💀Death

The Aspect of Endings

Opposing Aspect	Life
Melee Affinity	Pierce
Magic Form	Decay

Death is the Aspect of finality, an understanding, perhaps even a celebration, of the end of all things. More so than almost anything else, the one constant linking everything is that all things must meet their end. Where there is Life there is Death, where there is creation there is destruction, and the Aspect of Death encompasses both these things and more. For some, knowing that all things must end is liberating, freeing them from responsibility or fear of the unknown. By embracing the ultimate end, they find peace. Others see the Aspect of Death more akin to a cult, with its followers venerating murder, decay, and fear—and there is more than a measure of truth in this. While some find acceptance in its bleak message, the majority do not like to be reminded of their fleeting mortality, and it’s this fear that drove the adherents of the Aspect of Death underground.

In the early days of the Four Worlds, death was common and swift. The colonists had yet to band together, and seemed unable to adjust to their new homes. With so many dying in those first days, people became accustomed to it, inured to its frequency, and even accepting of its inevitability. A death became an opportunity for many to wallow in hopelessness, affirming their own fleeting place in the universe as they did so. As time passed, and the body count rose, those who’d spent the most time among Death felt a calling. They understood there was more to Death than just an end, and that the end of life was just a transfer of energy. Some believed that energy meant something—went somewhere—but others assumed it was simply recycled into the universe. Still others wondered what they could do with this transfer of energy from Life to Death, creation to destruction. It was these people who discovered the Aspect of Death, and brought its grim message to the masses.

And that message wasn’t always well received, especially since the Aspect of Life was there to stand in its way. But Death didn’t care. The brutality this opposition generated only fed the Aspect of Death, or occasionally delayed its inevitability. Death didn’t need to take an active role in this fight, since in the end if a battle was won or lost, still there was Death. Even the arrival of the Unrevealed hasn’t troubled the devotees of the Aspect of Death in the same way it has the other Aspects. What damage could this unknowable force possibly inflict that doesn’t serve Death’s purpose?

Death touches everyone, everywhere. Its inescapable nature ensures everyone is a follower, whether they like it or not. The greatest of the devotees study and train hard to master the powers of the Aspect of Death—and being a simple killer isn’t nearly enough to achieve recognition. No, to truly get ahead, you need to make Death a lifestyle, and assassins, necromancers, and reapers emerge as the strongest followers of the Aspect.

Not all followers are corrupt and evil, and the Aspect of Death attracts those who act as executioners or vigilantes, bringing death only to the deserving. The Silent Collegia trains its students on the many methods of dealing death, both painful and painless. When war strikes, necromancers raise the dead to bolster the ranks, and protect their side of choice from an end before their time’s due.

Followers of the Aspect of Death are associated with the color black.