Psychopomp

Psychopomps are the spirits, fey, demigods, or even devils and demons who guild the dead to the realm appropriated by Enlil to their souls. Some even take souls without ever entering Enlil's domain, those are protected by laws written long before the time of mortals.
They are not omens for a future demise, nor do they come when the dead pile up during a war. They are then the representatives of the aftermath. They will wait for the rites of burial, they will wait for offerings, for a blessing, even a kind word. With none, the portals between the realms won't open, the bell won't toll, and the psychopomps won't even know that a spirit is waiting to be guided. Then the spirit will be left in the ethereal plane and might come back to hunt the living who left her stuck in this undying state. That's why a priest of Enmerkar is rushed to any battlefield, from both sides of the line, or doom and death will befall the kingdom who won't respect their dead.

Demons and Devils

A psychopomp is not needed when the deceased has a contract with a powerful being of the lower planes, like the Demons, Or the Devils. Long ago, Enlil agreed to let them corrupt the souls of the mortals and take them to their realm, but only if they will stay put and won't destroy The Material Plane with their wars. This agreement led to a war against the abyss and nine hells, and the sealing of the nine hells. In the aftermath, the fiends stayed put, but some strong and high-ranking devils still make deals with the mortals, and they will come to collect the souls they were promised with their own claws if they have to.

Portals to another world

Because of the nature of travelling the planes. The psychopomps must have portals opened for them (by praying over the dead), and because of the nature of portals, they work both ways. Some mortals who can't wait for their demise at the hand of their enemies, or don't want to be enslaved by a devil just to reach hell or other planes, might sacrifice a willing creature who is so devoted that the Psychopomp will open a portal directly to the plane he belongs to and not to Enlil's court. Usually, this happens only with the lower planes, but there were exceptions, mostly for those who died and came back.

Career

Qualifications

Only one creature can become a Psychopomp and is not made one since his birth. Those are the Yugoloths. They can rank up in the eyes of their masters or feast on their own kind to become a Merrenoloth.

Payment & Reimbursement

To pay the Psychopomps is said to make the deceased journey a lot safer. Most of the time the payment is left as part of the ritual. It might be gold coins placed on the eyes, a bed laid with flowers, the belongings of the deceased or books and symbols of their gods. In any case, a Psychopomp who didn't get payment might not even come to Enlil's temple to get the soul and it will be cast away to hell even if his deeds were good.

Perception

Purpose

The Eternal plane is endless, and as such a creature who never tried to pass in it, never learned its ways and paths, will get lost. The psychopomps are there to help the dead find Enlil's Temple, and then to guide them to were Enlil chose their souls belongs.

Operations

Tools

Each psychopomp uses different tools to ease the passing of the spirit. The Owl Queen sends her shadow owls, who guild them in the safe and unseen part of the ethereal plane, while some like the Merrenoloth have a boat for the depart to sit in, while it rows the diverging waters of the Styx.

Alternative Names

Guide of souls

Type

Transportation

Famous in the Field

• The Owl Queen

Related Locations

• The Material Plane

Related Vehicles

• Cart
• Flying Animels