Rester

You were brought up in a family or group that worked with the dead. You were trained to prepare bodies according to the beliefs and rituals of the major religions, as well as several of the more obscure or underground ones -- when the coin was good. But your training wasn't strictly in religion -- a good Rester knows how to close wounds and hide the stitching, how to change death masks to restful visages with makeup and illusion; and how to keep a soul from returning, by its own will or that of another.

For every life that ended at its proper span of years, many more ended violently, or unjustly, or in anonymity, obscurity or even mystery.  Along the way, you developed a strong sense of which was which, and the skills to delve deeper into the truth of the deaths than was strictly required of you. 

You are not necessarily a cleric—performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power.  You could be an acolyte with the cult of the Raven Queen, a travelling mortician, a hermit tending a graveyard in the woods, or a trainee coroner working with the city guard.

Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Investigation

Tool Proficiencies: You are proficient with Surgeon's Tools and Disguise Kit.

Languages: Two of your choice

Equipment:

• a well-kept set of Surgeon's Tools
• an illustrated treatise on the anatomy of the common humanoid races
• an iron ring on which hang three silver holy symbols (of your choice)
• 5 sticks of incense
• nondescript vestments
• an oiled-leather butcher's apron modified to hold your tools
• a set of common clothes
• a pouch containing 2 gp, used to weigh the eyelids of the newly deceased

Suggested Characteristics

Resters are shaped by their proximity to death and often-close association with religious communities. Their study of humanoid anatomy, experience with varied deities and their associated religious traditions, and exposure to the mortal effects of age, disease and violence all affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be an insensitivity to the living, a fixation on a mysterious death or the victim of an unsolved murder, a morbid fascination with dissection, a cynicism to religion in general, etc.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I idolize a particular deity, and constantly refer to parables, myths and legends associated with their worship.
2	I can empathize with anyone; no matter their race, class or walk of life — all are equal in death.
3	I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen.
4	Nothing can shake my cheerful optimism & love of dark humor, even in the bleakest situations.
5	I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation.
6	I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods.
7	I’ve enjoyed long hours of unbroken quiet, solitude, and peace in my trade. The crowds and hubbub of city life overwhelms me.
8	I’ve spent so long in temples, in catacombs or among the dead that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world.

d6	Ideal
1	Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship, sacrifice and burial must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful)
2	Charity. I have little need of material wealth, and would rather give it up to help others than hold onto it. (Good)
3	Change. The death of the old is necessary to make room for & nourish the growth of the new. (Chaotic)
4	Power. I enjoy holding the fates of souls in my hands. (Any)
5	Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I dedicate my actions, I will be blessed with success. (Lawful)
6	Aspiration. I seek to better myself by advancing my skills, in order to rise to the top of my chosen profession — or even beyond it. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I would die to recover an ancient relic that was lost long ago.
2	I will someday get revenge on the hypocritical temple hierarchy who shunned me for my work.
3	I owe everything I know to a mentor who took an interest in me when no one else did.
4	Everything I do is for the common people.
5	I will do anything to protect the (temple/hospital/catacomb/graveyard) where I served.
6	I seek to preserve a unique text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy.

d6	Flaw
1	I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.
2	I put too much trust in those who wield power within religious hierarchy.
3	My insatiable curiosity sometimes leads me in over my head.
4	I am inflexible in my thinking.
5	I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them.
6	I tend to fixate on individual details to the point that I might miss the big picture.