Mother Moon was human once
her sister was the Wind
they sought to learn life's secrets
for they thought that death could end
They wove a net to catch him
as Death was driving by
they thought they'd find his weakness
if they gazed into his eyes
But they saw not only how to live
they say saw all who were to die
and overcome by life and death
Moon began to cry
Startled by her sudden tears
Death let her live as light
and frightened by her sister's fate
Wind wailed into the night
--From The Legend of Lilith
The Ghost Speakers are unique in that, rather than consulting texts, most of their knowledge and practices are still passed on through oral tradition. But I have managed to transcribe some of their poems, and I will tell you what I have gleaned.
The Ghost Speakers are tied the most difficult and unsettling of magics, that of death itself. As their name suggests, they have developed a method for communicating with the dead. But ghost speakers do more than merely talk to those who have passed on. They actively seek out souls who have lost their way to the Land of the Dead and take them there. They do this with colorful wooden sticks, or ghost rods, which they use not only to distract destructive spirits, but to trap them until they can be transported to their final resting place.
Training
The gift of a Ghost Speaker is not passed down genetically, nor is learning the art mandatory for anyone. Though any person over the age of ten may choose to undergo the initiation, Ghost Speakers warn them to consider this decision carefully, as the initiation process is excruciating and cannot be reversed.
The initiation process occurs in an open field at the height of the full moon, as this is when it is easiest to open the gateway to the Land of the Dead. A leader speaks an incantation to open the gateway, and new initiates are given a small dose of a poison, to trick the gateway into thinking they are dead. The poison does not have a lasting effect on the body, but will cause the person who consumes it to think they are dying. The initiates then go into the Land of the Dead with at least one Ghost Speaker, who may also be carrying souls. The initiates' senses are consumed by death, and they feel for some time that they are experiencing multiple deaths at once. They spend at least half and hour in this state, and even after they are led back to the Land of the Living, they continue to weep and scream. It is said that if you hear an eerie howling on a full moon night, it is not a ghost, but a newly initiated Ghost Speaker. Once having undergone the initiation, Ghost Speakers are able to see and communicate with the spirits of the dead, as well as to travel into the Land of the Dead while still alive.
After completing initiation, a Ghost Speaker is apprenticed to someone more experienced, who teaches them how to make and paint their own ghost rods, to capture spirits, and to release them. When their teacher is satisfied, they may continue their work on their own.
Structure
The Ghost Speakers do not have a strong hierarchy, and usually operate in small bands that are geographically organized. These bands are democratic organizations that vote on a governing body on an as needed basis. Though Ghost Speakers are generally free to move and operate how they please, the local governing body might give a particular assignment to a certain Ghost Speaker, or choose a teacher for a new initiate. They also handle conflicts, such as a Ghost Speaker showing extreme incompetence or one who decides to send spirits to haunt people, rather than taking them to the Land of the Dead. Though the rules of these organizations differ from location to location, in general all Ghost Speakers within a given jurisdiction may vote, and in some cases, community members who are not Ghost Speakers, but whose lives are affected by their actions.
Location
Ghost Speakers can be found all over Svene, as they are not attracted to any particular locations. The number of towns in which Ghost Speakers are known and believed has been steadily decreasing, though versions of Ghost Speaker tales, such as the legend of Lilith, the first Ghost Speaker, are still told as scary stories in many places. Often, it is those who seek the truth behind the stories who become initiated as Ghost Speakers themselves. Initiates also come from family members of Ghost Speakers. There are surprisingly few restrictions on who Ghost Speakers may reveal their identities to, and most tell their families, and sometimes even close friends.
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