Anahel

The last surviving remnant of the Empyrean’s ruling body, Anahel is perhaps the only archangel to have come through the Calamity unscathed. He alone is able to harvest manna, the energy source of the dead, and thus plays an essential role in the running of the afterlife. Regal and aloof, he makes no secret of his contempt for such lesser beings as humans or angels.

As long as he is left alone, Anahel cares little for anything outside his gardens.

The Archangels

Of all the angels created to ensure the correct functioning of the afterlife, seven were raised on high to rule in the name of their creator.

Cunning Samael... Michael, champion of heaven’s army... wise Cassiel, angel of law... Zachiel, the protector... Anahel, the gardener... Gabriel and the Metatron, the left and right hands of their lord.

In the aftermath of the Calamity, the wave of destruction that decimated the afterlife, the archangels were cast down from their thrones. Some were destroyed, others transformed... only Anahel escaped judgement unharmed.

The day of the archangels has passed. The time has come for something new.

Angels

The souls of the living must share the afterlife with others. The angels. Soulless constructs built in human – or less than human – form. Each has a specific function within the grand engine of heaven. A role that ensures the continued existence of the Empyrean.

Inspired by Afterlife Inc. many angels have now turned their backs on their original programming to forge lives in this brave, new afterlife. But not everyone shares the joy of their liberation.

Forget wings, halos, cherubic smiles... these are not the angels you were expecting.

And they were not made to be free.

Nuriel

The most powerful of all the angels, Nuriel is charged with keeping the Empyrean’s most dangerous residents safely under lock and key. His vast size and terrifying appearance cast him apart from the rest of the Empyrean. Considered a mindless guard-dog at best, it was not until Jack offered him a place in the company that anyone realised he was capable of speech.

Having found someone who views him as an equal rather than a slave, Nuriel is now utterly devoted to his boss.

An excellent tactician and fighter, Lux rarely agrees with Jack’s showboating.

Temperance Jones

Hailing from a region of the Empyrean that conforms to stereotypical notions of hell, Temperance is one of many angels created to torture those who feel they deserve it. Beneath his hideous appearance, however, lie a warm heart and the passionate soul of a socialist.

Temperance now heads the afterlife’s first trade union and fights tirelessly for the rights of his fellow labourers.

Elizabeth

As the only other human on the board, Elizabeth’s zero tolerance for nonsense more than makes up for her lack of business experience. She remains the one person Jack cannot manipulate, and he relies upon her to keep him honest.

The bandages around her wrists hint at how her life came to an end. To her horror, she has found herself in a world no more caring or understanding than the one she left behind.

Elizabeth sees the afterlife as nothing less than a cruel joke. She’s just waiting for the punchline.

The Council of Days

Not everyone agrees with Afterlife Inc.’s methods.

Soon after coming to power, Jack’s mission statement brings him into direct conflict with the Council of Days, a sinister faction with their own, less hospitable views on how the afterlife should be run.

Taking their names from the Seven Days of Creation, the Council’s vision for the afterlife represents a dark future for the billions of deceased that call it home. But with only six members among their number, just who wears the robes... of Sunday?

The Stooges

Every society has them. Meet the Stooges a.k.a. Ronan Deschard and Associates, Finders and Seekers par excellence.

Whatever you want, whatever you need... whatever you can afford, these jacks-of-all-trades are your men.

Merging ineptitude, inebriation and an almost supernatural knack for self-preservation, Ronan Deschard and his two employees/drinking buddies – grunge kid Mickey and Neanderthal Harnk – eke out an existence as dealers in goods of “dubious origin”.

Wherever there’s a quick buck to be made – and few questions to be answered – the Stooges will never be far away.