Anubis Agents

"Will it hurt? asked the child.
— It won't hurt, ever again, answered the shadowy figure.
— Will I be able to see mama and papa?
— I'm afraid not, but th-
— Then I don't want to go. They always say they would be sad without me around.
— My child, you don't have a say in this, I'm very sorry. Let us strike a deal: if you go with me willingly, I can pass on to your family whatever message you want me to, for as long as you wish."
The young girl nodded silently, bracing herself as the silhouette touched her forehead softly. She blinked twice, feeling as if her body was torn apart. It was an unpleasant feeling, but somehow without the pain that was so familiar ever since her disease entered its final stage. Suddenly, she felt relieved as her muscles relaxed for the first time in what seemed an eternity.
"You were right! I don't feel the pain anymore! Thank you mister! Hey, mama, papa, look! I can walk!
— They can't hear you, I'm afraid. Come now, we should leave them to their grievance."

Among all God Agents, the servants of Anubis are the most elusive. Adopting a neutral stance in almost all the internal conflicts of the Egyptian pantheon, they are as respected as they are feared. For when you see the unmistakable jackal mask, your time has come. And yet, it is their duty that your passing goes as smoothly as possible.

Shepherds of souls

In Ancient Egypt, the god Anubis himself would wait for the souls to administrate their last judgement. In this time, his agents were embalmers and priests, tasked with preparing the body for its last trip to the afterlife. As time went by and the people of Egypt became too numerous for the busy god to take care of everything, he designed a new role for his agents.

They are now the ones who guide the deceased through the Duat. They travel alongside them to the hall of Maat, and stand beside them during the first trial, where the soul has to recite the name of the forty-two assessors of Maat and each sin they didn't commit. Then, the agent would proceed to the Weighting of the Heart.

The heart of the person is placed on a scale, against a feather of Maat, the purest of all objects. If the heart balances with the feather, they are then presented to Osiris and almost always access eternal rest and leisure in Sekhet-Aaru. However, should the balance tip toward the heart, woe awaits the poor sinner. Nowadays, the goddess Ammit doesn't always devour the heart, destroying the soul in the process, but it is often the outcome. Anubis agents try to ensure a salvation for the soul they guided, which often implies a longer and ruthless trial to assess if the soul is too tainted to even live on the riversides of the Duat or if mercy can be delivered.

Union

The organization is mostly horizontal, with Anubis at the top. Seasoned agents guide rookies in their first days, then leave them alone. Many agents don't even know who the others are, though some have formed a group in the Duat to exchange information, support each other and relax among people who know of their hardships.

Divine Powers

Anubis agents have a unique gift, even among other agents. They are called, or summoned, when someone is close to their death. In a place isolated from space and time, they can address to the essence of the dying person. They talk them into accepting their state, and willingly come to the underworld. They are untouchable and all-powerful there, not that it could be abused. After all, they only interact with dying souls.

A hard task

Being an Anubis Agent is a great honor and a daunting duty at the same time. They are bound to stand alongside death at all times, the closest anyone can get. While the end of a life is not the end of all things, it is always painful to tear someone away from their loved ones. Children, in particular, are rough and only the most patient and hardened of the agents are given this burden.

Anubis' chosens thus tend to become either depressed or desensitised to hardships after a few years, and a lot of them retire early, unable to bear this anymore. Their benevolent patron allows them to live peacefully far from the traumatism of their duty, but it comes to a cost. Though agents live longer than regular humans, being stripped of their divine power greatly shorten their lifespan. Entering the service of the god of death is not something to take lightly.