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Thamiar
Acolyte
7 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 11:26:36
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Hello, I'm going to play Cleric of Myrkul, thus I am gathering as many information#8217;s about him, as I can. I read article on forgottenrealms.wikia, text in the Forgotten Realms - Sourcebook - Faiths and Avatars and The Avatar Series. A few information#8217;s about Myrkul appears in game NWN2 Mask of betrayer and Ice wind Dale 1. He is also mentioned in 'Mere of Dead Men' adventure.
Does he appear anywhere else? I am looking for any feasts, celebrations, holy places, important worshipers, relics and other informations that would be helpful in roleplaying his priest.
Also are there any available official informations about his comeback (Probably during Sundering)?
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Edited by - Thamiar on 08 Dec 2016 14:12:23
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 13:48:39
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Look for the 2E book Faiths & Avatars. It's got the most complete write-up of Myrkul and his priesthood.
His comeback is not described anywhere, to my knowledge, nor is there any reason given for why he changed his mind about preferring not to be a deity. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 14:13:34
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Faith&Avatars (2e) is far more detailed than the 3e deity sourcebooks. In fact, if you want info on deities, I recommend Faiths&Avatars, Powers &Pantheons and Demihuman Deities.
As for your questions:
1)Rituals
-Priests pray for their spells after dusk.
-Myrkulites view death as an inevitable and natural aspect of life (therefore they don't like resurrection spells, although they aren't opposed to undead). The dead are highly respected (it is duty of the priests to ease their passing), and are believed to be able to influence the world of the living even after their disappearance. Priests often wander and celebrate funerals for a fee (they are particularly apt to bury those who died of illness, being resistant to diseases). Priests of Myrkul can help those who are about to die to spell out their last will, preferably in a cryptic way (such as hiding wathever treasure the soon-to-die person has to share with their heirs, or leaving instructions to lead the living to the dead person's biddings), so that the living will continue to feel the influence of those who have passed. If they are paid (the "Skull fee"), the priests themselves will set out to carry the last will of the deceased (such as exacting revenge, completing important tasks, and so on).
-The Dusking is a ritual performed as a reminder that everything eventually dies and decays. A skull is made to float and glow above an altar decorated with bone and ashes of cremated corpses, while both Myrkulites and non faithful who wish to appease to Myrkul bring their offerings to the altar. The beginning and the end of this rite (and each offering as well) are announced by the sound of bells.
-On the day of the Feast of the Moon, Myrkulites celebrate "The Day the Dead are Most With Us": ghosts of the dead supposedly walk Toril as invisible entities to communicate with the living (in various silent ways, like writing stuff in the sand). The followers of Myrkul intone hymns and chants to celebrate this, and close the ritual at midnight with the "Flagon of the Fallen", which consists of setting wine alight, so that the dead can find some warmth in the chill of
2)Artifacts
-The only major Myrkulite artifact that I know of is the Crown of Horns (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Crown_of_Horns). Sadly (IMO), in 4e it was "spellplagued" and now is fused with the body of its last owner, Nhyris D'Hothek (former Iron Ring slaver in Skullport), and now is just your next insane lurking monster to defeat (with the difference that this one has been driven insane by Myrkul's whispers).
-Myrkulites prefer to wear long black robes (unless they need armor for battle), a bone-white sash, black hoods, and skull-like masks. Whatever skin remains exposed is to be covered with ash.
3)Holy Places
-The Skullspire (now dedicated to Kelemvor) is a slender tower-like temple found near Tulmon, in the Lake of Steam area. It is found between Tulmon itself, and ruins known as the Crypt City. The temple is known for the experiments with necromancy that were led there, and now the Kelemvorites have to cleanse the structure from the abominations that were animated by that magic (although I guess that post-Sundering the undead have all been destroyed)
-The Legacy of the Deep Death is a temple built after the ToT beneath the Sea of Swords. A 5 miles wider region of sea floor is infused with part of Myrkul's essence, and it has created an infestation of acquatic undead creatures, including an undead Kraken and a deformed and mutated sahuagin that both guard the temple.
4)Return
Like for most other gods that came back with the Sundering that we find about in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (Leira, the drow pantheon, the dwarven and duergar pantheon, etc...) the answer is "mortals don't know, or mortals thought that they had died, when in truth they survived and hid until they recovered, or Ao did it". |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 08 Dec 2016 14:17:51 |
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Thamiar
Acolyte
7 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 14:40:16
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@Wooly Rupert
Ow my, I made a typo. Of course I had in mind Faiths and Avatars book :)
Not to be a deity? What do you mean? I thought he was killed, and he just get ressurected in 5ed.
@Irennan
Thank you very, very much for such complex answer! I just wonder, have you got any source I could check for The Legacy of the Deep Death? I cannot google anything about it. Where should I search? I assume, that it is placed where Midnight teleported dying Myrkul in Waterdeep: Avatar?
Alright, Crown of Horns, Rings of Myrkul? I wonder if there is anything else :)
Also, are any well known worshippers of Lord of Bones, apart from non canonical Akachi(NwN2 MotB)? |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 15:04:26
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Yes, the Legacy of the Deep Death is placed exactly where the dying Myrkul was teleported during the Avatar Crisis. I read about it in Faiths and Avatars, but I don't know if it is mentioned anywhere else (although if Google doesn't give you anything, I doubt that it is).
There are a few important Myrkulites mentioned in Faiths and Avatars, although only one is named: Haaeluth Muribaert, who was the chief priest of the Conclave of Doom in Skullspire, and used to oversee the experiments with necromancy performed there. Three priests of Myrkul founded the Legacy of the Deep Death, but they are not named.
The book includes info on the Knights of the Undying Dragon. They are an *old* order, supposedly older than the Old Empires, and was established by a lost kingdom (named Eltabranar) as a defense against invaders coming from Zakhara. Those knights were so dedicated to their duty that they never retied and died in their posts, earning Myrkul's favor as immortality through undeath. The order served (serves?) as the sword of Myrkul, and is composed of 12 death knights who command various undead warriors. The order periodically arises to defeat a dracolich (the Everlasting Wyrm) who can't be killed, as it always reforms some time after his "death". Their HQ is said to contain several horads formerly belonging to the Wyrm. After Myrkul's demise, but before 4e, the order hadn't decided whether to continue serving Myrkul or pledging to Kelemvor (I doubt that he would have accepted them, tho), but I don't know if they still exist at the time of Myrkul's return. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 08 Dec 2016 15:04:53 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 15:43:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Thamiar
@Wooly Rupert
Ow my, I made a typo. Of course I had in mind Faiths and Avatars book :)
Not to be a deity? What do you mean? I thought he was killed, and he just get ressurected in 5ed.
When he was killed, his remaining essence went into the Crown of Horns, which was locked in Blackstaff Tower. He reformed it, teleported it elsewhere, and was having fun causing problems for Cyric and Mystra while not being subject to the rules concerning deities.
This is all from Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. It's also part of why I really dislike the 5E thing of "all the deities are back!" (A dislike of Myrkul and Bhaal is also part of it) |
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 08 Dec 2016 15:44:24 |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 15:50:06
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| The Crown of Horns was destroyed by the 4e magazine writers anyway. Considered that, I think that Myrkul would be pretty happy to be back. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 19:49:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
The Crown of Horns was destroyed by the 4e magazine writers anyway.
What was that in?
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
Considered that, I think that Myrkul would be pretty happy to be back.
I dunno; he found a new home once, I'd expect him to try to do the same.
And I would think that if he found not being a deity liberating, that he'd not willingly embrace it a second time. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 19:52:43
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The Crown has been spellplagued and is now fused with the body of its last owner, Nhyris D'Hothek, who has become some insane monster (Myrkul's voice still haunts him, tho). That's said in some of late 4e magazine issues (I think Dungeon 200? I'm not sure of that).
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Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 08 Dec 2016 19:58:45 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 21:28:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
The Crown has been spellplagued and is now fused with the body of its last owner, Nhyris D'Hothek, who has become some insane monster (Myrkul's voice still haunts him, tho). That's said in some of late 4e magazine issues (I think Dungeon 200? I'm not sure of that).
Ah. I'd not consider that to be destroyed, since the Crown still exists and could presumably be separated from the head of its wearer, if that head was destroyed.
But that's just my opinion, obviously based on very limited data.  |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2016 : 23:15:05
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| You won't find much more in that article, the data provided is indeed very limited (so we don't know if the crown could be separated from that Yuan-ti). |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2016 : 00:41:41
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I would say that he still has a 'vestige' (a single avatar?) inside the Crown, and thats whats been whispering to Nhyris D'Hothek. The Crown itself, in a word, has become an 'avatar' of Myrkul.
Which makes me wonder... is that how other 'holy relics' work? 
As for Bhaal, I'd rather he get the reboot treatment - either make up some bizarro story to cover it, or just say its 'the new guy acting like the old', but use actual Baal (Ba'al) for Bhaal. I can see a demon lord poising as Bhaal just to cash-in on his Elan ('worship juice'). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2016 : 00:59:00
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They pulled off the last Bhaalspawn trick to bring back Bhaal. He died, so the Lord of Murder came back.
It would be interesting if the Crown had become some kind of Avatar, and if that Yuan-ti was now an avatar of Myrkul in disguise. While all holy relics hold a part of the deity's power (much like an avatar does), I'm not sure that that's how holy relics generally work, tho, as avatars are essentially manifestations of the deity's will on the Prime. It is possible for a deity to create an artifact-avatar (Godsbane), but that doesn't seem to be the norm to me. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 09 Dec 2016 01:00:05 |
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2016 : 01:24:27
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Unfortunately I'd say we wont be seeing a full deities update sourcebook any time soon. On Twitter Mearls was recently expressing interest about the Dead Three, and someone asked him if a new Faiths and Avatars was on the charts. He said he was personally interested in doing it, but it sounds like it's way down on the release priority list.
So, short of info appearing in a novel by Ed (unlikely), I'd say we won't be seeing a "why the gods are back" for some time. |
Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North |
Edited by - KanzenAU on 09 Dec 2016 01:28:56 |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2016 : 01:29:51
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| It wouldn't be out of place, tho. Even if they don't want to give us a proper explanation for the return of so many deities, relationships, portfolios and how their churches changed should be updated. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 09 Dec 2016 01:30:18 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2016 : 03:28:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
It would be interesting if the Crown had become some kind of Avatar, and if that Yuan-ti was now an avatar of Myrkul in disguise. While all holy relics hold a part of the deity's power (much like an avatar does), I'm not sure that that's how holy relics generally work, tho, as avatars are essentially manifestations of the deity's will on the Prime. It is possible for a deity to create an artifact-avatar (Godsbane), but that doesn't seem to be the norm to me.
Well, as you said, I was thinking maybe 'some' of them work that way. There would be varying degrees of power they could incorporate into a relic, and maybe with some, its in their best interest to give it just a touch of 'sentience'. Sentient artifacts/relics are nothing new.
As for Nhyris D'Hothek, I was thinking he'd be akin to an exarch now, but only so long as he is still joined to the Crown. Also, Myrkul being who he is, I would say the Crown slowly drained away life-force, so that it would need to find a new host every so often...
...which makes the situation with Nhyris D'Hothek even more grisly - that thing isn't just 'bonded' to him; its a parasite thats feeding off him. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2016 : 14:19:05
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If you want to get down in the weeds, you might look at this thread where we started speculating on Myrkul's early history. I think we got sidetracked near the end, but it was 5 pages of candlekeep forum responses.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18348
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Thamiar
Acolyte
7 Posts |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 21 Sep 2020 : 23:06:00
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Explorer Markustay,
Been doing some Myrkul work lately. What makes you believe that a vestige could still be inside the Crown?
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Informations about Myrkul
