Seekers of the Final Truth
The followers of Death, the Final Truth. The Seekers of the Final Truth are arbiters who preside over the rule of death. They seek out those who would violate the natural order by unnaturally extending their lives, either through magic or the vile transformation of become an undead.
Public Agenda
The public goal of the Seekers is to maintain the balance between life and death, so that the stability of the world can be maintained. However, the private goal of the church is to discover what lays beyond the Gate of Truth, which is guarded by Death. They work to earn Death's favor in life so that they may pass beyond the Gate in death.
Infrastructure
Seeker temples are often crafted alongside cemeteries, over crypts, or near other large areas of death. Larger churches of other deities often have a Seeker representative living among them, so that they can call on the skills of the church whenever their skills are required.
Divine Origins
Due to Death being the fourth oldest creature in creation, worship of it has been around since the dawn of mortal life, as indeed Death itself was the first mortal. While its followers have changed often over time, its current form as been established since the Age of Conflict.
Cosmological Views
The Seekers believe that something else lies beyond the Gate of Truth, and that only the chosen of Death may walk past it. Theories abound about what mysteries the Gate of Truth contain, but all Seekers value to learn the truths of life and death.
Tenets of Faith
The Seekers are strict followers of the following code, known as the Words of Truth
- All things must die. When my time comes to be judged, I will go willingly and without question.
- I will seek to bring things to their natural end. Those who would go beyond the natural will see the judgement of my blade.
- I will not hopelessly cling to things when it is time for them to pass. To do so only inflicts and prolongs grief.
- I will see that the dead and fallen are properly treated and buried, even if they were my enemy in life, as to lessen any chances they have as rising as an undead.
- Death comes to all equally, and like it I will hold myself to that impartiality. I will not let the forces of chaos, evil, good, and law stray me from my path.
- I will always seek the greater truths of the universe, so that when I stand before the Gate my knowledge will open the door.
Ethics
Due to their worship of the concept of Death, many view the Seekers as having questionable ethics. However, the Seekers practice great restraint, and try to avoid utilizing deadly magic whenever possible.
Worship
The most common form of worship in the Seekers takes the form of simple meditation session, followed by a wandering while seeking either a source of excess or emptiness, then working to counteract that source to restore balance. Examples of this range from culling excess insects in a field, crafting a work of art in an empty grove, or providing comfort to a stranger. In more populated cities, the Seekers often put on more traditional sermons speaking of the importance of Death in the world.
Priesthood
Priests, (who are collectively referred to as Seekers), have many responsibilities based on their Robe color, location, and training. All are trained in as many different burial rites and practices as possible, as it is the responsibility of the Seekers to be able to perform any and all rites to prevent the rise of undead. They often tend to graveyards and cemeteries, making sure the dead stay in their grave and aiding with the grieving process. Some also work as confessionals, helping relive others of their sins so that they can increase their chances of a better afterlife.
Granted Divine Powers
Due to their patron being the concept of Death itself, the Seekers wield great and terrible powers. The strongest among them gain powers such as the ability to turn corpses into ash to prevent them from returning as corporeal undead, the ability to strike at incorporeal undead with ease, and to deal additional damage by disrupting undead energies. Their most powerful abilities include summoning psychopomps, the personal servants of Death, and even fighting beyond the normal limits of body and preventing their spirit from leaving after the normal moment of death.
Signs of Death's favor are believed to be a healthy body and complexion, doors and locks easily opening for you, and sense of balance and patience. Signs of its disfavor are said to manifest as a grey and pallid skin color, breaking out in nervous grins, and doors getting unexpectedly stuck.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Due to their mastery of death magic, the Seekers have immense political power, with their clerics nearly always given free reign and diplomatic immunity. If one brings undue harm to a Seeker, they often find their taxes increase or other political power leverage against them, and greater offenses can even lead to being targeted by the Robeless, a group of church assassins.
Sects
The Seekers are divided into several castes, denoted by their robe colors. The highest caste are the White Robes, who rule over the others and make the crucial decisions of the church. Underneath them are the Grey Robes, who take administration roles and train Black Robes, who are the entry level apprentices of the church. Pairs of Grey and Black Robes often also travel to help put wandering undead to rest or aid in fighting necromantic cults
A fourth, loosely-secret caste are the Robeless. The Robeless are a caste of assassins who specialize in hunting the greatest enemies of the church, and specialize in melee combat without the use of magic.
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