The Deathless are a secretive religious order devoted to Vaelith, god of death and fate. Though their practices involve ritual death and undeath, they are bound by a strict moral code that emphasizes personal freedom and the sanctity of choice. They operate in the shadows, particularly in regions where Vaelith worship has been banned, such as Solaris.
Beliefs and Tenets
Despite the dark nature of their practices, the Deathless follow a strict code of ethics:
- The Right to Life: All beings deserve the opportunity to live.
- The Right to Death: Death is sacred and should come freely, not through coercion.
- The Right to Free Will: No soul should be enslaved or controlled against their will.
- The Right to Submit: Surrender of one’s will is sacred when freely given.
The fourth tenet—the Right to Submit—is often misunderstood by outsiders. The Deathless believe that choosing to yield one’s autonomy to another is itself an act of profound freedom. Coerced obedience is slavery while willing submission is devotion. This principle underpins the relationship between Deathwalkers and their Deathlords: a Deathwalker submits not because they are forced, but because they have chosen to place their trust in their lord’s guidance. The ability to submit willingly, and only to one’s chosen authority, is considered the highest expression of self-mastery.
Many Deathless view the Church of Elandria as oppressive, believing its emphasis on light and order stifles individual freedom and demonizes the natural cycle of death that Vaelith represents.
Hierarchy
| Rank | Role |
|---|---|
| High Deathlord | Supreme leader of the order |
| Deathlord | Commands a Tether and all Deathwalkers bound to it |
| Deathwalker | Elite undead servants who have proven their mental fortitude |
| Deathpriest | Living clergy who serve the order |
The Deathwalkers
The Deathwalkers are the elite of the Deathless, individuals who have voluntarily undergone death and rebirth as nearly undetectable undead. The process is considered a sacred honor, granting a glimpse of Vaelith’s dark and heavenly domain before returning as a Deathwalker.
Those who seek to become Deathwalkers must first endure brutal training, both mental and physical. If deemed worthy, they volunteer to be ritually sacrificed to Vaelith. They are then resurrected by a creature called a Tether, a tentacled being with no eyes and a large, bulging brain-like mass. The resulting Deathwalkers are extraordinarily life-like undead. They are nearly undetectable by magic such as Detect Good and Evil; one must physically touch them to sense their true nature. As long as their Tether lives, Deathwalkers are immortal and do not age.
The Tether creates a psychic bond between itself and all Deathwalkers it has created. Through this connection, Deathwalkers can communicate telepathically and even attempt to control one another. However, free will is a sacred tenet of the Deathless and Deathwalkers are expected to resist such control.
As a last test, young Deathwalkers are subjected to a mental barrage of temptation attempting to infiltrate and dominate their minds. Those who cannot resist are deemed unworthy. Their minds are stripped away and their souls are sent to the void, leaving mindless undead creatures that are used as guards and soldiers by the order.
A true Deathwalker must be able to resist efforts by other Deathwalkers to control them. They are only permitted (and expected) to submit to their Deathlord. There is one Deathlord per Tether.
Submission and Hierarchy
The relationship between a Deathwalker and their Deathlord is built on the Right to Submit. When a Deathwalker completes their final trial, they make a sacred vow to yield their will to their Deathlord alone. This is not weakness, it is the ultimate proof of their strength. Only those who can resist all other influences are worthy of choosing whom to follow.
This dynamic serves both spiritual and practical purposes. Spiritually, it mirrors the soul’s eventual surrender to Vaelith’s judgment. Pragmatically, it maintains order within the Deathless: without clear hierarchy, the mental link between Deathwalkers could devolve into constant psychic struggle. By vowing submission to a single authority, Deathwalkers can work together without constantly fighting for dominance.
A Deathlord who abuses this trust, who compels rather than leads, violates the Right to Submit and may be challenged or overthrown by their own Deathwalkers.
Secret Temples
The Deathless maintain hidden temples throughout the world, often disguised as churches of other faiths.