#ozaiah

My idea of AFK Journey's world is that memories are a main form of (magical) energy that maintains Esperia and sustains life. This was triggered by the Timeless Gala event, where it was the magic within the memories of past adventures that lit up Merlin's magical bookmark.

Memories are created by all living things, in certain capacity and quantity, by experiencing time and are recorded and saved in both, brain and soul (even the environment can absorb memories to an extend). Upon death, the soul carries the memories back to the Tree of Life, where they are absorbed, recorded into the Tree itself, and transformed into energy that is used to give birth to and sustain life on Esperia. Memories can also be turned into magical power directly, by entities born from the Tree of Life, like the gods, and later mages.

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Soul & Body

Souls are unique containers which store memories. A soul is merged with a body at conception and they remain connected to each other until death alone will part them.

The moment of death is usually short, but can on occasion take a while - also known as "being on the brink of death". This separation of soul and body, a natural process, can be a painful one if consciously experienced by the soul.

Once dead, the soul automatically returns to the Tree of Life, where it passes on the energy of its memories. Once the memories have been fully given away, the soul has successfully gone through the cycle (it has been "recycled") and is merged again with a body at conception (incarnation). Memories can leave marks on or shape the soul, so some things (like talents, inclinations, tastes etc., but not memories) from a previous life will pass on to the next.

Healthy souls on their way back to the Tree, can take shape and still collect further memories. These new memories are volatile, though, and cannot eternally provide strength to the soul for a continued existence as a spectral being. Besides, the natural pull towards the Tree is very strong and most souls return voluntarily sooner than later.

Souls that cannot return to the Tree will weaken in their shell, and memories get lost. They bleed from the soul as magical energy, transitioning from one state of energy to another. The soul's shell still remains intact, however, and can be collected by Death to be returned empty to the Tree. The memory energy of souls can also be taken by force, a torturous method of obtaining a power boost.

As spectral beings with great energy concentration, souls can more easily interact with the world. They have full freedom to travel wherever they want.

Souls can use magic, if they know how. Usually, certain spells cast by mages will be interrupted and stopped upon the caster's death, but if strong enough, death can be experienced fully aware, allowing the soul to continue to cast the spell and, for example, self-resurrect as a Graveborn. Most Graveborn, however, have been resurrected by another mage.

There is a crucial time window to guarantee a successful resurrection as Graveborn: after death and before the soul has reached the Tree of Life. Souls that have already been absorbed by the Tree can still be called for resurrection, but the more memories and energy they lack, the weaker is the bond to their old, dead body, leading to faster decay in both, body and mind, compared to their healthier colleagues.

After a soul has been resurrected, Death must again act on his duty of impartiality, being unable to release them from their suffering until they naturally reach the end of their strength and "die" once more.

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Ghosts / Spirits

Ghosts are weak, non-autonomous and not truly aware copies of souls. They hold very low mana and cannot interact with the world as much as souls can. They are easy to dispel but if left undisturbed, ghosts can linger for a long time before finally falling apart. Similar to souls, ghosts can obtain new memories, but they are just as volatile and easily forgotten again, returning to Esperia as small amounts of magical energy.

Ghosts can always be created without time limitations, unlike Graveborn, who need their soul to be summoned as soon as possible after death. The only requirement for a ghost to come to be is that their memories are actually existent within their soul or within the Tree of Life.

The God of Death can create ghosts easily, but they are not limited to gravecalling magic. Ghosts can also be summoned/contacted/accessed by non-gravecalling magic types, like divination and time- or memory-related spells.

Ghost can also form naturally in the vicinity of their dead body, as the result of naturally occurring mana concentration along leylines (much like elemental magic).

Due to their weaker existence, a ghost's mobility is limited to the immediate area of where they were summoned or appeared, while their soul (and true self) continues to the Tree.

Despite their low mana, Ghosts can use a ghost-binding spell to "possess" something or someone and use that as means of mobility. The unexpected behavior of their target causes the association of "being haunted". Every time a ghost uses this spell, they loose a part of themselves to the target, until eventually so little of the ghost is left that they can no longer use the spell.

Ghosts cannot occupy a body like souls do (Graveborn).

While ghosts cannot interact with anything (except the boundary of any ground they step on), they still experience memories of sensation. They can still smell, taste or feel. A ghost attempting to eat something out of habit, will take its taste and leave behind an untouched but bland piece of food/drink.

Since ghosts are just partial copies of their original, they actually have limited awareness and self-understanding. Some don't know they are dead, or keep forgetting that fact. Those that do know, show a strange indifference about it. All ghosts seem to be very focused on one particular thing, with rare exceptions of greater autonomy, like Anathyme.

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The God of Death / Morgan

The God of Death's duty is to oversee the return of all souls to the Tree of Life, and step in if required. Even as, and perhaps particularly because he is, the God of Death, he must obey certain rules dictated by the cycle of life and death. The most defining one: impartiality. Death will not take life, unless the system itself calls for him to decide, for example, in some near-death experiences or prolonged deathbed scenarios. While nothing technically prevents him from doing so, the moment he causes premature death to any being, he falls from grace and inevitably into his own destruction. Morgan knows better than this and honors death, preserving the Tree of Life and Esperia.

Death cannot exert power over a soul still bound to a mortal/dead body, with one exception: a soul between life and death. This transitional state is normal and necessary, but usually too short for Death, who is as bound by time as mortals, to react. Only drawn out instances of this transition grant Death the opportunity and authority to either intervene or complete the process.

While Death's power is limited to the soul as a whole, he is able to access and read the memories within.

Death has the ability to take souls, currently in the process of recycling, from the Tree. Souls can be damaged or corrupted during life and this is a manual safety measure should automated processes not be able to deal with the problem. 

There is no method in place to prevent Death (or anyone practicing his magic) from resurrecting souls. It does not count towards his duty of impartiality, as he did not kill, but it does constitute as withholding energy from the Tree, causing potential trouble should this happen on a very large scale. Death should not, and does not, keep energy from the Tree needlessly.

Everything, dead or alive, including Death, is bound by a linear progression of time. Given how many deaths occur per minute in all of Esperia, Death cannot actually meet every single soul personally.

Something to keep in mind:

In life, Morgan desired to master total resurrection. I am not certain Morgan knows that the best he will ever be able to achieve is returning a soul to their dead body, leading to a very long life of rejection and suffering. In CoE, as Death, he acknowledges this fact and warns Valka that her Graveborn existence will be shunned and rejected. I believe that Death is very considerate with his creation of Graveborn and for what reason.

Therefore, I hope that Death has not been involved in the creation of Bantus (as much as I know from AFK Arena) and I do hope, that if he appears in S8, that he will condemn their existence, having simply been unable to interfere with the actions of the living.

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The Dog of Death / Cerberus

Cerberus appeared as an appendix to the original God of Death. The separation of humans and humanoid species (like dwarfs and wildborn [and others unknown just yet]) and animals was always intended and  it required, at least in death, two separate guardians. Cerberus' duty is to collect the stuck souls of animals and return them to the Tree of Life, matching exactly that which Ozaiah is doing for humans.

Cerberus cannot see and interact with the souls of humans, while Ozaiah cannot see and interact with the souls of animals. Only the God of Death can, by choice, see and interact with one or the other, or both. This includes conversations with them.

Despite his appearance, Cerberus is a dog at heart: kind, loyal, always eager to be petted, gentle towards the weak, fierce against enemies, and he runs faster than Athalia flies. Cerberus spends nearly every waking minute chasing after souls, and the other minutes he patiently waits by his master's feet, waiting for his command.

During the absence of the old God of Death, Cerberus too found himself busier than ever, with abnormal deaths among animals to skyrocket. Even though Ozaiah was the only companion during that time, Cerberus couldn't leave the animals unattended and so they have rarely met to provide comfort to each other. 

When Cerberus felt his master's return, he hurried back to the Realm of the Dead to greet Morgan joyfully.

Unlike Morgan and Ozaiah, Cerberus has no mortal appearance. If he does show himself it is always in his hellhound form. Stories of his sightings usually focus on the contrast between his haunting appearance but gentle behavior towards animals and humans alike.

Origins

Ozaiah was born 10.200 years ago and grew up in a family of apothecaries. She was married to a respected doctor and had a son with him. Unfortunately a genetic disease slowly took away the boy’s ability to move until he was tied to his bed. His condition worsened still, and when neither deity (Asclepius, Goddess of Life, God of Death) answered her prayers, Ozaiah decided to end her son’s life personally. Before she could follow him into death, however, the old God of Death (Annih) intervened, recruiting her into his services.

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Bridging between the old and new God of Death

Blessed by the old God of Death, Ozaiah can perform one of his most vital duties: the separation of the soul from its body after death - in the rare case of an imperfect death. For as long as a God of Death exists, such is a very rare occurrence. After Annih’s disappearance, however, these cases grew in numbers and quickly became an insurmountable obstacle for Ozaiah. She wanders for two centuries searching her old master, before breaking down in front of Dura and Morgan. Seeking help she remains with the Arcane Council. Morgan promises to stabilize the system but can only do so after his death. Wanting to save his life, Ozaiah forces the divine powers granted to her into Morgan, who manages to overpower and usurp them - becoming the new God of Death. His fate being unknown to Ozaiah, she chooses death, hoping to be united with him in the afterlife. Once awakened as God of Death, Morgan does retrieve her soul and grant her a new divinely blessed body, partly made of his own flesh and blood. Thus, Ozaiah begins her servitude as psychopomp under the new God of Death and has done so ever since.

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Duties

Ozaiah travels across Esperia to reach and release suffering souls.

She also tends to the roots of the Tree of Life, making sure the process of the souls being absorbed there is smooth and without problems.

Souls sometimes have unfinished business and need personal closure before returning, which Ozaiah will offer support with.

Ozaiah helps to keep the darkness beneath the Tree of Life in check. It is seeping into the realm of the dead, capable of corrupting the Tree via its roots, and entering Esperia from the base of the Arcadian Rift.

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Goals/Motivations

Ozaiah cares deeply for the souls. She primarily wishes for every single soul to return to the Tree so it can feed it with its memories, be recorded for eternity and be reborn as a new life.

She also hopes to bring peace and understanding to the living so that death is not as feared as it is, despite the inevitable loss.

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Affinity Tales

Ozaiah still carries her tome of apothecary studies with her, well preserved with magic. Even though she doesn’t actively practice it anymore, she still knows every plant and herb of Esperia.

The birth of her second son was never planned or expected. Instead, Dura had her hand in it. Ozaiah was never able to forgive the Goddess for that transgression, despite loving the boy dearly and watching over his descendants even now.

Ozaiah once released the souls of a group of musicians. They begged for one last gig with one of their last living band members, which Ozaiah not only granted but also joined. It was an unforgettable evening for those present at the tavern.

Despite her close relationship with the Arcane Council, she never agreed to be a formal member. No title or records of her exist in the archives.

While she was alive, Ozaiah hardly ever put her staff out of her hands, even when asleep. So after becoming a psychopomp it took her centuries to get comfortable moving around without the staff in hand.

Ozaiah often travels Esperia with Morgan in human form. It is the only time she experiences human desires again. They do so to not forget - and appreciate - life, despite and because they rule over the realm of the dead.

Despite being a Necromancer, the sanctity of the soul is paramount. Ozaiah has never forced a soul to do her bidding. Nor has she ever created a  Graveborn. Failures of the past aside, she leaves the creation of Graveborn, when neccessary, in the hands of Morgan.

As an eternal divine being, Ozaiah has many followers. While only few people in Esperia pray to the God of Death, most of them know and hail Ozaiah as the gentle sheperd of the souls. Her name is regularly mentioned in prayers for the dead.

Due to her longevity, Ozaia remains distant but cordial to most mortals. She is closest to only a few select Graveborn, whom she would visit on occasion. She currently most often descends in Whiteridge.

Just like the God of Death, Ozaiah needs to rest for periods of time. In order to ensure constant watch over the Tree’s roots and the dead, Morgan and her have gently shifted cycles. Ozaiah prefers to lay down next to him towards the end of his rest, while he never wants to wake alone.

EXTRA: As humans, both Ozaiah and Morgan, enjoy the Day of the Dead most, a celebration for the departed unique to a very small part of Esperia. Blessed by the God of Death personally, souls of the departed may return for a single night. Despite the social aspect of the celebration, the two attend regularly (anonymously).

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Mystical House Interaction: VIPERIAN

Viperian: Oh, what an interesting moment... meeting the Mistress of Death herself. Ozaiah: Viperian. Viperian: What do you think? With your divine eyes, surely you must have taken notice of my pioneering research and its fascinating results. She was magnificent, wasn't she? Ozaiah: I care not for your research and your monster was nothing but torture of the soul. You have only earned my contempt. Viperian: Such cruel words, when Death is your domain. Ozaiah: Death and Torture are not the same thing. Death is impartial. Neither I, nor the God of Death, will ever end life with our own hands. This is the only reason you still exist, despite your unforgivable torture upon life. Viperian: Hahahaha. How weak. I always jested but I didn't think it to be true. So, Death hides behind his own power. Pitiful. Ozaiah: So intelligent, yet so blind. Our purpose is not yours to understand. All you need to know is that even your small, extended existence will end one day. And then, when your soul rests in my hands, I shall cast judgement upon you. Viperian: ... It will be yet another exciting experiment!

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Mystical House Interaction: PANDORA

Pandora: You are Ozaiah, are you not? I have heard your name in prayers of this world. Ozaiah: Yes. I tend to the souls of this world, guiding them back to the Tree of Life. But... not yours. You are not from this world, are you? Pandora: Indeed, I am not. Where I come from, nobody has cared for the dead - nor the living - and now nothing remains. Ozaiah: Souls are linked to their origin. Your home still exists, as without it, you would not sit with me here today. It may be broken, but as long as it strands, there is hope. Pandora: Thank you. Not every world has such a gentle Death. You even sing for your souls, I have heard, to ease their suffering. Even if I may not be under your care in death, would you honor me by sharing your voice with me in life? Ozaiah: ... yes. I am sure I can find some soothing notes for you. And perhaps, some souls of this world will join in, too. Music brings us together. Pandora: The young and old, the dead and the living... and even us from different worlds. How truly miraculous.

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Voice Lines

First Recruitement: “No soul may get lost, for I am their sheperd.”

Deployment: “Who must I guide...?”

Upgrade: “Rest always renews my powers.”

Ultimate: “Come, join the song of the dead.”

Victory: “It was inevitable.”

Defeat: “Hgn! ... you cannot escape death.”

Idle 1: “Huh? Another soul lost? ... I will go immediately.”

Idle 2: “I may not be able to guide you in death... but I can join your path in life for a while.”

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Skill Set

Death's Grip (Ultimate): Passive: Ozaiah turns into (and remains) in her divine form and moves to the edge of the battlefield. She is invincible for a short duration. Active: A skeleton hand grabs the rear-most enemy and immobilizes them. It will reduce their MAG/PHY DEF, prevent the unit from any healing and receiving shields. It remains active until the unit is defeated. Only one unit at a time can be targeted.

Spectral Support: Ozaiah summons a soul to fight on the battlefield. It has no health, but energy will be used for attacks and when being attacked. The soul retreats when all energy is depleted. Energy does not replenish. There can be up to 3 souls on the battle field at the same time.

Spectral Shield: Ozaiah summons a shield for the weakest ally, or herself. It will damage the enemies in a one-tile radius when shattering.

The flame Ozaiah carries around, is the essence of the God of Death. Perhaps it was his way of leaving a bit of hope behind. This flame keeps the blessings on Ozaiah alive even though the God of Death himself doesn't exist anymore.

The God of Death granted Ozaiah the use of his divine power, specifically to detach the souls from their bodies. She has learned to wield more of his powers through the flame, and then developed magical skills on her own. Given her mortal status, however, she could never "replace" the God of Death in this form. If Fate exists, then she was meant to be link between the old and new God of Death.

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The whens are very vague, due to giant question marks in the lore. However, one thing is clear: for Morgan to become the God of Death, he must die first.

How? Could be an injury... could be a sickness. It just needs to be slow. Perhaps Ozaiah can still watch over him for a couple of days before she finally sees the signs of impending death: his soul will start trying to break free. This could be a moment of a single second or of several minutes, even hours. Some return from the brink of death... others don't. As for Morgan, the moment Ozaiah notices, she acts impulsively. While the thought had crossed her mind before, now that Morgan was about to die, there was no more time to doubt. She takes the divine flame and desperately forces it onto Morgan's body. Ozaiah was tired anyway, longing for death, and she would rather force the flame to sustain HIM instead of her. Somehow, despite all that he perhaps already achieved, it wasn't enough. He couldn't die here and now. Not yet.

The flame does merge with him. And yet... Morgan dies. And his soul leaves his body and disappears in the heavens together with the power of the flame.

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That is the last time Ozaiah can see the dead. The blessings stop. The water runs dry and her bag remains empty. Her clock continues to tick once more.

She remains behind, devastated. 

Morgan's body is prepared for a funeral. Ozaiah (and Merlin and Gala) bury him far away from people, in an unmarked grave. 

Ozaiah will stay days... perhaps a few weeks? But she is too tired and long has been ready for her final rest. She misses Morgan, of course, and would rather be dead WITH him. So she decides to finish what she started many many years ago: go with her son and return to the Cycle. So she creates herself that poison again.

She knows that she likely won't die properly, so she begs for Dura to bury her body with Morgan. That way her soul can remain with him, however long it will take for a new God of Death to come and release her.

Dura cannot prevent Ozaiah's departure. So she honors her wish.

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As for Morgan... his soul returns to the Tree of Life. But instead of being absorbed by the roots, he lingers there. Is it a violent absorption of the divine powers? Or the devouring of a soul? Either way, it is a metamorphosis. The birth of a new god.

Dura can feel the process and checks the situation. Yet, she has to wait. This might take not as long as one would assume, given gods are timeless beings and a week, a year and even a millennium is nothing to them. This greatly depends a little on the surrounding circumstances and the situation of the Arcane Council. 

So without further defining the time needed for this process... Dura is there when Morgan finally awakes as the God of Death.

He is a bit disorientated but quickly has an idea of what is going on. Dura promises to help him ease into the role (she also doesn't fail to express her happiness over the fact that the two of them can continue to work together!)

He is still weak and needs to retreat for a bit longer, but there is one thing he must do first: deal with all the faulty deaths around Esperia. Dura is happy to wait.

Now that he's the God of Death, he can instantly deal with all of them at the same time. And with his first official action, all of these suffering souls finally return to the Tree of Life.

Except for one: Ozaiah.

He knows where she is, and appears by their shared grave, to personally take her soul.

He retreats into his realm with her, creating a place for them both to rest.

Even though her soul is too tired to wake yet, he creates a vessel for her soul, so that she may remain by his side eternally.

Her new existence is then placed to rest by his side for some time longer.

After a while, she wakes. Confused about being still around. She leaves that small sanctuary and finds the God of Death outside, quietly waiting for her in the vast stillness of his realm.

"Lord of Death... why have you not granted me eternal rest?" she asks on her knees in front of him. "Because we promised, Zai, to not let each other alone in our fates", he replies gently. "...Yes. I remember. Morgan."