Death
Death in Theos is, by the laws of nature, a permanent and inevitable occurrence. There are mortal beings that live exceptionally long lives, and appear to be immortal by the standards of most beings. The only potential exception to this, depending on the definitions used, are the gods.
A Transition
When a mortal being (all people, animals, creatures, etc.) die, their spirit or soul leaves their physical form and enters the spirit realm. For a time, that being may be relatively conscious and aware of both their former selves and/or current situation, with varying degrees of awareness, understanding, acceptance, and time maintained. Eventually, almost all mortal spirits lose their independent consciousness, and become part of the greater whole of the spiritual realm - being absorbed into the miasma of energy that occupies this plane of existence.
More wilful, individualistic, powerful, or unwilling beings may persist as conscious individuals for a greater period of time, though rarely to any end beyond maybe being communicated with by those with such an ability.
This process of transition is known and observed by most major belief systems, including those who follow the Theosan Pantheon or The Order of the Ancient Heart. Both conduct death rites to aid in a smooth and painless transition, with the general goal of easing each person’s passage through the oft turbulent transitional period, and comfortably into the spirit realm to begin the cycle anew as pure energy.
In many practices, this eased transition that the rites seek to achieve is dependent on invoking, appeasing, or otherwise parleying with an entity of the spirit realm that is generally either believed to be responsible for conducting this transition, or is capable of doing so in a more pleasant or ideal manner. This entity is known by many names, but broadly considered to be the embodiment (if such a term can be applied to a spirit) of Death itself.
Many death rites across numerous cultures are designed around this concept, including a great many in cultures untouched by the influence the Luisant Empire or the Order, suggesting either a universal truth of human nature to ultimately come to such a belief, or a truth of the function of the universe.
Given the ability of some to communicate with mortal spirits after their physical demise, countless accounts of the deceased corroborate this experience, though there is still plenty of room for interpretation and further understanding given the often unclear or compromised nature of such communications.
Personification of Death
To the Luisant Empire and their theology, the entity of Death is most commonly considered to be either La Faucheuse, an emissary or servant of Delphine, god of renewal and decay, or a manifestation of the deity themself. In either case, they are depicted or perceived as a hooded feminine form emerging from and cloaked in a bed of black flowers, with arched, scythe-like wings of dark feathers.
The Order of the Ancient Heart, as it does with most of its derivative theology, acknowledges this understanding and generally maintains the identification of death as La Faucheuse, but considers them to be an emissary of the divine realm in general, rather than the servant of any one god. This aligns with their allegiance to and worship of Gwenaël as the singular worthy deity, allowing them to observe and interact with the natural order of things, without having to entertain the notion that another deity would care enough to carry out such an important service to the mortal beings of Theos.
Death to The Order of the Ancient Heart
Those within the Order devoted to the tenet of Death are predominantly concerned with conducting these rites for the deceased. They also attend to many surrounding and ancillary aspects of death preparations, such as care, burials, and larger community events or interactions.
Given the widespread and multicultural presence of the Order throughout Theos, the performed rites are not identical each time. Instead there are aspects that are generally catered to both the individual in question, and the culture of the individual and/or their community to best accommodate their varied beliefs or priorities.
Even within the primary territories of the Order, many variations exist between followers of different tenets, status, species, or circumstances of death.
Parleying With Death
Regardless of who this embodiment of Death truly is, there are a rare few who have the opportunity to parley with them. Some on the edge of their own demise narrowly avoid it, seemingly managing to appease or placate the emissary, at least for a time. Fewer still find a means to observe or even parley with Death on behalf of, or in the final moments of others, though to do so is considerably perilous for obvious reasons.
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