Reaper Boy
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
When Libitina, a Grim Reaper, fell in love with a dying man, she made a bargain with Death itself to prolong his life, promising a thousand renegade souls in return for one lifetime for her love. However, she was forced to relinquish her status as a Grim Reaper, since Death would not trust her with that responsibility after violating her duties by sparing the life of one who was fated to die. Instead, her debt would be paid by her descendants, the firstborn child of each generation compelled to take up the mantle of a Grim Reaper.
When Shane Rafferty turned sixteen, he was none too pleased to learn of this fact, for he was Libitina's grandson. Presented with his grandmother's Scythe and Shroud, and informed that his family could never pass on to the afterlife until her debt was paid, he reluctantly agreed to take up her position as a Grim Reaper.
His task now is to shepherd souls to the afterlife, prevent any from passing on before their time, and bring swift and final death to all who seek to cheat Death of its due. Among the other Reapers, most of whom are immortal, inhuman entities, he is known derisively as the "Reaper Boy."
| |
| Shane wearing his Shroud of the Reaper | |
| Reaper Boy | |
| Player: @Slid | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Shane Rafferty |
| Known Aliases: | Grim Reaper |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 17 |
| Height: | 5'2" |
| Weight: | 146 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Red[1] |
| Hair Color: | Blonde |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Student, Grim Reaper |
| Place of Birth: | Paragon City |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Mother (human), Libitina (Grandmother), Father (Renegade Grim Reaper) |
| Known Powers | |
| Titan Weapons[2]/Dark Armor[3] | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Without his Scythe and Shroud, Shane's only metahuman abilities are the power to see spirits of the dead, his novice proficiency in the magic of Death's Due, and complete immunity to possession of any kind (he is still capable of being controlled psychically like any ordinary person, but ghosts, demons, and other spirits are unable to possess him). While wearing his Shroud, his mind is protected completely. | |
| Equipment | |
| Scythe of the Reaper, Shroud of the Reaper, Death Tolls | |
| Weaknesses: Without his Scythe and Shroud, Shane is primarily an ordinary human boy, with only his ability to see ghosts and his immunity to possession to protect him. He can summon the Scythe and Shroud to him at will, however. | |
Contents |
Equipment and Powers:
Much of Shane's power derives from two fantastically powerful items granted to him by his grandmother, his Scythe and Shroud.
Scythe of the Reaper:
This fearsome-looking weapon can only be wielded by the hand of a Grim Reaper. This fell blade is capable of inflicting tremendous injuries with a single strike, but it will never cause the death of anyone struck, until their time to die has arrived. When used on a person who has somehow escaped their rightful death, an undead spirit, or a member of the walking dead, the scythe flares with a palpable fury, and inflicts tremendous damage upon them, seeking to send them to their death as swiftly as possible. This weapon cleaves through most physical and magical defenses with ease, and its strength is proportional to the willpower and determination of its wielder.
Shroud of the Reaper:
This tattered cloak, when draped over the head and shoulders, bestows upon the wearer a wide array of powers and abilities. If the shroud is draped over the shoulders of an intangible entity, it grants them a physical form, enabling them to interact with living beings in the physical plane. The shroud is reversible, and when worn inside-out, it makes the wearer completely invisible, inaudible, and intangible to people in the physical world (only those with the supernatural ability to perceive ghosts and spirits of the dead can detect a wearer in this form). In this form the wearer can interact with intangible spirits easily as well.
When worn by a Grim Reaper, it also bestows upon them the power of flight, and surrounds them in a writhing mass of living shadows which provide some protection from attacks. Its primary means of protection, however, is somewhat more morbid. In addition to rendering the wearer incapable of feeling any pain, it allows him or her to continue fighting even if they are slain, or their body damaged beyond normal repair. The Shroud keeps their soul within their body, enabling it to heal them over time until they can be restored to life at the completion in the process. While "deceased" the wearer suffers several unusual effects, including subdued emotions and almost no tactile sensation. If pressed, a reaper can fight until he is little more than a spine with skeletal arms and a scythe, mindlessly reaping their foes.
Death's Due:
Shane has begun to learn a strange and esoteric mystical art commonly used by those who consort with Death, known as "Death's Due." He knows little about the art, but its mystical effects are said have a quite literal "cost." Death's Due is a means of accessing the potent magics of certain ancient and powerful Reapers, who mystically accept monetary payment for their power. By literally expending currency, Shane can perform feats of magic far beyond the capability of most normal magicians, but is restricted by his (extremely meager) income. Facing against this power is often described by trained magicians as though the simple, unrefined spells of an apprentice were backed by tremendous amounts of brutish magical power.
Death Tolls:
Shane carries an assortment of seven silver bells inscribed with magic runes, which assist him in dealing with the undead. Unlike his Scythe and Shroud, however, these magical items are not bound to him and he cannot summon them at will. He takes tremendous care when using the Tolls, both because their power is extremely potent and unfocused, and because of the incredible destruction they could cause in the wrong hands. If one of the bells is rung incorrectly, the effects can be devastating. As such, he rarely calls upon their power.
Since the bells are strong in necromantic magic, they are considered horribly dangerous and abhorrent items to most Grim Reapers, who would have no need of their fell power to begin with. Shane, however, as a human, lacks many of the powers of the more experienced Reapers, and has found the need to use the Tolls when facing powerful undead and immortal enemies. He must take care to conceal his ownership of these artifacts from other Reapers, lest they take the bells from him, or worse, slay him for the use of necromancy.
The seven bells each have a distinct name and power:
- The Sleeper sends all who hear it into a deep sleep, even undead. This bell is the easiest to ring, and the worst that can happen is the ringer falls asleep.
- The Waker can free the ringer from necromantic magic, or send the ringer into Death itself to attempt to restore life to the very recently deceased.
- The Walker can either grant the dead the power of movement, or force undead to move at the ringer's command.
- The Speaker grants the power of speech to mindless undead. It can also grant understanding of foreign words, or silence a living or dead speaker.
- The Thinker restores independent thought and memory to undead who hear it, or steal the will and memory of the unliving.
- The Binder forces the dead to obey the ringer's commands.
- The Taker causes instant and final death to all who hear it, even the ringer.
Footnotes
- ↑ When he was given the power to see the spirits of the dead, Shane's irises changed color to a dark red.
- ↑ Shane wields his Scythe in combat, his willpower enhancing its destructive strength.
- ↑ The nether aura of the Shroud of the Reaper protects Shane from harm and allows him to fly and move unseen.
