Ghastly Spirit
Common Classification
Ghastly Spirit
Scientific Classification
Spiritus Umbrae (Provisional)
Threat Rating
Moderate (Passive)
Observed Book 1 Level
4
Planned Range
4–7
Description
The Ghastly Spirit is an incorporeal mana construct that resembles the incomplete silhouette of a deceased human.
Rather than possessing a fully formed body, portions of its figure constantly dissolve into drifting wisps of pale blue-gray mana before reforming moments later. Faces are rarely distinguishable, although witnesses frequently report recognizing familiar features for only an instant before they disappear again.
The construct never walks.
It silently hovers several feet above the ground, changing direction effortlessly without momentum or visible means of propulsion.
Its eyes, when visible, appear as two deep black voids surrounding a faint crimson point.
No confirmed vocalizations have ever been recorded.
Habitat
Ghastly Spirits have only been observed in locations saturated by human death.
Confirmed sightings include:
- Cemeteries
- Battlefields
- Hospitals following mass casualty events
- Morgues
- Burned residential neighborhoods
- Large disaster sites
Current evidence suggests darkness is required for manifestation.
No verified daytime sightings have been documented.
Behavior
Unlike most known mana constructs, Ghastly Spirits display almost no interest in living beings.
Most sightings involve the construct silently drifting through its territory without acknowledging nearby humans or animals.
They do not hunt.
They do not patrol.
They do not pursue.
They simply... exist.
Researchers currently believe Ghastly Spirits remain in a passive observational state until directly disturbed.
Defensive Response
Although normally passive, every documented attempt to interact physically with a Ghastly Spirit has resulted in immediate aggression.
Known triggers include:
- Physical attacks
- Direct physical contact
- Strong light projected at close range
- Attempts to obstruct its movement
Once provoked, the construct becomes extremely aggressive until the perceived threat leaves its territory or is neutralized.
Current military doctrine:
Do not engage unless absolutely necessary.
Primary Ability
Fear Chill
Type: Area of Effect
The surrounding air rapidly drops in temperature as ambient mana condenses around the construct.
Documented effects include:
- Sudden overwhelming dread
- Accelerated heartbeat
- Tunnel vision
- Trembling
- Difficulty concentrating
- Auditory hallucinations
- The sensation that someone is standing immediately behind the victim
Current theory suggests the ability amplifies existing fear rather than creating fear itself.
Primary Attack
Mental Strike (+1 Mental)
Rather than inflicting physical trauma, the construct attacks cognitive perception.
Observed symptoms include:
- Confusion
- Panic
- Loss of balance
- Memory disruption
- Visual distortions
- Temporary inability to distinguish friend from foe
Most fatalities associated with Ghastly Spirits are believed to result from panic-induced accidents rather than the attack itself.
Physical Characteristics
- Incorporeal
- Silent
- Extremely fast hovering movement
- Partial humanoid appearance
- No observable respiration
- No measurable body temperature
- Leaves no footprints
- Casts only a faint, distorted shadow under moonlight
Damage Resistance
Unknown.
Conventional firearms have shown no measurable effect.
Projectiles appear to pass directly through the construct with little or no visible interaction.
Further testing is required.
Origin Theory
Unlike fauna-derived constructs, Ghastly Spirits appear to stabilize around exceptionally dense concentrations of residual human mana left behind after large-scale death.
Current evidence does not support the hypothesis that these entities are the actual deceased.
Instead, researchers believe the construct adopts an incomplete human appearance because the surrounding mana field has been heavily shaped by countless human deaths.
Classification
remains provisional.
Cultural References
Following the first confirmed sightings, Sergeant Thomas "T" Walker remarked:
"My grandmother used to tell stories about places where the dead forgot to leave."
Initially dismissed as superstition, similar folklore was later identified across dozens of cultures.
Researchers now believe many historical ghost stories may have originated from rare sightings of Ghastly Spirits during previous periods of elevated mana concentration.
The stories changed.
The names changed.
The phenomenon remained.
Field Notes
"They are not hunting you."
"They are not protecting anything."
"They simply drift through places where death has become part of the landscape."
"Leave them alone."
"Every recorded casualty involving a Ghastly Spirit began when someone decided to find out whether it was really a ghost."
Research Status
Interaction with living beings: Passive unless provoked.
Communication: None observed.
Intelligence: Unknown.
Physical composition: Unknown.
Recommended engagement: Avoid.
Priority: Observation only.
Current Status: Under Investigation.
Every myth in history contains a fragment of truth, but almost every explanation humanity created is incomplete.
