Spectres are immaterial beings that walk between planes of Mundus and the Aetherius. Due to their nature, they often require more than force of arms alone to vanquish.
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Ghost
Arkay, grant them your protection;
May they rest in everlasting peace.
- Arkay prayer
What happens after we die? Is there another world, another life waiting for us or is there nothing but a black void for we are but a dream of a dying god? Questions for the philosophers, clerics, and scholars; what the Vigil knows and needs to know is what happens when the body passes on but the spirit does not – they become a ghost.
Ghosts are a complicated affair and their morality may range from the malevolent to benign, as any mortals would in life. They may be encountered in anywhere and everywhere, near cemeteries and other burial places, in fields of battles long forgotten, or their homes; anywhere which they have died. As to the why, that is something to be covered in a future lecture.
On detecting these spirits, it is often said that those trained in the magical arts have a keen sense for them and for once, the rumours are true. Other popular and effective tools are pendulums, preferably made of smoky quartz. Their appearance varies with reports of them looking exactly as they have died, with grizzly details or as what they believe themselves to be.
Ghosts cannot be harmed by ordinary blows but must be damaged by magicks, silver or enchanted items. Holy water unlike other spectres are not necessarily effective on ghosts: that depends on their level of benevolence and malevolence. It should be noted that unless bound to a soul gem, defeating ghosts through conventional means is not enough to truly remove them – ghosts will eventually rematerialize and continue to haunt. To properly rid of a ghost, whatever that binds them to the realm of the living must be severed – either through fulfilment of unfinished businesses or by force of exorcism.
- Excerpt from Bestiary: Ghost by Vigilant Tyran Cerberacci
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Lost Soul
Look upon ye muddled flock,
Look how they stumble!
How they stumble!
- Vonagrius, Scene 7, Act II
Not quite ghosts but not quite wraiths, Lost Souls are spirits have lost their sense of self without succumbing to malice. Wretched creatures, while they can be the result of dark magicks, they are often the result of tethering too long in the material world – for like an old man would forget his own name, Lost Souls in their eternity would forget everything.
There is little to fear from Lost Souls; they barely have enough power to manifest themselves let alone manipulate the material world. A Lost Soul’s appearance differs from spirit to spirit but is commonly described as resembling who they were but ‘missing’ elements – their faces a complete blank to only their voice lingering.
There are two ways to get rid of a Lost Soul. First is by severing whatever that tethers them to Mundus, unlikely as it may. The second is through exorcism. Under no circumstances is a Vigilant allowed to use the force of arms against a Lost Soul – to do so is blasphemy to the Scroll of Mercy!
- Excerpt from Bestiary: Lost Soul by Keeper Melana
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Wraith
Wraiths cannot be reasoned with and will only rest with the gift of mercy.
- Declaration XXVII of the Vigil
Tortured beings, wraiths are ghosts whose very essence are so overcome with hatred and malice that they deteriorate into nothing more than a wounded animal to be put down. In losing themselves, a wraith’s form is a monstrous perversion of their former selves. Their caricature extends to more than their corrupt appearances, now more freely drawing from the dark powers of Aetherius, wraiths are faster and more powerful than mere ghosts.
Wraiths, like ghosts can be found in any location, typically where they spent their last living moments. However, wraiths are known to be more active at night. A wraith’s hauntings are violent, killing all who dare trespass their dominion.
Creatures of the immaterial, one must use crafts of silver or fire tree wood to wound them, more so when coated in holy water. They are also vulnerable to items of arcane nature, as they are too with spells. One must bear caution when fighting wraiths: no two spectres are the same in their capabilities.
- Excerpt from Bestiary: Wraith by Sister-Vigilant Solara
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