Since the dawn of the Protectorate, a unique group have stood apart from the rest—the Reclaimers. They are unquestionably a part of the Temple, yet their placement within the hierarchy is not precisely codified, nor are they trained as are the other priests. Members of the Reclaimer Order feel a unique calling to give up their identities and become extensions of the True Law’s will. Their responsibilities relate solely to the passage of souls in special funerary rites.
Reclaimers give up their connection to humanity in an even more extreme and marked fashion than the scrutators. Each dons an iron mask said to be a tomb for their thoughts that allows them to hear the voice of the True Law. They further swear a vow of absolute silence after speaking the Oath of the Reclaimer’s Last Breath, a promise to send the souls chosen by the True Law on wings of flame and ash. Reclaimers surrender their names, divorce themselves from any contact with family, and have no true friends, although they will work alongside others of the Temple. They appear to be utterly devoid of human emotion, as both a matter of discipline and an unavoidable consequence of their calling.
Becoming a reclaimer is not a choice but a true divine calling. The role requires an absolute sacrifice of the self, abandonment of the world’s comforts, and acceptance of a life of ascetic simplicity and duty. Reclaimers can manifest at any time, including among regular clergy, who relinquish their rank and previous responsibilities. All other considerations are abandoned as the individual hearing the call seeks out the nearest member of this order. The mark of this change is evident to any who have gone through it, and those answering the call are recognized and initiated in ceremonies known only to the members of the Reclaimer Order.
Unlike the other orders within the Temple that request patronage or choose their members carefully, the Reclaimers have an open invitation to any faithful willing to walk the “ashen path.” Very few are called to be Reclaimers, and fewer still walk the ashen path.
Because Reclaimers are touched by the True Law, they are outside the hierarchy and structure of the Temple. Those in the order do not answer to superiors or command subordinates, as all are guided directly by the True Law. The clergy does not interfere with the Reclaimers’ work nor are the Reclaimers asked to execute additional duties. However, they sometimes lend their skills to the Protectorate’s military forces to enact the True Law’s will on the battlefield. They see to the needs of the slain, ensuring souls are swiftly guided.
Each reclaimer carries dozens of simple iron icons. Wherever the reclaimer releases a soul, the reclaimer marks the place with one of these icons. In the wake of the massive battles of recent times, survivors can gaze upon a plain covered with bodies and the small icons that signify reclamation. Many welcome the sight, but some fear that the increased wartime appearance of these silent ferrymen heralds darker changes to come and that the souls of the dead are becoming a commodity to be used on this plane to fulfill some forgotten prophecy.
On rare occasions, Reclaimers will hear the True Law’s voice commanding them to strike down another and usher a soul onward. Such direct commandments are usually interpreted as the True Law claiming a soul for its own inscrutable reasons. However, the True Law has also been known to call for the death of an enemy of the faith. Reclaimers are sometimes tasked to reclaim the souls of the clergy or others of great faith, and if they are acting on True Law’s will, little can be done to gainsay them. They feel no sympathy or remorse for their actions. When one must be rendered into ash and smoke so that the True Law may breathe in their soul and exhale it into his army, the Reclaimers answer the call unerringly.
How one recognizes whose soul must be reclaimed is an enigma, and, due to their strict code of silence, the manner of how souls are chosen is rarely questioned; it is attributed as nothing short of the will of the True Law.
Reclaimers are wholly steeped in mystery. As they do not speak and usually refrain from writing, communication with them can be difficult, though some convey meaning with a gesture. There are also times when the faithful have felt compelled to aid a reclaimer for reasons they do not fully understand. In battle, Reclaimers are often joined by disorderly but united mobs of zealots who take up arms to assist them. Further, Reclaimers sometimes possess the ability to control troops on the battlefield through gesture and bearing. How they make their instructions known is not always clear, yet the troops heed those commands.
Tenants of Reclamation
The tenets of the Oath of Reclamation guide a reclaimer to preserve and guide faithful spirits to their place among the armies of the Protectorate.
- Silence. Only a silent mind can hear the guiding whispers of the True Law. It is through your actions, not cheap words, that you will show your devotion.
- Obedience. Unquestioning obedience to the True Law is always expected of you.
- Selflessness. Petty concerns for oneself can only impede the righteous work you perform.
- Steadfastness. One cannot be a coward in performing this sacred duty. To shepherd the souls of the fallen, you must brave the face of many dangers, for the souls you guide belong to the True Law.
Bonus Proficiencies
Starting at 3rd level, when you choose this sacred oath, you learn a signal language, a silent form of communication that employs gestures, to communicate. Other members of an adventuring company you are a part of can understand your signal language through exposure to it.
Channel Divinity: Soul Keeper
You can use your Channel Divinity to preserve and guide the souls of the fallen. As a reaction when a humanoid you can see dies within 30 feet of you, you can call to its soul and take hold of it.
You can hold a maximum number of souls equal to your proficiency bonus. You can hold a soul for up to 24 hours, after which the soul is released.
As a bonus action, you can guide a soul you carry to its final destination. When you do so, the spirit provides you with a surge of spirit energy. Choose one of the following:
- Regain an expended spell slot.
- Perform a divine smite without expending a spell slot before the start of your next turn.
Channel Divinity: Whispers of the True Law
As a bonus action, you listen to the True Law whispers that guide you to the destruction of a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier to weapon damage rolls made against that creature (minimum of +1 damage). If the weapon you wield is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.
You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If the chosen creature reaches 0 hit points or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.
Aura of Ashes
Starting at 7th level, you are shielded by an aura of ash and fire while you’re not incapacitated. You and creatures within 10 feet of are you are always considered lightly obscured from hostile creatures. A hostile creature without immunity to fire damage within 10 feet of you has disadvantage on attack rolls while in the aura, and that creature takes fire damage equal to half your paladin level if it begins its turn there.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Warden of Souls
At 15th level, the power of the spirits you protect offers you even greater holy zeal. While you have the soul of a friendly creature, you can make an additional attack when you take the attack action on your turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Emissary of Reclamation
At 20th level, you become a living avatar of the True Law’s wrath and a protector of the faithful. As a bonus action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:
- Creatures within 30 feet of you cannot have their souls claimed except by a reclaimer.
- When a hostile creature starts its turn within 30 feet of you, it takes 10 radiant damage.
- You and friendly creatures within 30 feet of you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. A creature takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
- When a friendly creature starts its turn within 30 feet of you, it gains 10 temporary hit points.
Once you use this bonus action, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot to use it again.
OATH SPELLS
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Bane, Fog Cloud |
| 5th | Ashes to Ashes, Heat Metal |
| 9th | Banishing Ward, Protection from Energy |
| 13th | Ashes of Law, Divination |
| 17th | Glimpse of Fate, Hallow |
PLAYING A SILENT CHARACTER
| While the reclaimers may refuse to speak, don’t feel compelled to be so at the table! Don’t let the muteness be the core of the character. It is obviously going to be a factor, but you don’t want it to be the only thing they are known for. Define their personality clearly and keep it in mind as you act. Since you cannot speak, all of your personality and intentions are going to come through in your actions. Be very descriptive in your movements and actions. Think very hard about how you would communicate if you could not speak with those around you. |