Order of the Long Death
The Order of the Long Death, also known as the Way of the Long Death, is a monastic order devoted to understanding every aspect related to the process of dying and the nature of death itself.
They care little for the afterlife, seeking no deeper understanding of a soul's place in the greater cosmology, but rather the effects of death on intelligent beings and achieving 'perfect death'. They see this as the ultimate offering capable of bestowing upon any being deemed truly ready.
Each monastery was independent of the others and led a single individual.
Monks of the Long Death focused their energies on studying death and the art of killing. They learned about the effect of the process of death on living tissue. The ultimate objective was to discover the 'perfect death' - an objective that no member of the group really understood, let alone achieved. Within their monasteries, they would spend the majority of their time sparring with one another, resting in quiet contemplation, or studying the nature of death. For their studies, the monks dug up bodies, took them to their respective monasteries examined their states of decomposition within their well-stocked laboratories. Perhaps most horrific, the followers of the Long Death purchased or captured slaves, giving them slow deaths in order to observe and record the results. Outside of the monasteries, they wandered relatively aimlessly, often disguised as beggars, attacking humanoids that they came across in an effort to inflict as painful a death as they could using only their bare hands. Every year The leader of each monastery had to prove themselves against their best warrior through trials by combat on the day of Bás' Banquet.
Due to their particular field of study, monks of the Long Death are both resistant to and capable of wielding deathly effects and magic. The imprint death leaves on their soul makes them appear exceptionally frightful to others. More skilled monks are capable of inflicting necrotic harm upon others, easily slaying weakened individuals, and even killing others with their mere touch.
When fighting against humanoid opponents, monks of the Long Death preferred to use their bare hands. When forced to fight some beast or monstrous creature, their weapon of choice was the kama.
There are at least three known monasteries of the Long Death. One in the eastern realm of Yer-Mardi, one in the Molten Peaks on the eastern edge of Suh'laan, and the Abbot of the High Crypt within the swamps of The Broken Isles The order even established a small, secret school in the area of Axeridge Pass
Within their monasteries, monks of the Long Death often keep shelves full of rare alchemical reagents and numerous specimens of dead animals and plant life. The monks dress in a manner that reflects their fascination with death, wearing dark hooded robes that hide their faces.
While they are generally distrustful of others, the order is civil with those who seek to share any insights about death. Due to their narrow scope of interest, they are seldom considered to be interesting or engaging by others. They do maintain a form of relationship with the followers of Níl, Knower of Nothing and later Kelemvor. The Suh'lanni branch of the order is well-supported by the reigning Rakshasa.
The order was formed after the people of Suh'laan freed themselves from the Djen. Its original purpose was to teach people how they could attack and kill their former masters. Over time, however, the monks developed an obsession with death. For their perverse fixation, they have been routinely ran out of when trying to settle in Fháchír. As they were similarly expelled from every other place they attempted to settle in, save for Suh'Laan the monks of the order became a semi-secret society in Ríyu They established hidden monasteries all over the Realms where they could continue their studies in relative peace.
The Order of the Long Death attracts both morbid scholars and those individuals devoted to the deities of death, namely Níl. Becoming a member of the order requires first finding a monastery. Very few applicants are actually accepted - perhaps a dozen a year - and each one has to pass several tests of strength, agility, and endurance before being inducted into the order fully. The ceremony of introduction is filled with hideous acts meant to test the resolve of initiates. Any member who attempts to leave the order or speak out against it publicly will become a target for their killers.
Organization
Each monastery was independent of the others and led a single individual.
Activities
Monks of the Long Death focused their energies on studying death and the art of killing. They learned about the effect of the process of death on living tissue. The ultimate objective was to discover the 'perfect death' - an objective that no member of the group really understood, let alone achieved. Within their monasteries, they would spend the majority of their time sparring with one another, resting in quiet contemplation, or studying the nature of death. For their studies, the monks dug up bodies, took them to their respective monasteries examined their states of decomposition within their well-stocked laboratories. Perhaps most horrific, the followers of the Long Death purchased or captured slaves, giving them slow deaths in order to observe and record the results. Outside of the monasteries, they wandered relatively aimlessly, often disguised as beggars, attacking humanoids that they came across in an effort to inflict as painful a death as they could using only their bare hands. Every year The leader of each monastery had to prove themselves against their best warrior through trials by combat on the day of Bás' Banquet.
Abilities
Due to their particular field of study, monks of the Long Death are both resistant to and capable of wielding deathly effects and magic. The imprint death leaves on their soul makes them appear exceptionally frightful to others. More skilled monks are capable of inflicting necrotic harm upon others, easily slaying weakened individuals, and even killing others with their mere touch.
Tactics
When fighting against humanoid opponents, monks of the Long Death preferred to use their bare hands. When forced to fight some beast or monstrous creature, their weapon of choice was the kama.
Base of Operations
There are at least three known monasteries of the Long Death. One in the eastern realm of Yer-Mardi, one in the Molten Peaks on the eastern edge of Suh'laan, and the Abbot of the High Crypt within the swamps of The Broken Isles The order even established a small, secret school in the area of Axeridge Pass
Possessions
Within their monasteries, monks of the Long Death often keep shelves full of rare alchemical reagents and numerous specimens of dead animals and plant life. The monks dress in a manner that reflects their fascination with death, wearing dark hooded robes that hide their faces.
Relationships
While they are generally distrustful of others, the order is civil with those who seek to share any insights about death. Due to their narrow scope of interest, they are seldom considered to be interesting or engaging by others. They do maintain a form of relationship with the followers of Níl, Knower of Nothing and later Kelemvor. The Suh'lanni branch of the order is well-supported by the reigning Rakshasa.
History
The order was formed after the people of Suh'laan freed themselves from the Djen. Its original purpose was to teach people how they could attack and kill their former masters. Over time, however, the monks developed an obsession with death. For their perverse fixation, they have been routinely ran out of when trying to settle in Fháchír. As they were similarly expelled from every other place they attempted to settle in, save for Suh'Laan the monks of the order became a semi-secret society in Ríyu They established hidden monasteries all over the Realms where they could continue their studies in relative peace.
Members
The Order of the Long Death attracts both morbid scholars and those individuals devoted to the deities of death, namely Níl. Becoming a member of the order requires first finding a monastery. Very few applicants are actually accepted - perhaps a dozen a year - and each one has to pass several tests of strength, agility, and endurance before being inducted into the order fully. The ceremony of introduction is filled with hideous acts meant to test the resolve of initiates. Any member who attempts to leave the order or speak out against it publicly will become a target for their killers.
Structure
Each monastery was independent of the others and led a single individual.
Type
Religious, Monastic Order
Capital
Alternative Names
Way of the Long Death
Leader
Government System
Despotism
Official State Religion
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Location
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