless they are under punishment and from the hells.
* You will not betray your God, the Clergy or the people of the Royal Basin over blind faith and arrogance

## The God Notelexus

'*Deity**:'*** Notelexus, Grim, The Night Terror, The Coldest Fear.

**Aliases:** Tzi Tzain: Hok, Zumatakan: Kanel Tawe, Lairdan-Gan: Miri For, Yuirfarvallen: Iriak Lendor, Iron Blood: Ven, Rock Hand:  Tashimar, Granite Heart: Polokor, Gnomish: Errian, Orcish: Zuinkar, Fae: Poush.

**Divine Seat:** The Silent Keep

**Afterlives:** The Final Rest, The Realm of the Dead, Graveborn, The Vault of Sighs.

**Foes:** The Yama Lords, The Maltel Tekrom and any remnants of The Devourer.

**Symbol:** A skinless skull

### Portfolios:

**Major**: Death, The Realm Beyond, Decay, and Terror

**Minor**: Sickness, Ancestors, Spirits, Ravens, Perpetuity and Blood

Notelexus (Not-E-Lex-Us) appears in most religious iconography as a human skeleton shrouded in shadow carrying a bone white blade. He is venerated by a variety of followers including warlords and gravediggers. Notelexus fills a very pivotal role within the divine hierarchy of the Gods; whilst he is the master of terror and decay, both tools that his followers use to great effect against their enemies, he is also the keeper of the dead. All souls that die come to Notelexus first, he holds them in care until it is the time of their judgement, however in the godless of Vaklam that have chosen not to venerate any deity we find Notelexus true role. Those souls are taken to The Realm of the Dead to be prepared for return to the world of Vaklam as the servants of Notelexus. This aside many of his followers choose to enter The Realm of the Dead quite willingly in order to serve their deity better.

None are truly sure of the origins of Notelexus, there are a great many rumours that include; All the bones of Gabraks army rising up to form the new God of the Dead, infused with the power of the Dark One, A great Priest of the Dark One who, by manner of fear, caused the death of a great warrior of Kalarin and used the power of their soul as a stepping stone to the power of the Dark One and Godhood. Most likely however is the belief that the Undead known as Rathanor, an extremely powerful Vampire who was present at the time of the Dark Ones death drew the power into himself to go forward and become the being that is now Notelexus.

Notelexus’ clergy is made up of Priests who form the backbone of the church and make up most of the clergy, Deathspeakers who have taken specific pledges to the Church and now make up the senior ranks of the Clergy. They are supported by the Barrowsouls, the militant arm of the Church.

## Dogma

The Clergy of Notelexus have a great deal of directives; their main priority is to deal with the dead and see to the passing over of the spirit to the next realm. All spirits that wish to travel to the side of a God or Goddess must first travel to the realm of Notelexus before they move onto the Halls of Justice and Ekimelahw and be judged. Most folk of the Basin would prefer a Notelexian to preside over their death rites; it lends a certainty to the proceedings and most small folk believe that their passage to the afterlife will not be pleasant or successful. As such the Notelexian faith are held in incredibly high esteem despite prior transgressions and most noble families have reinstated the family Notelexian that serves to guide all of their line into the afterlife and remain in communication with them.

Notelexus was formed of the Dark One’s fascination with the art of death and Unlife, as such Notelexus became, for many years, the ultimate concept of Undeath.  Since the separation of the Undead that came with the Maltel Tekrom the creation of Undead has become more to do with the reverence of Undead and the calling forth of ancestral dead from long ago. The responsibilities of the Priesthood now entail the summoning of the dead to guide the living; often embodying them and allowing them to speak through them to give advice to their living descendants. This is an intensely spiritual and personal affair and only the Priest in question and one or two of the people that wish to hear the words of the dead are involved in the ceremony. Again noble lines have specifically family Priests who are solely called upon to speak to their line and family.

Finally despite the years of tension between the Churches of Tiberius and Notelexus the post cataclysm environment has bought about a truce between them. Equally the recent alliance with Ekimelahw and Yarrianne has underlined this peace and given it the credibility it needs to succeed.

### Words of Notelexus:

*“Know me and be in Terror of me. My arms open for all and my patience will outlast time. The dead will always find you. My hand is everywhere. There is no door I cannot pass nor is there any guardian who can withstand me.”*

## Archangels and Angels of Power:

**Mularsh**: Archangel of Decay: Dealing with rot and the eventual toll of entropy upon all things. A Priest that has called upon Mularsh to be their patron is responsible for their flocks and companions understanding that entropy and the finite nature of all things is part of the natural order of the world of Notelexus.

**Quroth**: Archangel of Terror: Dealing with the deepest fears and nightmares of people and cultures. A Priest that has called upon Quroth to be their patron has offered their service in bringing forth of the deepest terrors of the minds and thoughts of their flock and companions that they might better understand and conjure those fears into the palpable being of the world around them.

**Oliargis**: Archangel of Death: Dealing with the Dead and the taking of life. A Priest that has called upon Oliargis to be their patron is now responsible for the act that ends the life of others. They are the bringers of Notelexus final gift, ensuring that it reaches only those worthy and that those suffering are given such a gift at the earliest opportunity.

**Remstant**: Archangel of The Realm Beyond: Dealing with the souls beyond, their powers and their return to the mortal world. A Priest that has called upon Remstant has dedicated their lives to dealing with those Undead still loyal to Notelexus and the contracts and agreements that have been made between them; their maintenance and the fulfilment of any contractual obligations between two parties.

**Devortis**: Angel of Sickness: Dealing with disease, famine, plague and illness. A Priest that has called upon Devortis makes it their duty to learn of and categorise every disease, famine, plague and illness that they encounter. These pestilence of the mortal frame are given to this world by Notelexus to provide another end to suffering. These priests cultivate such sickness for times of war when the enemy powers arise.

**Kuldash**: Angel of Blood: Dealing with the power that blood holds in the moments before the power of life flows from it; the person it was. A Priest that has called upon Kuldash represents the priests power to draw in the power of a recently dead individual allowing them to achieve that which they did not in life before they pass over completely.

**Suvastis**: Angel of Spirits: Dealing with the dead after their demise but before they go to be judged, holder of souls. A Priest that has called upon Suvastis to champion them are responsible for committing the rites of the dead on the recently fallen and sending them onto Notelexus before they make their way to the Halls of Justice and their afterlife.

**Cariis**: Angel of Perpetuity: Dealing with the weakness of fatigue and old age, the near dead. A Priest that has called upon Cariis deals with administering to their flock and to their companions as they experience the frailty and weakness that comes with both old age, over exertion and fatigue. All must learn to understand that the age is just another aspect of the Lord.

**Kasajen**: Angel of Ancestors: Dealing with those spirits that have entered into their afterlife and of communication with them. A Priest that has called upon Kasajen deals with calling to those spirits that have entered the afterlife of their chosen deity. Even if they have passed beyond the point of returning to their bodies, a follower of Kasajen can call them back to speak to the living.

**Kyaleesi**: Angel of Ravens: Dealing with seeing with the eyes of Notelexus’ creatures and the guidance of the living into the realm of the dead. A Priest that has called upon Kyaleesi deals with walking the paths of the dead, ushering the living along the path should they need to make that journey and guarding them from those not worthy. Equally they may call upon the holy power of the Raven to aid and assist them in their duty.

## Servants:

Notelexus is served by a number of Lesser Powers that can also be worshipped by Priests and Ley Followers, these powers  have fallen under the remit of The Coldest Fear over the years and given their power to increase his strength.

### The Goddess Malakith

**Known Powers** – Parasites, Rot and Decay

**Allied Powers** – Notelexus, St Lucien and Vorkeela

*“Everything does end, as is the word of Notelexus, but when the spirit is gone from a form that form becomes a place ready to breed new life through the act of decay is a new habitat born”*

According to the legends of the wicked and the witless there was once a necromancer of the Lord of Death who was given a reason to love. In that love she was betrayed and in the shuddering anguish that came after her loss there came the desire for revenge. It is spoken, by the foolish and the footling that she called down the power of her patron and smote her once lover dead in a fit of rage. These wordsmiths then go on to say that she cast her Jettatura upon his remains and bought his spirit back to the place where his body lay and kept it for hundred years and that as the body withered and rotted and decayed so too did she until she was the most hideous of things, a Lich that Notelexus claimed as his own.

Whether you believe these tales or not Malakith is the power that Notelexus rose to the heavens to represent his power there and it is to her that we pray when we wish to give his gifts to our enemies. Through her will do forests fall and civilisations fall and through faith to her strength.

The Holy symbol of Malakith is a Circle with four rotted scythe blades protruding from it

### The God St Lucien

**Known Powers** – Mastery over the Dead, Speed of Movement, Unbridled Confidence

**Allied Powers** – Notelexus, Malakith and Vorkeela

*“Oh there are powers, great powers that spring from the bellies of women to grow to become mighty leaders and inspirations to generations. But then they die, or I kill them, and they become mine and will rebuild them into something greater; something almost as powerful as me.”*

St Lucien is one of the Children of Notelexus but he is beyond the power and comprehension of all that have come before or after him. In the darkest moments of our Church our God was without compassion or mercy, driven by the heartless, mindless atrocities that his followers were creating. Lucien was supposed to be a General to lead the armies and focal point for the creation of his Undead. What St Lucien, effectively the first Child of the Gods, son of Death and Divine Prodigy, actually was is far greater: St Lucien is a genius, tactically, intellectually and politically but his skill is marred by his utter arrogance and belief that he is right in all things. He is extremely powerful in his own right and is capable of creating minions from the bones of the dead that are beyond the potential of any other casters, equally any ancestors that are summoned by his followers or himself are grown in strength and stature.

Over the years the role of St Lucien has been subverted, as the Church changed he did not; he is a warrior for the fight against the enemies of the Royal Basin. He is one that will bring them death and blood and then raise his enemies from the afterlife and deploy them as allies against any who would oppose him. Sadly things have moved on for the master of death and he has been recalled from his wanderings of the earth to serve Notelexus directly in the heavens, ostensibly to keep him out of harm's way although he returns frequently to scare things to death. His followers are usually those that seek the perfection in the summoned or the created and find a beauty that can enhance the world in such things. They are often arrogant in the power give to them and emulate the flamboyant style of dress that their patron goes by (the best and most expensive of the day.) They are often leaders, talkers, trend setters and powers in their own right but their loyalty to St Lucien and his father are undisputable.

St Lucien's Holy Symbol is an ornate fanged skull

### The God Vorkeela

**Known Powers** – Sickness and Weakening

**Allied Powers** – Notelexus, Malakith and St Lucien

*“There are many paths to the door of our Master although few lead from it again. Some arrive in good health with a moment of life still trapped inside them but through our touch and mastery shall come the enemies so gifted by our touch.”*

Vorkeela was a Priest of Notelexus who spent much of his time in the Church mastering the power of Notelexus until such time as he was able to cast the power of Notelexus with but the cast of a hand or head. However the exchange for such mastery left Vorkeela a wreck of humanity; his eyesight failed him before he was thirty, his hair greyed and receded before even that, his strength was such that even heavy robes mired him and he was prone to bouts of sickness that left him partially deaf and damaged his mind leaving him slurring and barely capable of speech. Despite this all feared his power and he soon learnt that the weakening of his body meant nothing compared to the power that he had and the fact that he could leave others in conditions far worse than he.

His followers understand what he understood; that to know weakness is to have mastered power and that to place that weakness, unbidden, on others is share that strength with the unprepared. In that way you control not only a battlefield but the hearts and minds of others. Through Weakness, through sickness you spread the gifts of Terror and Fear; all are afraid of the gifts that come with old age, poverty or the trenches of battle. If controlled well you are their master or mistress and your enemies will be powerless to stand against you.

Vorkeela's Holy Symbol is a Skull gripped by the black claws of debilitation.

### Day to Day Activities

Given the fear that they invoke in the general populace it is easy to see that they have very little opportunity to practise many of the rites and rituals that one would expect to accompany the God of Terror Death and Decay.  Indeed most of their tasks are now locked solidly in the portfolio of death: They are expected to officiate over the rites of the dead, speaking to their spirits, preparing for the journey to the limbo of the spirit world there to await judgement.  Even now people begin to attend the new temples of Notelexus hoping for a brief word with their dear departed.

Notelexians are also used to enter plagued areas or battlefield areas to tend to the dead; their own personal lack of fear regarding death means that they have no qualms against wandering such sites. Once there however it is their task to take the last rites of any dying individuals or ensure a peaceful death. Quite often this leads to the passing along of wills and decrees and the growth of Notelexian power through such means. Such activity has not been seen in the basin for some time, at its height the Notelexian church had stakes in virtually every merchant house and tavern ownership across the face of the Basin.

In recent days they have taken up more spiritually difficult tasks: They are responsible for speaking to the dead of family members long since passed over and passing on the knowledge that they have to their progeny. Equally, in this much more relaxed atmosphere regarding the deities, they are there to grant a guiding hand to the sick, the weak and the infirm to pass on the litanies. To seek the truth of blood through family lines and to carry those family lines through all time in written record and with proper record.

### Holy Days and Important Ceremonies

There are two outstanding Holy Days that are involved in the Church of Notelexus: The Day of Dusk, during Watersdown celebrates the day that St Lucien was taken beyond the point of Undeath and into immortality as the power of the Gods was shared with the High Priest of Notelexus. Every year the higher echelons of the church gather to worship. During the festival the senior members of the Church decide upon the leadership of the church for the coming year.

Slaughterfields takes place during the midsummer festivals that take place across the Royal Basin and commemorates the massacre of the Gabrakian army as it attempted to emerge from Dreff Wood during the First Daemon Wars. To the Notelexian community the Slaughter at Dreff represents the passing over of almost 100 of the most powerful Priests of that time. It is a great honour to bask upon the land where the blood of such Holies was spilt.

### Major Centres of Worship

The majority of the temples of Notelexus were destroyed during the Gabrak wars when the clergy turned them to nothing but dust. Many would argue that Maryat itself is a masterpiece of the faith: A necropolis to thousands created by Notelexian hands and risen in his glory. Even to this day an untold amount of the Dead wander the city and what lies below could be the remnants of the most powerful army of ancestors that was ever assembled. However such worship would be blasphemous and focus is instead kept pointed towards the reclamation of Maryat for the good of all of the folk of the Basin.

Instead the Church of Notelexus hold to the great and obvious places of the world: The main centre of their worship is within the great clergy buildings of the Capital where their faith keeps themselves to themselves. Equally they have a presence of the great and powerful New Karrid Ren, Strabain and Shriekspire. Contrary to popular belief Graveyards and Cemeteries are not central to Notelexian worship; by the time a body reaches such a place a Notelexian Priest has said the last rites over them and the soul has moved on.

### Priestly Vestments

The Clergy wear traditional Black during most major ceremonies but various chapters of Notelexian churches have adopted Reds, purples and even yellows in some cases. However they return to the black for official ceremonies and it is usual for Black to be featured on their regalia in some respectful tradition. Travelling Priests are expected to wear the Skull of Notelexus regardless of the animosity that it might spread.

### Articles of Faith

As a Notelexian there are some clear guidelines that are to be followed; as a Holy Warrior or Barrow Soul you should follow the code below. This code is the guidance by which you set examples to the world that you strive to protect, a Barrow Soul is the shining example of the faith, one who is given great power by the Grim and to break their tenets would be to break favour with the deity and lose not only the power that he has gifted but more, the very purity of their souls. Following these tenets are a guideline to how piety works and how.

#### Tenets of the Barrow Souls

* You will preserve the Church and the tenets of Notelexus bowing to those Pure of faith and obeying his enlightened in all things.

* You will not raise your hand to those Ancestors or Undead that are created or given right to be summoned by our Lord nor his followers.

* You will move to protect those Undead created or given right to be summoned by our Lord and his followers low even unto your death and bring righteous vengeance against those that would slay his children.

* In all things you will act through with the power of fear and terror, reaching deep into the hearts and minds of thy opponents and enemies, never showing them fear.

* You will respect all traditions of Death, those that are dying will be shown the proper respect and ushered to the side of our Lord with dignity and grace, no matter their disposition.

* A dying Foe will be offered death before a long and lingering suffering that will keep them from the side of our Lord.

* You will use the gifts of our Lord to summon the assistance of his children only when your own skills prove insufficient to a task yet you will offer yourself up as a vessel for any ancestor that wishes to speak through your lips to the ears of their descendants.

* You will offer the rights of last will and testament to any dying individual of any land and will have learnt the Law that will allow you to bind that which is not the dead to the land of the living.

* You will not hesitate to lay down your life in the service of our Lord Notelexus. To partake of his gift and to be at his side is all that matters. The time that he grants you upon the mortal world should also be cherished and your time spent wisely however.

* When charged to bring the gift of Death to an enemy of the faith thou shalt not falter until the task is complete. You are the instrument of his will upon this land “**There is no door I cannot pass nor is there any guardian who can withstand me”** Shall be your guide.