Vahasta - The Lady of Merciful Death

It is said that a frightful presence is the last thing perceived by those who are about to die, but that is not true. When someone who has not dedicated their soul to a specific deity passes beyond the veil of mortality, Vahasta is the goddes that takes an interest. She will judge those who pass on and, depending on the manner of their death and the way of their lives, she will use her right hand to lift the souls out of the bodies of the deceased and cradle them in an embrace, as she talks soothingly to them, consoling them and enumerating the facts of their lives. If, for whatever reason, she is not positively impressed by the departed, she will use the left hand instead. She will still cradle the freshly taken soul and speak softly to it, but it is not known what she tells them, except for that it causes the souls to wail and shreek in agony, for all eternity.

This is but one of the many representations of of Vahasta, the lady of merciful death. Whatever the flavour or nature of the goddess though, most everybody agree that Death is her domain and that she has a vested interest of some nature in the souls of the living once they abandon their mortail coil.