Obsidian Decree

When the Deadlands first formed from the collision of the living world and the spectral realm, the frontier's first judgment was carved into obsidian by unknown supernatural forces. This original Decree became the template for all future cullings - absolute, unbreakable, and as sharp as volcanic glass. Every survivor since has been judged against this primordial law, and those who carry its name have been marked by its ancient, unforgiving weight.

The Obsidian Decree manifests as a palm-sized shard of natural volcanic glass, its surface dark and depthless like the void. Ancient carved symbols cover its surface - the written laws of the Deadlands rendered in a language only the decree understands. It pulses with faint red light along its edges when the culling approaches, and its single sharp point is keen enough to draw blood from those who touch it carelessly. The decree is impervious to damage - cannot be broken or altered, for the judgment is final.

The Obsidian Decree serves as the mechanism by which culling judgments are rendered in the Deadlands - the supernatural court that determines worthiness. Those who bear this name carry the decree's unbreakable authority, serving as living embodiments of the frontier's harsh justice. Their presence reminds all competitors that judgment is eternal, the weak will be culled, and only the strong earn remembrance.