Ghosts

**Ghosts** are souls of sentient beings who are bound to the material world, usually by a pressing need or strong emotions held by the time of their deaths.

## Kinds of ghosts

### Vozolaz and Siangwaan

* Ghosts of Ardesch
* Chellarcha
* Tyrjano - ghosts of Terran murderers

## Superstitions and beliefs

### Vozonid

* Many Vozonid ghosts have a green hue, but they have different colours based on the kind of their deaths.
	+ Ghosts of drowned people or victims of natural disasters appear pale.
	+ Ghosts of people who have died of old age, accidents, or starvation appear white.
	+ Ghosts of people who have died from diseases appear pale green.
	+ Ghosts of people who have died from fires appear yellow and red.
	+ Ghosts of people who have died from poisoning, strong emotions, or murder would appear blue.
	+ Vengeful ghosts appear red and are wreathed in flames (symbolising their anger), regardless of how they died.
* Black and red are the colours of death, so they could attract ghosts.

* Ghosts are attracted to candles, especially white candles in groups, because they represent death. A red candle inverts its symbolism into celebrating birth. Ghosts avoid red candles because they weaken and purify them until they explode. After that, they either end up in court of the death god Zoval or they reincarnate. Larger red candles or torches are used to keep ghosts away.

* Although most souls go to Zoval's court to be judged, there are three kinds of souls that are being barred from entering the afterlife immediately after they die:
	+ people who have committed great sins (such as mass murder, cannibalism, excessive desecration, destruction of a planet, genocide)
	+ those who die from "unnatural deaths" (natural disasters, massacres, plague outbreaks, deaths before puberty, miscarriages, and all abortions (regarded as miscarriages))
	+ those who were born with severe disabilities

* Therefore, their souls will haunt the Earth for a specified time, so that their sins (if they have any) will be purified over time. When their sins have been expired, they are then taken into Zoval's court to be judged. The excessive sinners will be dragged into their respective torments in Vjormoz (hell), with or without the haunting or their sentence in Zoval's court.
* Those without any sin, usually babies or very young children, only had one day to have one last look on the Earth. After that, the white berzatri escort them to Zoval's court, where he assigns them to new bodies to be reborn.

* The souls of "unnatural deaths" and people with severe disabilities will be reincarnated once into more "suitable" births and bodies: usually as able-bodied people. Reincarnation is considered to be a humiliating fate for the ghosts that undergo that process, and many ghosts fear it more than being sentenced to hell or failing to take revenge on the living.

* If a non-heterosexual dies, their soul is transformed into a powerful ghost that attacks the living, especially at those who had hurt them when they were alive. To prevent this, special rites were performed during the funeral to purify their soul, appease them, and stop them from becoming too powerful.
	+ According to Gauvajut superstition, their attraction was caused by the dragon-demon Illujankas as his attempt to stop humanity from becoming united and powerful enough to defeat him.
		- The Gauvajuts also believed that human diversity was also caused by some kind of "super-soul/psyche" in all humans to adapt into different environments, usually by weaving a "code" in every person's body for the environment they will be born under - this belief also influenced the usage of genetic mutation as a "corrective" method in Gauvajut law.
	+ This was why Gauvajuts sought to "cure" them and refused to kill them; they were sometimes even feared. On the contrary, suspected non-heterosexuals were given healthy food to prolong their lives, to prevent them from becoming vengeful ghosts if they die. Some Gauvajuts even make non-heterosexuals immortal so they cannot die and become ghosts!
	+ They even avoid telling those people to die, or giving them death threats, out of fear of creating those ghosts.
	+ Due to this superstition, the Eastern Enclaves made additions to this myth in defense of non-heterosexuals, who consisted of a large number of their population. They already knew that back in the Gauvajut Empire, their people were shunned and isolated by society out of fear, especially due to their association with the enemy of their country, the armies of Red Ardesch. By conducting a certain ritual, people under this condition would not become ghosts. Instead, they would be consecrated to the gods, who will raise them after death as holy angels. They would still keep their powers, but they can instead use them to protect people. In later times, they are known as dararaus.
* However, the presence of a Celestial or a holy artifact might weaken and purify a ghost from their sins.
	+ Some suggest that the dararaus saints *are* also holy, their very presence enough to purify ghosts.
* The ghosts of plant-based beings turn into wights after they die, protecting and looking after plants, natural formations, or small bodies of water. When that happens, the ghost becomes colourful, beautiful, and delighted (or horrified because they cannot hurt people anymore). The same applies to any wandering spirit who stays too long near plants.

### Freyrgardians

According to Freyrgardian folklore, ghosts are usually people who were attached to the material world in the form of tormented, wrathful spirits, or people who were not cremated or buried properly.

The Freyrgardians also believe that Hel, the goddess of Paradise, also sends the souls of innocents back to the material world as ghosts, to punish the people who murdered and tormented them in life.

### Siangwaan and nearby countries

Their lands were the former domains of the Eastern Enclaves, a nation condemned by the Gauvajut Empire. They were also invaded by Red Ardesch's warlords, who attempted to annex the EE into their empire as a forward base in their campaign to conquer the Gauvajuts and the rest of the continent. Due to certain magic rituals, some of their armies were dragged into the spirit realm, while others vanished as they were transformed into undead spirits. Their rituals also covered much of the region with magical powers, allowing spirits to seep into Jerde and manifest themselves or wreak havoc.

Some of these ghosts sought vengeance against the Gauvajuts and their successors for condemning and rejecting them. Therefore, they seek to kill more people to collect their souls for their armies. When they have gathered enough souls they will wage war against Vozolaz to slaughter every inhabitant, sparing only the "deviants" from their wrath to repopulate the land.

* Every June (the month of Red Ardesch's founding, the celebrated month of the Enclaves and its benefactor), the ghosts emerge from the spirit world and attack the living. To keep them away, people set up colourful flags with sharp patterns at temples all over these lands.
* At the end of the month, these flags are burned in a pile, and the people tell the ghosts, "You will never take over our country, evildoers!"
* Non-heterosexuals attract the ghosts more often, as the ghosts wanted to make them join their wrathful army for their similar background. Due to this, they are also believed to have the ability to see the ghosts and talk to them, or even convince them not to attack people.
* People who are at greater risk of being possessed by ghosts must wear two bands of cloth around their upper arms. If the wearer has three or more bands instead of two, he or she is to be avoided by anyone except the priests or doctors!
* In some communities, they even select non-heterosexuals as priests or exorcists during the ghost month! They also hire non-heterosexuals to carry the flags and floats of the *glyrindar* parade to keep the ghosts away from their neighbours.
* Certain political books are prohibited in those regions, as the locals believe that reading those books in those lands causes the ghosts to possess and indoctrinate the readers. In later times, they were permitted, but they were kept in separate shelves known as "ghost shelves". Readers pray or conduct certain simple rituals to call upon the gods to protect their minds from being influenced by the books.
* The *glyrindar* parade was held at the middle of June to appease or weaken the ghosts. Should one accident disrupt the parade or damage the paper statues, the ghosts would merrily intensify their attacks against the living, but they can be distracted if the dancers can improvise or do something romantic during the parade.
* People are advised not to go out at night.
* While Siangwaan regards the number four as a symbol of death, growing Vozonid influence also causes the number to be regarded as a symbol of beauty, wisdom, growth, and sacrifice. They still avoid the number four to avoid the ghosts, except by drawing stars and invoking Vozonid deities.
* In traditional Siangwaanian stage plays, ghosts and spirits wear veils on their mouths.

### Heronoja

* Never celebrate a birthday at night, and never light birthday candles at night, or ghosts will eat you. However, if you celebrate your birthday at the night of a full moon, you will be safe as Heros (the moon god) will protect you from the ghosts and bless you.
* When a child reaches their first birthday, the parents give them a döro doll. It can protect the child when they sleep from any ghosts, monsters, or evil spirits for twelve years, and is given away or burned at the thirteenth birthday.
* June is the month of ghosts, because it is when the zodiac goddesses' protection is at its weakest, allowing them to easily attack people in the living world. Flags are raised at temples to draw ghosts away from people.
* At the end of June or early July, the doors to the ancestral shrine are closed to bring the ghosts back to the spirit world, and ghost flags are burned to weaken them.
* If a döro doll is not given away or burned, its spirit might end up as an angry ghost to frighten the teenager.
* Do not wander alone at a full moon with your back against the moon, or rock-like ghosts will bite your head off.

### Daizhou (also applies to Siangwaan)

* White is the colour of death, so it attracts ghosts.
* The number four is a symbol of death, so it can attract ghosts.
* July is the ghost month instead of June.
* Never give other people a clock (as it means "to send an end", or to wish death).
* These customs are practiced to keep the ghosts away, so they cannot cause harm:
	+ Do not go out at night.
	+ Do not go swimming.
	+ Do not use red or white clothing, bells, or mirrors.
	+ Do not comb your hair at night.
	+ Do not leave clothing out at night.
	+ Stay in the path when you go out.
	+ Do not celebrate anything (although in Siangwaan, Independence Day and Buddhist festivals are instead used to keep the ghosts away). Birthdays are especially notorious for such attacks as they play around with a person's life.
		- As a result, some Siangwaanians celebrate on a corresponding date after the ghost month, or on the day after the end of the ghost month as a collective, town-wide celebration known as "Humanity Day" (Yan Ziet).
	+ Do not listen to any strange noises behind or around you.
	+ Do not film anything at night.
	+ Do not turn your head behind, or ghosts might find you. If you need to turn, turn your entire body.

### Porasonid

* As all ethnic Porasonids were descendants of the Ontemâzei, when they die their souls become into wights (yakshas) that look after their family and friends. Said wights also enjoy a blissful existence at Shiva's paradise of Mount Kailash and its gardens. Hybrids (people with partial Porasonid ancestry) will instead go to the same destinations as human souls.
	+ However, people who have strong feelings and bitterness turn into ghosts, and they linger until their debts are finished or their sins expire.
	+ To maintain their spiritual connection with the living, a tree is planted after cremation as a shrine to the departed. It is either burned away after it dies as an offering, or it is carved into an idol or a tablet at the family shrine or town temple.

## See also

* Josolchir mythology
* Ghosts of Ardesch