Harold Death Esquire, better known as the Grim Reaper or simply Death, has been the main figure of most Halloween events. During these events, the player had to perform various tasks to satisfy the Reaper. Grim also appears to have good musical tastes, being a big fan of rock bands, including Adamantite Damsel and Ping & Pong. With the latter two he even has an agreement that, should they die before their time, he will reverse time.
He also acts as a "Death tutor"; his office is accessed when new players die for the first time. The Reaper will explain about death, item losses, and gravestones. The player may exit at any time through the exit portal. One's gravestone's timer is paused whilst one is within the dimension of the Reaper. The player is, at this time, "dead". The player is only allowed this one time, the first time they die, though they apparently pass through this every time upon death. You may walk around in the death dimension but you should talk to him. You can come here again, but if you die with 4+ items, you can never go back again.
The Grim Reaper has been part of the 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Hallowe'en events. During all of these events, Grim was accompanied by his skeletal pet dog, Muncher.
During the 2007 Hallowe'en event, the Grim Reaper owned a house located in the Dark House Portal south of Falador. He ordered the player to do his house chores because his servant has recently passed away from the Grim Reaper's death touch. One of the first tasks the player had to do was to find the skull of the servant in the Grim Reaper's Garden. The next task was to reorganise his items in the correct spot in the western room. By using his diary, the player could effectively put his items in order. Afterwards, the Grim Reaper told the player to try out his obstacle course on the second floor, used to keep his servants on their toes. The player had to do this twice, and after that, he had to talk to the Grim Reaper to receive the Grim Reaper Hood and a new Zombie Hand emote.
2009
The grim reaper escorting a player away.
In 2009, Grim's house was revisited again. He would tell the player he had a spider in his bath, and wanted it removed. If players refused, he would kill them and they would appear outside the portal with all of their items. After travelling into the Spider Realm (Grim Reaper appears to own a portal leading to this realm) and speaking to the Spider Queen, the player is ordered to place cobwebs into Grim's house. After putting cobwebs into the Grim Reaper's house, the Spider Queen will give you a Web Cloak and Eek the Spider.
2010
During the 2010 event, Grim Reaper is in need of help of prepared a party. After completing little tasks around the Grim Reaper's house for the party being held you will be rewarded with a Bone brooch (when used will morph you into a pile of bones) and the Puppet master emote. During this event, it becomes clear that Grim is a big fan of Zabeth Corvid, and begs the player to fetch an autograph.
2011
In 2011, Grim Reaper appeared to be the owner of his very own citadel. The player is asked by Frank to help building the Citadel. The player has to perform tasks for Beauty, Frank and Infinity. After this was done, the player had full access to the citadel (with a Deathcon lanyard) and got a Deathcon t-shirt as a souvenir. The player also unlocked the Living on Borrowed Time emote. The Grim Reaper, along with Muncher, received a graphical update with the release of this event.
Death
Grim Reaper as he appears when a player dies.
During Hallowe'en events, the Grim Reaper (who was called Grim Spectre of Death prior to 2009) appears at a player's death. He stops appearing at the end of each holiday event. When he appears, he proclaims a random phrase, a list of which can be seen below;
Let me escort you away, (player name)...
(Player name) is mine!
Now is the time you die, (player name).
Muahahahahaha!
There is no escape, (player name)...
Beware Mortals. (Player name) travels with me now.
I claim (player name) as my own.
Your time here is over, (player name).
I have come for you, (player name)!
Trivia
Death's examine text during the 2010 Halloween event was 'Do not fear the Reaper'. "Don't Fear the Reaper" is also the name of a song by Blue Öyster Cult.
A Postbag from the Hedge later revealed that the Grim Reaper has the catch phrase, "Gotta reap 'em all." This is a pun on the catch phrase "Gotta catch 'em all" from Pokémon.
In the same Postbag from the Hedge it was said his customary black robes act as the legendary Reaper skillcape.
It was unclear what connection the Reaper has with the RuneScapegods for a long time until the release of the 2009 Hallowe'en event. It appears that the entire event is based on keeping within the Edicts of Guthix, which proclaims that the Grim reaper must have a hood, robes, a scythe, a skeletal form and have a spooky domain which must have spiderwebs as decoration.
During Halloween 2007, if a player read the Varrock Herald it would mention a man in black robes wandering around RuneScape stealing peoples lives.
When talking to the Grim Reaper the player goes slightly mad at the fact that they have died and does a unique chathead animation. This was unique, until the release of Rune Mechanics and after the 2010 Easter event, where talking to Fluffy about the wonderful day will yield this animation. With the release of Quiet Before the Swarm, an NPC named Commander Korasi seemed to have this chathead icon halfway during the quest after the player finds out something from a perpetrator's mind. After Quiet Before the Swarm, when you tell Jessika that Commodore Mathias and the other Void Knights got killed by an ambush of void creatures while sailing to Port Sarim, Jessika reacts by having this chathead animation.
According to the dossier, the Grim Reaper was the Champion of a Belltolling contest, but nobody survived. The only witness was a "zombie" about to terrorise the near town.
If you try to open the world map in his room it says: "It would be unwise to open the world map in Death's realm."File:Grim 2.pngThe Grim Reaper is a big fan of Zabeth Corvid.
If a player's first death takes place within Daemonheim, they will not visit the Grim Reaper's office then or upon their first death outside.
In the 2010 Halloween event, it is revealed that the Grim Reaper is a massive fan of Zabeth Corvid and the Adamantite Damsel.
After completing the 2010 Halloween event, Zabeth Corvid tells the player to tell Grim that "every rose has its thorn", a reference to the song of the same name by Poison. This is also a reference to "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" when they are asked what the meaning of life is, Death says the line "Every rose has its thorn".
After completing the 2010 Halloween event, if a player asked about 'every rose has its thorn' they would get a reply saying it happened '...a long time ago, in a dimension far, far away." This is a reference to Star Wars: 'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away."
Multiple deaths can appear at once, commonly seen in combat activities such as Fist of Guthix or Soul Wars.
Since Hallowe'en 2011 he says "Let me escort you away (PLAYER NAME)..." , prior to that he would say "Let me escort you to (Lumbridge/Falador/Camelot/Edgeville/Soul Wars), (PLAYER NAME)"
Also with the 2011 Hallowe'en event and his graphical update, his examine text was changed from 'Do not fear the reaper' to 'Don't fear the reaper.'
During the 2010 Halloween event, where the player must get a signature from Zabeth Corvid for death, when the player gives the signature to death, death would yell out: Oooh, that would look awesome on the wall! erm.. I mean, that would look most agreeable on the wall.
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