Death cultist

Death cultist is a slang term for characters who assist the zombie cause even while alive as survivors.

Most death cultists don't care if they become a zombie, and are similar to zombie spies; however, they usually take a much more active role in disrupting survivor activities than your "classic" zombie spy.

Common activities of death cultists include PKing, destroying generators and radios, and over- or de-barricading. They often utilise trans-mortal tactics. Many also act as zombie spies, spending time gathering useful information for whatever group or horde they may be associated with.

Death cultists typically seek to acquire both survivor and zombie skills. Cross-class skills such as Body Building, Ankle Grab and Diagnosis are often prioritised -- as are cross-class items, such as flak jackets. A common trick used by cultists is to gain XP as a survivor and then commit suicide, or let their horde eat them -- then using the XP gathered more easily as a high-level survivor to purchase vital zombie skills such as Vigour Mortis or Lurching Gait.

Note that the presence of both zombie and survivor skills in a character does not necessarily indicate a death cultist. Characters that fight against zombies as a survivor, but choose to fight against survivors when killed, are not death cultists, instead being categorized as dual natured.

Death Cultists can be seen as the antithesis of Life Cultists, who are zombies assisting the survivor cause.

Known Active and Non-Active Groups

The following list is by no means exhaustive. It is intended to give examples of some well- and lesser-known death cults -- and some groups who may or not be death cults, depending on whom you talk to...

• The Dark Order of Armageddon were perhaps the first "true" organised death cult in Urban Dead, and are often cited as an "archetypal" example of this style of play. DOA argued that "death cultists" are within the greater zombie genre, and encouraged members to PK and zombie spy; they relied on the combined use of living and undead members in their operations.
• The Gore Corps are a strike team of The Ridleybank Resistance Front. Their policy is to assist the horde and "to bring barhah to all residents of Malton... by any means necessary" -- which commonly includes using death cult tactics.
• The Unknown Armies use the tactics of the death cultists to aid zombie groups, mainly the Eastonwood Ferals, in their fight against survivors.
• The Church of the Resurrection can also be considered a death cult. They encourage members to spy, gain needed human items and skills such as the crowbar and Body Building respectively, and otherwise further the goals of the Church. However, they are expressly forbidden to kill while human because it makes members "unclean." There is however, a loophole in their scriptures that allows members to injure humans while alive, and PKing one's own reviver, especially in a combat situation, is generally accepted as a punishment enacted by Sweet Zombie Jesus for trying to lure away a member of the congregation.
• The Church of the Present Resurrection (distinguished from the Church of the Resurrection, above) is considered by some to be a death cult, although its adherents claim that it is instead a "life cult" that only encourages human sacrifice as a way of reveling in the miracle of resurrection.
• The Williamsville Horde of Organized Zombies is a group which employs all the terrifying acts of zombie-dom and cruelty of inhumanity to end human lives in the most gruesome ways possible. Noted preferences include throwing zombie hamsters and mirror-ball-bludgeoning.
• The Harbingers of Peace can be identified as a death cult, as much of their work is done while alive. This is in large part so that they can "preach" the joys of death as they PK. Their goal being merely to bring death to all humans (and with it, they feel, peace) no amount of PKing GKing or RKing is frowned upon.
• brainROT RUM is technically a death-cultist group as per their play style; however, they do not PK to help zombies primarily. They are a small group of survivors with brain rot, who like to give other people the opportunity to buy brain rot themselves. It's just so sad you can't do that while alive...

Templates

	Death Cultist
	If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

{{Deathcultist}}