Gardens of Morr

"Father rests with Morr now. And we clubbed together enough to pay the Priests to make sure the bastard stays there."

- Ludmilla von Thieldorf, Reikland Noble



The Gardens of Morr, sometimes known as the Temples of Morr is the sacred cemeteries from which all the dead are to be buried in order for their souls to receive the protection of Morr in the afterlife. These gardens are held in sacred reverence by the Cult of Morr and all their followers, for they consider these cemeteries as Holy Temples to their Gods. Due to its affiliation with the God of the Dead, these cemeteries are imbued with potent protections of faith and magic, particular against those beings that are neither of the living nor the dead, such as Necromancers, Vampires and all those who would defy the certainty of Death.

These temples dedicated to Morr are almost always built of stone, and always feature a broad stone doorway, with no door, always open just as the gates to death and dreams are. Forming the door are a pair of pillars. One is always black and the other is white to reflect the dual nature of the God. Morrian temples are often underground, and are always quiet places, notable for their cool temperatures and excellent ventilation. Other details that concerns the layout of the temple generally depend on the particular Morrian Sect that the Garden is currently align to.

Temples of the Order of the Shroud are normally rectangular in plan, with several side chambers in which bodies can be prepared for burial. The main altar is at the end of the hall opposite the door, and there is a bier in front of it where the deceased is placed during a funeral. Beyond the altar is a door leading into the Garden of Morr. Large temples have several altars, so more than one funeral can be conducted at a time, and each altar has its own door into the Garden. The doors to the Garden of Morr can be closed and locked. Temples of the Augurs are typically round and domed, with an oculus at the peak of the dome. The prophetic Augurs sit at the centre of the dome, surrounded by clouds of incense smoke. Subsidiary rooms and accommodation are part of the main building, accessed directly from the main hall of the temple. Temples of the Augurs do not have a Garden of Morr attached, but it is not at all unusual for temples of both main orders to be found close together The Garden itself is a black rose garden, tended by the priests, with stone monuments to the dead dotted about. In theory, these monuments are all small, but rich individuals can sometimes convince the high priest to create large masoluemns to bury their dead in. The bereaved may visit the Garden in the company of a priest of Morr, but layfolk are not allowed into the Garden by themselves. To help enforce this, most Gardens are surrounded by high stone walls, and the only entrance is through the temple itself. Accommodation for the priests is normally built along one wall of the Garden. These fortifications is as much to ensure that those buried within are protected from desecration from those that practice the foul art of Necromancy.

Source

 * Tomes of Salvation: Fantasy Roleplay (2nd Edition) -- pg. 39