Reapers

The dutiful, powerful, and elusive children of Myrkul

Also called Specters, Reapers are the guides of mortal souls to the afterlife.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Reapers are described to look like skeletal figures draped in black robes and holding scythe like weapons. Reapers have the ability to fly and become non-corporeal to move through objects.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It is speculated that Reapers see through their eyes, hear through their ears, smell through their noses, and feel through their "skin" but this is not known for sure. On the rare occasion Reapers do speak to the living they are said to communicate by speaking directly into the other being's mind.

Civilization and Culture

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Mortals will often make alters to Myrkul and the reapers at the site of graves/graveyards/tombs. These alter may be dedicated to Myrkul and a single reaper, the reaper that watches over that specific grave/graveyard/tomb. Mortals will errect these alters in the hopes that the reaper will collect the souls of the dead buried there as soon as possible to help ensure their safety and security.

History

Myrkul would stay out of The gods War but he continue to collect the souls of the fallen mortals and bring them to Y'rnhym. Ao was quite happy with how his son conducted himself during the war and, after the creation of Y'rn and Vällhym, Myrkul would become the overseer of souls as well as being in charge of the escorting of mortal souls from Ümbria to Tyr to be judged. The children of Myrkul, the Reapers, would act as collectors of and guides for the souls of the dead. Reapers find and retrieve souls as well as protect lingering souls still on Ümbria. Reapers sometimes have to forcefully remove the more aggravated lingering souls, known as Ghosts. Ghosts are often the result of a curse or other magic put upon a mortal's soul during life. This curse can hold the mortal's soul indefinitely until the curse is broken or the Ghost is "killed." Upon killing a Ghost the soul trapped as that Ghost is destroyed and not transpoted to Y'rn or Vällhym. Reapers can't collect the soul trapped as a Ghost and won't eliminate the Ghost unless the Ghost begin to threaten the living in some fashion.

Related Myths

• The gods War