Ghoul - Likätare

There is a debate wether a Ghoul is an undead being or if it is alive. The argument is that to become a Ghoul the person dies at the end of transformation, while the other argument is that they come back to life as a Ghoul. What is known is that Ghouls once where a living sentient being, who for some reason where infested and went trough a transformation into a ghoul. Some scholars considers ghoulism to be natural disease while other of more religious beliefs consider it to be a infestions of dark forces of evil.
A Ghoul needs to eat, sleep and breath just as living people, but they have lost their higher intelligence and transformed into what is more akin a scavanger or predator. They can not speak or communicate in any form, and if they before had the capability to cast magic they have lost it as well. There are known cases where a tranformed ghouls have slaughtered and ate their families, and nothing indicates that they retain any memories of who they once where.
Ghouls are more or less always looking for the next meal and as they need dead intelligent beings they are often found on the outskirts of settlements. They are nocturnal beings who spend their days huddled together in what can be described as their nests. Although most groups are stationary in their nests there are groups who are mobile between settlements. They travel by night and have been known to overwhelm small homesteads, leaving gnawed bones on the floor as the only proof of their deed. The stationary groups dig up fresh corpses or try to hunt the lone stragglers on the outskirts of society.

STY	STO	FYS	SMI	INT	PSY	KAR
*1	*1	*1,5	*0,5	*0,5	*0,5	1

Bite: 1T8

Basic Information

Anatomy

There has been no known Ghouls whom are not of humanoid stock.

Genetics and Reproduction

As far as it is known all Ghouls have been infested by being bit by another Ghoul. But there are some scholars who claims that lesser demons might possess a person and transform them into a ghoul. According to the same scholars, this would lead to a spontanous outburst of ghoulism.

Growth Rate & Stages

The transformation takes a few days while the body undergo a tranformation. At the end of the tranformation the body dies, just to come alive again after a few minutes. By then all traces of the person it once was is lost.

Dietary Needs and Habits

A ghoul can only feed on the flesh of intelligent species. But the digestion is more efficient so they do not have to eat as much and can manage for some time without flesh. But if there is an abundance they will feast and develop a round belly.

Additional Information

Social Structure

If possible the Ghouls prefer to travel in groups and stays together in nests. The groups do not seem to have a leader. As they need flesh from dead intelligent beings they are often found close to settlements where they try to hide from discovery while being able to scavange or hunt.
The groups have not shown any hierarical levels or cohesion. They do not show any awarness of sexuality, gender or age differences. There is no signs of internal strife within the groups.

Domestication

It is said that some Necromancers know spells to control Ghouls, but there are no known cases of anyone being able to domesticate Ghouls.

Facial characteristics

During the transformation the jaws grows stronger and also makes the bite bigger. During the same time the teeth changes into the teeth of a predator, making it possible to tear large chunks of meat. The lips are smaller but have turned black and cracks are common. The nose often turns upwards and becomes elongated, making smell the main sense for a Ghoul. The eyes turns into a more yellow tune than before and seems to be devoid of any sense of life.

Average Intelligence

A fully developed Ghoul are on the level of intelligence as animals who are scavangers and predators. They have lost their higher intelligence they had before the ghoulism.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The eye sight of Ghouls are diminished in day light and all bright light hurts their eyes, leading to them trying to flee from it. A torch in a dark room would definetly be bright light. In a dark room with some ambient background lights a Ghoul can see just as well as a human in dusk. Ghouls sense of hearing are on the same level as it where before the transformation, while their sense of smelling are enhanced.

Civilization and Culture

History

In the legends told by both dwarves and elves there are no occurances of Ghoulism. Although in later history the dwarves have known outbreaks of ghoulism the elves have none ass they are immune. Elven and dwarven are in total agreement that ghoulism started amongst the humans, and thrive amongst the humans.
The first known recorded outbreaks stems from texts written in the early years of the Jorpagnian empire. The origins of the disease are unknown.

Historical Figures

Knight Alban Faust from Kardien whom battled and burned a small village where all inhabitants had either turned or been eaten. After the victory he chose to become a monk in the service of Etin. His sword he used are a holy relic of the monastary and said to be bestowed with gifts to be used against the undead.

Common Myths and Legends

A myth known by specialized scholars states that the disease started with a Jori politicians who wanted wealth and power. He went after a political opponent who had a small walled town as a holding. Knowing that he had no chance to kill his opponent he struck a deal with a demon. The demon infested the town with ghoulism and within a day all where dead or eaten. But the demon also tore down parts of the wall  from which groups of ghouls escaped to spread the disease. Scholars in general point out that ghoulism take a few days of transfomation and not minutes which is stated in the myth.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

A fully developed Ghouls skin is greyish with rotten stints of green. The skin is always cracked open and through the cracks a putrid oozing spunge sips out from the body. The nails have changed into small claws who are black and hard, they are made to tear flesh from bone.