The Cult of Death moves swiftly through kingdoms. Bearing no arms of war nor threats of violence, these raggedy fools come beaming like saints. Some folk welcome them as guests. Others bar their doors and extinguish their lights when they hear that Death's pilgrims are out on the roads. But it matters not -- inevitably every man, woman and child will hear the Gospel, and then all that is left to be done is to join the pilgrimage for a while or simply gash your throat with a bit of broken glass right away.
The Gospel of Death is contained in a small black book with very thin cream-colored pages. It is said to contain several images and aphorisms. These aphorisms can be pronounced fully in several minutes. Their content is necessarily omitted here, as no magical protection surrounds this document. The Gospel is learned by rote instantly by those who who hear it (save allowed) and thereby become members of the Cult of Death. A WIS check will determine if a new adherent is compelled to kill him/herself as soon as possible, or (failing the check) join the Pilgrimage of Death that follows the setting sun across the face of the world, spreading the Gospel to all sentient creatures.
Members of the Cult carry no weapons and follow an unbreakable code of pacifism. They abandon power, material or magical, when they dedicate themselves to the service of Dissolution. They have no fear of death. In most cases they have proven apathetic to torture, and this has lead to the general consensus that cultists are bewitched and that their apparent dogmatism can possibly be dispelled. Magical philosophers advancing these theories are likely to find themselves haunted by malicious poltergeists for months or years.
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