The Judges

Judges, as they are known by outsiders, are mysterious spiritual entities who serve as psychopomps that ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife and preserve the cycle of reincarnation. Judges vaguely resemble humans, and while they are often amiable enough when encountered, they seem particularly hesitant to share any information about themselves, their culture, or their society. The judges are utterly uninterested in the goings-on of the mortal world, content to simply fulfill their duties and only taking an active role when the cycle of reincarnation is threatened. In such cases, they have been shown to possess devastating powers that put even the most common judge on the level of legendary heroes. Each judge is shown to carry something known as a Tamashigen, these Tamashigen serve as both badges of office and as the judge's main weapons in battle, though some judges have been observed to prefer mage craft and hand-to-hand combat. The shape of these Tamashigen are unique to the individual judge, though they have been observed to most commonly take the form of weapons, there have been some observed in the shape of books, paint brushes, and even an umbrella.
The known duties of the Judges are as followed: Ferrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Protecting the souls of the recently dead from demons and evil spirits. Cleansing the souls of the dead who were corrupted in some way. Punishing those who attempt to disrupt the cycle of reincarnation.