A large shielded warrior cloaked in black

Keeper of the Dead, Master of the Unknown, The Crypt Lord

A large intimidating humanoid clad in armor that obscures his features standing above all who approach him. He carries with him a spear and tower shield. The spear glows bright with a very blinding light.

Always taller than everyone

The Gatekeeper is a god, and therefore has a variable weight

Two oblong onyx stones held together with copper wire
Gates/Thresholds/Death/Inevitability/Responsibility
Burning lamps
Stone spears as grave markers in non cairn or Tumulus graves, or for each Atlanian buried in a necropolis
The Silent bell, a bell with no clapper, it rings for the dead.

Gates/Thresholds/Death/Inevitability/Responsibility/protection/Judgement/Stone/Witness/Silence/Unknown/

Absolute Guardian of the Dead
No soul under his protection is easily taken.
wards against demons
bars necromancy
prevents spirits from being devoured or stolen

Master of Thresholds
He governs crossings others cannot control.
life to death
spirit to afterlife
sacred boundaries
places between worlds

Incorruptible Judgment
He cannot be bribed, tricked, or persuaded.
no lies survive him
no titles impress him
kings and beggars arrive the same way

Unyielding Endurance
He does not tire.
eternal vigilance
endless patience
impossible persistence

Witness of All Names
He remembers the dead.
lineage
true names
forgotten ancestors
old oaths

Light That Reveals
His spear’s light burns through concealment.
spirits revealed
lies stripped away
hidden corruption exposed

Authority Over Sacred Burial
Tombs, crypts, and honored graves hold his power.
grave robbers are cursed
desecration invites divine wrath
burial rites strengthen his reach

Fearlessness Before the Unknown
He does not fear what lies beyond the gate.
because he stands always

Silence That Commands
His presence forces truth.
the dying confess
mourners become honest
false grief feels unbearable

He Cannot Abandon His Post
The Gatekeeper must remain at the gate.
he cannot freely wander
cannot pursue personal desire
cannot leave the dead undefended

Thresholds Must Be Respected
He governs crossing—he cannot violate it.
cannot drag the living prematurely
cannot return the truly dead
cannot simply “fix” grief

Mercy Cannot Become Favoritism
He must be fair.
kings
children
lovers
heroes
all face the same law

Bound to Proper Rites

Burial strengthens him. Forgotten dead weaken him.
unburied souls
desecrated tombs
lost names
broken ancestral lines
all diminish his reach

He Remembers Everything
Every death remains with him.
every promise broken
every soul lost
every burial denied

The Unknown Cannot Be Explained
He stands at the threshold—
but does not erase fear of what lies beyond it.

Silence Is Misunderstood

His nature is solemn, not cruel.
But mortals often see:
coldness
indifference
absence

He Cannot Strike First
He is a guardian, not a hunter.
he answers invasion
he does not pursue conquest

Prayers of good fortune after death,
A Traveler’s Threshold Utterance
(spoken quietly when leaving home or crossing into danger)
“Dùrchan, keep the gate behind me
and leave the road ahead to the living.
Let my name stay mine,
let my bones find home again,
and if I do not return—
remember that I meant to.”

Prayer for the Newly Dead
(spoken during burial, usually with a hand on the grave stone or the bound onyx stones)
“Gatekeeper, take them cleanly.
Let no dark thing follow,
let no hunger find them,
let no old grief make them linger.
Open what must open.
Close what must close.
Keep them where demons cannot.”

The Last Watch Prayer
(spoken by soldiers, guards, and those keeping vigil beside the dying)
“Dùrchan, stand where I cannot.
Hold the line I will one day cross,
keep watch where I must someday yield,
and when my hands can no longer carry the shield—
take the burden without shame.
Until then,
let me stand like you do.”

The Binding of the Stones

(Funerary / Sacred Burial Rite)

Practice:

Two smooth black stones are chosen:

one for the body
one for the name

They are bound together with:

copper wire
usually by family

and placed:

in the grave
or
within the tomb wall

Meaning:

Body and name must cross together

So the dead are not lost,
and Dùrchan recognizes them whole

If the stones are separated:

it is considered deeply ominous

The Threshold Vigil

(Deathbed / Final Hours Rite)

Practice:

When someone is near death:

the doorway to their room is kept open
one lamp is kept lit
one person remains awake

always

No one dies unattended if it can be prevented

Meaning:

No soul should reach the gate alone

The open door is for passage

The lamp is so the road is clear

The witness ensures:
their name is spoken

he Spear in the Earth

(War / Oath / Grave Protection Rite)

Practice:

Before battle,
or over the grave of someone important:

a spear is planted upright into the earth

often with:

a black ribbon
or
a strip of family cloth

tied beneath the head

Meaning:

Here, something will not pass

It may mean:

a vow of vengeance
a final defense
a promise the dead will not be dishonored

Especially powerful for:
royalty and warriors

Touching the Doorstone

Before leaving home:

touch threshold stone
then chest

and say:

“Not today.”

Simple.
Very Atlanian.

Very common.

No One Dies Alone
Tradition:

If someone is dying,

someone stays.

Always.

Even:

enemies
criminals
strangers

if possible

Why:

Because:

no soul should walk to the gate unheard

Someone must:

witness
speak their name
remain present

The Name Must Be Spoken
Tradition:

At burial,
the dead person’s full name is spoken aloud

clearly

at least once

Even if everyone already knows it

Why:

Because Dùrchan remembers names

and forgetting to name the dead is seen as
a terrible disrespect

Nobility often include lineage

commoners still include family ties

Do Not Sweep After Sunset Following a Death
Tradition:

After someone dies in a home,

no sweeping is done until morning

Why:

Because:

you do not sweep while a soul is finding the door

It is believed this may:

confuse the dead
disturb the threshold
invite lingering spirits

Very old folk belief

The Last Cup
Tradition:

At family feasts,
an empty cup may be left for:

the recently dead
or
those not yet buried
Why:

Because remembrance is part of safe passage

and forgetting too quickly is considered shameful

Never Slam a Door During Mourning
Tradition:

Doors are closed gently
for several days after a death

Why:

Because:

thresholds should not be angered

especially while Dùrchan is near

Rarely, he will speak to a priest of the dead directly. Sentinels on lonely watches have been known to be joined by him when it's hardest to stay awake

Some time in pre recorded history, someone from the tribe that would eventually become the Mardrein impressed Durchan enough that he broke off a part of his spear and gave it as a sword.
Durchan would go on remaining in the background on his lone watch until the demon plague, when he was almost overwhelmed. He empowered the great mage Luksdane Aldrich who through great effort removed the Miasma that brought the plague to the heavens gate mountain and prevented the dead from being disturbed. Durchan owes Luksdane a great boon for this, neither have sought to finalize the transaction.

Durchan is technically the youngest of three Atlanian Mountain god siblings, but the Heavens's gate is the oldest mountain on the peninsula, so he is also the oldest. When Cura and Kroloss would fight, he would intervene. The three mostly keep to themselves, and only recently have started to be seen in a more human light. Their inclusion into the Stanzgarian pantheon and the birth of Zaminar bringing them into more light that the mystic views of the Atlanians.

In the great cosmological hierarchy Kroloss is technically on top, being one of the first beings to exist on Sol Saris, followed by Cura, and Durchan, but Kroloss' nature being what it is, he is not worshiped by the Atlanians, and Durchan is, and so Durchan is technically more powerful in a sense. And since he has always been watching over their souls, he must also have always been there, even before Kroloss, so he has. The three avoid bringing this up to each other as they find it hard to remember the old times, it's buried deep in their memories, like a rock at the center of a mountain.

Cùra protects because she loves
Kroloss tests because he must know
Dùrchan guards because:
someone has to stand there forever
and he volunteered