Morty the Reaper

## Morty (Mythic Patron)

"You're asking what I think? Wow, to think a worm like me could have an opinion that Babel's saviors, adventurers like yourselves, would want to know it. I must really be blessed."

## Character Information

### Alignment

LE

Morty is a leader among the Reapers who recently became more active after the appearance of the Tower of Life. Despite his status as a Reaper, Morty does not hate life. Far from it. He believes that life is given meaning, however, only by the presence of death, and that one's time only has a purpose if it is finite. Morty believes that individuals who escape death and become immortal are easily corrupted and may give in to evil intentions. Not that Morty feels he is a good judge of character or morality, he is only part of the world's cleanup crew. Morty is rather infamous among adventurers for his low self-esteem, often commentating on how inferior he is to the individuals he runs into.

## The Tower of Life

When the Tower of Life appeared, Morty lead a squad of Reapers into the city of Babel. Though little was known about the tower by the rest of the world, Morty and his team understood the danger the tower posed to the rest of the world and decided to intervene. They attempted to rally the citizens into helping them in order to root out and "purge" those who were infected. Of course, rather than attempting to cure them, Morty was only interested in ending their lives.

Morty gave the following speech during his initial appearance in Babel. The following was recorded by a local news organization.

*Protests have erupted outside Babel's city hall after a local hospital was abandoned following what was initially believed to be a miracle, but was in actuality a nightmare. Patients who survived the incident reported that their ailments, once considered to be life-threatening, had all been cured. However, for reasons that are still unknown, a monster appeared within the hospital, and armed men and adventurers fought the beast until it was forced to retreat. Demanding answers and having already been driven mad by recent fears of "adventurers," the crowd is on the verge of going berserk before a lone man, with white hair and a green jacket takes to the stage.*

"Hello everyone." *He says, taking to the stands before the crowd, his voice somehow managing to cut through the noise and the chaos until all eyes were on him.* "You may not know who I am, but considering the fact that nobody who runs this city is gonna try and stop me from speaking, assume that I am either important or dangerous enough to be worth listening to. I have many names, but to keep things straightforward, you can all call me Morty."

*He speaks with plenty of enthusiasm. "*You know, it's at times like these, when tempers are flaring and everything seems to be on the verge of chaos, that I like to remember that life is really amazing. To think of how far Babel has come, all the way from the Verk Empire and beyond. I've seen your families and dynasties grow old, have children, and eventually pass things on. And now, the sight of one monster threatens to tear our peace apart? C'mon now. People as amazing as all of you are far too good for that."

"A lowly worm like me won't take too much of your time. I'll try not to put you all to sleep. I just want to make a few statements." *Morty says, smiling to the crowd.* "I am a man of simple beliefs. I believe that nature has a flow that should not be disrupted. You grow old. You start a family. You accomplish as many goals as you can, and eventually, it comes to a stop. But there are those among us who are not satisfied with these ideals. There may even be those among you who have already disrupted this flow. Those who want to live forever."

"The fact is, that breaking the flow has invited something into our world. I would like to tell everyone to stay calm, but frankly, the time has come to panic. An abomination that seeks to destory our very fabric of society is out there, waiting to strike. Its infection may already have begun to spread to our population." *Morty chuckles.* "And the time has come for extreme measures."

"And so, from now on, Babel is going to be watched over by my people." *What appear to be soldiers wearing dark armor, all armed with scythes, walk behind him, innumerable in number.* "Life and death are at war, and whoever wins determines our future. And to those adventurers who continue to seek power while the rest of us suffer, I ask you to come forward. Work with us. Show that you really are as amazing as I know you all have the potential to be."

*And with that, the crowd was blanketed in darkness, and the men were gone. - The Babel Report*

## Infection

Unfortunately, Morty may have underestimated the tower. When he found one of its spawn underneath Babel in a dwarven mine, Morty attempted to face it alone and did not escape the battle unharmed. Morty himself had become infected, and the being who once represented death was now seeking to spread life. The dualities of life and death in his mind caused Morty to go insane, even sacrificing his own Reapers to help the tower grow. He became the tower's most powerful slave, and when adventurers infiltrated the tower, it was Morty who attempted to fight them. After a hard-fought battle, Morty was defeated, though it is doubtful that a being with such an understanding of death was truly defeated in the battle.

## Domains

Morty represents the domains of Death, Law, and Repose (Souls).

## Followers and Worshippers

Though Morty is not a deity, his powers do reach demigod status, and as leader of the Reapers, he has a small number of followers. Those who worship him reject any methods of achieving immortality and actively hunt and despise those who seek to live forever. His followers also include assassins and other killers who, despite the grim nature of their work, find peace in providing their victims with the gift of death.

## Powers

Morty wields his scythe in combat and is strong and quick enough to carve multiple foes in two before they even have a chance to react. He supplements his physical prowess with magic, allowing him to teleport across the battlefield and counteract his foe's offense. He also makes use of death magic. While he was infected, Morty was a bastion of positive energy which he used to heal himself and damage his foes. He could channel positive energy endlessly.