Spirits

The last journey; the last form. The term spirits is generally used for anyone who has passed from the living and is believed to be on the journey to the afterlife. However, when spoken in whispers it more often refers to those who have returned. Unable to fully rest, they have returned to the land of the living to seek whatever will help them move on. Should this attempt fail, then they could easily drag others to join them beyond the grave.

"There is a difference between a spirit and a spirit, if you ask enough people. The words may be the same, but the intent? That is what marks the difference.
One is simply gone, moving through the last vestiges of the cycle of life as was willed to all mortal kind. It is what is expected of all of us. We shall never see them again, but we can only hope that they found the path that brings them home.
The latter, though? They are those who cannot move on, not yet. They have forsaken the correct ways - returning to where they should no longer be in hope of something they themselves likely do not understand. They take upon a great risk to not only their own soul but the many living people around them. Whether that is a guilt they find worth the transgression is a question they must ask themselves greatly. For this is a choice that may never allow them to return to the cycle ever again."

Appearance

A spirit physically looks as they did when alive - typically appearing in the clothes used for their funeral rites or perhaps in another outfit that holds significant meaning for them. While they will initially appear in good health with nothing hinting at their death, this becomes less true overtime. The longer they stay outside of the Grey, any wounds that marked them upon their death will become more and more apparent. Within shadows, especially at night, they may very well pass for a living person. However under any form of light - even moonlight - their form becomes more transparent. During night time, there may appear to be a faint light emitting around them giving the appearance that they are glowing.

Lore

Funeral Rites

Underworld

Afterlife

There are many different ways funerals are held throughout the continent. Some are simple, personal affairs. Others are extravagant goodbyes. Whatever they are given, there are some commonalities shared between many of the rites. Some of the most common rites hold two ceremonies. The first ceremony is the actual funeral and typically occurs within several days of the passing. The second ceremony - the passing rite - can occur a month or even a year later. It is intended to symbolize the desire that the departed has successfully moved onto the afterlife, and if they haven't it is intended to give them a clear path towards it. Specific details of these ceremonies can vary - the details of what to wear, how to act, when or where it is expected to be held.

It is said the underworld is located within the forests of Islos - a small cave entrance at the end of a river. Upon stepping in, the cave and river expand until it becomes wide enough for a boat. Journeying down on the boat will lead to a split in the river - each path leading to different gates. What each gate represents is a secret that mortal kind can never understand. While not everyone has the same certainties of what happens in the afterlife, the existence of the underworld is not as debatable. It is not where one goes to rest, but merely a step along the path. Whether it is where judgement should be passed, or merely where the ability to move on is, it must be passed through.

There are different beliefs of what occurs once one has passed through the underworld. Some believe in the Nine Gates - levels of judgement where one must confront the choices of their lives and the consequences of those actions. Others believe in the cycle - that passing through the gates means making the choice to forget and be reborn anew. Sometimes the beliefs are mixed. That one must go through their past before moving on. Many elvenkind do not believe in an afterlife. Their death is merely fuel for the earth and spirits are simply corrupt wisps of magic that have broken through. What is the truth? Even the gods of death could not answer truthfully.

Abilities

The Grey Realm

Physical Realm

The realm of those who have yet to move onto the afterlife is known as 'the Grey' or 'the Grey Realm'. The term comes from funeral and mourning rites - with the living expected to wear black for the initial funeral and white for the passing rite. With the Grey being the location of spirits after death but before making their way through the underworld, it is 'inbetween' the two rites and a mixture of the colors.

Nothing is truly known about the Grey, as it is not a place any living soul could reach. Stories depict it as a mirror of the real world, but much more desolate and shrouded in fog. Spirits are said to wonder through the Grey until it is time to move on. Whether moving on is waiting for a loved one to take the journey with you or after reaching acceptance and closure cannot be said exactly. However, when it is time, it is believed a path will appear through the fog and leading the spirits into the underworld where they shall face the final judgement and enter through the Gates.

Spirits are not supposed to return to the land of living, but sometimes they can. Perhaps what they need to move on is located in this realm, or perhaps they cannot move on at all. Sometimes they find a way to move between the two realms - as if stepping through an invisible door. Other times, someone whispers the secret to them from the shadows with promises of reincarnation or vengeance. Once the secret is unlocked, it will not be forgotten and become easier to do but at a grave cost.

Within the physical realm, a ghost does not immediately return to life. Instead, they are stuck in a strange limbo. Some are visible to all, some visible to few, some visible to none. Most are incapable of interacting with objects without serious concentration. The longer they live in the realm though, the more they will learn to manipulate their essence. They will become able to control who can see them, find touching objects easier, and may even be able to manifest objects close to them when they were alive.

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Types of Wraiths

Wraiths

While people rare seek to label wraiths when they appear, there still appears to be enough differences to imply they have groups. While there will always be exceptions without enough records, I have gathered that wraiths seem to retain one of several distinct behaviors:

• Reenactment: These spirits seem to be vividly reliving the last moments of their life over and over. Most of them don't seek out and harm others, but witnessing the act can be terrifying in its own ways. Someone running through your halls desperately begging for help, or perhaps clawing and pounding at walls while begging them to be opened while rising and gasping for air. The worst, by far, are those who repeatedly fall from great heights - over and over.


• Attention-Seeking: These ghosts are loud, but generally harmless. They are unique in their tendency to mark the land they are in with signs conveying their presence. Often interacts and moves with the environment to make sure their presence are known, it can be easy to tell if a place is haunted by one just by listening.


• Lonesome: These wraiths desire to make anyone who enters their space to face the same fate as them. Similar to those who seek vengeance, but these ones tend to be more passive and less likely to hunt down. In addition, they are determined for the invaders to die in the exact same way they did. They are often characterized by crying sounds and calling out for others.


• Vengeance: The most violent kind of wraith and thankfully the rarest, they seem to mistake everyone who enters the area as being or being in league with whoever led to their death. They seek revenge for what was done with them and will hunt down these 'invaders', often manifesting a weapon of their own.

The more time a spirit spends outside of the Grey, the more likely they are to become a wraith. Corrupted spirits, wraith's can no longer proceed through the underworld. Once corrupted, a wraith rarely moves from that spot and becomes mentally trapped in the situation surrounding their lowest point - most often their death. This mental state will often determine what way they will act out. Some wraiths rarely harm those around, more instead frightening those. However, there are just as many that will murder anyone who enters the space that has become their prison.

The wound that caused a Wraith's death is fully visible if physical. If they died through non-physical means (such as disease) then their appearance may be affected in other ways. For example, an individual who was poisoned may have black veins creeping around their mouth and down their throat. Someone who died of old age or starved to death may appear skeletal. The only trait that appears throughout all spirits is the black eyes extending into their sclera.

In addition, they seem to display more honed abilities. They have mastered the ability to appear and disappear at will. While most still can't physically interact with objects, they are able of moving them without touching them. Some are easily able to manifest items related to their living life, and almost all of them can now physically touch the living if they desire. Depending on how they died, they may possess some short distance teleportation or levitation skills.

There is no way accessible to the average individual to defeat a wraith. Many may flaunt their ability to rid a location of spirits with secret spellwords and incenses, but they are likely nothing more than a fraud who has never encountered an actual wraith before. While it is possible to defeat a wraith, it cannot be done through conventional means. No mortal weapon will harm them - only those forged from the bones of gods could stand a chance. Runes fiercely guarded by the guards of the underworld. Perhaps even magic strong enough, if the wielders are willing to risk their life. A rare occurrence - the average individual has better chances abandoning a wraith's new home. Sanctioning it off with talismans and warnings until the day they mysteriously disappear, leaving the area safe again.