Testing

by S A Maus

  Territory: Wherever the land is fertile a Whicket may be born. However, Whickets rarely come to seed in extreme climates, such as deserts or tundra, leaving them stuck in the more pleasant climates.

  Whicket, often mistaken for the legendary Treespirit by commoners, are a wide-ranging species of Malphic not native to Aarde, but instead brought over long ago from the realm of Addersun (Ex. Note: old name for Nat’Atoll) by a wayward hand who crossed the Mist without realizing they bore Whicket seeds. Whicket are not part of the sphirium as the Treespirit would be, however, instead being closer to the animal kingdom, having blood and organs a base intelligence, though their similarity to trees has encouraged some theories of a hybrid.

  Fueling theories of hybrid existence is the fact that Whicket are born through seeding, with the adult Whicket scattering seeds to the wind and hoping for fertile soil. These are not true seeds as are found in the vegetation of Aarde, but rather eggs of a sort that mimic seeds in their function, being already fertilized by the adult (being of a singular gender). Roughly one out of every thousand seeds is estimated to successfully plant, though true numbers are hard to gather as few adolescent Whicket are ever found.

  Once a Whicket successfully plants, it will grow slowly, much in the manner of a tree, but subsisting on a diet of insects and small animals that are enticed into the maw of the creature by a sweet pheromone. During this adolescence, a Whicket looks almost exactly like a common tree, with only a very light breathing and the fact that it bleeds upon being cut to signify any difference from the surrounding forest. It takes about one hundred and fifteen years for a Whicket to become full grown, at which point it will ‘uproot’ and begin looking for fertile soil to scatter its own seed.

  Whicket are not, of their nature, dangerous. They are mindless creatures subsisting on instinct, found only in deep forests with rarely more than one per every few hundred miles. Unfortunately, a fully grown Whicket is large enough to devour small children (though it will not purposely seek them) and for this reason Hunters will need to seek them out at times. It is not recommended that commoners be allowed to deal with found Whickets as a Whicket’s blood is virulent from the many years of feasting on wild, often sickened, animals. Wild Whicket are of no concern and take low priority.

  Methods of execution are simple, but it is recommended a Hunter read the Mortuic for antidotes to Whicket blood to take with them.

  Sphirium: Spirits of the Mist

  Alappiq (Rashiden)

  Height: 2-2.5 meters

  Weight: 2-8 kilograms

  Distinguishing Features: Decayed, rotting outer shell, grey in color. The facial features of the Alappiq will often be similar to the deceased original spirit, but with horribly mangled and distended pieces.

  Territory: Alappiq appear almost always near civilized places, usually near graveyards that are untended or rarely visited, but shortly after emergence will retreat to areas where great evil has occurred, such as a cave where Nekrotik rituals have taken place or the site of genocide. In rare cases, an Alappiq can appear near battlefields where the bodies were unburied and Squalip rose in great number.

  When an Abhorrent has devoured enough spirits and reached sufficient mass, it becomes an Alappiq. While the number of spirits necessary for the change varies, the change itself is obvious and easily identified. An Alappiq takes on a sickly grey hue and begins to grow what appears to be mortal skin, decayed and rotted. Years of study have revealed this ‘skin’ is in fact a layer of Ether material formed of the spirits the Abhorrent has gathered. This layer, while easily destroyed, acts as a shield for the inner spirit of the Alappiq and must be passed through before an attempt at destroying the creature can be made. Alappiq regenerate this ‘skin’ at an extremely fast rate.

  Alappiq regain some of the intelligence they once held as a Man, though it is unclear if this is an amalgamation of the many spirits within the creature or a true return to the original spirit that forms its core. This can lead to some Alappiq to hunt, in a manner, seeking out places where spirits roam to grow their power. This intelligence, combined with their raw power, make Alappiq extremely dangerous, and because of this only multiple Hunters and/or the most elite En’shen are allowed to take an Alappiq contract.

  Alappiq are Near-Physical, and as such capable of manipulating the physical world. They are often found in a self-made lair of sorts. Alappiq are fiercely opposed to other spirits of a higher order than a simple ghost, as they are incapable of consuming them, and they will seek to destroy such spirits to ensure their own dominion. It is not unheard of for Wraiths and Alappiq to be in combat with each other. Sitesilver (Ex. Note: Soulsilver) weapons are required to kill an Alappiq. Execution methods can be found in the Mortuic Compendium.

  Wraith (Raith)

  Height: Variant

  Weight: None

  Distinguishing Features: Very similar in appearance to a Writhen but with more defined facial features, often unmistakably similar to the creature it was in life. Writhen are sometimes mistaken for a harmless ghost by commoners, but Hunters should be wary of the hateful whispers that precede a Wraith, which are not true words but rather the sound of the Mist being disrupted by a Wraith’s rage.

  Territory: Wraiths are varied in their territory, but most often take up residence in places far from civilization where evil and filth are abundant. It is very rare for a Wraith to take up home in a city or near civilized places, and they are usually only contracted when their territory overlaps with some distant trade-road.

  When a Writhen has dwelled undisturbed for ten years upon the earth, its hold upon the mortal realm strengthens to a point where it becomes partially physical. When this happens, a Writhen becomes a Wraith, a much more dangerous and vile creature who knows only rage and pain. Wraiths are unbound from their place of death, able to travel upon the world and go forth to haunt whoever they wish. Most common, the Wraith will seek out the person or persons who were responsible for the Writhen’s death, seeking to gain some retribution for their wrongful demise. However, if the Writhen did not know its killer, or if the newly formed Wraith cannot find where its killer dwells, it will move to a nearby place of ruin, such as a fallen village, an abandoned home, or place sufficiently decrepit, like the deepest recess of a bog.

  Because a Wraith has a minor physical presence, it is not uncommon for them to inhabit clothing and armor they find in their new dwelling places, causing some to mistake them for living Men. Their physical nature is not strong though, and when they are enraged or beset by quick movement, they will dissipate and lose their adornment, often leading to more rage and an outburst of magic on the surrounding area.

  Wraiths are pseudo-intelligent. This may seem an odd classification, but consider it like an echo of knowledge. They are not presently aware of anything, but their minds will, at times, recall things which occurred in their mortal life, leading to the phenomena of the Talking Spirit that is reported by some, where the Wraith will begin to recite memories it once had, even if it is not presently aware of the memory. Do not mistake that the Wraith has any thought, however, for it is a being of rage and instinct and will always revert to such manner when encountered.

  The Wraith’s physical presence is a strong pull to other Sphirium of similar instinctual inclinations, drawn by the grounded nature of their emotions. It is not uncommon to find a Wraith overseeing a cadre of Writhen and Squalip that were bound nearby, though they do not seem to have any true interactions beyond a symbiotic relationship of emotional feeding, with the Wraith drawing upon the anger of the others and the myriad spirits using the Wraith as protection as they form themselves into the next step of their deathly evolution.

  As with Writhen, iron remains somewhat effective against a Wraith, but unlike a Writhen will not cause it to de-manifest and can be overcome by the Wraith. Sitesilver weapons should be used in contracts for a Wraith, though holy rites and holy water are acceptable alternatives in a dire straight. A Wraith should only be approached by an experienced Hunt
er.

  For execution details, consult the Mortuic Compendium. Wraiths can no longer be put to rest and can only be destroyed.

  Ekulit (Eturabor)

  Height: Variant, but almost all are greater than 2 meters

  Weight: Unknown as Ekulit will de-manifest upon destruction

  Distinguishing Features: Usually bipedal with trunk-like legs, though various multi-legged Ekulit have been seen throughout history. Almost all are ribbed with large thorns and wield long, vine-like arms that are thorned as well. The term ‘walking bush’ quite aptly describes the majority of them.

  Territory: Most often found in swampland after their birth, as they seem to prefer damp, hidden areas. Occasionally found in deep forests where the trees are thick.

  Like their cousin, the Caphalit, Ekulit are born of a magical calamity upon plant life. Unlike the general magical catastrophe that results in a Caphalit, Ekulit are only born through a use of black magic in the destruction, and for this reason are very rare, as the black magic necessary for such a creation is rarely seen in Aarde. The last Ekulit was recorded in 742 (Ex note: Unsure, but possibly the High Age after the Sundering), when a wayward hedgemage accidentally leveled a small forest in a magic ritual gone awry. The result was the death of the mage and the birth of an Ekulit.

  Ekulit, unlike their more benign cousins, are extremely dangerous spirits who will roam the nearest place of dense plant life they can find, often under the form of a bramble or thorny bush. These thorns are direly poisonous, even causing minor illness in a Tested En’shen, and because of the massive magical energy inherent in Ekulit creation, the Ekulit has the power to manipulate the Mist and create vines of these thorns from the ether.

  The only comfort we might take of our knowledge of the Ekulit is their rarity and relatively isolationist nature. An active Ekulit will rarely leave the swamp or deep forest, and for this almost never come into contact with Men. That does not mean Hunters can ignore them, however, for an Ekulit’s poison seeps ever from its body and into the surrounding earth, twisting the land into thickets of thorn and vine, suffocating animal life and eventually spreading out into greater areas. An Ekulit left alone for too long might poison entire leagues of earth and thus must be put down accordingly.

  Any Hunter tasked with an Ekulit contract should be well versed in Apamancy (Ex. Note: a sub-set of Alchemy now rolled into the subject) and already Tested to handle the poisons the Ekulit (and like creatures) bear. Under no circumstances should a novice Hunter engage an Ekulit, no matter how skilled, as a lack of Apamancy knowledge will almost certainly lead to death.

  Ekulit are susceptible to silver and Sitesilver. They also hold a fear of fire, though the fire itself does little damage. Execution methods can be found in the Mortuic.

  Windin (Breasid)

  Height: 3 meters

  Weight: Less than 1 kilogram

  Distinguishing Features: Windin appear in the physical world as tall shadows, even in bright light, with blank faces and mouths of many gray teeth. Long tendrils of hardened ether fall off the Windin’s arms and are used to feed on a victim’s spirit.

  Territory: Windin almost never appear outside of a major city, as it is reliant on fear and many dreaming people nearby to exist.

  Unlike most spirits, Windin are not remnants of Mankind’s dead but instead manifestations of great fear in a place where the Mist is easily accessed, such as a college of magic or a place with many relics of power. It is assumed – though unproven – that Windin coalesce from the fear, and possibly despair, of Men, knit together by the Mist and given a low intelligence through unknown means. The necessary amount of these emotions and Mist to birth a Windin are not truly known, but it is established fact that all recorded Windin have appeared in cities with at least ten thousand citizens, though the possibility remains that Windin have appeared in less bustling centers but dissipated soon after manifestation due to lack of victims to feed on. The latter is considered unlikely given the lack of reports.

  A Windin is a creature of instinct, more akin to natural animals than a Man, driven only by a desire to feed. It is falsely believed by some commoners that Windin feed on fear, but this is not true. Windin feed on the fearful, but they are not consuming the fear, rather the Mistborn essence of the person, drawing in the spirit through an insertion by the Windin into the body (usually the neck). It is not known why the Windin requires a fearful person to feed, but all victims encountered are known to have been plagued by anxiety and horror prior to their death.

  Windin are difficult to find due to their nearly imperceptible nature prior to feeding, but are most easily found by a sudden plague of intense nightmares in a populace. These nightmares will not be common occurrences, rather they will be health-detrimental dreams that often cause paranoia and anxious behavior in a large number of victims at once. Windin appearances are usually portended by a sudden spike in ritual cleansing and religious attendance, as well as requests for sleep aids and physician visits due to poor health due from sleep deprivation. It takes roughly three months of activity for a Windin to successfully create a spirit worthy of feeding upon in a populace, but once achieved the Windin will have upwards of five hundred spirits to feed upon.

  Windin do not kill their victims immediately, preferring instead to drain them over long periods of time. However, if a victim proves particularly troublesome in the nightmare state, or wakes up during a Windin feeding, the Windin will attempt to kill the victim by severing the spine. Failing this the Windin will retreat, as they are incapable of strong physical presence in the absence of a dreamer. Because of their clandestine nature, Windin are considered a grave threat to a city, capable of afflicting an entire populace, and should be treated as a priority by Hunters. If a Dreamwalker is present in the city, Hunters may abdicate the contract to the Dreamwalker as Dreamwalkers are easily capable of destroying the Windin within a dream.

  Hunters are advised to consult the Mortuic for methods of destruction. Windin cannot be put to rest as they are not Quickened.

  Banshee (Banshee)

  Height: 1.3-2 meters

  Weight: 1-2 kilograms

  Distinguishing Features: All Banshees carry the consistent feature of bridal attire. There has been much debate over why this is, but it should be the only significant sign a Hunter needs. The bridal attire itself is not uniform and will vary, especially in its state of disrepair.

  Territory: Exclusively found near civilized places, thought the manifestation may happen anywhere around the immediate land where the bride was slain.

  When a bride is killed unjustly on her wedding day, or the day following, the resulting mixture of grief and rage creates a Banshee. Though rare due to the limited circumstances of creation, a Banshee is no less a serious threat and should be given priority over other restless spirits when possible, due to their specific nature.

  A Banshee, unlike most spirits, retains a certain form of intelligence, but in accordance with other sphirium is driven by a single set of emotions - in this case, fury. While most spirits will dwell in secluded places, Banshees will specifically seek out places where mortals dwell to begin exacting vengeance. Their vengeance pours out twofold: first upon men who are to be married soon or already married, and have had more than one women in their bed throughout their life, and second upon women who are married and currently happy with the state of their marriage. How exactly the Banshee senses these facts of the victims’ life is unknown, as the Banshee seems never to falter in its choice, killing unrelated peoples only when they happen upon the Banshee by accident. The killings that follow a Banshee arrival are swift, brutal, and do not relent until the town is either bereft of the victim-class or the Banshee is destroyed. In the case of the former, the Banshee will usually take up residence in the home of one of its victims, most often the last to be killed, but if another dwelling of Men, such as a village or farmland, is near enough, it may relocate to this new location.

  Banshees seem to revel in the grief and pain they caus
e, going out of their way to be particularly cruel when they find a victim, such as spending nights haunting a man in the guise of a previous lover or standing in the place of mirrors with happy brides. Their intelligence is displayed in their adapting to their victims response. For instance, they will not seek to continually frighten a person who has shown themselves fearless but will instead resort to physical harm in small doses to instill panic. A Banshee seems to feed upon fear and despair to some extent and will usually remain in the place where it feels it has caused the most of each emotion to manifest.

  Silver and iron are recommended as a deterrent when dealing with Banshees, but it should be noted that silver and iron do not truly harm the creature, only causing it something akin to a painful burn. Moreover, due to their relative intelligence, the Banshee will eventually realize that, while painful, the metals do not kill it and will seek to destroy the Hunter in spite of the pain. A Banshee contract is a race against time and Hunters should prepare as such.

  Banshees cannot be executed and it is unknown as to why. Currently, it is theorized that the reason is simply that no one has lived long enough to discover a successful method. However, they are easy to put to relief and any Hunter taking a contract for a Banshee should be well versed in the ritual.

  Nepharic (Ekine)

  Height: Variant

  Weight: Variant

  Distinguishing Features: Variant and all should be taken case by case

  Territory: Thankfully, the Nepharic are all but extinct in the known world, with any remaining Nepharic believed to be in distant lands or else buried beneath the earth. When active, a Nepharic will roam the world and has no true habitat, being akin to Men in their dwellings.

  Unlike the rest of the creatures under the Sphirium classification, Nepharic are not true spirits, being the combination of a demonic (Ex. Note: We know these to be from Phell now, not demonic spirits) entity with a mortal spirit through ancient Akkalite ritual (Ex Note: Unknown. Perhaps one of the earliest tribes of Men? I have never seen this name before). What the ritual is, exactly, is unknown, as it was summarily banned shortly after discovery and any who attempted to find it were executed without exception. Clearly the knowledge was not lost, though, as Nepharic have appeared at times throughout the Mist, not just in Aarde.