Volrath

The Shadow King

Group (Pantheon): The Void Covenant

Domains: Shadow, Grave, Repose

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Holy Symbol

Volrath's holy symbol is a blackened iron crown, shattered but still burning with cold, violet flames, symbolizing corrupted kingship and immortality through dark magic. Broken chains hang from the edges, representing freedom from mortal limitations and enslavement of souls. Devout followers wear this symbol as amulets or engrave it into their armor and magical staves.

Core Tenets

1. Power Beyond Death. True strength is eternal. Seek immortality through forbidden arts and dominate life and death alike.
2. Corrupt the Pure. Nothing is incorruptible. Twist the righteous, break the holy, and shatter all illusions of virtue.
3. Dominate Through Fear. Rule through terror and absolute control. Only the strong deserve to wield power, and only the ruthless may keep it.
4. Raise the Dead, Rule Forever. Death is a tool, not an end. Build eternal legacies through undead legions and cursed relics.

Church Structure

The faith of Volrath operates as a cult of domination and necromantic mastery, ruled by lich-kings, dark sorcerers, and undead overlords. His temples, called Citadels of Eternal Night, are fortified necropolises guarded by undead legions and shrouded in necromantic wards.

The Lord of Shadows
The highest priest and mortal avatar of Volrath, often a powerful lich or deathbound warlock chosen through dark rituals.

Deathlords
Dark rulers, generals, and necromancers who command vast undead armies and govern corrupted kingdoms under Volrath's eternal rule.

Soulbinders
Necromancers, warlocks, and dark priests responsible for binding spirits, forging cursed relics, and performing blood rituals in Volrath's name.

Dread Knights
Cursed champions and unholy warriors clad in soul-forged armor, bound by unbreakable oaths to serve Volrath for eternity.

Shadowborn Thralls
Fanatical followers and mindless undead minions enslaved by dark magic. Some willingly offer their lives in exchange for a place in Volrath's deathless empire.

Influential Figures

Kaelen the Broken King (past)
Role: First Lord of Shadows
Legacy: Kaelen was a mortal king betrayed and left for dead by his own people. In his final moments, he called upon Volrath, forging a pact that turned him into the first undead tyrant. His Crown of Vengeance still radiates dark power in the Tombs of Sorrow's End.

Arannis Soulcarver (past)
Role: Deathlord and Master Necromancer
Legacy: A fallen archmage turned necromancer, Arannis led the Nightfall Crusade, enslaving countless souls and founding the cursed city of Duskspire, a fortress of undeath still ruled by his spectral heirs.

Malis the Soulflayer (past)
Role: Lich-King and Dark Sovereign
Legacy: One of the most feared liches in history, Malis was responsible for opening the Gates of the Shattered Veil, unleashing a tide of darkness across Thaloria. His lost Tome of Eternal Night is still sought by dark sorcerers eager for forbidden knowledge.

Lady Nyara Ashveil (present)
Role: Soulbinder High Priestess
Legacy: Known for her deadly mastery of soul-binding magic, Nyara is feared across Thaloria. Her enchanted phylactery, The Heart of Chains, contains bound souls that fuel her dark sorcery and keep her immortal.

Veythar Blackthorn (present)
Role: Dread Knight Commander
Legacy: An unholy warlord clad in enchanted abyss-forged armor, Veythar leads the Legion of Withered Souls, an elite army feared for its unstoppable undead legions. His Blade of Midnight Oaths grants power at the cost of eternal servitude.

Presence Across the World

The faith of Volrath thrives in cursed lands such as the Obsidian Wastes, Nightspire Bastions, and Tombs of the Fallen Kings. His hidden cults perform vile rituals in darkened catacombs, abandoned ruins, and shadowy fortresses.

Relationship with Other Faiths

Volrath's faith is an eternal enemy of Vara (light and healing), Theris (justice), and Talandra (order and peace). His followers see Umbrahal (despair) as a kindred spirit in destruction but despise his focus on inevitability over control. He occasionally aligns with Shadros (trickery and madness) when forbidden power is at stake. 

Modern Challenges

Though Volrath was banished along with the gods, his power remains strong through his mortal agents and undying servants:

• Rise of the Lich-Kings. Several cursed kingdoms are ruled by ancient undead kings sworn to Volrath's will.
• Cursed Relics. His dark artifacts, such as Nightbane and the Heart of Chains, remain active, spreading corruption.
• Legions of the Damned. Necromantic uprisings driven by Volrath's influence plague the mortal world, threatening entire realms.

About Volrath

Volrath, the Shadow King, is the God of Undeath, Corruption, and Forbidden Power. He embodies the relentless pursuit of immortality and dominion through dark sorcery, necromancy, and twisted pacts. Volrath is both feared and worshiped by those who seek to escape death's inevitability or bend others to their will through dark magic. He is the eternal tyrant, the master of deathless legions, and the undying ruler of a cursed dominion that lies beyond mortal comprehension.

Volrath is depicted as a towering, skeletal figure clad in corrupted royal regalia, his armor blackened and adorned with symbols of death and conquest. His face is concealed behind a Crown of Withering Souls, a jagged, cursed circlet forged from twisted iron and dark obsidian, embedded with faintly glowing, soul-trapped gemstones. He wields Nightbane, a massive, rune-carved greatsword forged from abyssal iron, said to sever both body and soul.

Volrath's dark shadow stretches across the mortal realm, driven by endless ambition and a hunger for eternal rule. His faith offers power without limits -- but at the cost of one's soul.

"Death is not the end -- only the beginning of true dominion."

Source: Homebrew, 2024.