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amatnpcsAs a God of Death, Thanatos is not necessarily cruel, but he is not nice either. He expects that there is a price for everything and that it must be paid in full before anything can come of it. A realist, he dislikes the squabbling between the other gods and takes a neutral stance in their arguments. He is cold but not unforgiving and generally what he asks of mortals is fair, or within their reach, unless they are asking for something outrageous. When he appears, he looks to be a middle-aged man with a dark complexion and dark hair. His robes, made of dark fabrics, cover most of his body, and he wears a black mask. He is often seen holding a sword. Thanatos tends to talk in a ‘flowery’ manner.
Symbol
A half-face mask (most often the bandit-style eye mask, but more elaborate depictions are out there) turned sideways to hang down with a short feather hanging off the bottom. Usually, it is carved into the surface of palm sized river stones - the kind that are worn smooth and round by the water. When worn it is always made of silver - both the mask and the feather. The feather can be sharpened to a razor’s edge if the wearer so chooses. (This is public knowledge among the Collared as of Jan. 2013)
Animals and Other Things Associated with Thanatos
Ravens, Seagulls, and Other Carrion Birds - There are no animals sacred to Thanatos (everything must die so he does not claim something as sacred enough to protect from death should it come to them), but a handful of different birds are associated with him for different reasons. Common varieties of carrion birds are the most obvious as they come to prey on the rotting remains of whatever has just died. Ravens, thought not strictly carrion, are omnivorous enough to be thought of in the common consciousness as a "eater of souls" if they get to a body fast enough. This is supposedly a blessing as it is believed that a Raven takes a soul directly to Thanatos' throne when they die instead of forcing the soul to walk the afterlife until they find it on their own. Seagulls are also carrion birds, eating dead fish that have washed up on shore or picking at other dead animals if they're hungry enough. Though these birds give sailors long at sea hope for dry land, they also play the role of heralding death via over-population or gluttony.
Common Rituals, Superstitions, and Cultural Influences
The Stigma Against Suicide - It is Thanatos’ influence that has created the stigma against suicide that the people of Atia hold fast to. For all that he is a god of death, he does not want to see a soul enter his realm before it's time. It takes more work to settle them than those that have already lived out as much as they ever will.
The Ritual at the Volcano - There is a ritual that takes place at the top of the Volcano which is associated with Thanatos and carried out by the priests of Atia’s Temple. What it is for and what exactly occurs during it is not known to anyone outside the priesthood, though the ritual itself is known among the natives to occur regularly each year in the late winter/early spring. Due to it occurring at the top of the Volcano, it is likely that it involves Harmonia’s cooperation as well.
Cremation and Burial - Because it's an island, and been around for a long time, natives no longer bury their dead in the traditional senses. There *are* corpses in the catacombs from over a dozen generations ago, but in the most recent history, most of the bodies are cremated within 24 hours of a known death and the urn given to the cult of Thanatos to be buried instead - to save space for further burials.
When the decision to stop straight out burial came, the natives had to change how they did things, but didn't want to change the rituals that they'd been so accustomed to. There's a lot of cosmetic preparation for the burial that includes the trimming of hair and how to remove clothes and what to do with it.
Cremation prep is more gruesome. The body is wash, skinned, bones cut out and smashed/ground into a fine powder so they can join the ashes of the burned flesh in the urn. And it all has to be done in a specific order so as not to disrespect the dead. Depending on the occupation of the dead, superstitions come in and certain bones are sent off to be carved into useful implements that are then given to the family to decorate their personal shrines to Atia (fishhooks, nails, and chisels are common).
As the body is dead and the soul passed on, there's very little emphasis on the spiritual purity of those handling the soulless husks of those that are gone. Which is why there aren't any real religious connotations associated with the cremation. It is almost literally the respectful removal of refuse. All the religious stuff happens after the urn/body has been given to the cult of Thanatos.
Island Domain
Thanatos’ Temple is his only hold upon the living world. Getting his attention involves being dead or having died.
Thanatos technically has an island of his own. No one goes there because to go there is to walk in death.
Worship of Thanatos/General Religious Worship
The cult of Thanatos is a group of natives that worship Atia first and Thanatos second. Until the request from the Collared known as Chloe came in to worship Thanatos as her primary god, no one on the island had focused on him in such a manner.
Among the Natives, Thanatos is prayed to when someone dies so that their soul may find peace quickly and move on to either a peaceful afterlife or to be reborn in a new life. As the Natives to believe in rebirth, they are accepting of the idea of reincarnation in a literal sense. They do not expect anyone to remember their past lives - and, in fact, seeking to find out about it is taboo - because the life is in the past. It does not matter to the current one. A soul is believed to be reborn only when they have found peace in death and can move on without a weight to hold them to the past.
Thanatos is also prayed to when someone is actively dying from an illness. Usually to ask the god to ease their suffering and take them quietly if it is their time, or if it is not, to ease their suffering so they can continue to live as long as they're supposed to.
If someone is suspected of harboring suicidal thoughts, Thanatos is prayed to and asked to guide their soul away from such acts and to send them to the arms of Atia's priests for help.
Holy Days
The Festival of Death and Rebirth - a five day festival thrown at the beginning of the harvest to give honor to Thanatos and remember the beloved dead. There is an abundance of simple sweet cakes and wine and the services given are somber ones that alternate between public and private depending on the day and the rituals performed. On the fourth day, lanterns and candles are lit and set out on boats that float down-river from Thanatos’ temple toward the shipyard as a symbolic remembrance of all those who have left the island - for the collared, this includes those who actually left, not just the dead the Natives remember.
This festival starts on the 5th of Earthful and goes through the end of the 9th. The days known most commonly to the Collared as the 5th-9th of October.
Symbol
A half-face mask (most often the bandit-style eye mask, but more elaborate depictions are out there) turned sideways to hang down with a short feather hanging off the bottom. Usually, it is carved into the surface of palm sized river stones - the kind that are worn smooth and round by the water. When worn it is always made of silver - both the mask and the feather. The feather can be sharpened to a razor’s edge if the wearer so chooses. (This is public knowledge among the Collared as of Jan. 2013)
Animals and Other Things Associated with Thanatos
Ravens, Seagulls, and Other Carrion Birds - There are no animals sacred to Thanatos (everything must die so he does not claim something as sacred enough to protect from death should it come to them), but a handful of different birds are associated with him for different reasons. Common varieties of carrion birds are the most obvious as they come to prey on the rotting remains of whatever has just died. Ravens, thought not strictly carrion, are omnivorous enough to be thought of in the common consciousness as a "eater of souls" if they get to a body fast enough. This is supposedly a blessing as it is believed that a Raven takes a soul directly to Thanatos' throne when they die instead of forcing the soul to walk the afterlife until they find it on their own. Seagulls are also carrion birds, eating dead fish that have washed up on shore or picking at other dead animals if they're hungry enough. Though these birds give sailors long at sea hope for dry land, they also play the role of heralding death via over-population or gluttony.
Common Rituals, Superstitions, and Cultural Influences
The Stigma Against Suicide - It is Thanatos’ influence that has created the stigma against suicide that the people of Atia hold fast to. For all that he is a god of death, he does not want to see a soul enter his realm before it's time. It takes more work to settle them than those that have already lived out as much as they ever will.
The Ritual at the Volcano - There is a ritual that takes place at the top of the Volcano which is associated with Thanatos and carried out by the priests of Atia’s Temple. What it is for and what exactly occurs during it is not known to anyone outside the priesthood, though the ritual itself is known among the natives to occur regularly each year in the late winter/early spring. Due to it occurring at the top of the Volcano, it is likely that it involves Harmonia’s cooperation as well.
Cremation and Burial - Because it's an island, and been around for a long time, natives no longer bury their dead in the traditional senses. There *are* corpses in the catacombs from over a dozen generations ago, but in the most recent history, most of the bodies are cremated within 24 hours of a known death and the urn given to the cult of Thanatos to be buried instead - to save space for further burials.
When the decision to stop straight out burial came, the natives had to change how they did things, but didn't want to change the rituals that they'd been so accustomed to. There's a lot of cosmetic preparation for the burial that includes the trimming of hair and how to remove clothes and what to do with it.
Cremation prep is more gruesome. The body is wash, skinned, bones cut out and smashed/ground into a fine powder so they can join the ashes of the burned flesh in the urn. And it all has to be done in a specific order so as not to disrespect the dead. Depending on the occupation of the dead, superstitions come in and certain bones are sent off to be carved into useful implements that are then given to the family to decorate their personal shrines to Atia (fishhooks, nails, and chisels are common).
As the body is dead and the soul passed on, there's very little emphasis on the spiritual purity of those handling the soulless husks of those that are gone. Which is why there aren't any real religious connotations associated with the cremation. It is almost literally the respectful removal of refuse. All the religious stuff happens after the urn/body has been given to the cult of Thanatos.
Island Domain
Thanatos’ Temple is his only hold upon the living world. Getting his attention involves being dead or having died.
Thanatos technically has an island of his own. No one goes there because to go there is to walk in death.
Worship of Thanatos/General Religious Worship
The cult of Thanatos is a group of natives that worship Atia first and Thanatos second. Until the request from the Collared known as Chloe came in to worship Thanatos as her primary god, no one on the island had focused on him in such a manner.
Among the Natives, Thanatos is prayed to when someone dies so that their soul may find peace quickly and move on to either a peaceful afterlife or to be reborn in a new life. As the Natives to believe in rebirth, they are accepting of the idea of reincarnation in a literal sense. They do not expect anyone to remember their past lives - and, in fact, seeking to find out about it is taboo - because the life is in the past. It does not matter to the current one. A soul is believed to be reborn only when they have found peace in death and can move on without a weight to hold them to the past.
Thanatos is also prayed to when someone is actively dying from an illness. Usually to ask the god to ease their suffering and take them quietly if it is their time, or if it is not, to ease their suffering so they can continue to live as long as they're supposed to.
If someone is suspected of harboring suicidal thoughts, Thanatos is prayed to and asked to guide their soul away from such acts and to send them to the arms of Atia's priests for help.
Holy Days
The Festival of Death and Rebirth - a five day festival thrown at the beginning of the harvest to give honor to Thanatos and remember the beloved dead. There is an abundance of simple sweet cakes and wine and the services given are somber ones that alternate between public and private depending on the day and the rituals performed. On the fourth day, lanterns and candles are lit and set out on boats that float down-river from Thanatos’ temple toward the shipyard as a symbolic remembrance of all those who have left the island - for the collared, this includes those who actually left, not just the dead the Natives remember.
This festival starts on the 5th of Earthful and goes through the end of the 9th. The days known most commonly to the Collared as the 5th-9th of October.
