Host of the Unforgiven Dead

The Host of the Unforgiven Dead are said to be a manifestation of hopelessness that stalks and consumes those who utter the true name of grief. In their true form, they are terrible to behold, with disjointed birdlike legs and huge black wings whose feathers block out the stars. Those under the spell of the Host are doomed to transform and join their ranks, perpetually stalking the night.

Historical Basis

The Sluagh of the Feywild are believed by faeroxologists to be the true manifestation of the Host of the Unforgiven Dead. This is corroborated by their tendency to travel the night and stalk the same victims over and over. "Sluagh," the true name of the Host, is a near-onomatopoeic name that mimics the sound of an intense sob, hence the ability of the grieving to unintentionally call upon them.

Spread

The legend of the Host dates to the Age of Anxiety. It is thought to have been spread by the first Human Fool of the Fey, who was able to briefly escape back into the Gaeno Woods from whence they came, and share the legend before being disintegrated. According to some accounts of the legend's origin, their husband grieved for their fate so intensely that he was drawn back into the fey-window that claimed his spouse and joined the ranks of the Host himself.
Since then, the legend of the Host has survived in the lore of the Gaeno Woods and spread far beyond it, particularly in regions with heavy influence from the Fey.

Variations & Mutation

Some myths believe that once the Host has identified a target, they are never fully free of it. Others tell of heroes beset by the Host who eventually gain release via the blessing of an Archfey Regnant. Still others tell the story of the Host as a metaphor for the everpresence of grief and the dangers of giving completely into it.