The Reaper

The Reaper is a popularized name given to a construct which has no reality or shape. In actuality, the Reaper is a personification of what is otherwise a natural force which exists to ensure that a balance of magic energy flows both from the Spirit, the dimension where Magic originates, to reality and back again.

When the balance of magic energy is interrupted, it is the chaotic Reaper Energy which restores that balance. Interruptions in the balance of magic energy is a natural phenomenon. Magic energy always has a tendency to return to the Spirit, but it can also lodge itself inside of organic matter. Simply put, if not enough organic matter exists to capture magic energy, too much magic builds up in the Spirit. Likewise, if too much magic is contained within organic material, the balance can be upset the other way. Reaper Energy, a type of magic energy, comes from the Spirit and invades reality when that balance is upset. It has the ability to create powerful magical effects, even overwhelming the minds of living things, bending their wills to achieve the goal of restoring balance and mutating their bodies. This can take two forms. If the balance is off with energy leaving the Spirit and not returning, the Reaper Energy will ensure that what it possesses becomes bent on death and decay to return that energy. If the balance is off in the other direction, Reaper Energy forces the living into times of peace and protects the sanctity of life or possibly even spurs on the growth of plants or animal life by altering the weather or mutating living things into more resilient forms.

The Reaper is not a being or malevolent spirit. Instead it is a dark, possessing energy which can warp the minds of the living and transform their bodies. When possessed by The Reaper, powerful minds are bent to the will of that energy and spend their days striving towards the goals of the Reaper.

## Origins of The Reaper

The term, "Reaper", did not enter into the vernacular of Indagar until the events of the Cataclysm. The people of the world of Indagar have very little to no understanding of the actual universal properties which govern magic energy. Instead, they manifest beliefs, some religious, others pseudo-scientific, to try and explain how magic affects their world. The Reaper is a term coined shortly after the Cataclysm in an effort to explain what befell Konagara on that fateful night. Without understanding of the natural order of the Spirit or of magic energy, it has been popularly theorized that the powerful magic that mutated the bodies of the citizens of Konagara, poisoned the surrounding lands, and caused the populace to turn mad and begin the destruction of the city, is sourced from a demonic or god-like presence which has been named The Reaper.

It is unknown who exactly coined this theory, but it is largely suspected to come from Lanagaran philosophers and scientists who have been struggling since the time of the Cataclsym to not only explain the disaster but also to find a way to restore the Dead Lands.

Popular belief in this theory has grown widely as all within Indagar attempt to reckon with the disaster. The Reaper is thus considered to be a source of great evil, the will of a demon-god, and it is unknown what exactly will happen as a result of its will. It has become a ghost story, a terrifying tale, as descriptions of how the mutated bodies of people and terrible demons, seemingly driven to a mad blood lust, filter all throughout the land as survivors seeking refuge come to town.

The Reaper is still working on Indagar, continuing a slow spread, centered in the ruins of Konagara and slowly expanding the dead lands. Further, men and women, many of whom are powerful magic users that have been driven mad by The Reaper, form the basis of The Cabal. These individuals infiltrate all levels of all societies in Indagar. Driven mad with a lust for destruction, The Cabal is a nefarious force seeking to undermine and create war all throughout the peoples of Indagar. Many Cabalists, mad with the mind warping powers of Reaper Energy, also believe that they serve a demon-god which they have come to also refer to as The Reaper.

--Neil (talk) 03:42, 11 October 2016 (AST)