The Reaper
The Reaper
Title(s): Death Incarnate
Pantheon: New Gods
Power: Minor God
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Symbol: Cross inscribed in 3/4 of a Circle
Portfolio: Migration of souls
Domain(s): Death
Worshipers: All who have souls
Contents
Description
The Reaper is portrayed as tall, lanky being with a horned skull of a ram in place of a head. It is usually portrayed brandishing a scythe, and carrying a large container (usually a wooden coffin) on it's back filled to the brim with souls of the recently deceased.
Spread
The reaper is worshiped everywhere there are worshipers of The Watcher or other New Gods who offer their followers an afterlife.
Dogma
It is believed that The Reaper is responsible for transporting souls of the deceased into a fitting afterlife realm. It is said to appear shortly after one's death, and uses it's enormous scythe to separate the soul from the body. It then places the soul into the container on it's back to be deposited at some sort of final destination later.
Souls are said to be bound to their bodies, until the Reaper liberates them (or the body decays enough for the soul to be freed spontaneously), which may sometimes happen instantaneously, but more often within a day or two since death. A proper burial rights being conducted usually hastens The Reaper's arrival considerably.
The Reaper usually deposits most of the souls in Stillness (the realm of The Watcher) but those chosen by other gods may be taken to different divine realms, The Reaper is very meticulous, and keeps track of every souls' destiny, and will not take them to an afterlife they have not earned or do not deserve. No amount of begging or pleading will make it change the destination that has been pre-ordained for a given soul. That said, it usually only comes for the souls of the worshipers of the New Gods, and any deceased as a right to refuse it's assistance, if they wish to find their own way to an afterlife.
Shrines and Temples
The Reaper is a so called utility god - it's considered to be more of a natural force than a deity that needs to be appeased or worshiped. As such it typically has no temples or shrines.
Priesthood
There are no established priesthoods devoted to this deity, outside of fringe death cults.
Religious Observances
It is said that performing burial rights of any sort hastens The Reapers arrival. This usually involves things such as washing or embalming the body, wrapping it in ceremonial gauze, burring it in a grave (or crypt), or burning it on a pyre. However simple acts such as closing the eyes of the deceased, and re-arranging their body into a more natural resting position is also considered acceptable when Raven Priests are not available to perform proper rights.
It is also common to paint The Reaper's symbol (a cross inscribed in three fourth's of a circle) on the forehead of a deceased, to mark them for pickup, so to speak.
Manifestations
Reaper's arrival is usually heralded by a sudden chill befalling the room, and flickering of the candles.
Ally and Enemy Deities
The Reaper seems to be closely associated The Watcher to whose realm it delivers most of the souls. That said, it appears to be subordinate to a variety of New Gods who offer afterlife to their worshipers, and it strictly follows any rules and laws they set forth, with regards to who can access their realms.
