Grave Sentinels

Key Info:
Harrowshade does not speak publicly and wears a mask of cracked obsidian. All commands are given through ritual sign language or relayed by lesser Mourner-Veils.
Crest - The Bound Eclipse Description: The Grave Sentinels’ crest is stark, haunting, and elegantly minimal. It features a silver eclipse — a dark circle surrounded by a thin, glowing rim of pale light — encircled by four chains crossing in an X shape, forming a seal over the celestial event. Each chain end is anchored by a shadar-kai mask, expressionless and slightly cracked.
At the center of the eclipse lies a stylized raven’s eye etched in black and violet, suggesting eternal vigilance and the watchful presence of the deathless wardens.
Flag Variant:
Deep grey field with a single, centered eclipse symbol
The chains are rendered in slightly reflective silver thread, catching dim light
Beneath the image is a phrase in Elvish: “Vel’quor thal’nar” — “We guard the silence”
Symbolism:
Eclipse: The space between death and the beyond
Chains: Restraint, duty, and binding of the reckless
Raven eye: Watchfulness and subtle threat
Cracked masks: Mourning without expression — the absence of ego in duty

Structure

• First Mourner: Supreme spiritual and tactical leader
• Mourner-Veils: Elite lieutenants responsible for sectors of the ruins
• Gravebound Sentinels: Frontline Shadar-kai guardians, tasked with patrolling and engaging trespassers
• Ashbinders: Specialists in arcane warding, illusion, and spectral tracking
• Dustseers: Diviners and lore-keepers who interpret signs from the ruins and the will of the Raven Queen

Hierarchy is based on spiritual clarity and connection to the realm of shadow and death, not on martial prowess alone.

Culture

The Grave Sentinels revere Mortavia’s ruins as hallowed ground. Their connection to the Raven Queen and the Shadowfell shapes their stoic, sorrow-touched demeanor. They view their duty not as a burden, but as a sacred oath to guard the memory of a fallen age and prevent its power from corrupting the present. They do not kill out of cruelty, but out of duty. Every death is honored with a whispered chant, even when the fallen are foolish plunderers.
Their daily life is ritualistic, involving shadow meditations, ancestral mourning rites, and ruin patrols. Music is rare, but when heard, it is mournful, ethereal, and played on instruments made of bone, metal, and wind.

Public Agenda

• Prevent desecration of the ruins of Mortavia
• Maintain the spiritual boundary between the living world and the echoes of Mortavia’s fall
• Enforce the Raven Queen’s will: "What has died, stays buried."
• Allow only the worthy to pass, often after extensive testing or guided visions

Assets

• The Shadowfast Enclave: A hidden fortress deep within the broken city, phasing partially into the Shadowfell
• Mortavian Relics: Ancient weapons, wardstones, and forbidden magical artifacts locked behind seals only the Sentinels can open

Ruinbound Spirits: Bound ghosts of those who swore service in death, used for communication, defense, or vision-walking
Shadar-kai Warbands: Trained in shadow-step tactics, scythe-dances, and illusion warfare
Wards and Sigils: Thousands of spectral traps and illusions throughout Mortavia to disorient or curse intruders
The Raven’s Gate: A one-way planar portal the Sentinels can activate to send transgressors directly to the Shadowfell as punishment

Disbandment

The Grave Sentinels are not officially recognized by any modern government, yet none dare to challenge their authority. Multiple attempts to eradicate them or take over Mortavia have failed—those who try often vanish, return insane, or are delivered back lifeless, marked with shadow-feathers over their eyes.
Many believe the Grave Sentinels will cease to exist only when the last secret of Mortavia is finally forgotten—an unlikely future.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

Let the past rest, or join it.

Founding Date

467

Alternative Names

The Mourning Guard, Shades of Mortavia, Keepers of the Hollowed Realm, Deathwatchers (derogatory term used by reckless adventurers)

Leader Title

First Mourner of the Raven Queen

Founders

• Vaereth Noctspire

Location

Blaezasia

Related Species

• Shadar-kai