Menkhu Spirits

== Spirits of the Menkhu Faith ==
Other than the many gods and goddesses of the Menkhu, they pray to a myriad of supernatural beings. There are often rituals and cults dedicated to each of these creatures, which in Cister Carta was made heresy and is seen as demon worship.  
=== Shapnack ===
An archaic word roughly meaning 'Night Demon', which is used to refer to any evil spirit, but most often a type of feminine spirit said to be made of clay and bone. Albino children are believed to be the offspring of humans mating with a Shapnack.
===Adyr===
Also known as Vampires, believed to be undead creatures, perhaps victims of a curse during their life or women who die during childbirth, who have to drink the blood from the living to sustain it's own body. If a deceased does not enter riger mortis, it is a sign that they will become an Adyr. It is believed, that garlic, wild rose, and hawthorn are good remedies against Adyr.
===Babai===
A field spirit which appear as crones with green hair, living in straw huts and leading wandering people astray, giving them diseases, or murdering those who fall asleep in the fields. Babai are appeased by a gift of eggs or a living chicken.
===Blotnik===
A swamp spirit, usually portrayed as a man with frog-like eyes, covered in mossy beard and hair. Blotniks lure people or animals into their swamp to drown them, by mimicking animal noises or human screaming.
===Drowners===
A water spirit, believed to be the corpse of someone who drowned. They look like bloated corpses, covered in slimy scales, with fish-like features and dead eyes. They live in deep pools or rivers, where they dig themselves into the sand at day and come out at sunset to hunt. If anything gets too close to the water, or goes for a swim, they will drown them and eat them.
===Kikimora===
A shapeshifting house spirit with glowing eyes. It is always feminine, usually with animal features, such as goat's horns or a chicken beak, and can even take the shape of deceased family members. Kikimoras can be both good or bad spirits, depending on the homeowner's behaviour. It is said to live inside chimneys or in cellars, and produces noises similar to mice in order to obtain food.
===Night Hag===
An evil spirit made of shadow that torment its victim at night. It is known to sit on their chest and steal their life energy. To ward against them, mothers will often place a knife in their childrens' beds or draw a circle around the cradle with a knife for protection.
===Rusalka===
A dangerous nymph, believed to be the undead spirit of a person who died violently and untimely, such as the victims of suicide, babies who died before they were given a name. It is said that their hair is made of thorny twigs which can crow to entangle its victims.
===Vila===
A type of nymph that lives in the mountains or in the sky. They are beautiful with wings and thunderous eyes. There is a cult dedicated to Vilas, that bring offerings of fruits and flowers to caves or wells in the hope that they might one day be gifted with eternal youth. The cult has their own ritualistic dances and orgiastic ceremonies.