The Desseks are characters in a fictional universe called Cotrahviné, created by Dutch Science Fiction/Fantasy writer Tais Teng. They appear exclusively in his anthology "Glazen Speren" (Glass Spears) (1997), which has not yet been translated to English.
In Fiction
A Dessek is a follower of Dessek the Harsh, a legendary hot-tempered man with a single moral principle - do not lie. The Desseks form a thoroughly fragmented sect of travelling warriors who "love the truth above all else and for whom uttering a lie is unthinkable." Considered to be the most fearsome fighters alive, some of them act as rogue policemen where others prefer a more ascetic and isolated existence. Because every Dessek has his own interpretation of the wisdom of Dessek the Harsh and of the truth itself, the greatest enemy of a Dessek is another Dessek. None of them, however, would hesitate to give their life for the truth and none would leave any lie unpunished. Only near the widely foreseen end of the golden age of Cotrahviné do the Desseks finally join forces. This is because of the arrival of Lasdmi, who is said to have encountered the spirit of the long-dead Dessek the Harsh and to have been selected as his chosen successor. Lasdmi's powers of persuasion allow him to gather an army of Desseks so vast that no earthly power can withstand them; they proceed to conquer the entire archipelago, forcing people to take the oath of Dessek or perish. Their campaign is finally brought to an end by the intervention of Magreb, a mysteriously omnipotent human being whose arrival marks the fall of Cothrahvinéan might and culture.
Modern Desseks
The present-day Desseks are a small group of morally conscious people who have chosen the universal ethic of Dessek as a guideline in life. In their theory, being a Dessek consists of a passive and an active element (not lying, and punishing others who do, respectively), the latter of which is not practicable in today's world. They have sworn to uphold the passive element, however, by making a personal promise never to lie again. Since this is merely a change in personal morals, a modern-day Dessek would be mostly indistinguishable from ordinary people. Unlike more traditional Desseks featured in the works of Tais Teng modern day Desseks carry no weapon, and wear no specific uniform. They also spread their message by word of mouth, as opposed to violence.
