Erebos

**Erebos** is worshipped as the god of misfortune and the dead. He is one of Theros' original gods. An important distinction to make is that he is not death or the god of death. He is lord of the dead souls in his part of the afterlife called the Underworld. He takes his duties and role very seriously. This makes him despise those who try to escape his domain either by fleeing the Underworld or by being resurrected. Necromancers and liches in particular are on his shit list.

## Myth

Mortals typically fear death, yet death is the inevitable end of each one’s time in the mortal world. Erebos, having long ago come to terms with his own banishment, teaches his followers to accept the inevitability of death and the often unavoidable tragedies of life.

## Influence

When a person's luck runs out, they quickly blame the god of misfortune for their trouble. Funeral rites often include a prayer to Erebos so he may take special care of the departed's soul.

## Worship

Most people in Theros see worshipping Erebos as a taboo. His sigils and idols are mostly saved for funerals.

A smaller but more dangerous group of Erebos worshipers are those who actively glorify death. These cultists and assassins congregate in secret in communities across Theros, engaging in campaigns of violence.

The only major festival dedicated to Erebos, called the Katabasion or “the Descent,” features a ceremony in which worshipers make a symbolic journey into the Underworld. The supplicants enter a cave, offer prayers and sacrifices to Erebos in utter darkness, and slowly make their way back to the surface just before sunrise.

## Piety

#### **Earning and Losing Piety**

You increase your piety score to Erebos when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

* Accepting misfortune and helping others accept it
* Easing someone's death and assisting with funeral rites
* Destroying the undead, resurrected, and immortals
* Desecrating lawful and/or good aligned temples

Your piety score to Erebos decreases if you diminish Erebos ’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

* Saving lives
* Creating undead or resurrecting someone
* Helping someone achieve immortality
* Assisting a soul escape the Underworld

**Erebos' Devotee**

*Piety 3+ Erebos trait*

As a devotee of Erebos, you have drawn the notice of the god of misfortune with your skill. You can cast bane with this trait, requiring no material components, a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

**Erebos' Votary**

*Piety 10+ Erebos trait*

You can cast vampiric touch with this trait, requiring no material components. Once you cast the spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

**Erebos' Disciple**

*Piety 25+ Erebos trait*

Nothing pleases you or your master more than when you send a soul to him. When you kill a creature, you gain HP equal to half the damage you dealt in the killing blow.

**Champion of the Dead**

*Piety 50+ Erebos trait*

You can increase your Wisdom or Constitution score by 2 and also increase your maximum for that score by 2.