Tragedy | The Stone Philosophic

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“You can’t kill a ghost, boy, but you can listen. He might have something to tell you.”

– Old Mack

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A Ghost is a powerful Undead creature. Its existence is always due to some unfinished business in this life, a fact which normally provides the key to its destruction, or even its path the peace. Ghosts retain much of the personality of their former selves, but they take on a sort of pathos which may run counter to their essential character. While retaining the values of their former life, the purpose for which the ghost continues may override other concerns, even to the extent of contradicting its normal behavior in life.

The GM must determine for every ghost a specific means by which it may be find peace and a specific means by which it may be destroyed. These are both determined by the plot line which the ghost serves. Should a party appear to slay a ghost without meeting either condition, it will materialize again at its own convenience in another game session

Ghosts are often tied to a particular location, or to a particular person, materializing only in the place in question or in the vicinity of the person to be haunted. A Ghost may otherwise come and go at will, but it takes a full round of activity to materialize or disappear. A Ghost may not cast spells or launch any sort of attack on the round in which it first materializes. As the ghost disappears only at the end of the turn after which initiates the process to do so, others may get a chance to act on it, even when the ghost seeks to leave.

Whether or not any given death results in the creation of a Ghost is entirely at the discretion of the GM, but it is an exceedingly rare event in any case. Only the most intense and dramatic stories become Ghosts.

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Example 1: A Ghost may represent the last individual of a royal lineage destroyed by a particular character from the remote past. The ghost will not rest until the character or its direct heir is slain, but it may itself be slain by the character in question, or its direct heir. The Ghost may not leave its family home (or perhaps it may not leave the general vicinity of its nemesis). The Ghost will not risk exposing itself to the one creature with the means of destroying it, so it spends its time trying to convince other living creatures that its enemy must be destroyed.

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Example 2: A Ghost swore to deliver a message to some king in a faraway land, but she was slain somewhere along the way. She materializes in the vicinity of the scroll on which the message was written. If she can talk someone into taking the scroll to its original destination, she may find peace. On the other hand, if the scroll itself is destroyed, she will herself be destroyed.

“That one, living up the stairs, she is a strange one, you know. With one eye blue and another green, she don’t look right. A friend visits her from time to time. He don’t have half the fingernails on his right hand, that friend of hers. The way that woman looks at you? Sends a creepy feeling all over. The way she looked at our cat too, I tell you, no-one oughtta hate a dumb animal the way she does. If little Mittens comes up missing, I’ll know who to ask. She pays her room and board alright, but I just don’t know. Sometimes a coin ain’t worth it. Makes your whole life creepy, having someone like that around. Gonna ask her to leave tomorrow, I am, if’n I can work up the courage.”

– Gavin Stinsel, Inn-Keeper

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Illustration by David Michael Wright

It is said that the Setihím are descended from Angels driven from the heavens for reasons long since forgotten. A trace of goodness remains within every Setihím, a natural birthright of sorts, and yet few of this kindred can be said to embrace the values which should go with that quality. Setihím tend towards selfish conduct. Often they can be quite cruel. This kindred does not wreak havoc and plunder the land as orcs or goblins might, but Setihím do tend to bring a trace of mistery to those around them.

Were it not for their inability (or unwillingness) to fully cooperate with each other, this kindred could quickly come to dominate the affairs of men. But Setihím rarely trust or care about anyone, least of all their own kind.

Setihím typically dwell in small communities among men, isolating their own neighborhoods through subtle barriers. A Setihím community could take the form of a small hamlet just off the road in a well-populated region of the countryside, or it could be a cluster of buildings just up a one-way ally in a major city. If nothing else works, Setihím will isolate themselves with social barriers from other peoples.

Setihím are typically aloof and unresponsive to friendly gestures from those around them. They show little affection, even among their own kindred. Indeed, it is a misnomer to speak of such neighborhoods as communities at all. It would be more appropriate to describe them as collections of individuals utterly devoid of any personal connection to one another. Apparently the members of this kindred band together for the sole purpose of keeping others out.

Setihím appear as tall and skinny humans, but every Setihím has at least one unusual physical characteristic. It may be a very prominent birthmark, a sixth finger, a vestigial tail, oddly shaped ears, or any number of unusual physical characteristics. Some few of this kindred actually possess the vestigial wings of their angelic ancestors. Vestigial wings aside, the oddities of a physical appearance among Setihím are not usually so strange as to suggest an obvious supernatural origin, but the sheer quantity of such quirks can be one means of determining when one has entered a community of Setihím. …that and the utter absence of human warmth in such a place. …and of course the absence of pets. Setihím shun animals of all kinds, and a community of Setihím will not tolerate the presence of any domestic animals. They are also scrupulously clean. It is as though the dirt and clutter of this world is unbearable to them.

For all their anti-social tendencies, Setihím are impressive creatures in their own way. The disconcerting qualities of this kindred appear to keep the interest of those around them, Whether intimidating her enemies or speaking in support of an ally, a Setihím is usually successful in achieving her intended effect.