The Reapers

The Endless Hunters

Written by David_Ulph

When a person dies, their soul is instantly transported to the mirrored Spirit Realm of Limbo. There, depending on how they died, they will be hunted down by one of the Reapers tasked with delivering the souls to the Ferrymen of the Afterlife.
Originally, both the Reapers and the Ferrymen were normal mortals living on Terralba during presumably the First Age or even during the Era of the Gods before the mortals unshackled themselves from destiny. It was the task of Khloros, God of Death, and the Eternal Ferryman, Messenger in Aelfspace, to transport the souls of the departed from Limbo to their respective Afterlives. Together, the original Reaper and Ferryman devised a plan with the sorcery of Marquash, God of Witchcraft, to steal away several mortals on the cusp of death but not dead and take them as living souls in Limbo. With Marquash's magics and the unnatural presence of mortal flesh in Limbo, the mortals were corrupted beyond belief, becoming puppets of the God of Death and the Messenger. Khloros took 8 of the corrupted souls as his own to be his Reapers and the Eternal Ferryman took the rest to be his countless Ferrymen, so that the celestials' jobs would be significantly easier.
The Reapers are tireless and eternal, hunting down their respective prey until they have evaded them long enough to break back into the Mortal Realm as a ghost, or are caught and transported shackled to the Ferrymen. On some occasions however, the Reaper may let the soul go, allowing them access back to Terralba as a mortal once more regardless of what has happened to their body while their soul was in Limbo. The reasons for doing so are unique to each Reaper, with scholars at the Arcane Academy theorising it may be their one last link to their previous mortal lives before becoming corrupted souls.

Entities

The Wraith

Appearing as a cloak of black mist and grasping grey hands appearing from underneath. Anything that the hands touch in Limbo appears to wither and age exponentially in Terralba, and uses these hands to pull spirits into its cloak and they disappear. The Wraith is the Reaper tasked with collecting souls of people that died of natural causes or in complete darkness. The Wraith is known to let people go if they can offer someone truly precious to them in their place.

The Pagan

Appearing as a pale, scarred and mutilated humanoid which can only been seen through glimpses through the gloom and in the corner of the spirit's view. Lights dangle from its body and reflect off of the glassy teeth in its maw. The Pagan is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died of burning to death. The Pagan is known to let people go if they tell them they will worship the Pagan and agree to take it on as a familiar.

The Maiden

Appearing as a pale lady in a dirty gown trailing on the floor and bright shining jewellery. The Maiden is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died from deprivation or illness. The Maiden is known to let people go if they swear an oath to don a thick veil for the rest of their lives and hunt down mortals which other Reapers let go.

The Hunter

Appearing as a cloaked humanoid with tanned leather for skin and antlers crowning its brow. It wields a metallic bow and if it needs an arrow or spear it will snap a tine from its antlers and use it. The Hunter is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died from some form of impalement or stabbing. The Hunter is known to let people go if they create a blood-wine mixture within a moon cycle of returning to the Mortal Realm. It is thought that the Hunter is sustains itself from this mixture.

The Stagecoach

Appearing as a black stagecoach driven by a smoky mist and skeletal horses. The Stagecoach is not violent in any way, merely inviting the souls to climb aboard into comfort. The Stagecoach is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died far from their home. The Stagecoach is the one Reaper not known for letting people go longer than for the people to say proper farewells to their loved ones to which the Stagecoach will mercifully help in taking them to it.

The Boneman

Appearing as a skeleton dancing to a whistling jig where the constant noise of the Limbo is distorted by the holes of its bones. The Boneman is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died from some form of poisoning. The Boneman is known to let people go if they dance to her tune and arrange the deaths of three other mortals.

The Butcher

Appearing as a cloaked man being pierced simultaneously by every possible weapon and tool. The Butcher is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died from some form of slashing or cuts. The Butcher is known to let people go if they win a gamble of the spirit's choosing against it.

The Hound

Appearing as a giant black dog the size of a bear, with its pawprints and empty eye sockets sputtering plumes of ash. The Hound is the Reaper tasked with collecting the souls of people that died clutching or wearing something gold. This Reaper was created by Diamen, Goddess of Earth, after Arassai, Goddess of Creation, was imprisoned in the Void for implanting a golden seed in a mortal bloodline to create the Golden King for the first time. The Hound is known to let people go if they release all of their memories from before transporting to Limbo.

Alternative Names

The Corrupted Souls, The Mortals of Death, The Endless Hunters

Location

Limbo