Auditors of Reality - Appearances in The Discworld Novels

Appearances in The Discworld Novels

The Auditors of Reality have appeared in the Discworld novels Reaper Man, Hogfather, Thief of Time and The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch.

In Reaper Man, they decide that Death has become too sympathetic toward humans, and therefore force him to retire. However, following the intervention of Azrael, Death of the Universe and ruler of all Deaths, this decision is overturned, allowing Death to return to his job.

In Hogfather, the Auditors attempt to destroy the Hogfather, whom they see as a symbol of humanity's 'messy' creativity, and hire Mr Teatime, an Assassin, for the job. Teatime steals millions of teeth from the Tooth Fairy's castle, and, through sympathetic magic, takes control of the children to whom the teeth belong, forcing them to cease believing in the Hogfather, with Death taking the Hogfather's place to do his job in his absence and thus ensure that the necessary proof is provided to ensure that children continue to believe in the Hogfather. When Susan Sto Helit, Death's granddaughter, stops Teatime, the Auditors break their own Rules by sending a few of their number to attack the Hogfather directly. In the forms of dogs, they pursue him through snowy mountains, but Susan saves him, leaving the Auditors stranded on the other side of a deep ravine. Death prevents them from escaping or returning to their true forms, causing them to fall to their deaths in the ravine.

In Thief of Time, the Auditors decide to stop time, so as to stamp out humanity's 'messy' nature. One of their own, who refers to herself as Myria LeJean, assumes human form and hires Jeremy Clockson to build a clock which will halt the passage of time. With the help of Susan, Lobsang Ludd, the Horsemen of the Apocralypse and the disillusioned Myria, this plan is foiled.

In The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch, the Auditors influence Charles Darwin to write a book entitled The Theology of Species, instead of his original book The Origin of Species. This is intended to cause a delay in the technological development of the humans on Earth, and so prevent them from being advanced enough to leave this planet when it becomes uninhabitable.