Joseung Saja

Joseung saja (jo-seung sah-jah) is a name sometimes bestowed on creatures in the afterlife who have committed grave sins in their lifetimes. Known also as reapers, these pale and sunken-eyed creatures are psychopomps—beings who guide the souls of the dead to the Boneyard. No one knows the specific criteria for one to become joseung sajas, but those who are selected have their memories erased and must work as joseung sajas until they've been deemed to have fully atoned for their sins.

Joseung sajas from different eras wander the world, and when a creature nears death, one will appear and await the target's demise as their afterlife guide. When needed, they even alter their target's memories to remove painful emotions that might chain them to the mortal world, easing them into a peaceful death. This duty prevents those who die tragic or violent deaths from becoming bound to the world as ghosts—a mercy, though one often unappreciated by the wards of joseung sajas. If a creature targeted by a joseung saja becomes undead or otherwise cheats death, the reaper must fulfill their duty of granting the creature a true death.

Because joseung sajas linger among mortals in order to perform their duties, they're one of the most commonly seen psychopomps.