» Where death comes, I follow… «
Gabriel Marks is 200+ years old, but people say he doesn’t look a day older than 45. As a retired fable, the former Grim Reaper earns his living in Belle Dona now — but don’t be fooled. The ghost shouldn’t be underestimated, because he is ruthless, calm and sympathetic. Still, his headstrong and gullibility could be his downfall.
» The sun set in Magnolia one night… «
The Grim Reaper, some say, is as old as time itself. But the grim figure of a hooded skeleton holding a scythe wasn’t truly evident until the medieval periods, when fear of the unknown was common. Nonetheless, no one knows where the Grim Reaper came from. All they knew is that he was associated with death and that they wanted no part of him. And with his horrifying appearance, it didn’t make any better. So since the beginning of time, The Grim Reaper came for those whose time on the mortal world had run out. He was seen as a collector of souls and a guide to all mortals. He was never in a place to judge souls, nor was it the entity’s role to aid or hinder mortal affairs: put simply, the Grim Reaper’s task was to appear to the dying and guide them to their final destination where they would be judged accordingly by higher powers.
One night, during the peak of his career in the Civil War, the Grim Reaper came to a small house on a plantation. He had come there to reap the soul of a terminally ill woman and guide her to the afterlife. Due to his ghastly appearance, she was scared (as was to be expected). While trying to stay calm and focused on the objective, he didn’t realize that a mischievous Jack Horner was behind him with a magic bag. Jack trapped the Grim Reaper inside of it, saving the ill woman from her demise. However, Jack and the woman soon came to find that because Death had been bagged, no one was dying. Soldiers with fatal wounds were angrily shouting at the both of them for taking Death. Jack desperately released the Grim Reaper, who was furious at first and planned on “taking Jack’s life early”, but the woman convinced him not to, reminding him that it must’ve been the first time he’s rested in a long time. While not totally convinced, the Reaper realized that that much was true. He felt rejuvenated for the first time in a while. He decided to spare Jack’s life for now and for the woman let her live one more year. With that, he continued his duties for a few hundred more years.
» …and it rose again in Belle Dona. «
While the entity was confused at the beginning of the change, the Grim Reaper soon realized that even though he was in a different place, he still had a job to do – but this time he was going to do it differently. For one thing, he need to change his entire persona because people still feared him wherever he went. He decided to possess a host and change his name. Something not related to death. In his past he learned about the Angel Gabriel in the bible, and how he told Mary about the birth of her son. The Grim Reaper was gone and Gabriel Marks was born.
From there, he had told others he was retired. That he doesn’t work anymore, so he could actually get some rest. But he still works within the confines of Belle Dona, not wanting another one of those “trapped in the bag” fiascos again. However, Gabriel takes a different approached to the dying. He’ll often sit with his victims and explain what is going to happen to them. Then he’ll calm them down and patiently wait with them until they are ready to be guided to the afterlife, no matter how long it takes. Gabriel feels that even though he can’t change the general opinion on death, he can at least make it a little easier for the people going through it. As for recent events, Gabriel was not surprised to see the mayor on his list of people to reap. Based on the mayor’s recount, he knows Viktor’s conclusions on the death are false. But Gabriel lets Fate take its course and doesn’t want to intervene. He figures he’s a witness in some sense, but he’s not about to give just anybody any answers – willingly at least.
Originates from the Grim Reaper verse.
Frequent Locations: Coroner’s Office & Funeral Home, Emerald Park, Hell., St. Mirana’s Hospital, S’Wine Brownstone Apartments.
Gabriel can kill, and has done so before – ruthlessly. But he only does so on rare occasions (or when he’s been tricked or cheated).
Resides in the S’Wine Brownstone Apartments, though he’s usually not there.
Often teleports around Belle Dona in his free time. He’s like a quiet observer.
Generally, very neutral on things that happen between citizens in Belle Dona, preferring to let Fate decide what happens.
He has a moral compass and is extremely sympathetic to his victims and people in need. He will try to help out if he feels it’s the right thing to do. Otherwise, he’ll be witness to Fate’s hand.
If he’s able to, Gabriel will often try to grant a dying person’s final wish.
Yes, he still has the scythe. No, he will not show it to you.
» That morning people realized that happily ever after was over. «
Gabriel Marks is Panromantic / Pansexual and uses He / Him pronouns. If he had to pick one song to describe himself, it would be Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns. He is portrayed by Daniel Sunjata and is currently taken.
