One of the
traditions in the
White Wolf roleplaying game
Mage: the Ascension.
Literally translating to good (eu-) death (-
thanatos), the originally
Indian Euthanatoi are steeped in a specific understanding of
Hindu metaphysics which implies that with the creation of every living being, some of the universes finite supply of possibility is consumed, and with every death what was removed is returned to the pool. While, usually, this is fine, as death and life equal out, in some cases people waste their lives away in idleness, and thus succeed not-at-all in alleviating their
karmic debts while occupying possibility that could be better used elsewhere. To a member of Euthanatos, these, along with those whose lives are complete, are those that deserve the Good Death, and it is Euthanatoi responsibility to deliver this gift.
The Euthanatos believe that their magic is an ability to very slightly speed up and delay the Great Wheel of
Fate; this obsession with fate and death explains their great affinity with the sphere of
entropy. Unfortunately, their utilization of the magic of decay and the fact that they live their lives surrounded only with the trappings of death takes a toll on many of the groups adherents. In time, they became
gaunt, and their faces hollow. All too often, euthanatoi are required to deliver the Good Death to one of their own.