Ghosts

Abstract Description

A ghost is the soul of a dead creature that lingers on, unable or unwilling to find its way to the afterlife. They are sometimes referred to as spirits, albeit incorrectly, as spirits do not represent souls but are, instead, ethereal creatures native to their home plane, be it the Material Plane or a different realm. A ghost carries the complexity of a living being, yet holds no life of its own. To look at them is to look at life from the perspective of eternity, a thread of color woven into the cold fabric of death.

Every living being is born with an immortal soul forming the core of their thoughts and feelings. As the body fails, the soul finds itself liberated from its shackles, ready to travel to its final destination in the afterlife. However, the journey is far from straightforward, and the destination far from guaranteed. First, a dead soul will, within the first few moments of death, ascend to a different level of existence, entering what is called the Ethereal Plane by scholars. Superimposed upon the world of the living, the Ethereal Plane is the domain of the newly dead, where they dwell in uncertainty for a variable amount of time. Many emotions will shake the unstable minds of its inhabitants, some refusing to consider themselves dead, others craving the afterlife and waiting serenely for its coming, others still gnashing their teeth at the thought of judgement. It is a swirling realm, fearsome to imagine in its neverending turmoil. Visions of the Material filter through, a pale reflection in the faint glow of the Ethereal, and souls wander in confusion.

This first field of the dead is but a temporary house, and most of its denizens are the recently deceased, though the occasional ancient soul is to be found every now and then, babbling in long forgotten tongues. Eventually, most of them will find an escape, cosmic winds dragging them on and towards new and more distant planar realms. Judgement awaits the newly dead, followed by a state of perpetual joy or torment depending on the outcome. The names of these planes where souls reside are known to many: Roxx, Sonos, Krypta, Velys. Some precious few souls are even snatched by entities dwelling between Aetheria and Aeternia, to become aides and servants to these demigods. Even these domains are not without secret avenues of escape, much to the chagrin of their divine masters and guardians.

But this is not the end of the story. There are those who will not accept death and its consequences, for whatever reason. Creatures of great willpower, particularly determined to live, will sometimes swim against the tide of nature. Those who left behind unfinished business make the most likely candidates to resist the flow of death. These will find ways to oppose the winds that would carry them on, and dwell on the Ethereal Plane longer than the others. Eventually, some of them will grow experienced enough to stretch planar boundaries and affect the Material Plane. At that point, a new ghost is born, and a haunting may occur.

Aside from these natural ghosts, there are a minority that were summoned from the Planes - literally stolen from the afterlife - through timeless rituals, using mysterious pathways carved into the hidden nature of the Multiverse. Often, these will be temporary ghosts summoned for conversation, but the particularly skilled will be able to permanently bring an immortal soul to haunt the world once more.

Dying, Death and the Ethereal Plane

When the thread of life is finally snipped, the soul will spend a few seconds trying to free itself from the shackles of the body. In a few cases, this process may last much longer, even spanning candlemarks or brightenings or even longer; this realization is often the rationale behind some cultures' custom of burning dead bodies to ease their liberation. Of course, another reason for this is that one's mortal spoils will forever be a weakness of the soul, as well as an instrument by which it can be exploited and controlled, hence why the living may want to get rid of the body.

The Ethereal Plane is sometimes called the 'spirit world' because it is home to souls and spirits alike. Time and space have a different meaning in this place, and they are largely dependant on the emotions of those dwelling within. To those consumed by pain and hatred, a brightening will feel like a century. To the righteous awaiting their reward in the afterlife, a century will feel like a brightening. Space is also a relative factor in the Ethereal Plane, and even though this reality is superimposed to the Material Plane, its denizens can move at the speed of emotion, flashing across great distances in the blink of an eye. Souls in the Ethereal Plane are limited to visiting places that were important to them in life. Spirits are generally linked to their environment and will not leave it unless banished or captured.

The Ethereal Plane cannot affect events on the Material Plane, though the barrier between the two can be weakened or even shattered under certain circumstances. This may happen at significant times of the year, such as the festival of the dead, Selhaim - also called Hallow's Eve. Because of particular planar patterns, the barrier becomes thinner to the point where the living can see the dead and the spirits for this single brightening, and in some cases communicate with them. Every spiritual occurrence is magnified around Selhaim, and even existing ghosts become stronger and more focused. Some souls will even escape Jalat's domain on this date.

A different case is that of ghosts proper, learning to breach the boundaries by sheer strength of will and the power of their emotions. There is no such thing as an emotionless ghost; they are all driven by feeling. No other motivator exists that can bestow the strength to resist nature. Any emotion of the living can be the force behind a ghost, no matter how epic or petty. It is always desire in the end; only the object of desire changes. By focusing this desire, this hunger, upon the Material world, the soul gives itself a purpose that brings them closer to the life they have lost. The process of becoming a ghost is rarely a conscious one (though particularly vicious and intelligent people sometimes study the theory of death during their life and successfully apply it when they die). It involves an immense focus on the things lost and still desired. Little by little, the soul familiarizes with its powers and influence, until it breaks the boundary.

It is to be noted that once a soul becomes a ghost, it loses some of the properties that fully Ethereal souls have, as every gain implies a loss. For example, it will no longer be able to instantly travel to any location visited in life. Instead, most ghosts are bound to a single environment that they 'haunt': this is the place where the ghost was when it first broke into the Material Plane. Only the most intelligent and strong-willed can travel beyond the range of their influence.

Power sources (Motus)

A ghost's main power source is the feeling that keeps them anchored to the Material Plane. Their power will generally wax or wane depending on the intensity of this feeling. For example, a ghost that stays in order to fight evil will become more powerful when forces of evil invade its territory. Conversely, a ghost driven by revenge, upon seeing its revenge actually carried out, will be greatly weakened, often to the point that it will no longer be a ghost. This is the main process by which spirit guides usually lay ghosts by appeasing them. An appeased ghost will be re-absorbed by the Ethereal Plane and usually carried to the afterlife.

In addition to their own burning will and emotions, ghosts are sometimes powered by external sources. These range by residual Arcane activity to blood sacrifices and other rituals, and even certain places where communication with the departed is easier. It is believed that many of the strongest ghosts are of an artificial origin. While these sources are not truly permanent and often require specialized skills used by the living, they can increase a ghost's power considerably. In some rare cases, the ghost will feed upon fear and other emotions to fuel its own; this mostly depends on its intelligence, power and motivations.

The intensity of a ghost's feelings, coupled with its technical skill at manifesting, and its intelligence in exploiting the rules of the Multiverse to its advantage, are often summarized with the word Motus. Ghosts can be classified according to their Motus rank, which is a number ranging from 0 to 5.

Motus 0: By far the vast majority of recently dead souls, these are entirely confined to the Ethereal Plane and should not even be called ghosts, except that they may be spotted at certain times, when planar boundaries are particularly thin, such as the festival of Selhaim. Normally, however, they do not disturb the living as they are unable to affect them in any way. No-one can normally see them except through exceptional means such as planar travel, though they can often see the world of the living as a faint, glowing blur.

Motus 1: These ghosts have learned to breach the Ethereal Plane by pure force of will and feeling, or through the intercession of magic or craft, but they are invisible to most living people except those blessed with vision through such means as ritual or drink. They are bound to a place and may manifest through indirect means, such as a scent or a drop in room temperature. They exist among the living and may be able to affect the Material Plane on occasion; they are the weakest form of ghosts proper and are bound to a specific location.

Motus 2: Stronger ghosts that actually have a coherent, visible manifestation and can perform minor interactions with the living, usually trying to do them harm with their ghostly touch.

Motus 3: These ghosts are powerful and should not be underestimated, being capable of illusions and kinetic attacks within the environment they haunt. They may even venture outside their haunts for short periods, though they remain unable to use their abilities while in this state.

Motus 4: Particularly potent ghosts can alter the fabric of reality to reflect their feelings, and often use this power to do harm unto others. Even capable of possessing the living under certain circumstances, these ghosts may leave their haunting places at will and indefinitely, but like their weaker counterparts they cannot use their abilities when they do.

Motus 5: Ghosts that can achieve this state without rituals or external power sources are extremely rare. They do not need a place to haunt and retain the full arsenal of their abilities everywhere; they usually have a complex agenda dictated by their feelings and are highly intelligent and resourceful.

Physical Appearance

The physical appearance of a ghost is a complex matter that would deserve a separate treatise. It is influenced by many factors, including power, history and personality. A ghost's appearance is a reflection of its inner self, and for this reason they will often look more or less like they did in life, though there is a relatively large degree of freedom. Some will idealize their appearance, for example making themselves look younger. A ghost obsessed with its violent death may, on the other hand, display itself with its wounds still bleeding, mutilated as it was at the time of its death.

Ghosts will often undergo multiple stages as their personalities evolve, and their looks will hint at their inner progress. A specialist will often infer many things about the ghost by just looking at it, observing carefully the type of wounds on the body, the pose and motions of its limbs, whether it walks or floats, whether it wavers when it moves, the style of dress and much more. Of course, it should be remembered that ghosts are prone to trickery, and some may deliberately deceive the watcher with their appearance.

Sometimes, a ghost will look airy and ethereal, its edges transparent and allowing the watcher to see through its form. Other ghosts will have a more physical look, with only a careful scrutiny separating them from the living. Those who know the original appearance of a ghost's body can use it to make conjectures to explain any differences. Sometimes these discrepancies, especially those of a disturbing nature, are aimed at making the ghost look more frightening, for example with red eyes or claws. They may also give important information on the ghost's personality and what it deems important.

Ghosts have all manners of secondary manifestations. A ghostly apparition will often be accompanied by sensorial experiences that can unsettle the novice. Uncommon sights, sounds, smells, among others, are frequent when a ghost is spotted. A flower-loving lady will often be heralded by the scent of roses, and the ghost of a prisoner will drag ghostly chains that clank in the night. These manifestations are, most often, related to the reason why the ghost still lingers on, or they may hint at important personality traits. These phenomena are usually recurring and can be seen as the signature of the ghost, which is unable to hurt the living with these manifestations, no matter how unsettling. Such means of manifesting themselves should not be confused with the much subtler ability of some ghosts to craft complex illusions tailored to the occasion (see 'Special Abilities') Secondary manifestations are short-ranged, typically meters.

When a ghost speaks, it will usually do so in a similar way to the living, moving its mouth and sounding like the voice comes from there. In fact, much like the other secondary manifestations, this is purely subconscious and unnecessary for the ghost. Some ghosts sound like a whispering breeze, others emit moans that aim to scare, and others still employ voices similar to their former ones. Again, this entirely depends on the personality and agenda of the ghost and what it wants to achieve.

Climate/Terrain

Ghosts are not limited to any particular climate or terrain. In fact, being ethereal, they can exist in any environment, though most will usually stay near the place where they died. A majority of ghosts will be found indoors (unlike spirits, which are more commonly spotted outdoors), especially inside older buildings, but some will stalk the streets.

On average, about one in thousand will become a ghost after death, and since many will find their peace in time and eventually reach the afterlife, they are not overly common occurrences. Moreover, most ghosts can only be perceived by a minority of the population, meaning that a true haunting is relatively rare except under special circumstances such as mass killings. When it occurs, however, it means that strong forces are at play.

Organization

Souls in the Ethereal Plane may very well follow any type of social organization, though their transient nature there, not to mention the fact that these souls are recently dead and quite possibly confused, makes it doubtful that an overall social structure exists. It is likely, however, that established social relationships in life will be carried over in death.

Of ghosts reaching into the Material Plane it can be said that they can and will interact with each other. They can talk to and even fight other ghosts; in fact, one tactic for dealing with ghosts involves using other, stronger ghosts to chase them away. A special case of ghostly organization is what are sometimes called gestalt hauntings, in which a varying number of ghosts - all of whom died at the same time - will act together, as if they were a single entity. It is not known whether they do, in fact, possess one collective mind born from their simultaneous death, but they are often considered as one haunting, such as in the case of ghost ships.

Combat

Ghosts, as should be expected of someone who died a violent death, are sometimes hostile and vengeful. The target of their vengeance varies wildly, ranging from the single person that killed them to the entire category of the living. A hostile ghost is sometimes called a specter, as opposed to apparitions, which are friendly or neutral. Thankfully, combat with a ghost can often be avoided and should be a last resort if everything else fails, as their ethereal state makes them difficult to fight without appropriate tools or support from a specialist.

Ghosts have a variety of offensive mechanisms at their disposal. Depending on the particular ghost, they may attack in different ways, or not attack at all, but instead rely on deceit and trickery to get rid of opponents. A ghost's touch can be cold and harmful to the living if the entity knows how to use this weapon correctly. Draining life and heat away from the victim, hostile ghosts can damage and kill their enemies. Stronger ghosts can even employ physical attacks by moving items in their environment and using them as kinetic projectiles. Some ghosts may even resort to unique, exotic ways of attacking their enemies, as shown in the next section.

Special Abilities

Ethereal. Ghosts are creatures that dwell in the Ethereal and Material plane at the same time and generally in equal parts. This gives them the ability to affect the Material Plane while retaining the typical abilities of ethereal creatures. Ghosts can easily pass through any material and surface except those that have been shielded or warded against them (see 'Resistances and Weaknesses'), though they cannot see through them. Their ethereal status also allows some of the stronger (Motus 3) ghosts to float and fly, though they generally move about as quickly as when they were alive. Normal items will pass through them without harming them in any way, though living beings may perceive a cold breeze when they come into contact with a ghost.

Ethereal creatures can attack other ethereal creatures with remarkable ease. This includes fellow ghosts, spirits, Mages in non-corporeal form and other creatures with similar abilities. Of course, this works both ways as these creatures are able to attack a ghost just as easily. Combat between two ethereal entities can be very painful, but does not usually end with the destruction of either. Instead, the weaker entity will often flee, banished from this location.

Physical. The other side of the coin to being ethereal, Motus 2 and stronger ghosts can affect the Material Plane by using their reserves of spiritual energies. They manipulate the world with the power of their feelings; the stronger the feeling and Motus rank, the greater the ghost's potential. However, it should be remembered that physical interactions sap the ghost of its feelings and strength. An exhausted ghost will typically retreat and recharge before its next apparition. It is generally believed that the ghosts able to perform physical interactions are a small minority of the total.

The first and simplest interaction with the physical involves touching the living with the ghost's body. This touch interfaces with the living's Vis and soul alike, disrupting its flow and draining its life force. This touch is highly unpleasant for the victim, who will feel incredibly cold and uncomfortable. Multiple ghosts attacking simultaneously in this fashion are especially dangerous, as are ghosts who have acquired great experience with this kind of attacks, which can be deadly if the ghost learns how to target specific body parts such as the heart.

A more complex interaction is one of a kinetic nature (Motus 3). The ghost reaches out with its consciousness and manipulates physical objects, moving them around, generally with the purpose of throwing them at the victim. Most ghosts only develop a rudimentary grasp over this ability, being able to lift books off their shelves and tossing them across the room. A select few ghosts of higher Motus are sometimes able to aim carefully at their target, and throw bladed weapons at them.

The most powerful interaction with the physical (Motus 4) is one where the ghost manipulates the very fabric of the world with its willpower. This is the source of a ghost's most powerful attacks, for example setting fire to an object or person, or sucking away their youth, or delivering energy blasts. It takes extreme practice and focus, or external power sources, for a ghost to be able to accomplish such feats, and even so, they drain its energies incredibly quickly. The nature of these physical attacks often reflects the nature of the ghost itself. For example, those who have been strangled will often enjoy strangling live victims, leaving ghostly marks on their necks.

It should be emphasized that ghosts are almost never able to perform physical attacks outside of significant places, such as the house they haunt, unless they are powered by an external source like a ritual or a curse. The incredibly rare Motus 5 ghosts that can do so are rightly feared.

Illusions. (Motus 3 and above) A ghost can, with great effort, conjure a non-Arcanic illusion in the space around itself. This is not a spell but a simple projection of its will, and unlike 'normal' secondary manifestations such as scents or noises, it can be much more extreme. An example would be fountains of blood pouring from the walls of a corridor, or the image of the gallows appearing in the middle of the room. Trickster ghosts can use illusions to convince their victims to leave warded areas, though they cannot force any behavior nor affect the mind past the superficial layer of the senses.

Possession. One of the more uncanny abilities of ghosts and spirits is that of entering the body of the living and controlling them from within. An ability of advanced (Motus 4) ghosts only, possession works on particularly sensitive people (especially children) or those who willingly invite the ghost to take over. Possession is another taxing activity upon the ghosts, which can typically only control the body for a few minutes. After this time, they need to let go and will retreat to a corner of the victim's consciousness, or leave the body altogether. The victim will often remember nothing of the time during which the possession took place. Possession is a useful trick for entering shielded environments while in latent mode. A ghost can often be expelled with an exorcism, or by killing the host. It is not uncommon for a ghost to get stuck inside a body, unable to leave even if it wants to.

Skills and Lore. Generally, ghosts retain the skills they had in life, though this is only as much as their psychological state and clarity of thought will let them use those skills. Often, they will be too agitated and obsessed to use their abilities as effectively as they would have in life. Clearly, their problems with interacting with the Material will render many of their skills difficult to use unless when possessing someone. Moreover, ghosts cannot use any form of Arcana, though they may be able to cast very simple spells if they happen to possess a Mage of the same sphere.

Ghosts can learn new skills, though the process is slower than for a living person and the skill needs to be related to the reason why they became ghosts.

Languages. Ghosts are able to speak any languages they knew in life. Moreover, many ghosts are able to speak the Spirit Tongue because of their period in the Ethereal Plane, where they came into contact with the large spirit population of that place. It should be noted that spirits greatly outnumber ghosts, as there are literally dozens of spirits for each ghost, so it is natural for souls to learn their language.

Resistances and Weaknesses

Ghosts are immune to most physical attacks unless aided by special means; this also extends to Arcana of a physical nature. Of the spheres of Arcana, Thaumaturgy and Necromancy are the most likely to affect them, though ghosts are not undead in the way these spheres define them, and such they cannot be easily 'turned' or controlled. A smart ghost can use its ethereal nature and high mobility to shrug most spells off in a very short amount of time, so great care must be taken when facing them arcanically. Even targeting the ghost with the spell is not exactly a simple task, since they do not stand out in Clara.

Moreover, since only the gods can destroy a soul, nothing can really 'kill' a ghost or even deal long-term damage. When confronting a ghost, the usual alternatives are appeasing, banishing or trapping it. This is not to say that the ghost cannot be hurt - in fact, it can be put through such an amount of pain and stress that it simply ceases to be a threat. In extreme cases, this will even cause the ghost to be re-absorbed by the Ethereal Plane, thus disappearing as a ghost.

One of the most effective ways to get rid of a ghost is to eliminate the reason for its lingering. Killing the object of its revenge or severing any other connections to life will almost certainly weaken it to a point where it will no longer be able to sustain itself, and finally find its rest. As a related weakness, burning the ghost's mortal spoils will often weaken its grasp of the Material Plane tremendously. Anything separating the ghost from its previous life will help weaken it.

Ghosts may not pass through surfaces that have been shielded against them. This includes salt and goat's blood used to draw lines or painted on walls as done by Adjurators. Ghosts may be able to force their way through salt protections if they are very powerful and experienced, but the effort will drain them. Moreover, the ghost may attempt to find alternate entrances to bypass the wards, and it can enter while secretly possessing someone, or if explicitly invited by someone inside. They dislike the smell of incense made with certain materials such as ground bones, finding it very difficult to stay in a room where this incense is being burned.

Ghosts find a variety of food called Ambrosia extremely appealing, often losing control of themselves and yielding to the temptation of being near this food, which can be used to either please them or lure them into a shielded container where they will be trapped. Conversely, brass bells will torment and infuriate any nearby ghosts, who will risk entering a berserker-like rage. Moreover, it is virtually impossible for a ghost to attack someone wielding a Hand of Glory - a hanged man's left hand whose fingers have been turned into candles and lit - though these items are very rare.

When a PC dies, should the player request it, he or she can be allowed to either roleplay in the Ethereal Plane or immediately return as a low-level ghost (see Rules of the Ethereal Plane.) Every Ghost PC in the Material Plane has a variable Motus rank, which can be altered dynamically by Game Masters, or with permission from one. Changes in this rank should reflect RPing quality, dedication as well as realism in how the ghost's motivations are portrayed. The rank may increase or decrease, depending on the PC's actions. Giving a PC Motus 5 requires Help Desk permission and will usually happen as a consequence of roleplay in the Ethereal Plane.

Ghost PCs may also be created from scratch, like any other Special Permission Race.