Characters / Codex Equus: Three Deaths

Here is a list of characters from the Three Deaths, a trio of Death deities who are the biological/adoptive parents of the Trimortidae.

To return to the main character index, click here.

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Three Deaths

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General

• Beware the Nice Ones: All three of them are benevolent Death deities; Gavisus and Audens are more obvious, while Malus has a more compassionate side despite being generally grim. They're also ancient and powerful Death deities, and going after the souls in their care will anger them greatly.
• Divine Parentage: They're all biological children of Obitus, one of the Thirteen Empyreans and the oldest Equid Death god in existence. In a roundabout way, they themselves became biological/adoptive parents of their respective branches in the Trimortidae.
• Don't Fear the Reaper: All three of them are benevolent Death deities, even Malus Manes. While Malus Manes is someone the dead don't want visiting them, Malus Manes genuinely wants people to avoid eternal damnation and is willing to give sinners a chance for atonement.
• Fan-Created Offspring: According to Godzillawolf, they're completely original characters who are children of Obitus Equus, who is a Composite Character of Onyx Prime and Death from Discworld.
• God of the Dead: All three of them are Death deities who embody different aspects of death — Gavisus Manes embodies joyful and content deaths; Audens Manes embodies heroic deaths; and Malus Manes embodies the eternal damnation that awaits the wicked upon death.
• Good Parents: All of them are good parents to the Trimortidae, whether biological or adoptive. This is notable since some Trimortidae had Abusive Parents growing up.
• In the Blood: Many of the Trimortidae take after them to varying degrees, though it depends on who the parent is — Gavisus Manes' children are joyful and compassionate people who help the dead/dying come to terms with their fates; Audens Manes' children are heroic and courageous deities like their mother; Malus Manes' children are infernal punishers who drag wicked souls down to their well-deserved punishments.
• Parental Substitute: Many of the Trimortidae were adopted by them upon Ascending to godhood. Some of said Trimortidae consider each of the Three Deaths who adopted them to be their 'true' parent due to having Abusive Parents in life, such as Moon Ray Vaughoof/Canticum Lunae Cahaya and ALICE/Adelais.
• The Problem with Fighting Death: All three of them do not tolerate attempts to revive the dead because 1) the dead being revived are either robbed of their eternal reward or freed from their rightful punishments, and 2) reviving the dead typically involves an Equivalent Exchange where a life is sacrificed to bring back another. The only situations where they do allow the dead to come back to life is if they choose to Ascend as a non-Death deity, or reincarnate as another being (as shown with Judicial Replacements).

Gavisus Manes, the Joyous Reaper

Classification: Ethereal

Portfolio: Death, Contentment, Joy

Rank: Titan

"Die, die, we all pass away! But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay!"

Gavisus Manes (his entry here) is the youngest sibling of the Three Deaths, and is the Alicorn god of Death, Contentment, and Joy.

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• Anthropomorphic Personification: He's an Alicorn god who embodies Death, Contentment, and Joy.
• Beware the Nice Ones: He's a friendly stallion who throws huge parties for those who died contently in the afterlife, and he's a warm and welcoming presence to the souls under his care. He's also a Death deity and is very powerful; part of his job involves protecting souls from wrongful attempts at returning them to life, wicked souls, and demonic forces.
• Comfort the Dying: As the Alicorn god of Death and Joy, his role is to comfort the dying by easing their anxieties and allowing them to relive the happiest moments of their lives, so they can pass on easily. However, if it's not their time to die, then he'll help them accept this and guide their souls back to the mortal planes.
• Dem Bones: His true form is described as a completely skeletal Alicorn who's dressed up as a clown. Despite his frightening appearance, he's a Death god dedicated to bringing joy to souls of the deceased.
• Divine Parentage: He is the biological/adoptive parent of his branch of the Trimortidae. Notable children of his include Bossa Nova Heartstrings, Moon Ray Vaughoof, Knight Shade, Cloudy Brush, and Sola Mors.
• Don't Fear the Reaper: As the Alicorn god of Death and Joy, he throws huge parties for those who died contently in the afterlife, and helps people die happy. And personality-wise, he's a happy-go-lucky and friendly stallion who is a warm and welcoming presence to the souls under his care. He's also a loving father figure to his children, especially for those on his side of the Trimortidae, whose members he sees as his sons and daughters.
• Friend to All Children: Bossa Nova's entry notes that while he enjoys bringing joy to the deceased and dying, he's very fond of foals and babies, as they're often emotionally vulnerable when they die. Bossa Nova is one of those he adopted and raised after he ended up in the afterlife, which played a long way in influencing his son to become as noble, heroic, and joyful as he is. This ultimately leads to Bossa Nova's Ascension.
• Good Parents:
  • After Bossa Nova came out stillborn in the early Second Age and ended up in his realm, he adopted the baby foal and raised him (along with his many older/younger adoptive siblings) with love and care. While his older siblings Audens and Malus had some input, it was Gavisus who influenced Bossa Nova to eventually become who he is, as his son notably developed his perception of Death as being an normal, everyday change in part from watching how his adoptive father comforts the dead/dying. When Bossa Nova became obsessed with meeting and connecting with his younger twin brother, Blue Suede Heartstrings, to the point of neglecting both his adoptive family and his duties, Gavisus let him go find Blue partially out of sympathy towards his loneliness, and mostly to teach him a lesson, as Bossa Nova eventually realized that his obsession was hurting everyone he cared about and went back home to apologize. It's noted that when Bossa Nova eventually Ascended to godhood through doing a lot of good deeds, Gavisus was one of those who were extremely proud of him.
  • He adopted a pre-Ascendant Sola Mors after she was redeemed and ushered into his Heaven-Realms by Bossa Nova. While Sola Mors' distrust of adults initially put a rift between them, it's noted that being adopted and loved by Gavisus did help her with her trauma somewhat, and she later warmed up to him.
  • He also treated Moon Ray Vaughoof kindly, which is notable because Moon Ray's birth father was a raging alcoholic who terrorized his two sons with his drunken rages. While Moon Ray saw himself as being "too old" to call himself one of Gavisus 'sons' (which is ironic since he's "younger" than Gavisus by divine standards), he nonetheless appreciated Gavisus for adopting him and being everything that Sunny Mane wasn't, even calling him "Pops". Gavisus also personally oversaw Moon Ray's wedding with Velvet Heart when he decided to marry his long-time fiancee, as Moon Ray regretted not doing so before his untimely death.
• Hidden Depths:
  • While he has thrown afterlife parties for those who enter his Heaven-Realms, it's implied he has also done weddings, which happens with Moon Ray Vaughoof and Velvet Heart when they decide to get married post-mortem.
    Gavisus Manes: If afterlife parties can happen, then ANYTHING can happen in a Heaven-Realm!
  • As he tells Moon Ray, part of his duties as the god of Joyous Deaths involve spreading joy to the souls of who were torn away from their families at a young age, or were unable to escape abusive environments in life. This is why he sees all the Trimortidae in his faction as his sons and daughters, including (to Moon Ray's bashfulness) Moon Ray himself.
    "I was like, thirty-five when I died," Moon Ray recalled as he helped Gavisus Manes prepare another 'afterlife party' for the incoming deceased. With psionic telekinesis, Moon Ray hung up the corner of a banner painted by artistic members of the Trimortidae. "Ain't I too old fer 'nother Pops or somethin'?"
    
    "Nope!" Gavisus replied cheerfully. The Joyous Reaper carried yet another box of party decorations on his back. "You're never too old for a substitute parent!"
    
    "But, uh..."
    
    Moon Ray started speaking again, but stopped himself to ponder over Gavisus' words. 'Never too old for a substitute parent'... he died in his thirties and thanks to his newly-gained godhood, he will remain at that age, forever young, unless he chose to appear otherwise. The thought of having a parental figure to look up to in his age was baffling, to say the least. Wouldn't someone at his age be independent and self-reliant at this point?
    
    Unable to come up with an answer of his own, Moon Ray asked, "Why?"
    
    Gavisus' good cheer went away, gradually replaced with sad empathy. Quietly, he set the box down on the floor, and sat himself on the edge of a stage where a band would be playing for the party.
    
    "...Moon Ray, c'mere for a sec?"
    
    Moon Ray flinched, being so unused to seeing a serious side to Gavisus. But he relaxed when his telepathy detected no intent for punishment. He obeyed Gavisus' request and moved to sit next to the older Alicorn god, right on the spot where Gavisus had patted his hoof.
    
    "I'm the god of Joyous Deaths, so my duty is to spread joy among the dead," Gavisus explained softly. In a blink, his horn flared and generated magical images of various moments in mortal sapientkind's everyday lives. "This includes those who were ripped away from their families at a young age, or had troubles at home that they couldn't escape in life."
    
    Magical replications of memories flashed before Moon Ray's eyes. He watched as young foals, from babies to teenagers, died tragically, whether through sickness, accidents, or the hooves of those with perverted minds. He watched as other foals screamed and cried whenever their parents heaped abuse on them for things that were not their fault, inflicting trauma that would undoubtedly last for a long time. In the process, dreams were crushed, and any potential they had were unfulfilled.
    
    But then Gavisus would come, like a bright light in the dark, and do everything he could to cheer up the dead and/or dying foals. They would be taken away to a realm where they would be loved and cared for, and all their emotional and mental wounds would be healed thanks to the Joyous Reaper.
    
    "Some of the Trimortidae are among those who suffer these kinds of horrible fates, and thus need lots of love and care to help them heal," Gavisus continued. With a thought, he banished the memories back into his mind, letting them fade from the divine realm into nothing. "Therefore, I see EVERYONE in my side of the Trimortidae," As he said it, Gavisus spread his forelegs and hooves wide, "as my sons and daughters, regardless of age and background."
    
    Moon Ray stared at the Alicorn god with wide eyes. He was adopted... and that meant he has a lot of older and younger brothers and sisters now.
    
    Including Bossa Nova...
    
    Moon Ray was brought out of his thoughts by Gavisus' chuckles. "Of course, you don't have to call yourself 'son' if you don't think it fits..." Then Gavisus's face became softer again. "But given what happened between you and your father, I thought you needed some-creature who loves you and cares for you like a true father should."
    
    Moon Ray felt his own face warm itself rapidly as his cheeks turned a very bright red. Trembling, he bowed his head and turned away, tipping his black gaucho hat downwards with a shaking hoof in a vain attempt to hide his flushed embarrassment.
    
    "Aw, geez..." Moon Ray muttered. He hoped Gavisus wouldn't see his face. But a few thoughts told him Gavisus already knew. The fatherly hoof that placed itself on Moon Ray's shoulder proved it.
    
    Finally, Moon Ray sharply exhaled and forced himself to look at Gavisus again. By the time he did so, his eyes were wet and slightly stinging.
    
    "...Thanks, P-Pops." Moon Ray felt nervous saying it, but nonetheless there was love and genuine acknowledgement in his voice. "Really appreciate it."
    
    Gavisus' mirth seemed to have returned, because suddenly Moon Ray was swept up in a big hug and squeezed rather tightly. Moon Ray swore he heard his own body squeak during the hug, like some foal's squeaky toy.
    
    "No problem!" was Gavisus' cheerful response.
• Like Father, Like Son: Those of the Trimortidae who were raised by him often take after him in some way, being heroic Death deities who spread joy and comfort the dead/dying. Bossa Nova Heartstrings embodies his musical and joyful aspects, while Sola Mors embodies his performing and compassionate aspects.
• Magic Music: His entry notes that he can produce magical effects by playing music with his scythe. This is something that one of his adoptive sons, Bossa Nova Heartstrings, can also do after Ascending and gaining the domain of Music as part of his own portfolio.
• The Magnificent: Known as "the Joyous Reaper", due to being a Death god that embodies Joy and has a cheerful personality.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Being asked by Moon Ray why he's "never too old for a substitute parent" causes him to become less cheerful and become more serious and empathetic. Moon Ray assumes he's going to be punished at first due to being unused to seeing Gavisus act this way, but his Telepathy detects no such intent.
• Parental Substitute: He became the adoptive father for those who died very young, such as foals and babies.
  • He became Bossa Nova's primary caretaker after the latter ended up in his realm for being stillborn, and raised him like his own son. The love and care he gave Bossa Nova went a long way in influencing him to overcome his own flaws and become as noble and heroic as he is, ultimately resulting in his Ascension to godhood.
  • He also became this for Sola Mors after she ended up in his realm. Though Sola Mors distrusted him at first due to experiences with bullies and apathetic adults, she eventually warmed up to him.
  • He also adopted Moon Ray Vaughoof as one of his sons, which is notable since Moon Ray's birth father was an abusive alcoholic. Despite seeing himself as being "too old" to call himself one of Gavisus' sons, he nonetheless appreciates the gesture and has acknowledged Gavisus as his father.
• Raised by the Supernatural: He's the Alicorn god of Death and Joy, and he raised many of the foals and babies that ended up in his realm, including Bossa Nova Heartstrings, the stillborn older twin brother of Blue Suede Heartstrings. The love and respect he showed his adoptive children went a long way in influencing Bossa Nova to become who he is today, which ultimately led to him Ascending and becoming a Death god.
• Sad Clown: Defied. A conversation with Moon Ray Vaughoof reveals that many of the foals he ushers into his Heaven-Realms come from broken homes with abusive parents. Despite this, he doesn't let his experiences influence who he is, and tries to show his adoptive children love and care to help them recover from their traumas.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Unlike his grim older brother, Malus, who becomes merciless and terrifying when taking wicked souls to their afterlife, he is a joyful deity who throws afterlife parties to comfort the dead.
• Sinister Scythe: Subverted. While he does have a scythe in his possession, it's described as having strings coming from the blade to the handle, making it look more like a musical instrument than a traditional reaper's scythe. Gavisus himself rarely holds his scythe right-side-up, instead preferring to lean on it so the blade resembles a smile. He also uses his scythe to perform happy ballads for the recently deceased who are ushered into his realm, singing about the happy times they have experienced and given others in life. That being said, since he's a Death god, he's quite adept in using his scythe as a weapon.
• Small Parent, Huge Child: Despite being much older chronologically, he became the "Small Parent" to Moon Ray's "Huge Child" following the latter's re-Ascension, which (somehow) aged Moon Ray up until he became a "Preeminent"-ranked god, towering over his adoptive father.
• So Proud of You:
  • He was extremely proud of Bossa Nova Heartstrings when the latter Ascended to godhood shortly after his younger twin brother, Blue Suede Heartstrings, did.
  • He expresses his pride in Moon Ray Vaughoof for not only becoming a Prince, but also letting go of his bitterness, resentment, and anger over dying young before he could turn into a Living Legend. To Moon Ray's relief, he gives him an ordinary hug instead of a crushing Bear Hug.
  Gavisus Manes: I remember adopting a certain bitter, resentful, and angry stallion who longed to return to the good ol' days.
  Prince Canticum Lunae Cahaya: Pops, that flank- sorry, that jerk died a LONG time ago.
  Gavisus Manes: I know. And I'm so proud of you, Moony.
  Prince Canticum Lunae Cahaya: ...Wait, yer not gonna squeeze me 'til Ah burst, are ya?
  Gavisus Manes: Of course not. This IS your special day, after all.
• Telepathy: His domain of Joy gives him the ability to make the dying relive their happiest memories before they pass on, implying that his domain is telepathic/empathic in nature. His adoptive son, Bossa Nova, is explicitly noted to have gained telepathic and empathic powers after Ascending as the Alicorn god of Joy.

Audens Manes, the Heroic Reaper

Classification: Ethereal

Portfolio: Death, Heroic Sacrifice, Heroism

Rank: Titan

"At ease, warriors; you have earned your place in the Hall of the Honoured Dead."

Audens Manes (her entry here) is the second-oldest sibling of the Three Deaths, and is the Alicorn goddess of Death, Heroic Sacrifice, and Heroism.

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• Anthropomorphic Personification: She's an Alicorn goddess who embodies Death, Heroic Sacrifice, and Heroism.
• Divine Parentage: She is the biological/adoptive parent of her branch of the Trimortidae. Notable children of hers include Bronze Gear, Blue Goldstone, ALICE/Adelais, and Curtain Call.
• Dem Bones: Her true form is a skeleton Alicorn goddess dressed in Valkyrie armor. However, to the souls of those she brings into her Heaven-Realms, she appears in a different form as to not frighten her charges.
• Don't Fear the Reaper: As the Alicorn goddess of Death and Heroism, she aids valiant people in making heroic Last Stands and lets those who died heroically know how much good they've done.
• Heroic Sacrifice: She has this trope as one of her domains, which is appropriate since her name means "Valiant Dead" in Latin. She represents those who died valiantly, such as firefighters who died in the line of duty, soldiers who died for their country and fellow countrymen, and so on.
• The Magnificent: Known as "the Heroic Reaper", due to representing Heroic Deaths and being the one who takes the souls of those who died heroically to their eternal reward.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Unlike her older brother, Malus Manes, who greets the wicked souls of those who died without repenting for their mistakes and drags them down to his Hell-Realms to be punished for eternity, she greets the souls of those who died heroically and takes them to their eternal reward.
• Winged Unicorn: Her true form as a Death goddess is a skeletal Alicorn dressed in Valkyrie armor.

Malus Manes, the Wicked Reaper

Classification: Ethereal

Portfolio: Death, Sin, Punishment

Rank: Titan

"ARE YOU READY?!"

Malus Manes (his entry here) is the oldest sibling of the Three Deaths, and is the Alicorn god of Death, Sin, and Punishment.

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• Alliterative Name: Malus Manes.
• Anthropomorphic Personification: He's an Alicorn god who embodies Death, Sin, and Punishment.
• Character Catchphrase: As noted by his entry quote above, he often greets the souls of the wicked with a loud, "ARE YOU READY?!" before dragging them down to whatever other Hell-Realms deemed appropriate for their punishment.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Of the Three Deaths, he's the only one someone shouldn't be happy to see waiting for them after death, but that's because they're wicked and about to be given what they've sown, not because he's evil. When a wicked soul genuinely expresses their desire to repent, he's willing to give them a second chance; the same can't be said for those who do this to weasel out of a well-deserved punishment and/or have fallen back to their old wicked ways.
• Dem Bones: His true form is an Alicorn skeleton who dresses like a traditional psychopomp.
• Divine Parentage: He is the biological/adoptive parent of his branch of the Trimortidae. Notable children of his include Broken Fang, Fret Pick, Double Helix, Rock Opera, and Rock Plower.
• Don't Fear the Reaper: While he's not someone you want to see waiting for you, that's because his job is to take the wicked to their punishments for committing evil deeds in life. Otherwise, he's a nice guy and he will even give the genuinely repentant a second chance to earn a better fate.
• Dragged Off to Hell: As a Death god who represents eternal damnation, his task is to take souls of the wicked down to hell. Fortunately for him, he's powerful enough to resist attacks on him in case said souls don't want to go. Genuine repentance and atonement, however, can convince him to spare them this fate.
• Evil Is Hammy: Subverted. He's not evil and is actually benevolent like his younger siblings, but he represents the eternal damnation that awaits the wicked once they die. Whenever he appears to drag them off to Tartarus, he announces himself in a loud and terrifying manner while appearing as something that the wicked fear most individually.
• Hidden Depths: Despite his grim demeanor and feared reputation, he's softer and more warm-hearted than he lets on. For example, he becomes more cheerful whenever a wicked soul displays genuine remorse for their actions and vows to atone for their sins. He also has a goofy side — he once jokingly told one of his adoptive nephews, a then-young Bossa Nova Heartstrings, that his secret to scaring the wicked is appearing as something they fear the most... as well as yelling at them a lot.
  Bossa Nova Heartstrings: ...That's it?
  Malus Manes: Trust me, you'll understand if you have the same job as I do. Sinners tend to get scared VERY easily...
• Humongous Mecha: He once took the form of a Gundam in the Second Age, though it's a demonic, twisted version with a scorched black body, skeleton motifs, hooves with demonic claws, and 'hair' composed of hellfire. He did so to represent the sins of Tellus Federation scientists who were morally bankrupt enough to condemn an innocent, sapient A.I. to total isolation, and to show said scientists what horrible punishments awaited them once they're Dragged Off to Hell by him.
• Incoming Ham: This happens a lot. Whenever he appears to take in the soul of a wicked person, he will announce himself in a loud and terrifying manner as if he's intoning the coming of eternal damnation. Then he will appear to his target as something or someone that reflects the nature of their crimes.
  • One example had him loudly announce himself to the spirit of Bitter Thicket after she was defeated by Pinkie Pie and Maud, and subsequently lost her puppet body in the bonfire outside her lair, freeing her grip on the mortal plane.
    Malus Manes: (to Bitter Thicket's spirit) BITTER THICKET! I AM MALUS MANES! THE DEATH AWAITING THE WICKED! AND I HATH COME FOR THEE! ARE YOU READY?!
  • According to Moon Ray Vaughoof and another Alicorn of Malus' line, he appeared to the scientists who cruelly worked on ALICE/Adelais as a hellish version of a Gundam mecha with skeleton motifs and hellfire for 'hair'. He proceeds to roar at them in fury immediately after, evoking the image of a Synthetic Automaton gone mad with murderous rage.
    Malus Manes: HEAR ME, SCIENTISTS OF THE TELLUS FEDERATION! I AM MALUS MANES, THE DEATH AWAITING THE WICKED! AND I HATH COME FOR THEE! ARE. YOU. READY?!
• Ironic Echo: He echoes High-Roller/Mr. Scratch's quote of "Anything to avoid the big fire down below" while leaving the Diabolical Mastermind to his fate of being trapped in his own corpse, unable to move or do anything for all eternity as a direct result of his own actions instead of dragging him to Hell for his crimes. Even the Grand Primevals themselves approved of this delicious irony.
• Large Ham: He can get rather loud and terrifying whenever he comes to take the souls of wicked people to Tartarus. He would jokingly reveal to a young Bossa Nova Heartstrings that this is part of his secret to appearing as a scary figure to the wicked, as in his words, "sinners tend to get scared VERY easily".
• The Magnificent: Known as "the Wicked Reaper", due to his loud, terrifying voice and presence. Despite this, he is not evil himself; his epithet really refers to his job of dragging the souls of the wicked down to their eternal punishment.
• Meaningful Name: His name means "Wicked Dead" in Latin, which fits as he's a psychopomp whose task is to drag wicked souls to their eternal punishment. However, he's not wicked himself — just very grim and serious due to the nature of his job.
• Morality-Guided Attack: Being a god of Death whose domain represents the deaths of the wicked, he has the ability to turn a person's evil against them, either by increasing in strength or creating chains forged from his targets' own evil that weight them down proportionally to the number of misdeeds they have performed in life.
• Punny Name: The first part of his name sounds like "malice". Despite this, he's a benevolent god, albeit one who goes after the wicked dead and drags them down to their well-earned punishment.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Unlike Gavisus Manes, who throws afterlife parties to comfort the dead, or Audens Manes, who greets the souls of people who died heroically and celebrates their achivements, he's a generally somber Death god who becomes merciless and terrifying to the wicked souls he drags down to the Hell-Realms. He does have a nicer side, though, especially when his targets show genuine repentance for their crimes.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Like his younger siblings and the Trimortidae, he has the ability to change his form depending on who he visits. In his case, he appears in a form that relates to the crimes a wicked person committed in life — for example, when confronting Bitter Thicket, he appeared as a puppet mannequin in relation to her crimes as a Serial Killer who trapped hundreds of victims into puppet bodies.
• Was It Really Worth It?: He asks, after learning of Broken Fang's reasons for joining the Reichists, if all the atrocities Broken Fang did was worth restoring his country's glory and his family's wealth. After much deliberation, Broken Fang concludes that no, it wasn't worth it.
• Winged Unicorn: His true form is a skeletal Alicorn who dresses like a traditional psychopomp.

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