Lagan

Lagan are the proof that ghost stories in Morova are more than just tall tales. They're explained differently by various cultures and faiths, but in essence they are some aspect of the past that has remained well into the present. This may sound vague, but it's because the sheer variety of lagan is so expansive: dozens of different kinds have been observed, varying wildly in appearance. There are, of course, rules to how lagan operate, but they are unfortunately little known to most. However, most people in Morova believe lagan to be omens of some sort, indicators that good or bad fortune is soon to come for those who see them.

Known Rules of Lagan

Some intrepid individuals have begun the study of lagan- a few on their own accord, but many due to funding from universities in various kingdoms. As a result of the increased volume of research, there have been recent breakthroughs regarding what's known about lagan, and these are known as the Rules.

The first Rule dictates that lagan never exist in the present. They may appear to physically exist to those who see them, but they never truly have a presence, and therefore their interactions with the present are limited. This extends to physical matter- no lagan has ever been witnessed interacting or affecting the corporeal world, and it is widely believed to be impossible, save a small exception detailed in the third Rule.

The second Rule states that lagan cannot be created intentionally, but they are always the result of intent. Though it appears contradictory, those who study lagan will gladly explain that there is a distinct difference between intending to create a lagan (which is, to their knowledge, impossible) and having an intent so strong that it produces a lagan. Unfulfilled oaths, acts of valor, frenzied devotion, and great loss are often strong enough to create lagan of some sort. The magnitude of the intent may have some effect on the magnitude of the lagan, but this relationship is not well known.

The third and final Rule is slightly more hypothetical in nature than the previous two. It states that, while lagan themselves have no physical form to speak of, they may inhabit physical vessels. This seems like an oversight of the first Rule, however inhabiting a physical vessel essentially causes a lagan to go dormant, meaning it is still incapable of interacting with anything around it. It is notably difficult to spot a lagan-inhabited item unless one is extremely attuned to lagan presence, so this Rule is often rejected as mere speculation.

Seeing Lagan

Interestingly enough, as stated in the third Rule, not everyone perceives lagan in the same way- some cannot even see lagan at all. Many hypotheses exist regarding this, but none have been proven more true than any other. Those who follow Anchorage believe that the stronger an individual's Sense, the stronger their ability to see and comprehend lagan. Such individuals often become renowned for their uncanny luck and ability to seemingly predict the future.

It's worth noting that even though most people can perceive lagan, not everyone believes in them. Even many who can see them don't always recognize them for what they are, instead believing them to be illusions, tricks of the mind, divine guidance, or any manner of things. Such delusions have led to a surprisingly widespread conception that lagan don't actually exist, or that they once did but have since died out. Of course, this is disputed, as there are still enough who can See to keep the knowledge alive.

Types of Lagan

Lagan are classified by three criteria: their visibility, their aesthetic attributes, and their message. Classification by visibility is relatively simple, as its only categories are "major" and "minor". Major lagan are large and dramatic in appearance, yet generally more rare, whereas minor lagan are small, subtle, and a lot more common (meaning that, interestingly enough, minor lagan are noticed a lot less frequently). Aesthetic attributes fall into three different areas: "humanoid", "beastlike", and "nebulous", all of which are straightforward. Humanoid lagan appear like humans, beastoid lagan look like animals, and nebulous lagan have no discernable or describable shape, often appearing like gas or flame.

Finally, classification by message is a much trickier system, as it requires much closer analysis of the lagan. It is known that certain lagan can communicate messages to people when they are approached, or sometimes even seem to seek out people to "communicate" with. This has led to the development of three message categories: "insightful", "prophetic", and "devoid". Devoid lagan are the simplest and most common, as they do not communicate any message whatsoever. Insightful lagan are a bit more rare, and they tend to inform the observer (usually via a thought suddenly plopped into their mind) about their surroundings. Common insightful lagan are those which haunt old areas and can tell people about the history that happened there. Finally, prophetic lagan are the most rare, and they present the observer with some form of prophecy or prediction of the future. There are very few verified encounters with these lagan, so their nature is extremely speculative, but traditional folk knowledge states that a visit from a prophetic lagan means that there are great and tragic events soon to come.

Though no two lagan are ever exactly the same, there are some lagan "themes" that pop up commonly. Above is a lagan commonly referred to as a Torch. It's classified as major, humanoid, and devoid.

Oddly, it has been observed that lagan will occasionally occupy a physical vessel, much like how a hermit crab may inhabit a shell. In this example, a lagan known as a Whisper (minor, nebulous, prophetic) has been released from its vessel- in this case, a lantern. Whispers and other nebulous lagan are the ones most frequently found in vessels.