Thanatos XIII

By Any Other Name

• Basic Information

  (Note: Before you go assuming things, please understand that this isn't just another omnipotent, powerplaying, god-among-mortals, uber-seriousness character. Death can have a personality and sense of humor as well. He's just...scarier than some.)
  
  Bio
  Name: Thanatos XII(The 13th)
  Nicknames: Skeletor, Teacher.
  Age: Ageless.
  Weight: Unknown.
  Height: 6'~
  Species: Homomortus Spiritus (Reaper, shinigami, death god, soul reaper, etc)
  Sex: Male
  Sexual orientation: Decidedly attracted to the female form.
  Deities: Jaded to the whole notions of gods and deities since he himself is not unlike a minor deity.
  Scent: Incense. Specifically funeral incense...and library dust. If you've ever smelled either you'd know it.
  Alignment: True Neutral with leanings towards both Evil and Good.
  
  Sight - Average. Without glasses:(see Details page)
  Touch - Plating on: Average. Plating off: Above average.
  Smell - Average.
  Hear - Average.
  Taste - Exceptional.
  
  
  
  Appearance
  Build: Seemingly gaunt and malnourished thanks to his odd biology (see 'Distinguishing Marks/features') but in actuality he's got a decent amount of meat on his bones (no pun intended) without seeming like he actually works out....ever. Broad shoulders and slender limbs only help this exaggerated appearance.
  
  Eye color: A deep wine to cherry red, baring an odd "double iris"- that being two distinct shades of red separated in an outer and inner band of maroon and crimson respectively. While donning his 'mask' they appear as naught but a pair of beady red points of light in it's eye sockets, like a pair of dim lanterns on a dark night or dying coals. With that mask off however they usually lack that luminescence, glasses often blocking them from view partially or completely with a glare of light.
  
  Skin: Pallid ashen white often giving the image he's colored in monotone.
  
  Distinguishing marks/features: More commonly he appears to be a simple animated skeleton wearing a robe. This is a ruse. Or in the least, a second skin. In truth, his biology has left the reaper with ridges of calcium plates (akin to horns, tusks, or spines) outlined in darker grey that overlap the major skeletal structures (ribs, collarbone, spine, shoulder caps/blades, ridges of hip) and certain joints, bones lying close under the skin (knuckles, elbows, knees, wrists, ankles, shins) and select exaggerations like that of a 'choker' wrapping around his throat at the point of his Thyroid Cartilage. There are also a few small sections of these grey-outlined 'bones' hidden under his hair at the base of his skull, either temple, and along the underside edge of his jaw, the focal points of origin that produce his 'mask'. As a final note of biology adapting to a poisoned environment, Thanatos' blood is a vile inky shade of red as well as holding the same consistency of syrup and a toxicity that would leave most organic creatures gravely ill if consumed. His tongue is also decidedly unlike a human's; long and tapered, holding the same shade of blackened plum as a gila monster.
  
  Hair: Inky black center-part with chin-length bangs and bound down to the shoulder blades in the back.
  
  Voice: With his mask on his voice is distorted into a deep, echoing tone befitting one who has seen countless ages, full of cynicism and rasping gravity. Baring his true face, however, is the exact opposite. As smooth and unassuming as premium chocolate and capable of both lilting allure and venomous coldness.
  
  Jewelry/Accessories:
  -Various pewter rings on all but his right-middle finger and varying in size, style, and decoration.
  -Small ring piercings on either ear, also pewter.
  -A secondary piercing on his left ear dangling a chain with a small pewter skull.
  -A small, imprinted leather book connected to a chain.
  -Black square-rimmed reading glasses. Always worn.
  -His scythe, visible or not.
  
  Usual attire: Black. Lots of black and dark colors. His family and upbringing has conditioned him to feel most comfortable in the cliche deathly garb. Long black robes, one inner and more ornate, technically no more than a connected tunic and floor-length skirt (yes, death wears a skirt, got a problem with it?), and an outer robe of dark grey, baring a hood and billowing sleeves, its ends tattered and fabric weathered like aged cobwebs. To top off the imposing outfit of macabre design, a mantle of nigh-ethereal hide, seeming a constant state of flux between long fur and fine feathers, is worn clasped over shoulders with a thick pewter chain. The bulky mantle gives the illusion of the reaper being bigger and more imposing than he truly is in a manner akin to a cloak's collar.
  
  States
  Skeletal: The reaper's most preferred and often seen "form" (as overused as the term is), used mainly for times when interaction with the corporeal plane and its residents is needed. His head entirely encased in a helm of calcified plates in the shape of skull, segmented in places to allow some assemblance of expression and ease of movement (specifically the areas of the brow, cheek, and jaw). Arms and legs, as the only extremities seen (aside from the head), also exhibit greaves and gauntlets of boney armor, manipulated with surprising dexterity and ease. Eyes also appear as ethereal red pupils hovering in the darkness of the skull's eye sockets.
  Wraith: Same in appearance to that of the previous with the exception of his body seems to be in a constant state of intangibility. Also described as a "shade", his figure resembles that of a deathly ghost, only helped how the ends of his robes and the long fur of the reaper's mantle flow weightlessly. One can usually see this under employ during travel or when searching for reading material. Nothing beats being able to float when The Pit and the Pendulum is trapped on the top shelf.
  Humanoid: If one ever sees the reaper in such a state they are either very lucky, unlucky, or extremely sneaky. From a glance or a distance he'd seem like any other human, if lacking a couple decades' worth of sun and having an affinity for monkish Renaissance wear and the macabre. Arms and legs still bare the skeletal armor as before, though his head as an entirety lies uncovered.
  
  
  
  Etc.
  Personality: "Enigmatic scholar". An intellectual and thinker first and foremost, anything that doesn't stimulate his mind or at the very least humor him, Thanatos grows very bored of it very fast. Never far from a library or book, he exhibits some of the typical bookish personality traits. Both positive and negative. The latter being anti-social behavior, skepticism, and cynicism for most he encounters. This proves true regardless of any variation of the reaper. That, however, is where the consistency ends.
  Though Thanatos is wholly one complete entity and doesn't suffer the effects of a split personality or dissociative identity disorder, there are behavioral differences between when he's wearing his 'mask' and when he isn't, as exhibited in cases when individuals wear masks or feel otherwise anonymous as opposed to confrontation with their faces and identity known.
  When lying behind the skeletal facade Thanatos shows an increased sense of looking down on people and skepticism as well as appearing guarded or especially antisocial. In such a state, his age seems to show through, his regard for others being cold, aloof, and full of biting cynicism only broken by the seldom pique of interest. This state also appears to be a guarded reflex and mental defense mechanism to dissociate himself from others.
  Appearing more human, he seems like a different person. Sociable, carefree, and even somewhat charming, if retaining a certain amount of crass cynicism, the aged reaper looks and acts much more youthful. Quite any matter of conversing and cavorting could seem possible...if at quite the risk, for beneath the shell of a bookworm lies repressed cruelty and the potential for a world-class sadist. Combined with his analytic cunning and devious demeanor, it could even prove dangerous.
  
  
  
  Positive Aspects: Intelligent, resourceful, charming.
  Negative Aspects: Deceitful, inattentive, antisocial, manipulative, rarely capable of compassion.
  Likes: Wine, books, "big band" and jazz music, the 1920's, overcast and/or rainy days, tea, the Victorian age.
  Dislikes: Grating music, bright sunny days, hard liquor, paperwork.
  
  
  
  Background
  Hometown: The realm/world of the dead. Otherwise unknown.
  Education: Again, quite the scholarly skeleton he's knowledgeable thanks to chewing through books in his spare time. Any formal education pertained mostly to his occupation.
  Languages spoken: English, Latin, Greek.
  Finances: Technically dirt poor more often than not, but has his own questionable ways of obtaining money. Then again, it isn't like he has to buy food to survive.
  Current location: Unknown. Commonly spotted around the dead, dying, and areas of ghastly influence as well as places of antiquity.
  Pets/Slaves: None.
  Religion: See "Deities" above.
  Occupation: AWOL. Formerly a managerial-rank record keeper. Post was abandoned on a whim, though not without repercussion.
  
  
  
  Favorites
  Color: Silver, red, violet, blue.
  Least favorite color: Grey.
  Food: Anything from the corporeal plane.
  Least favorite food: Any 'food' from the land of death, if you can even call it food.
  Form of entertainment: People-watching, reading, terrifying unsuspecting passerby, harassing his 'student'.
  Most prized possession: His scythe. It is, after all, literally a part of him.
  
  
  
  Habits
  Smokes: Seldom. Once or twice really. It tasted infinitesimally better than a death-world 'apple'.
  Drinks: Occasionally when he can, usually wine.
  Skills: Bookkeeping, information gathering, assassination (he is literally death in a form you can reason with. It is his forte and how he maintains his form, each kill another meal.)
  Nervous tics: Tends to avoid eye contact and deviate from subjects when nervous or unsure.
  
  
  
  Relationships
  Opinion of other people in general: Mortal beings are frankly trivial and mostly shallow and useless.
  Does the character hide his/her true opinions and emotions from others? Seldomly.
  Person character most hates: No one...yet. He holds a bit of spite for everyone and everything equally.
  
  
  
  Abilities
  Soul eating: The core of the reaper's vitality, he must devour souls to keep from simply wasting away. When one is devoured, depending on it's "freshness", its remaining longevity and energy can either be used to supplement Thanatos' own or used as a proverbial "1up" or unit of "health" in terms of damage.
  -"Freshness" refers to how long a soul has been dead, where a soul ripped fresh from a body is most potent and that of a mere "will-o-wisp" or lingering ghost is weakest.
  
  Scythe: Thanatos' tool of choice in his work appears as the cliche weapon of harvest. A long, monochromatic crescent blade whose blunt end resembles a human skull vomiting the handle, a gnarled black branch of petrified wood. Nothing seems to reflect in the polished surface of the blade itself, but when held to the front of the soon-to-depart, their reflection appears clear as crystal. As for those already dead or undead (even vampires), theirs only reflects as faded and muddled. This may have served a purpose back when still under the employ of the deathly society, more so if he'd done more reaping than paperwork.
  
  
  
  Weaknesses/Quirks
  -A mere oddity, if injured physically he doesn't simply bleed. Blood doesn't spray or leak so much as it does ooze, and with it comes wisps of ectoplasm- an ethereal, gauzy cobweb of shifting colors as opposed to the wrong assumption of glowing green goo.
  
  -Because Thanatos is essentially a free-floating entity of accumulated souls at his core, (having lost his corporeal form once before) maintaining a physically solid body requires a lot of energy. Doing so by harnessing the power of a soul burns its longevity not unlike the wick of a candle. The longer he stays solid, the more energy he burns. This is regarding just maintaining a solid form and doesn't venture into the realm of wielding powers or abilities.
  
  -As noted prior, Thanatos needs his glasses. Not only because he cannot identify living things without them, but because he is, in fact, nearsighted. Centuries of doing nothing but reading and bookkeeping will do that to even "death" himself.