Who or what is the Reaper, anyway?

[Liquid Fear]

The fireplace gives several hints and everything, but I'm failing to add up and understand what exactly is the Reaper.

As far as it goes, we know he's not undead as per the fireplace stating so (sure, that was before the vampire missions, which is related, but the meaning is still the same: NOT undead).

The Reaper also has a striking resemblance to the skeleton enemies. There's info from one of them who wants to become a Reaper as well, so we can guess the Reaper is created somehow, and its of course tied to the God of Life.

I don't know; maybe the Reaper is indeed a skeleton like the others? But he's not undead so he either became one in the process of becoming a Reaper or he was a skeleton before becoming one, which frankly doesn't add up much since the God of Life hates the undead.

Also, there's the theory that Ibzan is/was a Reaper too (not sure if I read it here or in the game, I don't remember anymore). Since Ibzan looks like a skeleton general and even commands skeletons then maybe they are indeed connected?

[madnesskiller6]

The reaper is a skeleton, he is also an assassin. The reaper works for his employer, the fireplace. Ibzan lost his fireplace due to a new reaper.

[Soshidow]

Originally posted by madnesskiller6:

The reaper is a skeleton, he is also an assassin. The reaper works for his employer, the fireplace. Ibzan lost his fireplace due to a new reaper.

I got that Izban was the previous reaper from his tapes and referring to the fireplace as his old friend but how do we know the current reaper is a skeleton?

[Panc]

Originally posted by Soshidow:

how do we know the current reaper is a skeleton?

maybe how he looks and how only skeltons want to become reaper, implying that only skeltons can become the reaper

Originally posted by madnesskiller6:

Ibzan lost his fireplace due to a new reaper.

He lost his place because he broke a rurle or something wasn't it?

[Your Therapist]

Yep, hinted to by both himself and the actual fireplace, the fireplace or god of life stating multiple times how he won't forgive him but in the form of epic rhyme.

[kuribruh]

The achievements reference the four horsemen--Famine, Death, War, and Conquest--which, from what I can remember of religious texts, weren't undead. I think they were some sort of angels called cherubim or something. So, he's most likely not a skeleton.

Also, his name is Death, which I look at as he's the guardian of Death, making sure it happens and it doesn't reverse itself. The dead are coming back and he has to stop that from happening. If he's with the living world but dead, he's pretty much breaking his own rules.

[Bandit Thug]

Here's something neat - look at the colors of blood. Zombies/vampires have red blood, so obviously being undead doesn't mean you get green blood or whatever. But Skeletons have grey blood, and Ibzan's is black. YOUR blood is a mixture - both red and black. I don't know if that says anything about your respective statuses, but it's something to keep an eye on, yeah? Does your blood ever change from pure black to black/red mix? I thought I remembered it being black in earlier levels.

[Panc]

Originally posted by Bacter:

Here's something neat - look at the colors of blood. Zombies/vampires have red blood, so obviously being undead doesn't mean you get green blood or whatever. But Skeletons have grey blood, and Ibzan's is black. YOUR blood is a mixture - both red and black. I don't know if that says anything about your respective statuses, but it's something to keep an eye on, yeah? Does your blood ever change from pure black to black/red mix? I thought I remembered it being black in earlier levels.

I think it was always black

[Pubby Pages (she/it)]

Originally posted by Bacter:

Here's something neat - look at the colors of blood. Zombies/vampires have red blood, so obviously being undead doesn't mean you get green blood or whatever. But Skeletons have grey blood, and Ibzan's is black. YOUR blood is a mixture - both red and black. I don't know if that says anything about your respective statuses, but it's something to keep an eye on, yeah? Does your blood ever change from pure black to black/red mix? I thought I remembered it being black in earlier levels.

I think the skeleton blood is more of some ash-y grey substance.

[kuribruh]

I can guess that's not skeleton blood and more like bone-pudding that you turned him into.

[Teb]

Anyone else kinda notice that it almost looks liker the reaper's skull is more of a mask than a actual head. I mean every other part of his body is black. I used to think it was possible that he was some entity made out of smoke, which would be awsome because it could directly connect him to the fire. However when he turns into smoke you can tell he is using some sort of magic lighter to do that, and according to another thread you can find a lighter in Ibzan's safe, so maybe it's just a magic lighter than can turn anyone into smoke.

[Leafshade]

Originally posted by madnesskiller6:

The reaper is a skeleton, he is also an assassin. The reaper works for his employer, the fireplace. Ibzan lost his fireplace due to a new reaper.

This is definitely not true, the reaper is not undead.

[kilozombie]

Originally posted by Leafshade:

Originally posted by madnesskiller6:

The reaper is a skeleton, he is also an assassin. The reaper works for his employer, the fireplace. Ibzan lost his fireplace due to a new reaper.

This is definitely not true, the reaper is not undead.

But Ibzan was a reaper, and he's also undead.

[Leafshade]

Originally posted by kilozombie:

Originally posted by Leafshade:

This is definitely not true, the reaper is not undead.

But Ibzan was a reaper, and he's also undead.

WAS being a key word, it's possible anyone CAN be a reaper, but the reaper we play as is not undead.

[kilozombie]

Originally posted by Leafshade:

Originally posted by kilozombie:

But Ibzan was a reaper, and he's also undead.

WAS being a key word, it's possible anyone CAN be a reaper, but the reaper we play as is not undead.

Just because the fireplace says we're not undead doesn't mean that's the truth. Considering we're a skeleton who bleeds black blood, identical to Ibzan, I think we're undead.

[Leafshade]

Originally posted by kilozombie:

Originally posted by Leafshade:

WAS being a key word, it's possible anyone CAN be a reaper, but the reaper we play as is not undead.

Just because the fireplace says we're not undead doesn't mean that's the truth. Considering we're a skeleton who bleeds black blood, identical to Ibzan, I think we're undead.

My theory is that, the flames makes their reapers mortal, it is some sort of life god, or life itself after all, basically as a proof of our abilities, or as a cost of becoming the smoke.