The Gravebound
Overview:
The known history of the Gravebound entails that they were once substantially more populous, but beholden to a “Master” that none dared oppose. Their society flourished and sprawled, amounting to several outposts.
At one point, The Master was eliminated by powerful outsiders, and his former thralls were once again free. Statues were made in honor of these heroes, but they did not remain to guide the people who were freed.
As the years passed on into decades, the former subjects of The Master found themselves to be under a peculiar sort of curse. They were prone to listlessness, forgetting, and stupor. They did not grow hungry, and did not perish with age though they would begin to wither, shrivel, and decay with lack of maintenance. Those among them who found strong purpose were able to shake off the fog of their minds, but found themselves highly susceptible to corruption. In striving they found an excess of hunger, and devolved into feral monsters.
Those who remained sane are largely without want, without aspiration. They continue, undying, locked away in some of the last safe ruins of their kind. The labors of the once prosperous people are now roamed by withered corpse-eaters, their original identities long lost. The listless remnants hope for peace - to end quietly with their minds intact. The secret to their death likely lies in the ruins of their civilization, but the corruption therein may bring a violent end.
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Locations:
The Mist-Hidden Mausoleum
Tucked away such that it’s difficult to find on purpose, the remainder of the sane Gravebound dedicated their namesake within this old tomb. Fewer than forty are kept here in various states of decay, and spend most of their time laying still and waiting for an end.
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Prominent Characters:
The Curator - the “leader” of the sane gravebound, The Curator is dedicated to shepherding those who remain. He has pledged to be the last to die, after guiding others to their end. He remembers enough history to explain the information included in this document.
Yorick - a successful explorer among the gravebound. Yorick is heavily compromised by corruption, heinously physically deformed, and unable to speak without assistance. Also a decent pathfinder.
Faust - this gravebound’s form exists as a shell of empty armor, with no flesh or bone. Perhaps this assists in staving off unnatural hungers, as Faust has been able to deter many threats without falling to madness.
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Playing as a Gravebound
A player is free to play a Gravebound character. If you opt-in on this, you will receive the Gravebound twisted pattern at the start of play.
{Gravebound}
Twisted - Value 600
Time will not end you. Hunger is a mortal concern. Your purpose is lost. You await The Master’s command.
Omen - Outside influences seek control. Find the piece you left Outside.
Gravebound are often more susceptible to corruption, and also take on severely corrupt appearances such as visible rot, unhealing wounds, shriveled or withered skin, permanent scarring, limb loss, or other signifiers of age and decay. The garb of the Gravebound is most similar to Elizabethan English styles. Their nomenclature is largely English, but many who have forgotten their original name have taken up allegorical or mythical names, most often those cited in Shakespearean or Renaissance works.