Ghost

**"Your performance... is disappointing."**
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The **ghosts** are the souls of deceased humans and animals, that are able to appear to the living if they want to.

## Overview

Upon leaving their mortal bodies, these ectoplasmic beings are capable of all kinds of powers, from standard ones like being able to go through walls and turn invisible, to more complex ones such as being able to control the weather, though the extent of a ghost's abilities seems to depend mainly on how they put their personality traits to use in their human years. Ghosts are known to reside (or "haunt") certain places in the Real World, namely the place that they died, a location that was important to them when they were alive, or even both, yet they are also interdimensional creatures that have their own realm known as the Ghost World, where they can socialize with others of their kind in places like coffee shops no matter how far apart their deaths were in the Real World.

A majority of this dimension is governed by a group called the Ghost Council, that consists of The Barrister Ghosts led by a Chairman. All human ghosts fall under their rule, however some ghosts are able to get past some of them due to the Council being too busy with other things.

#### Season 1

Each town has at least one representative ghost, assigned by the Ghost Council, to make their town miserable and/or keep it that way no matter what. If a ghost cannot do so, any excuse against it would fall on deaf ears as the Council's Chairman has them banished to the Flow of Failed Phantoms for eternity. A banished ghost would most likely be replaced afterwards, but the process has yet to be explored, though it might be long and complicated, as the town of Perfektborg had kept a reputation for being happy and flawless for a long time after Scary Sven got banished for failing to bring misery during his town's cookie contest. Though the Council requires each scaring ghost to provide a monthly reports of their scares, in order to see how effective they are at spreading fear and misery, they seem to make an exception to the rule for winter holidays, as their had been no sign of them when Christmas had been uncancelled in Brighton. In spite of that, however, it's revealed in Scary Holiday Song that, even when off duty, ghosts make it a tradition to scare humans silly on the holidays anyway, not for the sake of raising numbers, but instead, for the fun of it via spooky pranks.

It seems that town representative ghosts with an impressive enough scare record may be offered to become members of the Ghostly Elite. Though such a promotion from the Ghost Council is once in an afterlife-time, so if a ghost ends up saying "no" to such an offer for any reason (even if that reason is that they cursed themselves to be unable to say "yes" to anything for a certain amount of time) they'd lose the opportunity forever and have to spend the rest of eternity trying to prove their merit in other ways.

Not all ghosts scare people, as there are ghosts that clearly have jobs in the Ghost World, or simply go about their day doing other things.

In addition to scaring people, ghosts seem to prove themselves though "bonus points" gathered via keeping record of all the miserable moments in their towns and how close to permanent the unhappy feelings are, even if the ghosts themselves aren't the cause of that misery. For example, human Talent Shows are considered the gold standard for misery, on account of situations such as stage fright, meltdowns, forgotten lines, and someone who's ego is so big that it crushes everyone else. There may or may not be a rule that allows a ghost to add *their own unhappy feelings* to their misery quota, though whether or not that is actually allowed has yet to be officially revealed.

Ghosts consider joy and positive emotions to be some kind of spiritual virus, as too much positivity can deprive them of their ability to scare humans via an involuntary transformation into a cute, adorable form when they experience more than the amount of joy they're used to. The only known cure seems to be the sensation of fear itself, most effectively their own terror. After this, a ghost will likely not be effected again even if the level of joy remains the same, because they are now used to it. It is likely there may be similar effects when it comes to other emotions, such as dullness of color when there is a deficit of joy in ghosts that usually have a lot of it.

The view on joy as a 'virus' largely seems to be perpetuated by the Chairman, as he feeds on misery and wants joy to be avoided at all costs.

#### Season 2

With Scratch as the new Chairman, after the old one is vanquished, joy is no longer seen as a 'poison', and is now widely allowed in the Ghost World. Scaring is also no longer a job, as its original purpose of feeding the Chairman is no longer relevant. It is also likely joy hunters are no longer around either due to joy no longer being seen as something bad.

Not only can a ghosts emotions effect their physical body, but anything effecting their mind can as well, even if the ghost doesn't recognize any issues. One way demonstrated in the show is memory repression; when a ghost tries to forget something, 'shove it down' so they don't have to think about it, their feelings may start bubbling to the surface. This is physically manifested by their ectoplasm bubbling and popping, getting more intense the closer the ghost gets to facing what they've repressed. Eventually, once they've stopped repressing and face their emotions, they explode and reform into their proper state.

### Ghost Creatures

Most ghostly creatures don't seem interested in attacking human ghosts, at least unless provoked. Sobgoblins in particular seem very willing to work with ghosts who seek to spread misery, and won't attack unless instructed to by another ghost that they like more. Story Sprites don't seem to be interested in attacking anyone, humans included, unless they are defending themselves.

The main exceptions to this are Frightmares, which attack and destroy almost anything. The only things that seem to avoid being harmed by them are the Chairman, due to their fear, and the Barrister Ghosts.

### Ghosts and Food

Unlike living creatures, ghosts don't necessarily need to eat, however, they can still feel the sensation of hunger. Some ghost-like entities, such as the Chairman, sobgoblins, frightmares, and story sprites feed on emotions and abstract concepts (ex. Misery, sadness, chaos, and the text of books). Those who were human once, however, prefer the taste of tangible food like their living counterparts.

Like humans, ghosts have their own taste preferences, and it is likely what a ghost enjoyed when they were alive would be the same types of food that they'll enjoy as a ghost. So, if a person found something disgusting while they were alive, it is likely that wouldn't change as a ghost, unless they do something to change that.

While ghosts no longer have to worry about health risks from poisonous or moldy food, some ghosts keep their food allergies from their human years, though they usually manifest differently than if they were a human. For example, someone who might swell up as a reaction would still do that, but it would be enough to fill every room in a house if exposed, though the swelling goes down in due time. This also goes for dietary issues, such as heartburn or digestive issues from eating food that's too spicy for the ghost to handle.

## Abilities

* **Weightlessness (Flight)-** Basic Ghost Power. All ghosts have the ability to fly. Some ghosts can enhance and/or personalize this abilities with visualization via pantomiming things like elevators, airplanes, and superheroes; depending on their personality.
* **Selective Invisibility (Stealth mode)-** Basic Ghost Power. All ghosts can turn invisible, and choose who can be the exception to the rule while using this particular power.
* **Intangibility**-Basic Ghost Power. All ghosts can go through walls and solid objects.
* **Indestructibility-** Basic Ghost Power. Since they are already dead, all ghosts are more impervious to harm then humans. They can eat poisonous things without any harm or illness coming to them, and they are able to pull themselves together no matter how often they get sliced or splattered. (Doesn't immune them to the feeling of pain in certain situations, though).
* **Absorbency-** Basic Ghost Power. As stated by Molly McGee, ghosts don't even go to the bathroom, yet those who like to eat anyway (like Scratch) always return to their original size and intangibility levels in due time no matter how much they consume.
* **Shape-shifting-** Various Levels of Ghost Power, mostly basic. All ghosts can take on any form they want, as their ectoplasm can be worked like clay, but more often then not, the forms they take seem to rely on focus and emotion.
	+ **Size Changing-** Ghosts have a default size, yet they can make themselves large enough to take up a majority of a room, or small enough to fit inside of a dollhouse.
	+ **The "Uncanny Valley" Effect-** Some ghosts choose to have legs like a human being(Scratch "puts on" legs when the occasion calls for it, and Howling Harriett is so obsessed with toes that she keeps her legs with her all the time), and the most advanced of their kind can look just enough like they did while alive for someone to recognize them, though so far only popular ghosts (like Abraham Lincoln) seem to take advantage of that part of the shape-shifting ability.
	+ **Ectoplasmic Slime-** Some ghosts are so strong with their ectoplasm that they have plenty to spare, thus are able to leave a goo trail behind them after exploding (literally and emotionally) in front of the humans they are haunting, or adding an extra effect to the monster image while shape-shifting.
* **Possession-** Depends on the awareness of the victim. All ghosts can overshadow people and inanimate objects, controlling them from the inside. When using this power on humans, however, the most basic-level ghost has to do it while said person is unconscious (like Andrea) or close to being unconscious (the driver of Atomic Pink's tour bus), and even then, the movements of that person is floppy and disorganized like a rag doll or a puppet. The more skilled and capable the ghost, the less toy-like the person's movements are while possessed, and the most experienced ghosts just might be able to keep control even while the human is awake and aware.
* **Replication-** Intermediate Ghost Power. With enough experience, a ghost can be in multiple places in the same haunting area for short periods at a time. Scratch was hinted to have this ability in *Hooray for Mollywood* when he caused all the filming equipment to attack Andrea's filming crew at once, and even shown it for effect during the song in *Scratch the Surface*.
* **Teleportation-** Intermediate Ghost Power. Ghosts can teleport themselves and inanimate objects from both worlds wherever they want.
	+ **Portals-** So far, all ghosts have the ability to open a gateway between the human world and the ghost world, yet there are some who use it as an extension of their teleportation power (like when Scratch used it to make a "rush delivery" of his Scare report to the Ghost Council), while the most advanced ghosts, like the Ghost Council themselves, can use them to summon others of their own kind and redirect the portals of other ghosts.
* **Unsettling Aura**- Intermediate Ghost Power. While the thought of being around a ghost scares most people, only the stronger ones are able to make their presence known by changing the aura around them into something unsettling, especially while they're being serious during a scare or an attempt to curse someone.
	+ **"Truth Stare"**- Some ghosts can channel this ability in small yet potent doses just by looking someone in the eyes. Abraham Lincoln seems especially skilled with this ability, as he's been using it even before he was a ghost to intimidate liars into telling the truth, earning him the nickname "Honest Abe".
* **Curse Inducement-** Advanced Ghost Power. Some ghosts, like Scratch, have the ability to curse the living in an effort to get the results they want, but only experienced ghosts, like the Council, seem to be cautious enough with it to use this ability properly with no downside as well as notice all the loopholes to break a curse if necessary.
* **Weather Manipulation-**Advanced Ghost Power. So far, only Ezekiel Tugbottom used this ability when he summoned storm clouds, created strong winds with his ghostly breath, and even turned himself into a tornado, all with his anger alone. Even so, this is an incredibly strong ability for a ghost and is also incredibly dangerous, thus-- regardless of the skill level of the apparition using it-- it must be used sparingly and for emergencies.
	+ **Temperature Manipulation-** Having (most likely) died of extreme cold, Sonia Davis demonstrated the ability not only summon storms as she skates, but also make them so cold and icy that it shuts down the entire town of Brighton.
* **Telekinesis-** Intermediate to Advanced Ghost Power (depending on who's using it and what it's used for). Several ghosts, mostly experienced ones, are able to lift and manipulate things without touching them. The Ghost Council used this power to pull Scratch away from the Chairman's face and down to a lower position to keep his attention and degrade him.

### Weaknesses

* When a ghost casts a curse on someone, they have to word it carefully, as each curse acts as an inescapable contract; they have to be mindful of any loophole in how it's said and fill it out to a tee, otherwise they are just as stuck with it as the humans they intended to curse. (The Curse, All Systems No)
* A ghost's ability to become solid is limited, as Scratch tried to make a wall out of himself once, and the McGee family walked right through him anyway. Taking advantage of this weakness in the Ghost World is "considered VERY rude". (Getting the Band(shell) Back Together)
* If a ghost keeps forgetting that they are a ghost, they might also forget to use curtain ghost powers, like when Geoff forgot to go intangible during the Turnip Festival while getting close to the Turnip Tornado Machine. (The Turnip Twist)
* Animals are able to see and hear ghosts even while in stealth mode, and some ghosts are even vulnerable enough to be attacked by those animals (Mama's Gotta Hustle, Mazel Tov Libby, All Systems No)
* Ghosts can appear in photos even while invisible, though in that state they usually appear as glowing orbs (Friend-Off)
* A ghost's ability to scare doesn't always work, as some humans have more courage and stranger mindsets then others (all episodes, but most notably *The Curse* and *Saving Christmas*)
* A ghost with unchecked obsessions is known to become feral and/or dangerous (Howlin' Harriet, Monumental Disaster)
* Ghosts cannot make humans and objects intangible with them (Scratch the Surface, Friend-Off)
* Certain ghosts can be just as vulnerable to health issues as living people, albeit in far more unusual ways. (fried brains via electricity in No Good Deed, bee stings in All Systems No, burnt tongue in Festival of Lights, tummy ache in The Don't-Gooder, and food allergies in Innocent Until Proven Ghostly)
	+ If what happened to Scratch during one specific "sick day" is any indication, too much joy in their system can cause ghosts to lose their ability to terrify others via an involuntary transformation of cuteness, which can only be counteracted by reconnecting with their own negative emotions, most notably by finding something they are actually afraid of. (Scaring is Caring)
	+ It's not so much a weakness as it is an inconvenience/annoyance, but some ghosts are susceptible to extreme temperature, even if it just the "temperature" of certain foods. If a dish is too cold (like ice cream) they'd get brain-freeze that would paralyze them and expose their brains externally. If a food is too hot, namely a spicy food like Fireblast Jalapeno Crunchies, they'd literally breath fire or even turn into a burst of flame that reduces them to ash. Thankfully, this little flaw in their ectoplasm is temporary and wears off after a few seconds, regaining their full form, but they'd still feel the discomfort for a while and seek out remedies for it, and like us would down an entire gallon of milk to ease the spice.
* Apparently, a certain skilled inventor for a ghost-hunting family had found the means to capture ghosts in specific traps and gadgets.

## Known ghosts

* Scratch
* Geoff
* The Chairman
* The Ghost Council
* Jinx
* Jeff
* Howlin' Harriet
* Sally Tugbuttom
* Ezekiel Tugbottom
* Queen Elizabeth
* Amelia Earhart
* Julius Ceaser
* Cleopatra
* Abraham Lincoln
* Joan of Arc
* Marie Curie
* Cesar Chavez
* Diane Fosse
* F.D. Roosevelt
* Sonia Davis
* Pango
* Blair

### Sub-Species:

* Common House/Wilderness Ghosts
* Wraiths
* Sobgoblins
* Frightmares
* Story Sprites