A shadow of what you used to be

Some poor souls believe that the next world will be a better place than Life. Some are right, and some are destined to rise from their graves as ghosts, tethered to the world of the living by things they did not do, fear of the next step, and a refusal to surrender. The living call these lost souls Ghosts, but they refer to themselves as the 'teeming dead', or more simply, as the Dead.

Ghosts come in three broad groupings of power: novices, veterans, and powerful. Usually the older ghosts are the most powerful among their number, as age gives them time to perfect and master their powers as well as the opportunities to forge deeper connections to the world of the living, but this is not always the truth. Some ghosts, such as the ghosts of vampires, emerge from their dark rebirth potent and powerful as any aged ghost and with more drive as well.

Innate Powers & Abilities

Ghosts have certain innate powers and abilities, that are almost entirely centered around dealing with the Skinlands. In the Shadowlands, ghosts are fairly mundane - just as normal humans are in the Skinlands, so are ghosts in the Shadowlands.

• Deathless - Being dead already, ghosts are incredibly difficult to put down permanently. Outside of certain necromantic powers and magics which manipulate souls, ghosts can only be killed permanently by salting and burning their bones. The fate of ghosts who have their bones salted and burned is unclear, but most people believe the souls are forced to move on to their eternal rewards.
• Electromagnetic Interference - Electronics, lights, and similar devices malfunction in the presence of a ghost. The greater the power of the ghost and the angrier the ghost is, the more pronounced this effect is.
• Electronic Interactions - Ghosts, when they are manifested, can have their voices heard through via EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) where their words are captured by a recorder or other device. While manifested Ghosts can be photographed but the image, regardless of the camera used, the video system, etc, is always wispy and 'inconclusive'.
• Feed on Emotion - Ghosts draw strength and power from their own emotions and the emotions of the living (or the undead), and covet these sources of energy.
• Icy Anger - When a ghost is angry or upset, not only does their presence interfere with the normal operations of electronics and lights, but ambient temperatures drop sharply, easily enough to coat windows in frost and to enable a person to see the mist of their breath when they exhale.
• Invisible & Intangible - While in the Skinlands, ghosts are intangible and are able to hover or float through the Skinlands without suffering the effects of gravity and are able to move through walls and other physical barriers without difficulty. Unless a person or a being has a power or ability that allows them to see or recognize ghosts, they are also invisible unless they decide to Manifest.
• Material Attachment - Ghosts can latch their essence to objects that have been very close to them in their life. Until these objects are destroyed, the ghost continues its existence. This power explicitly allows a ghost to survive the burning of its bones, one of the few methods of circumventing destruction provided the ghost has a fetter already. A ghost can only have 1 such object unless the ghost has a power which allows it to select more.
• Pass the Veil - Ghosts exist naturally in a place called the Shadowlands, a realm of the dead and faded memories. Ghosts can however, wriggle their way passed the Veil, the barrier that separates the lands of the living and the lands of the dead. Ghosts commonly call this power Manifest.
• Supernatural Endurance & Regeneration - Ghosts do not get tired, do not need to sleep, eat, or breathe. A ghost will regenerate from almost any injuries inflicted to it, provided its bones are not salted and burned. When a ghost over uses its powers, or when it is subject to trauma that would normally kill someone, it enters a state called Slumber, which is a kind of sleeping/trance like state. The ghost remains in slumber for a day and then reawakens made whole and restored to its usual power.
• Supernatural Senses - Ghosts can see in total darkness regardless of source, and are less affected by supernatural darkness than other beings, they also have a supernatural sense of hearing, which exceeds that of vampires or lycans. Unless they are Materialized they have no sense of taste, smell, or touch while in the Skinlands. While materialized, their other senses function as normal, but only sight and hearing remain supernaturally enhanced.
• Supernatural Strength & Speed - Ghosts are significantly stronger and faster than human beings, on a level with vampires and lycanthropes, but must be materialized in order to actually physically lay a hold of someone. Otherwise, they interact with the physical world with telekinesis. Some ghosts are stronger than others, capable of physically matching demons and angels in terms of raw physical strength.

Weaknesses

• Repellents - Hunters have a few real methods to repel ghosts:
  • Salt - Ghosts can be repelled by salt and can't cross a line made of salt. Some Hunters use rock salt shot rounds to dissipate ghosts by blasting them with it. Salt is also useful whenever a ghost is possessing a human. Feeding salt in the mouth of the person a ghost is possessing, will cause the ghost great pain and force the ghost out and free the human from the ghost's control. Shooting the person with rock salt will also break a ghost's possession.
  • Iron - Like salt, iron keeps spirits at bay. Some Hunters use an iron crowbar or fire poker. Contact with it will dissipate a ghost for a couple of minutes. Touching iron to the skin of a person possessed by a ghost will break their possession.
  • Magic - Different magical techniques can affect ghosts. The protection technique can block ghosts from entering a location or possessing a human, the soul manipulation technique can destroy them outright.

• Putting a Ghost to Rest - There are generally four ways to permanently defeat a ghost by putting them to rest:
  • Salting and Burning the Bones - The best and most common method to put a ghost to rest. Digging up a ghost's remains then salting and burning the bones, will help the spirit to cross over to the next life. When a ghost's bones are successfully salted and burned, it will go up in flames. This method is used for violent and vengeful spirits.
  • Destroying the Haunted Object - Salting and burning the object the ghost is using to stay active in the human world, will put a ghost to rest if there are no bones to burn, or if the objects are Fetters.
  • Resolving the Ghost's Issues - Sometimes helping a ghost to resolve its issues can put a ghost to rest. This method is rare, but is used to help benevolent spirits find peace. Sometimes, if a vengeful spirit is not too far gone, a loved one can reach them through this method.
  • Ghosts - Ghosts fighting one another can sometimes successfully send their enemies into Oblivion.
  • Holy Ground - Some ghosts can't walk on holy ground, although unlike demons, rather than literally being unable to walk on it, ghosts can't or it will destroy them.
  • Last Rites - The Last Rites performed by a priest over at least a willing ghost will send that ghost to rest.

Power Limits