the Niman

A species of celestial beings, tasked with serving the divines. Their population is split between the youthful, delicate Witan, and the elderly, withered Juntan.

     The younger Witan are tasked with guiding souls after reincarnation into their new lives. They're also responsible for deciding where the recycled souls are reborn, usually following the rule of karma (sinful souls are born into lives of misery, while humble and kind souls are born in those of comfort).

    The older Juntan are tasked with reaping souls to be recycled in the machine. They were Witan who have had their "mouths" forced open, turning into a mess of sharp, beastly teeth. This event marks maturity in the life of a Niman, and the readiness to hunt. They do so by devouring the soul and swallowing it whole, and return to the Underworld, where by the time they reach it, the soul has mostly digested in its system. So, when they regurgigate it to feed into the machine, its mostly dissolved and already prepared for processing.

   The Juntan are also extremely loud, triggering the innate mortal fear of thundering sounds, while the Witan help souls overcome the innate fear of heights and falling by carrying souls as they soar in between the planes.

   All Niman can retract their heads into their bodies, using the face present in their torsos as a mask to continue sensory support, while still providing defence and mystique to the Niman. The mortal soul who witnesses the true face of a Niman is removed from the reincarnation cycle forever, a punishment reserved only for those who have confronted the gods themselves,

   A Niman dies when, as a Juntan, their teeth become too worn out to be of use. Then, they hibernate in a position similar to an egg, which then gives birth to a new Witan. And so, the Niman are the true embodiement of the circle of life, thus acting as the perfect servants for such a task.