Ghost

A ghost, as I trust that you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth...

Ghosts were the souls of a deceased sentient creature that had been bound to haunt a specific area, object, or creature that held significance to them when they were alive. Often this state of existence was because of a soul having been horrendously evil in life, their deaths being tremendously emotional, being denied a proper burial, or because they had unfinished business. Usually unable to realize that they are no longer alive, they are not necessarily evil, but their hunger for physical contact often causes great harm to any living beings they touch. The term "ghost" is sometimes applied to any undead incorporeal being.

Culture

The Church of Waukeen believe that annually, unseen ghosts rose from the essences of all dead bodies on the Day of the dead and then sought out their ancestors. They believe that these ghosts would then deliver a message or warning through some non-verbal means, or just simply observe. Many cultures believe that ghosts feed on emotions, draining joy and happiness from their victims.

Homelands

Ghosts are known to occur in any type of region, but they were most often found haunting areas at night. Ghosts typically were tied to and haunted the area in which they died, though there were a few mobile forces of them. Sailors who died out at sea alongside their vessel can potentially manifest upon an incorporeal reflection of it. Places haunted by ghosts tend to emanate sensations of profound sadness, loneliness, and unfulfilled desires. Haunted locations often have certain areas where there are strange noises, an unnatural silence, an unnatural feeling of cold, or inanimate objects moving around. Though such manifestations are due to the ghost's presence, the spirit did not intentionally manifest them and it had no control over them.

Languages

Like many types of undead, ghosts knew all languages that they had known in life.

Relationships

A ghost can be controlled by wizards, sorcerers, liches, etc. In this case, the ghost is finally put to rest when destroyed on the material plane or the master of the ghost die. This was usually uncommon though, because to raise a ghost used a lot more Magic than raising a regular undead. Some ghosts are willing to work with or for other creatures if they believe that doing so could help them achieve their desires. They were often seen in the company of flameskulls, larva mages, rot harbingers, and spectres.

Characteristics

Physical features

These spirits typically resembled how they had in life. However, some ghosts had an altered appearance due to the nature of their demise. Others were known to be capable of changing their appearance to suit their current disposition. Often this altered appearance was due to the alignment they had in life.

Biology

Being a form of undead, ghosts have no need for air, food, drink, or sleep that they formerly required in life. They move about by flying. Having incorporeal bodies, they can pass through solid objects. Some are known to use this phasing ability to surprise enemies. When moving, they make no noise.

Mental traits

A ghost's behavior is typically similar to the personality they had in life. But in some cases, their personalities are altered by the process of death. The "unfinished business" that drove ghosts varied widely. Some might seek to fulfill an oath, others to relay a message to a loved one, while some might simply desire to have their death avenged. They also tended to get enraged whenever items their bodies were buried with were stolen and would stop at nothing to get them back. Evil-aligned ghosts were said to hate goodness and all forms of life, being driven by a sense of wickedness and spite. As well as a desire to end the lives of other creatures, in particular those responsible for or connected to its death. Sometimes ghosts were unaware that they had died and thus would continually act out the daily routine they had in life. Sometimes ghosts only had fragmented memories of their life.

Subraces

Banshee and specter

Banshee are incorporeal undead Elf and Human women, known for their unholy screams. Elf banshees have existed since the time of the War of the Ancients. The male counterpart of the banshee is the spectre.

Shade

Shades suffer endless, indescribable pain, impossible to imagine for the living. When a person is killed by a powerful burst of necrotic energy, their soul may be torn apart by the vile magic of Necromancy, reaped by horrible spells such as finger of death or Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting. Apart from such circumstances a shade is otherwise created when a humanoid is slayed by an especially vicious wraith or after enduring bloodcurdling tortures. Shades are filled with anger and a sense of having been wronged, they both envy the living and brim with overwhelming hatred for them. It is excessively difficult to recognize who they were, for they appear like shrouded figures that radiate negative energy. Like other ghost and specters, they are immaterial and usually have no memories and are guided strictly by madness and their hatred towards the living.

Ancient Shade by Ethan Tsao

Shades are usually found at night, for sunlight harms them greatly. They congregate like moth around a flame to places touched by death, especially desecrated ground and shadow crossings leading to the Shadowfell. Getting rid of a shade is no easy task, for even if its form is destroyed it will reform shortly after. To end the mad specter once and for all you must first find its remains. To make certain that the shade will never return, spread a pound of salt on the remains and set the corpse on fire. Salt otherwise can be used as a powerful supernatural cleanser against shades, preventing them to cross a line traced with it.

Wisp

Wisps, or Will-o'-wisp, are ancient spirits of nature that inhabit the forestlands of Feywild and some forestland of Toriel. They are actually the disembodied spirits of deceased fey who have become one with the forest, though their minds and the way they perceive things is very different than in life.

Upon death, the souls of most fey are brought to the outter planes like any other mortal race. However, some instead linger in the mortal realm as wisps. Wisps exist in tight connection with their forest homeland and fey in general, performing such beneficial activities as construction, repair and defense of fey communities. The wisps act in unison with the fey. Wisps are mostly silent except for a low humming sound. Oddly enough, some are able to communicate with mortals through thoughts. Some wisps have the extraordinary ability to encourage the rapid maturation of saplings into trees. While wisps are generally friendly in demeanor, they can cause shocks when making physical contact with those they don't like. When truly angered, they can consume people life, killing them i the process.

Wraith

Sometimes adventurers must put to rest ghosts who haunt the living. Wraiths appear near cemeteries or in homes they inhabited during their lives. They usually have no memories and are guided strictly by hatred towards the living. Those ghosts are Wraith. May they rest in peace.