What Comes Next
Pray you expire before they come, for if you’re not quite dead yet, you will beg death’s touch to come! The Dead Collectors will come, and when your time is due, down that dreaded hole, they will pull you through! – Unknown witness of a Dead Collector.
Shadowborn Collectors of the Fallen
In the world of Ertha, tales whisper of sinister beings known as the Dead Collectors. These creatures are rumored to hail from the void beyond the Shadowgate, entities unleashed upon the world during the Great War of the First Age. Legends speak of their purpose as neutral collectors of the dead, bringing them to their final resting place or guiding their souls beyond the Veil of Nyzorith. These shadowy figures appear at the edges of great battles, silent and patient. They wait until the clash of arms is over and the dust has settled before emerging. When the dead and dying are left behind, this is when the Dead Collectors begin their grim work.
Description and Abilities
Dead Collectors are tall, shadowy figures cloaked in ethereal robes that ripple like smoke. Their faces remain hidden beneath deep hoods, and they are always seen carrying crescent-shaped scythes carved from Voidborn bone. It is said that their robes are woven from the very fabric of darkness, making them almost indistinguishable from shadows. Dead Collectors possess the ability to open small, quarter-sized portals beneath the bodies of the fallen. These portals are akin to quantum singularities—tiny black holes that pull the dead through to the Shadowlands. The process is instantaneous, leaving no trace of the body behind. The Dead Collectors can also sense the presence of souls lingering in bodies, no matter how faint. It is rumored that they communicate with the dead, granting them a final moment to accept their fate before being taken. Those who linger between life and death often describe a cold, whispering presence urging them to let go.
Origin and Nature
While their true origins remain shrouded in mystery, the Dead Collectors are widely believed to be Voidborn creatures. They are entities of ancient chaos that existed before the light touched Ertha, bound to serve as collectors of souls. They are neither good nor evil, driven solely by their task to reclaim the dead. Some scholars within the House Wh-Hhae-Urthedth of the Bard’s Guild speculate that the Dead Collectors may be fragments of the First Ones, cursed to wander eternally between the living world and the void. Others suggest that they are agents of Nyzorith, the Devourer Sun, sent to ensure the balance of life and death remains unbroken. Despite their ominous presence, Dead Collectors are neutral entities. They take no sides in mortal conflicts and hold no interest in the living. They serve as impartial agents of death, existing only to fulfill their duty of retrieving the souls of the fallen.
Interaction with the Living
Though they rarely acknowledge the living, there are stories of individuals who have encountered Dead Collectors and survived. In most cases, these individuals were on the brink of death, yet spared due to unfinished fate or the intervention of powerful magic. It is said that a Dead Collector can be appeased through an offering of shadow essence—a rare substance harvested from creatures tied to the void. Those who have successfully offered shadow essence claim to have witnessed the Dead Collector momentarily hesitate before moving on to claim other souls. However, these interactions are extremely rare, and most who witness the Dead Collectors soon find themselves either among the dead or forever haunted by the encounter.
Dead Collectors in Battle
In the heat of battle, the presence of the Dead Collectors is seen as a harbinger of imminent death. Some warriors believe that seeing a Dead Collector on the battlefield signals the arrival of a final, decisive clash. When a Dead Collector appears, soldiers whisper silent prayers that their deaths will be quick, fearing the fate of lingering in agony before being claimed.
GM Tips
Narrative Tool: Use the Dead Collectors as a narrative device to signify the end of a major battle or conflict. Their appearance can mark a turning point or signify that the battle’s outcome has been decided.
Tension and Atmosphere: Dead Collectors are perfect for creating a sense of dread and urgency. Describe their presence as shadowy figures in the distance, slowly approaching as players fight to keep allies alive or tend to the wounded.
Moral Dilemmas: Introduce moral dilemmas by having a Dead Collector target an NPC that the players care about. The party can try to intervene or bargain with the Dead Collector using shadow essence or other rare artifacts.
Unique Encounters: Create a unique encounter where the players must rescue someone who is on the brink of death before a Dead Collector arrives. The players’ actions will determine whether the NPC lives or is taken by the Collector.
Quest Hook: Offer a quest involving shadow essence, where players seek to delay the arrival of Dead Collectors at a specific location long enough to save critical lives or complete an important ritual.
Dead Collectors are an embodiment of the natural order of life and death within Ertha. Their presence can serve as a powerful reminder of mortality, fate, and the balance that exists between light and shadow.