Psychopomp, Morrigna
Habitat: Underlands, Prime
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge Rating: 13
The morrigna is an enigmatic and formidable guardians of the afterlife’s order. Envision a figure of morbid beauty, her form shrouded in a gown of spider silk, an embodiment of both allure and dread. Her face, obscured by a mask that echoes the intricate designs of a spider’s web, adds to her enigmatic presence. Morrignas stand tall at an imposing 7 to 8 feet, with an aura of authority to match. In their pursuit of justice, Morrigna may also take on the guise of those who have passed over, changing race, age, gender and size at will.
These beings ascend from lesser psychopomps or are sometimes chosen from mortal souls of exceptional skill. Their roles are varied and vital: they act as detectives, scouring for hidden truths; as defenders, protecting the integrity of death’s domain; and as prosecutors, ensuring that justice prevails in the afterlife’s intricate bureaucracy. They are the investigators, the bounty hunters, the assassins of the Underlands, ensuring that the cycle of death and judgment flows uninterrupted by those who would seek to subvert it.
Their task is to eliminate any aberrations that threaten the natural order—soul traffickers, those who dabble in forbidden magic, devils, angels, and any beings who would manipulate souls for their own ends.
They are relentless in their pursuit, hunting down those who would trade souls for profit or power. From the darkest corners of Hell to the heights of Mount Celestia, no realm is exempt from their scrutiny. Their interventions are swift and decisive, restoring balance where it has been upset by greed or overreach.
In their investigative role, morrignas unearth secrets buried deep in the hearts of mortals—the desperate, the ashamed, the power-hungry. They seek the empirical truth, gathering evidence to ensure that final judgments are rendered not only impartially but with full knowledge of the facts.
As assassins, morrignas target those who defy death’s natural progression—escaped souls, powerful undead, would-be powers, and mortals who have unnaturally prolonged their lives. They blend seamlessly among mortals, patiently gathering intelligence, biding their time until they can strike decisively against those who seek to evade their destined end.
Morrignas have the ability to transform, taking on the appearance of any small or medium animal or humanoid, a testament to their adaptability and cunning. They can summon giant tarantulas or swarms of spiders, an homage to their spiritual kin—the spider, a symbol of patience, strategy, and inevitability.
See Also:
- What are Psychopomps?
- The Castes of the Psychopomps
- The Ushers of the Psychopomps
- The Ecology of the Psychopomp
Sources and Stats:
- Bestiary 4 [PF1e] p219 & Pathfinder Adventure Path #48: Shadows of Gallowspire, here
- Bestiary [PF2e] p271, here
- D&D conversion by d’Artagnan [5e] here
- Origin: Morrignas seem to owe their name to the MorrÃgan of Celtic myth, dusted with suggestions of other Triple Goddesses (especially the ever-spinning Fates) and a healthy dose of straight-up fantasy elements including summoned spiders (shades of Egypt’s Neith maybe?), magical fetishes, and anime-style defensive mummy wrappings. More on that theory here.
