“Strike hard, strike fast, and strike without mercy.”
Symbol: linked barbs
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: retribution, battle, vigilance
Worshippers: warlords, ograns, slavers, mafias
Cleric Alignments: LE, NE, LN
Domains: evil, law, war, retribution
Favored Weapon: battle axe
Animal Totems: velociraptors, tigers, vipers
It is the church's duty to repay attacks, slander, and dishonor with quick justice. Ruthlessness is an acceptable means of enforcing the peace, and when peace fails, violence is necessary to reestablish it as quickly as possible. Bribery, killing, and the theft of non-personal items (such as large shipments) are not dishonorable; in fact, they are codified within the church's by-laws. Vigilance is a watch-word, and the church's members keep an eye out for those that would violate its code of ethics.
KTath is usually shown in statues as a short, robust man with massive hands and a wide face. He wears strong plate and chains beneath robes of office, and always has a nasty looking battle-axe in one hand. While KTath's lips twitch with unreleased anger, there is a certain sadness in his eyes that seems to haunt those that gaze too long upon the statues.
During the chaos of the Shaping Wars, a number of peoples and even entire nations were thrown from their homes as each faction searched for relics and artifacts to make it superior to the others. A general air of vengeance settled upon many of the displaced nations, and because they couldn't assault the various factions head on, they were denied an outlet for their rage and frustration. Many peoples took to internal conflicts, and both priests and monks were caught in the exchanges. At a monastery in the nation of Themistil, bandits forced their way in, searching for gold and rare items to sale. The monks were slaughtered, and in a hidden room, the Relic of KTath called forth. The bandit leader, named Ledoleran Qillvard, became the first Chosen of KTath. His newfound abilities let him maintain his stranglehold on the bandits, and then lead them into a new era of power. The Church of KTath grew, giving many an outlet for their rage and frustration at the indignities of the Shaping Wars. As the Age of Peace settled over the land, KTath and his minions faded into the background of the newer nations. The priests of KTath served as arbiters and referees for personal duels, helped fuel gang wars, and generally maintained a strangle-hold on the weaker peoples within great kingdoms. Because they were perceived as honorable and trustworthy, they were tolerated by a great many, even though their intentions were anything but good. Mobsters and mafia advisors and aides, the priests of KTath survived the Age of Peace by aiding illegal trade, siphoning off money from the underclass, and keeping the authorities guessing. The Church of KTath made several in-roads among the less civilized dwarves. Those that craved battle and blood lust found KTath's teachings quite favorable, and the deep dwarves in particular grew to like the God of Retribution. Real or imagined racial tensions, both between certain nationalities of human, and between the humans and the other races, also served to expand the worship of KTath by a small but determined group of followers.
Several centuries before the Storm Wars, it was the priests of KTath alone in the northern lands that began to suspect the coming of Nathel. Rather than warn their peoples, the church kept the information to itself. When Nathel's armies invaded, the Church of KTath quickly allied itself with the Dark God – much to the annoyance and disbelief of its followers. As Nathel's forces advanced with or without the aid of the God of Retribution, the followers of KTath began to abandon his teachings in horror and disgust. After the defeat and death of Nathel, and then the defeat of Nabrol, KTath's priests were replaced with priests of Samis and Dakis. The Church of KTath began to fall out of favor with the majority of the people. The church held on in small areas, and its greatest conquest was the Alekdan Principalities. The harsh laws and draconian politics of the pirate princes that ruled there was perfect for the church. With its new toe-hold, KTath's priests began to expand once again, taking advantage of the new Age of Regret. Though bitterly defeated, the new twist on the Church was one of maintaining the status quo, and this new philosophy helped the rich stay rich, and the dirty stay dirty – without being caught. The church nearly completely lost the favor of the dwarves, but in recent years, has begun to make considerable inroads with the Ogre Nations, allowing orcs and ogres and kobolds into its midst.
The Relic of KTath had been kept a secret within the church, known only to select people. In the aftermath of the Storm Wars, the reigning Disciple was Mavron Keltomath, a pirate and a sailor of some skill. Rebuking the laws of Olorin, he led a small armada on a rampage through the seas south of Galanath for a number of years. Olorin brought in a small navy of zartans, Sholin vessels, giant squid, and even the giant whales. The battle was over with within a week, and KTath's relic fell to the bottom of the seas, still clutched by Mavron Keltomath's skeletal hand. Thereafter, a forcible peace was reached, and the followers of KTath would respect the laws of the seas. Ironically, the church was against vengeance on Olorin, and the loss of the Relic allowed the formation of the Alekdan Principalities, and a resurgence of piracy upon the open seas, as well as a respect of Olorin.
The Church of KTath promotes quick and deadly justice for all wrongs, real or imagined. Its rules are hard and swift, but deemed as fair by the hardened minds that are drawn to it. Because the priests can usually be considered honorable, the church is tolerated in a great many kingdoms. In other places, the church grants aid to those who need revenge, either in weapons or prayers or training. Many people know that, should events in their lives make them bitter, the Church of KTath will be there for them with open arms. The church even helps some nations keep their servants in their rightful place, aiding those nations with healers and combat priests of considerable skill. For others, the Church of KTath is the best place to learn tactics, dirty fighting, and other tricks of survival found nowhere else. The Chosen and his Disciples operate out of Karmen.