the Dread-Bearers

There are many afflictions in this world. Mesmermania is one. But Dread-Bearing is older. Deeper. Heavier.

Only ten souls carry it at any given time — until they burn out, die out, or are replaced. They exist for one purpose: to keep divinity in check. Good. Evil. All of it. They are known — half-jokingly, wholly seriously — as the Divine Police Force.

The Two Squads

Demon-Squad Dread-Bearers see demons hiding in plain sight — in offices, on screens, behind podiums, in boardrooms. They monitor. They evaluate. And when necessary, they judge and jury.

Angel-Squad Dread-Bearers are their counterparts. Angels rarely abuse power — but power attracts danger. The A-Squad protects the D-Squad and intervenes when righteousness tips into zealotry.

Each squad includes five agents, each aligned with a pillar of society: Belief. Economics. Tribal. Technology. Realism. Together, they monitor the balance of a B.E.T.Te.R DAY — both for society and the Afterworld.

The Cost of Bearing the Dread

The Dread-Bearers are the only mortals capable of permanently killing a supernatural being. It is not a power. It is a burden. And the price for such unwanted power? The price is never small.

Each Dread-Bearer loses something: A dream twisted beyond recognition. A happiness permanently skewed. A life goal that will never quite land.

Scandal follows them. Always. You don’t police Heaven and Hell without collateral damage. There is never a dull moment in the life of a Dread-Bearer. There is rarely peace; dull would be fantastic.

The AfterLife

Heaven, Hell, and Purgatoria are administrative places that reflect the current times. Contrary to popular belief, Heaven and Hell have agreed that one cannot exist without the other (at least until they are ready for their inevitable battle, which will proclaim an actual winner). Therefore, Angel-Squad and Demon-Squad have spent the past millennia peacefully building their armies. It works out well since the Demons tend to weed out impure people, so the Angels will not have to get their delicate hands dirty.