Category:The Speakers for the Dead

The Speakers for the Dead

Those who deal with the dead, and the world of the dead.

• Titles: Priest/Priestess, or informally, Necromancers, Ghostbusters (derogatory)
• Prerequisites: Wyrd 3, Autumn or Winter Mantle 1, either Contracts of Shade 1 or Gravewight kith, Occult 2 w/ a specialty in Ghosts, Funeral Rites or the Underworld, Empathy 2

Joining

A prospective Speaker can approach a current member, expressing their interest in joining, or, if they've distinguished themselves as someone knowledgeable about death, a Priest may approach them instead. Either way, once interest is established, the Speaker is tested. They must first demonstrate that they're able to speak to and deal with ghosts in front of at least one current member. After that, some are asked to display their knowledge of funerary rites or the Underworld, occasionally even to the point of being made to go to the Underworld with a group of Priests. The last test, however, involves the potential Priest gaining the loyalty of a ghost, often by helping them with some task that was left unfinished when they were alive, or helping them reclaim some measure of sanity.

Mien

Given their affinity with the dead, Priests often take on certain corpselike qualities; pale skin, sunken features, blackened nails, a frail or skeletal body or shadowed eyes are all possible changes. Additionally, their hair or eyes may become milky white or pure black, or their hair may just get a streak of either color in it. Their hair or nails also seem to lengthen, or grow dry and brittle. It's also not uncommon for symbols of death or the Underworld to appear on their skin. Others simply have a dark aura about them that marks them as someone connected to death. Some have a shadowy image of another face or figure superimposed over them, easily missed in the dark, but more visible in bright lights or when lightning strikes. Their clothes often look as though they're deteriorating or are smudged with grave dirt.

Background

These are the Lost who deal with ghosts and funerals. Who advise on both and things pertaining to the Underworld. Priests can come from any background, since every culture has some sort of funeral rituals and ghosts are prevalent in mythology from around the world. However, those who tend to join the Speakers tend to be those who have either suffered loss that they haven't quite gotten over, or those who are more comfortable with the dead than the living. These are the people who hang out in graveyards or study any lore they can find on ghosts or the Underworld. They may even be some sort of priest in the mundane world, presiding over mortal funerals.

Organization

Priests tend to operate independently, especially since most tend to specialize in a certain type of funeral. Most often they're left to handle funerals or ghostly matters as they see fit, though it's not unusual for a Priest to ask for help or advice from another member of the entitlement. However, on occasion they do band together, to tackle more difficult problems or, especially, when they need to visit the Underworld for some reason. And at least once a year they try to meet to discuss any irregularities or issues that they've noticed regarding their work.

Privileges

Deathly Companion As part of joining the entitlement, a Priest receives the loyalty (and anchor) for a ghost, and as such, receives a 3-dot Ghost Ally for free. They can spend XP to raise this to a 4 or 5-dot merit.

Spectral Attunement Due to their knowledge of ghosts and their familiarity with dealing with them, Priests receive a +3 bonus to Social rolls when dealing with ghosts.

Members

Entitlement Logs

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