Uroboruuk

The Grandmaster of the Order of Death's Vigil, he was one the last few to practice the art of necromancy.

Swearing to restore necromancy to it's former glory he started the Order of Death's Vigil, where he passed on most of his knowledge. He remained as the Order's leader up until several years before the Grim Dawn, where he mysteriously abandoned his students in the night, never to return.

Lore
Following a period of steep decline, the rulers of Arkovia needed a scapegoat to distract the disgruntled populace from the corruption threatening to topple the once great empire. Necromancers proved to be a perfect target. Already detested by most citizens, the Arkovian Oligarchs banned the practice of necromancy outright and condemned its practitioners to the prison known as the Steps of Torment. One of the last necromancers to be captured was the mysterious Uroboruuk. But he was unlike any other, for he could not be killed by any means employed by the Arkovian executioners.

This naturally intrigued the Oligarchs, who craved such power for themselves. After excruciating and lengthy torture, Uroboruuk eventually gave in to their wishes and performed a ritual that would bestow his secret upon the greedy rulers. With the spell unleashed, the necromancer slipped away while the Arkovians tested their newfound immortality.

However, there was more to the spell than Uroboruuk let on, something the Arkovians discovered all too late. Their immortality was not a blessing, but a curse. Their wounds would not heal. The elderly would rot away from disease. Over decades of tormented existence without the merciful release of death, the Arkovians were driven mad, forever trapped between life and death. Nothing remained of them but spirits and bones. Uroboruuk’s revenge was absolute.

It was centuries before Uroboruuk resurfaced again. With the systematic extermination of his necromancer brothers and sisters, Uroboruuk represented one of the last threads by which the art of necromancy still existed within the world of Cairn. He swore to restore necromancy to its former glory, to engrain the pursuit of knowledge and life’s mysteries into a new generation. That was the day the Order of Death’s Vigil first came into being.

Uroboruuk recruited eager students wherever he travelled, taking in young arcanists and occultists to join his secretive society. Onto them he passed on most of his knowledge. I say “most” as not once did he reveal the true nature of his immortality, not even to his most prized students. Whenever he was asked, he would merely point to the history of the Arkovians and exclaim that this was the fate of those that craved eternal life. Uroboruuk would use the Arkovians as an example of injustice and imbalance in society and that the Order should strive to prevent such a thing from ever happening again.

Uroboruuk remained as the Order's leader up until several years before the Grim Dawn, when he mysteriously abandoned his students in the night, never to return. None know for sure as to the whereabouts of the immortal necromancer. Some believe he had ascended, his time on Cairn concluded. Others still believe he is out there somewhere, traveling the world on a journey of enlightenment. Many acolytes of the Order consider it a rite of passage to travel the world and seek out their lost master. After a year of fruitless wandering, they would return, wizened by their travels and no closer to uncovering the truth behind Uroboruuk's disappearance.

Quotes

 * "The one they call Uroboruuk makes a mockery of the gods. The Lord Executioner cut at his flesh, but the wounds refused to bleed. His limbs grow back; his skin is impervious to flame." - Writings of Zarthuzellan
 * "One of the most powerful techniques bestowed upon his followers by Uroboruuk. By ripping apart the very being of your foe, one can not only inflict grievous harm, but also conjure for a fragment of their soul to serve you. The resulting spirit is unstable and highly aggressive, which makes it all the more useful in battle." - Reap Spirit (Skill)
 * Something powerful is coming from beyond. I have sensed its approach for some time now. But like a dream or some distant memory, the details were lost to me... until now. I can feel it clawing its way through the veil somewhere to the east of Burrwitch, no doubt drawn here by the maelstrom of otherworldly corruption. I dare say, its nature eludes even me; but it is neither flesh nor spirit. I must discover what it is we are facing and, should the need arise, seal it away again behind the barrier between worlds. The Order need not concern itself with these matters quite yet. I must do this alone... - Uroboruuk's Journal - Page 1
 * I will rip the bones from a thousand for this treachery. At a great cost I have survived a deadly attack. I had discovered a large contingent of Chthonic fiends. At first, I thought they were the source of power that I sought and so I trailed them. As they travelled East, I soon realized that they too were after the same thing as I. They made their way to the cliffs by way of the swamp. In following them, I had walked right into an ambush as I was suddenly attacked from behind.  The fight was devastating and I destroyed dozens in the ensuing conflict. However, in the midst of battle, several of the Harbingers cornered my Guardian. I first believed they intended to destroy it; but when they exploded, a rush of Chthonic energy surged into my creation and severed our link. The animated mass of bone turned on me, and I knew then that the Harbingers had found a way to corrupt my necromantic creation. I do not yet understand how they were capable of such an act, but it was unlike anything I have ever seen Chthonic beings do.  If the fiends of the Void are able to harness this power on a larger scale, then even the Order of Death's Vigil will find itself outmatched. I must maintain hope that what I seek will be an answer to fighting this darkness. With each step the power grows and others will be drawn to it. I must hurry. - Uroboruuk's Journal - Page 2
 * "I've had the pleasure of seeing our master at work countless times. He is truly a master of the craft, requiring neither reagent nor word to bring the dead back into the living. Uroboruuk claims that this is a matter of practice and form, but I am convinced otherwise. His grasp over death supersedes us all, even his oldest students who, at a whim, may call upon spirits to do their bidding; but even they require binding runes and focusing stones of which our master makes no use of. The dead Uroboruuk brings back don't just serve him; they seem eager to please their master, as if to earn his favor." - Laruka's Journal
 * "It appears that our master has involved himself in the events revolved around the Grim Dawn's origins. Being involved in world-changing events is not exactly new for him." - The Keeper of Tomes
 * "His guardian was contaminated by the Void." - Player
 * "It appears that Ch'thon's minions do not look kindly upon our master's actions. Whatever he is doing, it has stirred the Chthonians into action I have little doubt that he prevailed against his assailants though." - The Keeper of Tomes
 * "Rumored to have once been wielded by Uroboruuk himself, this weapon's edge traps souls with the slightest touch." - Guardian of Death's Gates

Related lore

 * Writings of Zarthuzellan
 * Reap Spirit (Skill)
 * Uroboruuk's Journal - Page 1
 * Uroboruuk's Journal - Page 2
 * Laruka's Journal
 * Order Doctrine
 * The Search for Uroboruuk
 * Augments (Uroboruuk's Anguish, Path, and Word)
 * Guardian of Death's Gates
 * Shepard of Lost Souls Set
 * Uroboruuk's Guise Set