Page 33 - D&D - Player's Handbook

THE LEGEND OF KNUCKLEBONES, SKULL BOWLING, AND THE EMPTY THRONE
Long ago there was but one god of strife, death, and the battle on for an eternity, the Lord of the End of Everything
dead, an.d he was known as jergal, Lord of the End of Every- intervened.
thing. jergal fomented and fed on the discord among mortals "After all you have sacrificed, would you come away with
and deific entities alike. When beings slew each other in their nothing? Why don't you divide the portfolios of the office by
quest for power or in their hatred, he welcomed them into engaging in a game of skill for them?" asked jergal.
his shadowy kingdom of eternal gloom. As all things died, Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul considered the god's offer and
everything came to him eventually, and over time he built a agreed to it. So jergal took the skulls of his three most pow-
kingdom unchallenged by any other god. But he grew tired of erful liches and gave them to the trio so they could compete
his duties, for he knew them too well, and without challenge in skull bowling. Each mortal rolled a skull across the Gray
there is nothing-and in nothingness there is only gloom. Waste, having agreed that the winner would be he who
In such a state, the difference between absolute power and bowled the farthest.
absolute powerlessness is -undetectable. Malar the Beastlord arrived to visit jergal at this moment.
During this dark era arose three powerful mortals-Bane, After quickly ascertaining that the winner of the contest would
Bhaal, and Myrkul-who lusted after the power jergal pos- receive all of jergal's power, he chased off after the three
sessed. The trio forged an unholy pact that they would gain skulls to make sure that the contest would be halted until he
such ultimate power or die in the attempt. Over the length had a chance to participate for part of the prize. Bane, Bhaal,
and breadth of the world they strode, seeking powerful magic and Myrkul again fell to fighting, as it was obvious their sport
and spells and defying death at every turn. No matter what had been ruined, but again jergal intervened. "Why don't you
monster they confronted or what spells they braved, the three allow Lady Luck to decide, so you don't have to share with
mortals emerged unscathed at every turn. Eventually, the the Beast?"
trio journeyed into the Gray Waste and sought out the Castle The trio agreed to this alternative, and jergal broke off his
of Bone. Through armies of skeletons, legions of zombies, skeletal finger bones and gave them to the contestants. When
hordes of wraiths, and a gauntlet of liches they battled. Malar returned from chasing the skulls, he found that the trio
Eventually they reached the object of their lifelong quest- the had just finished a game of knucklebones.
Bone Throne. Bane cried out triumphantly, "As winner, I choose to rule
"I claim this throne of evil," Bane the tyrant shouted for all eternity as the ultimate tyrant. I can induce hatred and
to jergal. strife at my whim, and all will bow down before me while in
"I'll destroy you before you can raise a finger," threatened my kingdom."
Bhaal the assassin. Myrkul, who had won second place, declared, "But I choose
"And I shall imprison your essence for eternity," promised the dead, and by doing so I truly win, because all that you are
Myrkul the necromancer. lord over, Bane, will eventually be mine. All things must die-
jergal arose from his throne with a weary expression and even gods."
said, "The throne is yours. I have grown weary of this empty Bhaal, who finished third, proclaimed, "I choose death, and
power. Take it if you wish-I promise to serve and guide it is by my hand that all that you rule, Lord Bane, will eventu-
you as your seneschal until you grow comfortable with the ally pass to Lord Myrkul. Both of you must pay honor to me
position." Then, before the stunned trio could react, the Lord and obey my wishes, since I can destroy your kingdom, Bane,
of the Dead asked, "Who among you shall rule?" by murdering your subjects, and I can starve your kingdom,
The trio immediately fell to fighting among themselves Myrkul, by staying my hand."
while jergal looked on with indifference. When eventually Malar growled in frustration, but could do nothing, and so
it appeared that either they would all die of exhaustion or yet again only the beasts were left for him.
And jergal merely smiled, for he had been delivered.
common in places where an individual's grave or tomb faithful send their annual recordings of mortality to holy
isn't marked with the person's name. sites where records of that sort are kept.
Few people favor Jergal as a deity, and most who do
are concerned with the dispensation of the dead in some KELEMVOR
way. Priests ofJergal serve communities as undertakers
The Lord of the Dead, the judge of the Damned
and caretakers of gravesites. Jergal has no temples ded-
Kelemvor is seen as a just, fair, and comforting god of
icated to him aside from abandoned places devoted to
death. Death comes to all, and when it occurs Kelemvor
his old, darker incarnation, but his priests are welcome
is there to take each soul by the hand and lead it to the
in the temples of Kelemvor, Deneir, and Myrkul. His

SYMBOL OF KELEMVOR