Ezma  

1. Core Identity

• Name: Ezma (Iz'-ma)

• Pantheon: The Core Pantheon

• Titles & Aliases: High God of Death & Conflict, The Great Auditor, The Keeper of the Dead, The Executioner

• Gender / Form: Masculine (He/Him).

• Alignment: True Neutral

• Status: High God (Reports to Senzyn, Grand God)

• Divine Realm: Kyrie Ossium (The Crossroads of Karma)

2. Domains & Influence

• Primary Domains: Death, Underworld, Retribution, Vengeance, and Rebirth

• Portfolio: The process of death, the Underworld, the "karma" of souls, the punishment of the wicked (after death), retribution, and the "rebirth" or "recycling" of souls.

• Cleric Domains (5e): City, Death, Entropy, Grave, Light, Twilight, & War

3. Symbolism & Depiction

• Holy Symbol: The horizon, with one moon (the Green Moon of El) setting, and the other rising. This represents the "changing of the guard" from life to death.

• Favored Weapon: Scythe (as a tool of "harvesting" souls).

• Favored Colors: Grey, Black, and Silver.

• Sacred Animals / Plants: The Raven (the messenger of death) and the Willow tree (the "weeping" tree of the Underworld).

4. Dogma & Worship (The Core Beliefs)

• Core Dogma (The Philosophy): "Death is not an end. It is a transfer. It is the balancing of the books. Life is the "credit"; Death is the "debit." All souls must be audited. Karma must be balanced. A wicked soul must be punished before it can be returned to the cycle. This is not "evil"; it is "necessary." Do not fear the auditor; fear an unbalanced book."

• Tenets for Followers (The "Thou Shalt"s):

  • "Thou shalt respect the dead, for they are in the 'auditing' house."

  • "Thou shalt not fear death, for it is only a transition."

  • "Thou shalt not suffer an undead to exist. They are an 'abomination'—a 'soul' that has 'escaped' the 'audit.'"

  • "Thou shalt seek 'retribution' (karma) in all things, for what is done in this life determines the 'balance' of the 'next.'"

  • "Thou shalt obey the sentences of Saery, for he is the 'Judge' and Ezma is the 'Executioner.'"

• Sins & Taboos (The "Thou Shalt Not"s):

  • "To create or command the Undead." (The greatest sin).

  • "To attempt to cheat death (e.g., through lichdom)."

  • "To desecrate a grave (this is 'disrupting' the 'audit')."

  • "To kill wantonly without cause." (Ezma is "Retribution," not "Murder").

5. Relationships

• Superiors: Senzyn (Grand God) and Anushirvan (Supreme God). Ezma manages the "Consequence" portfolio for the Triumvirate (Death, Judgment, Conflict).

• Subordinates (His "Department"):

  • Major Gods: Saery (Judgment) & Yim (Peace).

  • Gods: Alsaria (Redemption), Eresi (Hunting), Gruumsh (Orcs), Lom (Good), Mok (War), Nis (Evil), Sasi (Secrets), Sieyut (Honor), Suel (Lust/Death), Tiamat (Evil Dragons).

• Counterparts:

  • El (High God of Life): His direct counterpart. He audits the "souls" that she creates. Their relationship is one of perfect, professional balance.

  • Arcus (High God of Magic): The "system." Ezma is the "consequence."

  • Saery (Major God): His subordinate, but also his most important partner. Saery (the Judge) passes the sentence, and Ezma (the High God) personally executes the punishment on the soul.

• Mortals: Worshipped by undertakers, executioners, judges, and those who seek vengeance. He is not "loved," but he is deeply "respected" and "feared."

• Demigod Offspring:

  • Caspian Silversky (War)

  • Ezelyn Nimrodel (Death | Light)

  • Yuka Silversky (Death)

6. The Church & Clergy

• Name of the Church: The Keepers of the Cycle, The Order of the Grey Horizon.

• Worshipper Base: Undertakers, executioners, judges, grave-keepers, and planar scholars.

• Clergy Structure: A rigid, lawful, and quiet hierarchy.

  • Acolytes: "The Silent"

  • Priests: "Keepers"

  • Bishops: "Auditors"

• Temple Description: Temples are quiet, cold, and severe. They are often courthouses, mausoleums, or simple grey-stone halls. They are always immaculate.

• Rites & Rituals:

  • "The Last Rites": A ritual to prepare a soul for its "audit."

  • "The Closing of the Book": A funeral rite.

  • "The Sentence": A ritual execution, seen as a holy act of "balancing karma."

• Holy Days:

  • "The Day of the Dead": A day of remembrance for those in the Underworld.

  • "The Winter Solstice": The longest night of the year, seen as "Ezma's Day," when the "audit" is most "active."

7. History & Lore

• The First Undead: The core myth. It is said that when the first mortal tried to cheat death (becoming a ghoul or ghost), Ezma himself appeared. He did not "destroy" the creature; he "audited" its soul. He "punished" it, "cleansed" it, and "returned" it to the cycle. This is the core of his dogma: everything returns to the cycle, no matter how long it takes.

• The Executioner of Saery: A key doctrine. Mortals often ask, "Why is Ezma (High God) the executioner for Saery (Major God)?" The answer is simple: "A judge can make a mistake. A sentence must be final. Ezma is finality. He is the High God because only he can be trusted to enact the final, perfect, and irreversible "balance" on a soul."