Orloth is not an evil god. He is the opposite of Phaedra. Where she brings forth new life to the world, it is Orloth's job to take the departing souls from the earth into the underworld and from their onto the eternal paradise. Priests of Orloth are asked to preside over burials to bless the bodies of the dead and to ease the soul's passage into the underworld. Priests of Orloth are also often asked to carry out the death sentences on criminals.

The church of Orloth, based in Eldridge, is divided into three main arms, the Clergy, the Legion and the Judges. The church's symbol is an ivory skull on an iron disc, about four inches across.

The Clergy are responsible for the day to day operations of the church. They oversee the burial ceremonies and the Maellar festival. They also act as administration staff for the other two orders. At the lowest rung are the novices, the young trainee brothers. Novices are drawn from all walks of life and age. Life as a Novice lasts for five years. The first year at the preceptory in Eldridge, the remaining four at a church or shrine. Novices wear grey robes and can own no property or goods. When joining the church, they join for life and are expected to renounce their old lives.

The vast majority of the hierarchy are known simply as the Brothers. They are responsible for the day to day operations of the church facilities. When a Novice becomes a Brother, he is allocated to a church for a tenure of five years. Every five years they are moved to another church. Brothers wear plain black robes.

Above the Brothers are the Keepers. Keepers are responsible for the running of a church or shrine. They preside over all the ceremonies conducted in their church. Although there are no strict rules, a Keeper must spend at least ten years as Brother before promotion to a Keeper. Keepers wear black robes with red hoods.

Each country's capital city has a Preceptor, who oversees the dealings of the church in that country. Preceptors are drawn from the ranks of the Keepers after serving at least ten years. Preceptors wear black robes with a white hood.

The Legion is the military arm of the church. It consists largely of Paladins, though there are a few priests and mythics in the ranks. The Legion is based in Eldridge, at the Preceptory there. Legion paladins are responsible for guarding the churches and preceptorys around the world. Legion trained soldiers are considered to be the finest warriors in the known world.

The Legion are initially drawn from the ranks of the Novices at the end of their first year. They then undergo ten years of military training at the Eldridge Preceptory. After training they join one of the three legion brigades. The first brigade, the largest, are the major military force of the church. They are used to guard churches and as the Eldridge city guard. Paladins of the second brigade travel the lands searching out undead and rooting out evil. The third brigade, the smallest, supplies the paladins who guard the Speaker and the ruling council. The Legion wear black armour with no decoration except red, yellow and green edging to denote their brigade.

The Judges are the third, and smallest, arm of the church of Orloth. Judges preside over many courts and legal gatherings around the western world. They are known to be completely impartial and see all humans as equal in the eyes of Orloth. Most major cities have one or two resident Judges, most of the remaining travel up and down the land dealing justice as and when required. Judges are drawn from the Clergy and the Legions.

The head of the church is called the Speaker. He is head of a council of nine other clerics who make up the ruling body. They are the Mistress of the Novices, Commander of the Legions, Head Archivist, two Head Judges and the four Preceptors of Zale, Dacosta, Westgate and Holybourne.

Avatars.

• Judgment - Orloth is the ultimate judge. Regardless of what a person believes he has done, it is Orloth who controls the fate of the soul. Will they pass into paradise or live out another life upon the world? The Judge appears as a tall man, encased in black armour. In his left hand he holds a set of scales and in his right a large axe. A vision of the Judge symbolises that a decision has to be made and that the outcome of the decision will have far reaching effects. In some occasions items may be seen on the scales and may even be seen to tip one way or the other depending upon the will of the god.
• Death - A classic vision of Orloth. He is god of the dead and this vision heralds a death in the near future. Death is a tall, slim man dressed in black robes with pale skin and black eyes. The exact appearance of the vision will normally denote the viewers relationship with the person to die. If he is seen watching a scene from afar, the relationship is probably distant. For those about to die, the man is often seen beckoning them, often pointing to an archway or door.
• Paradise - This is not an avatar, but a vision of what is to come. The vision will differ from person to person but is usually of what the person believes paradise to be. For a warrior it might be a hall full of heroes, a mage might see a vast library filled with books. This vision can be very esoteric and often difficult to interpret. The vision may tell the viewer that they have spent their life well and a place awaits them in paradise. You may also see Death, if you are nearing death yourself. On the other hand, it may mean that a series of events will come to a favourable conclusion.
• The Wheel - Simply, this vision is of a large spoked wheel, slowly spinning. The size often varies and usually has some reflection on the vision. Like paradise above, this is a reflection of the viewers future. In this instance it means that even though something will seem to come to a definite end, there will be a continuation or resurgence of it in the future.

d20 Specific Rules.

Type:	Greater Deity
Symbol:	A White Skull
Home Plane:
Alignment:	Lawful Neutral
Portfolio:
Worshippers:
Cleric Alignments:	Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Lawful Neutral, Neutral
Domains:	Inquisition, Law, Purification, Repose, War
Favored Weapon:	Longsword