The Seekers

Career

Qualifications

People wishing to work as a Seeker first need to undergo training in basic Humanoid physiology. They are trained by healers in first aid and are thaught how to estimate how recently deceased a body is. This knowledge is crucial for them to execute their work as safely as possible.

Career Progression

As with the other professions the Finder's of Fortune employs, Seekers start as Novices. Unlike the other professions, however, Novices are not allowed to work independently and must accompany a Veteran or Master until they are ready to be promoted to Journeyman. When promoted to Journeyman, the Seekers also receive their own crest, identifying them as Seekers and granting them access to go where they must. Those who reach the rank of Veteran or Master typically have two options. They either work in bigger cities where they train Novices or get assigned a terrain surrounding one of the settlements.

Payment & Reimbursement

The pay a Seeker receives mainly depends on what kind of territory they have to cover. Those working in towns and cities receive less payment than those patrolling the outskirts of settlements. However, every seeker is entitled to hazard pay, as this profession can come with huge risks. At the same time, it is necessary for the safety of the general populace.

Perception

History

The profession of Seeker has only been established in recent years. After it became apparent that the spell causing the dead to rise, was still in effect weeks after having been cast, people quickly realized the need to have someone keeping an eye on the dead and dying.

Operations

Tools

All Seekers carry the following tools, regardless of their assigned area:

• A weapon of choice
• A small knife of a dagger
• Armor, most commonly reinforced leathers
• A sturdy rope or manacles for safely transporting the body to the designated burning area
• A collapsible stretcher
• A box to put in keepsakes of the deceased as mementos for relatives
• A Healer's Kit

Those working outside of settlements additionally carry the following:

• A tinderbox and highly concentrated alcohol to burn the bodies which cannot be safely retrieved
• A pole to help access the status of a body from a safer distance
• A small horse-drawn wagon to transport the retrievable bodies if the terrain allows it

Additionally, each Seeker is issued a crest by the settlement they work at. Those crests are magically bound to the Seekers and grant them access to any place they wish to go if their work requires it. If a Seeker has reason to believe that someone - be it a simple civilian or nobleman - is trying to hide the body of a loved one, they have permission to enter the person's residency - with force or the help of the guards if necessary.

Provided Services

Most people would agree that the possibility of being confronted with an undead is not an enticing one. The Seekers are the ones responsible for ensuring this does not happen to regular citizens. Thus, villages and cities of any and all sizes employ Seekers.
They keep an eye on the sick and dying and patrol the lands surrounding villages and cities, always on the lookout for deceased humanoids. After battles and raids, they scour the battlefields for the fallen and those who will join them soon.

Dangers & Hazards

Since it is impossible to predict how soon a deceased humanoid will rise as an undead minion, this profession comes with inherent dangers. Seekers of higher ranks also have to cover more dangerous territories, such as forests teeming with dangerous plants and wildlife. In areas with a higher population density, Seekers usually work in pairs to cover a predetermined area. Those working in areas with a lower population density typically do not have a partner, so the Finder's of Fortune almost always assign people with the rank of Veteran or Master to those areas.

Related Articles:
Necromancer Tyrant
Dumris, Aspect of Passing
Deaths and Funerals

Alternative Names

Vultures (derogatory)

Demand

Moderate, essential Profession

Used By

• The Finders of Fortune