Necrotic Custodians
Background: Necrotic Custodians
Envision a perfect world: one where life and death exist in seamless balance, each shaping and sustaining the other; a world where the living thrive within the framework of the undead, and the undead are refined to support and enhance the living. This is the vision the Custodians labor toward in the sanctuaries of the Black Reliquaries. The cycle of existence—death feeding life, and life giving meaning to death—is a delicate one, requiring guidance and mastery to evolve in step with the needs of an ever-changing society. Through necromantic research and the careful crafting of undead servitors, the Custodians seek to perfect this equilibrium. And if, in the process, they create powerful revenants and tireless constructs capable of defending Necropolis from external threats, so much the better.
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Medicine and Science
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A set of commoner’s clothes, a book of research notes, an ink pen, a bottle of ink, a flask of oil (made from the fat of the dead), a vial of acid (derived from digestive juices), a vial with a single finger preserved within it, a vial with hair, a vial of fingernails, a glass bottle of unidentified bodily fluids, a belt pouch and 10 credits.
- You are Rank 1 and Renown 1 with the Custodians.
Feature: Researcher
When you attempt to learn or recall a arcane or scientific fact, if you don’t know that information, you know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a Custodian laboratory, or sometimes from a Necromancer's facility, a library, a university, or an independent scholar or other learned person. Knowing where the information can be found doesn’t automatically enable you to learn it; you might need to offer bribes, favors, or other incentives to induce people to reveal their secrets.
Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an inaccessible place, or that it simply can’t be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.
Suggested Characteristics
Arcanology is the interdisciplinary study that fuses scientific principles with magical arts to understand, manipulate, and enhance the natural and supernatural world. It combines empirical research, experimentation, and arcane practices to uncover the underlying mechanisms of magic and its interaction with the physical realm. The bizarre science of Arcanology attracts a certain type of personality and encompasses a set of beliefs about the nature of life. Custodian members’ bonds and flaws derive from their Arcanology research — including their creation of new zombie life forms and undead creatures, which they can become very attached to.
Contacts
The ever-shifting composition of the Black Reliquaries, with researchers moving between laboratories as their studies evolve, fosters a web of deep connections within the Custodians. Members dwell in remote sanctuaries scattered throughout the outskirts of Necropolis, shielded from the world by their dedication to their craft. This isolation limits their interaction with outsiders, yet many Custodians once belonged to other factions, bringing diverse perspectives and knowledge into the fold as they dedicate themselves to perfecting the cycle of life and death.
Roll twice on the Custodians Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Custodians Contacts table.
How Do I Fit In?
As a Custodian adventurer, your mission likely aligns with the philosophy of Rebirth; the tensions among Necropolis’s factions are nearing a breaking point, and your faction needs your aid to ensure the cycle of life and death remains undisturbed. This could mean defending Reliquary sanctuaries from hostile incursions, safeguarding necrotic research from prying eyes, or employing diplomacy to maintain equilibrium among the city’s powers. At times, it may even call for subterfuge to disrupt another faction’s ambitions that threaten the Custodians' sacred work.
Personal growth is also a cornerstone of your mission. Whether mastering a new spell, perfecting your necromantic craft, or forging a deeper connection with the energies of life and death, each step forward makes you a stronger instrument of the Custodians’ will. To thrive in an ever-changing world, the Custodians must evolve—and that evolution begins with you.
Rank and Renown
Tiers of responsibility and function create a distinct hierarchy within the Necrotic Custodians. A Custodian’s path of advancement is one of increasing influence and expertise in managing the undead and advancing necromantic research. Each step up the ranks reflects greater command over undead forces, deeper involvement in the Custodians' core operations, and a higher level of responsibility in maintaining the delicate balance between life and death. Junior Custodians and Support Staff have more limited opportunities for promotion, yet they still gain recognition for their contributions, with their efforts crucial to sustaining the faction’s power.
Rank 1: Support Staff
- Prerequisite Renown 1
Auxiliary members who assist with non-specialized tasks that support the main operations of the faction. You are not yet trusted with research, but are allowed in the lab areas. You gain the following:
- A Custodian insignia
- A companion creature that is loyal to you. Roll on the Custodian Companion table to determine the type of creature that your companion is. Your companion has been altered by magic and science. Select two mutations from the Altered mutations in the Ultra Modern 5 source book to add to the base stats of your companion as presented within the Dawn of Others Monster Manual (CR 0) on this site. You may also select a single Drawback, which allows you to select a third mutation. Note: if a mutation would give your companion a damage source that it already has you will increase the damage die to the damage indicated by the mutation. If the base creature already deals more damage then that indicated by the mutation, increase the damage die one tier instead. Example: Your base companion is the Baboon that has a bite attack for 1d4 damage. You select the choppers mutation for your companion which would give it a bite attack. Increase the damage die to 1d6.
Rank 2: Specialists
- Prerequisite Renown 3, Vigor 8 or more
As a Specialist, you begin performing essential tasks in the maintenance and experimentation of the undead and zombies, following the guidance of Senior Custodians. Your duties include operating magical and scientific instruments, overseeing the reanimation process, collecting samples, and ensuring the proper care of the subjects. You may also be tasked with transporting supplies or directives between the lab and other factions. These tasks occasionally bring you into contact with members of other factions, offering opportunities for conflict, alliances, and unforeseen challenges.
- Animal Handling +1
- Your companion gains an additional mutation.
Rank 3: Junior Custodians
- Prerequisite Renown 10, Vigor 8 or more
After proving your proficiency as a Specialist, you become eligible to engage in your own necromantic experiments. To do so, you must be assigned to a specific Reliquary, where your work aligns with its core objectives. The Custodian Masters provide direct oversight, ensuring that your efforts contribute to the faction’s broader goals of undead and zombie enhancement and control. Senior Custodians monitor your progress, offering guidance when needed, while allowing some autonomy, granting you freedom to explore the deeper, often darker aspects of necromantic science under the faction’s general directives.
- Animal Handling +2
- Your companion gains an additional mutation.
- You can call on a zombie or undead (CR 1) to assist you on any mission authorized by the guild. That creature is loyal to you and will obey your commands.
Rank 4: Senior Custodians
- Prerequisite Renown 15, Vigor 8 or more
After proving your proficiency as a Junior Custodian, you become eligible to lead your own necromantic experiments with the assistance of a small team. To do so, you must be assigned to a specific Reliquary, where your work aligns with its core objectives. You will then be assigned one Junior Custodian and 2 Specialists to assist you in your work. The Custodian Masters continue to provide direct oversight, ensuring that your efforts contribute to the faction’s broader goals of undead and zombie enhancement and control. They also monitor your progress, offering guidance when needed, while allowing some autonomy, granting you freedom to explore the deeper, often darker aspects of necromantic science under the faction’s general directives.
- Animal Handling +3
- Your companion gains an additional mutation.
- You may assign your team to conduct research on your behalf. Their Investigation score as a team is 12 and their Sanity is 10.
Rank 5: Custodian Masters
- Prerequisite Renown 25, Vigor 8 or more
As a proven Custodian, you gain the privilege of overseeing your own necromantic project, guiding the efforts of your team to solve critical challenges within the faction. The Warden of the Undying provides you with a dedicated lab space within the Reliquary. You are assigned a staff of 3d12 necromantic specialists (using the stat blocks of commoners) and a Senior Custodian. You may direct their efforts toward experiments such as the creation of specialized undead or the enhancement of existing zombies, imbuing them with specific abilities to serve the faction's needs in the wider world, all under careful and controlled conditions.
Hosting a successful and significant project reflects well on the Warden's status, and thus, they maintain a close watch on your progress. On one hand, you’ll have access to the considerable resources of the Sanctum, but on the other, you should expect the Warden’s influence to guide your research, ensuring it aligns with the Custodians' long-term goals and the delicate balance between life and death that defines their mission.
- Animal Handling +4
- Your companion gains an additional mutation.
- You can call on two zombie or undead (CR 1) creatures to assist you on any mission authorized by the guild. That creature is loyal to you and will obey your commands.
- You may assign your team to conduct research on your behalf. Their Investigation score as a team is 15 and their Sanity is 12.
Rank 6: Warden of the Undying
- Prerequisite Renown 50, Vigor 8 or more
As a renowned and successful project leader, you are poised to take on a supervisory role over an entire reliquary. Such positions are rare and typically become available only when a Warden of the Undying retires—or in truly extraordinary circumstances, is convinced to step down. Even in more exceptional cases, a reliquary can be established for the most elite of minds.
Much like a project leader, you will oversee the efforts of Custodians exploring a wide range of experiments tied to the focus of your reliquary. Unless an experiment proves exceptionally important, your researchers will carry on without constant oversight. You may command a staff of 5d12Specialists (using the stat blocks of commoners ) and have access to the support of specialized undead, zombies, or other creatures tied to the Custodians' research, all under the guidance of the Grand Necromancer of Custody.
- Animal Handling +5
- Your companion gains an additional mutation.
- You can call on four zombie or undead (CR 1) creatures to assist you on any mission authorized by the guild. That creature is loyal to you and will obey your commands.
- You may assign your team to conduct research on your behalf. Their Investigation score as a team is 20 and their Sanity is 15.
- You become eligible to fill the role of the Grand Necromancer of Custody should the role become vacant.
Special Rank: Grand Necromancer of Custody
The selection of a new Grand Necromancer of Custody (in the event of an existing Warden’s retirement, death, or removal) is determined through a process involving the internal consensus of the the Wardens. If you succeed in this highly competitive process, you take on the leadership of the Custodian faction and gain the authority to speak and act on behalf of the faction.
As the Grand Necromancer of Custody, your role is more managerial than scientific, overseeing the operations and policies of the faction rather than conducting research yourself. You have authority over all Custodians and staff within your faction, ensuring their work aligns with the faction’s broader goals and ethical standards. You have the right—and responsibility—to ensure the activities of each reliquary adhere to regulations, but you do not intervene directly in their research unless necessary for compliance.
Order Restored, Service Redefined.
There’s an eerie stillness in the way they move, every gesture deliberate and controlled, as though they are part of something larger — something ancient. Their hands, long and thin, are stained with the telltale marks of necromantic work, the faintest trace of ash and decay beneath the fingertips. You notice, too, the unnatural way their eyes glimmer in the dark, a pale gleam that betrays a depth of knowledge far beyond what any mortal should possess.
The Necrotic Custodians are responsible for the practical aspects of Zombies and Undead management, including their creation, maintenance, and deployment. They handle the logistics of maintaining a stable and functional zombie and undead workforce, ensuring that these creatures are effectively utilized for various tasks and roles within Necropolis.
In order to complete the core goal of their faction, they engage in extensive amounts of research. This is conducted from both a scientific and magical perspective, often combining the two disciplines to achieve their desired goals. Research is focused on being able to produce ideal zombies and undead for the tasks that they are being contracted out for. Additional research also goes towards being able to better handle and command the zombies and undead.
Historically, the faction's approach to its mission has been one of incremental progress toward a utopian ideal of thriving biology, and it remains more aloof from politics than other factions. Its fundamental mission remains unchanged by the changes in the political currents, and the isolation of its laboratories protects most faction members from immediate harms. Since most of Necropolis depends on the zombie and undead workers provided by this faction, they tend to leave them to their work.
Custodian Characters
Alignment: Usually neutral
Suggested Races: Any
Suggested Classes: Magus, Medic, Techie
Suggested Archetypes: Technomancer, Field Machinist, Field Medic
Suggested Ladders: Occultist, Savant
You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to the Custodians if one or more of the following statements are true:
- You are drawn to the image of the mad scientist tinkering with the fundamental forces of life.
- You like playing curious doctors, technicians or wizards.
- Prying into secrets and mysteries inspires your curiosity.
- You want to make the world a better place through research.
History
After The Fall, small groups of survivors sought to adapt to the new reality. Among them were scholars, necromancers, and technologists who realized that the zombies could be harnessed and managed rather than merely being a threat to be eliminated. They started to develop rudimentary methods for breeding and managing zombies, initially using them for basic tasks and defense.
The need for a more organized and systematic approach to managing the zombies became apparent. Several early groups united to form a cohesive faction dedicated to the comprehensive management and utilization of zombies. Leaders emerged from the various groups, bringing together their knowledge and resources to create a structured organization. They established a central headquarters, which would become the Sanctum of the Undying, and formalized their roles and responsibilities.
The Necrotic Custodians developed detailed protocols for raising, maintaining, and deploying zombies. They created specialized areas for breeding, repair, and logistics, ensuring that their operations were both efficient and ethical. As they became more proficient in their practices, the Necrotic Custodians expanded their operations to include the management of larger numbers of zombies and to include the use of the undead. They began to engage with other survivor groups and factions, offering their services in exchange for resources or alliances. This helped them secure their position and further their influence in Necropolis.
General Biases
These are the biases that members of this faction typically hold.
Positive Biases
They favor those who have embraced the new world. Those who are clearly The Others or The Awakened will be favored. This bias will trigger if the character has a visible mutation or uses the Dark in front of them.
Negative Biases
They distrust those who are stuck in the ways of the past. Those who are Human or who are pretending to be cannot be trusted as they clearly lack an understanding of how the world has changed. This bias will trigger if the character does not have any visible mutations and does not use Dark in front of them.
Inside the Custodians
The ten Black Reliquaries are the cornerstone of the Necrotic Custodians' operations, each functioning as an independent bastion of research and innovation in necromancy. Overseen by a Warden of the Undying, these Reliquaries delve into specialized aspects of zombie and undead creation and control, from perfecting the physical resilience of zombies and undead to developing intricate enchantments that ensure unwavering loyalty. The Wardens, masters of both magic and science, guide their teams in pursuits that push the boundaries of necrotic potential while adhering to the faction's vision of a utopian balance between life and undeath. Each Reliquary is uniquely attuned to its Warden's expertise, resulting in a diverse yet unified network of knowledge. These sanctuaries of study operate largely in isolation, shielded from external interference, allowing their inhabitants to focus solely on advancing the Custodians' mission of perfecting and proliferating the workforce that sustains Necropolis.
Goals of the Custodians
Two philosophical principles, in tension with each other, form the foundation of the Custodians’ unique approach to science and magic. In traditional Custodian thought, these principles are known as The Gravemark and The Rebirth.
The Gravemark principle, named for the unyielding stability of a grave that holds the dead firmly in place, urges Custodians never to stray too far from the natural cycle of life and death. It teaches that, left undisturbed, the cycle of death fosters renewal and strength in the world, where decay nourishes growth and each being finds its rightful place in the ever-turning wheel of existence.
The Rebirth principle, symbolizing the emergence of new life from the remnants of the old, promotes the continual replacement of the spent and depleted with the innovative and enlivened. This principle drives the Custodians' pursuit of knowledge and transformation, emphasizing the power of learning to unlock the universe’s secrets and shape existence itself. It inspires every creature to rise from the ashes of its past, reaching toward its ultimate potential and purpose.
Comments
Author's Notes
Header and Logo image created using Dall-E. Character image and token beneath narrative description created using Hero Forge. Remaining images from Open Art.