“The lingering” is often depicted as a figure, shrouded in fog just enough to obscure detail, who stalks the halls and vigils at the bedsides of the ill and the recovering alike. Governing over the realms that give life and the malaise that take it away, “to linger in your wake” is the constant companion to the sick and the dying and to the souls either brave enough or stubborn enough to try save them. In contrast to “the watch”’s dour reputation, theirs is the domain of spring as well— of new life and new beginnings. For where there are lives coming to a close, there are beings coming into this world anew to take their place. It’s over this nascent existence that “the lingering” takes its watch over with eyes keen, bright, and unblinking.
As the lingering’s follower, consider the ideals on the To linger in your wake's Ideals table as alternatives to those suggested for your background.
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what they stand for. |
| 2 | Scholarship. Unlocking the natural world's secrets is a challenge I welcome. |
| 3 | Balance. My work shall save as many lives as it takes, balancing the deserving and the insufferable. |
| 4 | Protection. I face the horrors of the darkness so the common people don't have to. |
| 5 | Fatalism. Everyone dies. As a result, I may employ their brief lives to further my agendas. |
| 6 | Tutelage. The world is a deadly classroom, and students need an expert guide to survive. |