Tali, the Reaper

Reaper of the Ethereal Void

Tali is known as the Goddess of Death's Grasp and holds the fourth seat of the Vaanir Pantheon.
She is considered the goddess of death, ice, and the afterlife.
Feared and respected by even the most ruthless of souls, Tali serves as the reaper of souls, collecting and ferrying the dead onto the afterlife. All who value their lives know well enough to heed her warnings, never to turn their gaze towards her in the dark of the night. Ever does the chill of death announce her presence, those who fail to avert their eyes meeting the same fate as their fallen companions.

Appearance

It's said that none have ever laid their eyes upon Tali's true form, not even a majority of her fellow deities. Adamant to keep her appearance a secret, all known depictions of her keep her face hidden in darkness, only her bright ethereal eyes glowing from within her black hood. The rest of her form is clad in dark robes and a cloak of ghastly feathers which can open into the wings of an angel of death.
It's well known that any who dare to catch a glimpse of her are killed on the spot, their souls forever damned to serve her. As such, it's rare to find any modern depictions of her, due to none being alive to describe her form and fear of bringing down her wrath upon all living things. Those who do choose to carve her likeness make her out to be a woman clad in black or white, the latter often veiled in a dense mist from which only her piercing eyes glare through.

Personality

Tali somehow manages to be one of the most loyal and diligent deities while at the same time showing no compassion for anyone else. In her charge as the grim reaper, she performs her duties to the letter, retrieving fallen souls each and every night and guiding them onto the afterlife. Stories speak of how she'll lend her ear to the woes of the dead, caring only for mortals once their hearts have ceased their melody of life.
But all of her kindness stems only from her oath, her true self knowing no love for anyone else. She's thought to be incredibly reclusive, engaging only with other deities as her duties dictate. An enemy of life, she wishes nothing more than to see the light fade from all other beings before her, longing for the silence of a dark and cold world. Many speculate as to what might've lead to this hatred, most of which have perished at the cold hands of death itself.
Ancient tales speak of how her diligence and loyalty comes only from a deal with her divine masters. Sworn to her oath, she would never falter from her charge, but in turn she may do as she pleases with any who disrespects the rules she in turn put in place for mortalkind. This unwavering grip of order and law has made many respect her, despite her intimidating presence and ruthless lack of mercy towards any who make even the smallest mistake.

Abilities

Tali's most well known ability is her power over death itself, able to kill any creature before her with a single thought. Unlike a handful of her fellow deities, Tali holds no power over life, having chosen only to serve the aspect of death. This power also allows her to command and control the fallen, forcing them to obey her every whim should they prove difficult and unwilling to depart for the afterlife.
Travelling the Ethereal Veil throughout the realms, she holds the power to move swiftly across the ghastly plane as she claims the fallen every day. Her mastery over ice and cold surrounds her wherever she goes and is her main tool in dealing with defiant souls directly. Her dark magic is feared more so than her grip of death, only topped when her scythe joins the fray, said to be forged from a black glacier at the edge of the Ethereal Veil itself.

Worship

Although most pay homage to Tali at some point in their lives, most are often too afraid to devote themselves to the cold hearted goddess. Even necromancers who look to her for strength are known to fear her more than they pay her respect. This leaves her with very few truly devoted followers while maintaining a strong grasp over mortals due to the many prayers she receives, asking her to look after the fallen. The few who devote themselves completely to her might are rarely seen amidst civilization, choosing instead to live a reclusive life as they prepare for the day they may stand before their goddess.
The vast majority of her followers are either clerics or necromancers in some capacity. But while some might believe them masters of commanding the undead, Tali's followers choose instead to destroy them. They view undead as abominations or fragments of life in need of cleansing. As such, they often work alone and wander the realms in search of such beings, eradicating anything that lingers the borders of life and death. Many have come to respect such people, even if they also fear their dark magic, while they themselves don't always share in their goddess' disdain for companions among the living.

Commandments

• Death is eternal. To defy death is to defy the very fabric of reality itself.
• Life is servitude. Those gifted the breath of life are meant only to serve their masters.
• Obey the cycle. All who oppose the order of life and death stain the purity of the soul.

Notable Relations

Allegiances

• Lyon - Tali holds little favor towards anyone, Lyon serving as one of few who hold a semblance of respect in her eyes, regardless of their differences.
• Dohanna - Few can claim to ever call Tali a friend, Dohanna being one such soul as she is said to be the only one the twisted goddess has ever engaged with outside of her duties.
• Aranna - With no desire to seek out those beyond her charge, Tali's only true allegiances lie with one such as Aranna as one of her fellow goddesses of death.

Oppositions

• Ilyse - The act of soulbonding is a profane ritual in the eyes of Tali, the very existing of Ilyse a stain upon Divinity itself and often used to accentuate her seething hatred.
• Harakhos - Tales of the ancient hatred between Harakhos and Tali have been long lost to time, his name never to be spoken throughout her domain.
• Auros - Auros is widely attributed as the source behind the immense power of resurrection magic, which has long lead to the untold ire of Tali.

Divinity

Goddess of Death's Grasp

Title(s)

Ferryman of the Dead
Queen of the Black Winter
Eyes of Damnation

Moral Compass

Oath & Temptation

Symbol

Frozen black mask

Phrase

Honor she who ferries the dead

Reputation

Unspoken

Presence

Exclusive

Plane

Oculus 

Realm

Death's Rest