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- The pets of the shop, the soul reavers, are known as Aeternus plural, or Aeterna singular.
Their primary function of existence is to claim the souls of those who are on their death beds. This is not limited to humans, as the Aeternus have been around since time began; they are reapers of the smallest bug to the largest whale, of predators and prey, of the greatest trees and the most fleeting of butterflies. Anything that can be touched by death is their domain. It is only since the recent civilization of humans, circa early 1900's and later, that the Aeternus have taken on the human shape and intellect that mimics the species.
In the past, they were feral creatures, beasts that match the lives they took; nature continued on steadily, but with the introduction of humans, they began to change. Though humans evolve quickly, the Aeternus were not as quick to follow suit, and are still coming to terms with their new found awareness. Where they used to be single-minded in their work, they are now exposed to a world that overwhelms them with choice and conveniences. The world humans are used to is still new to them - not in the manner that they'd be terrified of a rollercoaster, but that they might marvel at the power of a cell phone - learning, adapting, discovering more about the world around them, the Vocivus and themselves. There is still so much they don't understand.
Soul reaping is serious business. The Aeternus reap souls in many ways, unique to each Aeterna: some form scythes of energy, some extend their hand, some merely brush their fingers over their query. They find their query by the aura of the living, as those with weaker auras or dirtier in color are closest to death, be it illness, accident or random happenstance. The amount of humans are vast and the Aeternus are still catching up to their numbers, and as such, all are responsible for this expanding race. Some Aeterna find they favor a certain flavor of death, which may yet have influence on their development. So little is known, but the Aeternus are learning to follow their instincts and adapt as needed.
When the soul is removed, it becomes a part of the Aeterna until they return to the Vocivus. Once there - even if fleeting - the soul is absorbed into the plane's fabric. An Aeternus knows every soul it has reaped, can recognize it in the Vocivus.
In dealing death, Aeternus cannot murder. They cannot take a life that is not prepared to leave. That does not mean they are not present for murders, or that they do not reap children. If they pass someone with a perfectly healthy aura, that person cannot be touched or remotely interacted with. It is only the the auras that are not whole or diminishing that they can take. This is why when some people are ill, they are ill for a long time, or why some accidents can be so fast. If an Aeterna is present to a weak aura, they will be reaped; their time will come, as nature takes care of its own.
The Aeternus can die, though it's not an act of violence or accident. An Aeterna only 'dies' when it has fulfilled its purpose, or when it is satisfied with its work. This is rather rare. Most Aeterna have a continued drive to continue their work, and with the rising awareness, there's a sort of urgency in the collection of souls that wasn't always there. Still, some of the older ones don't want to acclimate to the change and choose to become part of the Vocivus than continue. As of yet, there is nothing that can forcefully kill the Aeternus.
