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Deathless

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Deathless, also known as Undying, are a category of creatures that are no longer alive but continue to have an existence sustained by the essence of Irian and the devotion of the living.[1][2]

Description[]

Deathless are similar in many respects to traditional undead, but, unlike undead, deathless are good creatures sustained by positive emotions and energy from Irian, whereas most undead are sustained by negative emotions and energy from Mabar. While this energy preserves the spirit, it does not preserve the body, and so most deathless appear as decayed corpses that give off bright light.[1]

Society[]

The majority of deathless live among the elves of Aerenal as the Undying Court, in the city of Shae Mordai, the City of the Dead. The city also holds the temples where the Rite of Transition (levan mordr-aer) is performed to turn elves into deathless.[3] By tradition, only the members of the noble houses of Aerenal can be raised as deathless.[4] Additionally, only elves who have lived for 300 years are typically considered to become deathless.[5] Only after 1,000 years is an undying councilor considered to be admitted into the Undying Court, where they serve the ascendant councilors directly[5] and only elves who became deathless in the city of Shae Mordai can hope to join the ranks of the ascendant councilors.[6]

Personality[]

Some deathless have been known to go mad from the strain of immortality.[1]

Types of Deathless[]

The following types of deathless exist among the Aereni:

  • Undying soldier: Undying soldiers are formed from worthy elves. They comprise the army of Shae Mordai. In addition to standard deathless traits, undying soldiers can smite evil,[7] and are resistant to turning.[1] Undying soldiers always wield masterwork armor or better along with masterwork weapons,[7] which are considered heirloom armor and ornate weapons.[1] Undying soldiers guard the temples of the Undying Court, mansions of the noble houses of Aerenal, and often serve as bodyguards for Aereni ambassadors.[1] Any non-Aereni elves who seek to enter the City of the Dead must be escorted by undying soldiers.[8]
  • Undying wizard: Undying wizards are artillery in the Army of the Dead guarding Shae Mordai. They too resemble zombies, albeit quicker and much more intelligent.[9] Undying wizards armed with wands of lightning bolt patrol the walls of Shae Mordai for intruders.[8] Undying wizards also reside alongside undying soldiers in the Jaelarthal Barracks within the City of the Dead.[8]
  • Undying councilor: The most powerful members of the Undying Court who maintain physical forms in the Material Plane.[1] Most of these corpses of ancient elves animated by their benevolent spirit spend most of their time in a trancelike state wandering the planes using astral projection.[1] Some undying councilors advise the living, serving as sages and administrators,[10] while others travel the Astral Plane using plane shift[1] or through astral projection.[7]
  • Ascendant councilor: In an unknown process, undying councilors considered worthy of joining the Undying Court ascend to become 'ascendant councilors.'[10] Ascendant councilors cannot be created by a spell.[11] Only undying councilors made in Shae Mordai can become ascendant councilors.[6] Ascendant councilors are ancient dead possessing divine power. They are considered the most holy, mighty, and admired of the deathless of Aerenal.[12] They are truly alien beings who are infused with the energy of Irian, which has sustained them for thousands of years.[10] These powerful deathless possess innate magical abilities including a consecrating aura and the capability for astral projection.[12] Outside of their bodies, ascendant councilors manifest as beings of pure light focused on the mysteries of life and the planes, who can collectively use their deific power to shield Aerenal from threats.[13][12] Ascendant councilors reside in the Fane of the Undying Councilors in Shae Mordai.[8] There, the Priests of Transition honor the ascendant councilors by chanting a mass in honor of the recent ascendant councilors at noon every day.[8] On the thirteenth day of every month at noon, the Priests of Transition honor all of the ascendant councilors in a days-long period known as the Long Mass.[8] Their unified essence is considered the true deity of the elves of the Undying Court,[8][14] though the elves do not worship individual ascendant councilors.[14] The ascendant councilors use their age and intellect to study the draconic Prophecy.[15]

Additional types of deathless not associated with the Aereni elves or the Undying Court that are theoretically possible to create through the create greater deathless spell:[16]

  • Crypt warden: Protectors of the tombs of saints and heroes, these deathless resemble skeletons or other undead creatures. They lie inanimate until their slumber is disturbed. They can cause objects in the tombs they guard to come alive using the animate objects spell.[17]
  • Sacred watcher: Deathless equivalents to ghosts, they are guardians of great virtue who could not give up the care of one of their wards. They watch over their ward until a worthy successor can take over. They primarily reside on the Ethereal Plane until needed. They appear as either their living form surrounded by soft silvery light on the Ethereal Plane, or as an insubstantial version of themselves made entirely of silver light.[18][note 1]

Notable Deathless[]

  • Chyn Mendyrian: An undying soldier urban ranger[19] residing in Thaendyr's Rest in the Harbor district of Stormreach, Xen'drik. Chyn is one of the few undying soldiers found outside of Aerenal, and he is sustained by the daily devotional services at his local shrine. Chyn is accompanied by his mandrill animal companion, Faith. Chyn will only leave Thaendyr's Test when hunting someone who harmed an Aereni, though local criminals are familiar with him by reputation and thus leave the Aereni elves alone.[20]
  • Cial Jhaelian: An undying councilor, Cial Jhaelian is High Warden of the Deathguard, and resides in Shae Mordai, the City of the Dead. He commands four Wardens responsible for policing the continents of Khorvaire, Sarlona, Xen'drik, and Argonnessen for Mabar manifest zones and opposing the necromancers and the undead drawn to them. In life, Cial fought against the Line of Vol some 2,600 years ago, and now leads the Deathguard following his death. Possessing a gentle demeanor, he pities the undead.[21]
  • Saerdun Taral: A mad deathless elf wizard and leader of a Cult of the Dragon Below who now resides with almost a thousand followers in the crystal tower of Shae Taral in the demiplane of Khyber known as the Vale of the Inner Sun. In life, Saerdun was a brilliant wizard who studied the mystical properties of Khyber, Eberron, and Siberys. As a deathless member of the Undying Court, he became convinced that Eberron was mortally wounded by Khyber and was now dying. Saerdun broke from the Court and created a Cult of the Dragon Below based on his apocalyptic vision. Saerdun predicted the Mourning, and then ventured with his followers into Khyber where he reached the demiplane. He has gathered a wealth of knowledge on the Mourning such as its effects, hazards, survival tactics, and possible means to reverse its effects on the living.[22]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Eberron Campaign Setting p. 110 mistakenly calls this the sacred guardian, but sacred guardian is actually a spell.

Background[]

Deathless are a creature type introduced in Book of Exalted Deeds in Dungeons & Dragons® 3.5 edition. They are integrated into the Eberron setting as positive energy beings sustaining the spirits of the elves of Aerenal. As of 5th edition, the deathless and undying are a kind of undead with vulnerability to necrotic damage and resistance to radiant damage.[1]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Keith Baker, Jeremy Crawford, & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 310–311. ISBN 0786966890.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 275. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  3. ↑ James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 177. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
  4. ↑ Keith Baker (2005/05/30). The Elves of Aerenal, Part One. Dragonshards. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016/11/01. Retrieved on 2021/07/03.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Keith Baker (2005/06/13). The Elves of Aerenal, Part Two. Dragonshards. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016/11/01. Retrieved on 2021/07/03.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell, & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Faiths of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 141. ISBN 0-7869-3934-6.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 301–302. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 David Noonan, Rich Burlew, & Frank Brunner (2005). Explorer's Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 104–106. ISBN 0-7869-3691-6.
  9. ↑ David Noonan, Rich Burlew, & Frank Brunner (2005). Explorer's Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 106. ISBN 0-7869-3691-6.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 21. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
  11. ↑ Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 276–277. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  13. ↑ Keith Baker, Jeremy Crawford, & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 310. ISBN 0786966890.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 218. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  15. ↑ Keith Baker (2005/01/24). House Phiarlan, Part One. Dragonshards. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016/11/01. Retrieved on 2021/07/07.
  16. ↑ Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  17. ↑ James Wyatt, Darrin Drader, Christopher Perkins (October 2003). Book of Exalted Deeds. (TSR, Inc), pp. 167–168. ISBN 0-7869-3136-1.
  18. ↑ James Wyatt, Darrin Drader, Christopher Perkins (October 2003). Book of Exalted Deeds. (TSR, Inc), pp. 182–183. ISBN 0-7869-3136-1.
  19. ↑ Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman (February 2004). Unearthed Arcana. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 55–56. ISBN 0-7680-3131-0.
  20. ↑ Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James Desborough, C.A. Suleiman (2008). City of Stormreach. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61. ISBN 0-7869-4803-5.
  21. ↑ James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
  22. ↑ Keith Baker (August 2012). “The Vale of the Inner Sun”. Dragon #414 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 3.
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