Afterlife Spirits

*Spirits born from those who have passed on to the next life.*

### **Soul**

* Souls are the imprints of people that have passed on into the afterlife. Any dead, untampered human becomes a Soul but not all Souls appear in our plane of reality, only strong willed or powerful people wield enough power to leave an imprint on the real world. (Untampered meaning any magical means of preventing/altering as such).
* Grants human buffs in pacts like increased strength or speed. In rare cases, even glimpses into the soul’s past life. Can either supply power or be hosted directly by a human. Along with Ghosts, Souls play a big part in **Necromancy.**

A pact with any soul will be very different from any other, as these souls are actual humans that once lived and have unique wishes and desires. Generally, granting them another chance at life or completing unfinished business from their past life is a common trend.

OFFERING - A piece of memorabilia or something of significance from their life.

### **Ghosts**

* Souls of deceased humans that have lingering, shackling trauma or history. Often “chained” to a certain area, object, or person, (not necessarily haunting) and often a manifestation of what it is that keeps them from passing on into the afterlife. Not really human, and more so an imprint of their traumatic experiences.
* Ghosts are not ones to make pacts, but are quite useful for practices like Binding, Summoning, and Artefice. In the rare case that they do make pacts, the magic they give is usually tied to the cause of their death. These spirits are very unique in that they can dip into other magics at some times, a ghost who drowned might be able to give you water magics.

Ghosts are, at best, only mildly cognizant of their surroundings, given that they are only a figment of trauma or carry a deep connection to something. Best used for Binding or Summoning, or empowering Artefacts. They can be found almost anywhere, where people have died. A ghost’s connection to the world can be strengthened by stating or reminding it of parts from its past life. This allows a magician to easier bind or summon a Ghost, and make it last longer or become stronger.

OFFERING - None, aren’t drawn to magicians.

### **Poltergeist**

* Poltergeists are spirits or ghosts that haunt specific locations or people, causing disturbances or even mild harm to humans. They usually remain invisible but when they manifest, it is usually as a luminous blue figure. They mess with people by throwing objects and furniture around.
* Poltergeists are often used in Summoning or Binding practices, agreeing to be sicced on certain targets chosen by magicians.  It is unknown what takes hold of a spirit or ghost to become a Poltergeist. ***Extremely powerful***

Will not usually grant power to someone but will agree to attack or haunt a targeted person or place or object, in exchange for their release from this world, or sometimes the ability to freely wander and haunt as they please. Magicians can find these by researching hauntings around Wisteria.

OFFERING - The best option is something that comes from the person or place they haunt. If you cannot get anything from those, then good luck.

### **Lares**

* The composite Spirit of multiple ghosts “molded” together to form a singular entity. These Lares are often bound to a singular place/location to guard and protect it.
* Given the nature of Lares as composite ghosts,personal power is pretty diluted. Thus, they are relegated to simple guardianship over select people, places, or things. Abilities of lares vary depending on the type of trauma they have in common.

Given the nature of Lares as composite ghosts, pacts with them are often difficult thanks to the multitude of entities dwelling within the same Spirit. Thus, simple, clean orders or commands are just about all they can handle, though they carry it out very well.

OFFERING  - No need for offerings, as they are bound to a location and do not seek pacts.

### **Draugr**

* These are the returned bodies of Humans that have in life been so obsessed with a certain kind of possession, that they will even in death continue to guard and collect it. This can range from simple money to rare trading cards, it is different to each individual. They can feel it nearby and always find their way back when lost.
* These being corporeal entities, I.e. shambling corpses, they can be very dangerous in combat simply because of their sheer strength. Since they are already dead they will be able to ignore most injuries and can even recover from things that should kill an ordinary man. This effect multiplies the closer they are to a valued treasure. Conversely, the further they are from their valued treasure, the weaker they get until eventually wasting away. Finally, this leads into the only way to kill them, the destruction of their hoard.
* If you have something they desire, you can bind and use them as very effective guardians. Of course there is a risk that they will find a loophole in your contract and claim that treasure as their own.

Very possessive and often only deal in matters of owning, acquiring, or safeguarding materialistic property. Almost always will require something of value in return for their services.

OFFERING - Anything of genuine value or worth. The more materialistic, the better.

### **Kelpie**

* Kelpies are a unique form of lare-djinn hybrid formed around bodies of water. They are fundamentally an amalgamation of ghosts born of drownings and djinn of rivers and water, a potent combination made all the more dangerous by the residual negative emotion that charges them, sourced from the ghosts.
* They’re extremely hostile to anyone straying too close to their water territory, such as a particular stretch of river or lake, and exhibit advanced control over water not seen in many other spirits. This extends all the way to the level of drowning people on dry land if they’re particularly angry by calling forth water inside someone’s lungs.
* Appearance-wise, kelpies take the form of drowned horses, bloated and rotting, with bright red eyes visible through the dark.
* Pacts with kelpies tend to lead to abilities related to drowning. Not water in general, only the most violent application of it, as a result of the nature of a kelpie. They include the ability to disregard drowning, weapons that inflict the sensation of drowning, or tools that can fill a room with muddy water at great power cost.

Kelpies are extremely hostile and do not often make pacts willingly. If one is forcibly restrained or somehow convinced to make a pact of its own accord, they tend to require the magician to return to their body of water regularly. They may also demand certain concessions involving solving drownings or, in some cases, *causing* drownings at their body of water. Calling a kelpie is possible within a certain distance of their hunting grounds, via representations of drowning (or infliction of drowning).

OFFERING - Offerings are not often required as kelpies remain within a certain territory, but outside of that territory representations of or the process of drowning will attract them.

### Notable Spirits

***Abel*** (Soul): An absolutely ancient Soul, and likely the oldest. He is the brother of a proto-magician, Cain, having been killed in cold blood. He usually wonders the dark parts of Wisteria wallowing in his own sadness. Like most notables no one is known to have made a pact with him. Brought over to Wisteria from the Middle East by an unknown magician.

***The Drowned Brothers*** (Ghosts): A pair of twin brothers who died in the late 1970s, having both drowned in the Clarendon. One fell under and couldn’t save himself, and the other also perished while trying to rescue his brother. Out of respect, the two have been left undisturbed by magicians since, but the few juvenile Magicians that have dared to mess with them came back with tales of sadness and grief.

***Ava*** (Mammon): A famous Draugr who hangs out around the casino, messing with magicians and sometimes even stealing their winnings. Taking the form of a gilded python, the owner of the casino seems to not care that a notable spirit that messes with his business. Sleazy and sadistic in nature and obviously greedy.
***Lares of the Library*** (Lares): A vast multitude of lares dwelling within St. Edith’s Library, guarding both the visitors and books. Hundreds can be seen moving around the place, but it is rumored that there are many more around that cannot be seen, silently watching all that enter.