Khanos



The God of death and winter. He maintains his residence in the Midplanes, specifically Archeron.

He is referred to as "The End of All"
 * Symbol: Skull with lifeless tree behind it
 * Alignment: LN
 * Portfolio [Domains]: Death and winter [Grave, Order]
 * Favored Weapon: Sickle

Description
Khanos is a dark and macabre deity. He is quiet, speaks little, but is very stern when he speaks. He is a looming figure even amongst the other deities. He usually appears as a pale skinned man, almost sickly, with black outfit. He appears to be dressed a gravedigger or some an undertaker/caretaker of a cemetery.

It is said that Khanos has been here longer than any other deity as Death has always been here as long as life has. He doesn’t speak to other deities of his past, usually only saying he was there when the first being died and will be there when the last being dies. He was one of the first people to support the Divine Cataclysm as he did not like the unnatural lifespans of mortals during this era. He cared very little about the events at the end of the Era of Magic, as there was not rampant raise dead and resurrection spells being cast.

Khanos is friendly will all the deities except for Olum, as he hates undead. He loves debating with Ancillia and almost seems alive when he does. He and Casdonna have a mutual respect despite their opposing portfolios. He has a working relationship with the deities of the Nether Planes (specifically Malasar, Xorlog, and Vane whose followers bring about death).

Clergy
The churches of Khanos look like and function like mausoleums to entomb the dead. Cemeteries around the world usually have an office or building that is run by the church and is basically a mini-temple. These buildings are prevalent in the kingdom of Rylbin, as the church is intrinsically tied to the government.

The clergy of Khanos wear mostly black and grays. They serve their civic duty of properly burying dead and maintaining the graves, so they often wear practical clothing and have gravedigger’s tools. They do dress up in robes and wear snowy white owl masks to symbolize their ties to winter when performing the rituals. They are clinical and cold, usually, but they do their jobs well, and are often very proper and polite when it comes to proper burial and care of the dead bodies. They also are constantly vigilant about undead and anyone who tries to ruin the sanctity of the cemetery.

Clerics pray for their spells at dawn. They perform various rituals to consecrate the grounds where they are going to bury the deceased. They also have lengthy rituals they perform when burying and entombing people, but they have shorter versions for practical purposes.

Dogma
Death is inevitable and unavoidable. The life we lead is temporary and we should ensure proper burial for the bodies of the deceased and for the proper pilgrimage for the spirit of those people. No one should come back once they die, as their death was fated and should not be undone.

Character Options
Paladins who choose to follow Khanos are in effect choosing the "Oath of Vengeance" Sacred Oath.