![[The Dustmen.png|300]] > [!quote] Motto > All things end, and that is the only truth worth knowing. ### Overview The **Dustmen**, often called "The Dead" by outsiders, are a faction devoted to the philosophy of death, the afterlife, and the stillness of true neutrality. The Dustmen believe that all existence — both life and unlife — is a state of illusion, and true peace can only be found by reaching the ultimate death: a state of absolute nothingness. Operating largely in **Sigil**, the City of Doors, the Dustmen manage the city's mortuaries, deal with the dead, and maintain a strict code of emotional detachment. They have multiple major locations where people can contract away their body upon their False Death for a few silver or copper. Often times the Dustmen use these bodies to bring back as Zombies that work for the organizations. ### Ranks The Dustmen maintain a structured hierarchy that reflects their philosophy of detachment, death, and the pursuit of the True Death. Ranks are earned through introspection, emotional discipline, and service to the faction. ##### Initiate of Dust New members begin as Initiates, learning the Dustmen's philosophy and practicing emotional detachment. Initiates typically handle menial tasks such as preparing bodies for burial, cleaning the Mortuary, or assisting with low-risk spirit interactions. ##### Gravekeeper Gravekeepers oversee corpse preparation, ensuring proper rites are observed to guide souls toward rest. They often patrol graveyards and burial sites, protecting them from desecration and restless undead. ##### Pale Walker Pale Walkers specialize in dealing with spirits, lingering souls, and revenants. They are often sent to assist those haunted by spectral beings or to guide wayward spirits toward acceptance and stillness. ##### Dustbinder Dustbinders are senior members who train others in detachment, meditation, and emotional control. They are often responsible for counseling new members and reinforcing the Dustmen's belief in the True Death. ##### Mortuary Warden Mortuary Wardens oversee the faction’s headquarters in Sigil — the **Mortuary** — and direct Dustmen operations across various realms. They ensure that corpses are handled with precision and that the faction’s neutrality is maintained. ##### The Visage The highest rank within the Dustmen, the Visage is believed to have achieved near-total detachment from emotion, existing in a state between life and death. The Visage rarely interacts with the outside world, focusing entirely on guiding the faction toward the ultimate goal — the **True Death**. ### Progression Advancement within the Dustmen is less about power or prestige and more about proving emotional detachment, embracing stillness, and serving the faction. Ambition is frowned upon, and those who cling too tightly to mortal desires are often exiled or demoted. ### Philosophy The Dustmen believe in a concept called the **True Death**, a final release from existence where all sensation, emotion, and consciousness cease. They view the living, the undead, and even the gods as beings still clinging to false forms of existence. According to Dustman belief, only by embracing complete detachment from mortal desires and transcending all states of being can one achieve the True Death. To this end, many Dustmen strive to purge themselves of emotions and attachments, treating both life and death with equal indifference. ### Roles and Responsibilities The Dustmen are most prominently known as caretakers of Sigil’s **Mortuary**, where they prepare bodies for burial or cremation and deal with spirits that refuse to pass on. Despite their grim work, they are respected (and sometimes feared) for their calm, impartial demeanor. Members often wear muted colors such as gray, black, or ashen white to reflect their dedication to neutrality and detachment. **Common Roles Include:** - **Undertakers:** Specializing in corpse preparation and funerary rites. - **Memorialists:** Those who record the lives of the deceased, ensuring no soul is forgotten. - **Pale Speakers:** Communicators with restless spirits, aiding in unfinished business or laying souls to rest. ### Notable Beliefs - **The False Death:** Regular death, which the Dustmen believe is merely a transition between states of false existence. - **The True Death:** The ultimate goal — complete and utter oblivion. - **The Quiet Mind:** Emotional detachment and apathy are viewed as paths to achieving the True Death.