Tag: Reaper Spirit

#Lore24 – Entry #172 – Wild West Month #21 – The Dead That Do Not Rest

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Be ever aware of the smell of death, for one cannot ever be certain that what lies dead will stay still upon the Bitter Frontier.  Dark sorcery, perhaps lingering from the times of the Devil-Wardens, can steal the body once the soul has gone, using it as a vessel to consume the living.  Such things are often the work of the Reaper Spirit, for once the soul is consumed, the bodies that remain are but tool for it to use to slay more of the living.  These are the Dead That Do Not Rest.

The Corpses that Walk are the lowest of the Dead That Do Not Rest, shells of the living that still move and have a fierce hunger for fresh flesh.  Without a soul, the body is as a puppet, controlled by this hunger, doing all that it can to sate its unrelenting with fresh meat.  They are not always easy to kill, for a dead body feels no pain, but a well-placed arrow into their heads is best, or crushing or removing the head entirely; fire is also effective, but best used when the Corpses that Walk are many.  The greater threat is their numbers, for they carry a foul sickness with them that will weaken and kill almost anyone who is bitten by them, and those who succumb have their souls consumed by the Reaper Spirit, their bodies turned into its vessels.

There are more fearsome Dead That Do Not Rest, those who have once served the Reaper Spirit perhaps, thinking they could control it, or who have succumb to their own dark sorcery.  These Dead That Do Not Rest, while having no souls, still have a shadow of their former living souls within them that grants them deadly cunning in addition to greater power.  The Corpses With Bloody Claws and Fangs consume flesh like the Corpses that Walk, but still think and attack from ambush, or, in some cases, consume the recently dead as would any scavenger; if there has been a great battle, be ever cautious, for these are likely near.  They are fast and deadly when one is not prepared to face them; holy magic from the Great Mother will work well against them, as will it against all Dead That Do Not Rest, as does fire, or cutting them to pieces through strength of your warrior spirit.

Even more powerful are the Corpses that Drink Living Blood, for they are the most powerful and cunning of the Dead That Do Not Rest, for they are the users of dark sorcery who have willing brought the Reaper Spirit into them.  They can appear as they did in life, hiding their true nature and using their dark sorcery to control the minds and bodies of animals and people alike, luring them close so they may consume the blood that flows within their veins using their hidden fangs.  Those so chosen by the Corpse that Drinks Living Blood can remain as a cow does, a constant supply of blood, until their body finally fails, which is when they too become a Corpse that Drinks Living Blood, albeit weaker.  However, they can live for many, man years if they are smart, so their power will eventually become the same as the one that spawned them.  These are weakest during the day, and should they touch the light of the sun, they will burn.  It is best to try to paralyze them with a wooden stake to their hearts and drag them into the light of day, or use much fire, for their bodies are strong and hard to hurt without holy magic.  Great care must be taken when dealing with these abominations.

#Lore24 – Entry #169 – Wild West Month #18 – The Towns that Vanish

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

As the People from Beyond the Great Walls spread into the lands of the Bitter Frontier, they bring their towns and buildings with them.  The wisest amongst these build new walls to protect them from the many dangers that roam the land, along with many armed with the Thundering Weapons.  However, even all of these precautions were not enough to save some of these towns.  The Towns that Vanish are many, though most are easily forgotten by the People from Beyond the Great Walls, for they do not understand the dangers of the Bitter Frontier and are blinded by their lust for the treasures they seek.

Sometimes the Bitter Frontier and the Many Spirits upon it simply reclaim the land upon which the town was built.  It is during these Little Uproars that the landscapes which were once familiar change, sometimes overnight, sometimes over the course of several days.  The Little Uproars leave only scattered remains behind, sometimes broken shells of the buildings that once stood there, perhaps a handful of survivors, those fortunate enough to have been away from the towns when the changes occurred, seeing some land that is familiar, thinking they have come home, only to find new land before them, little or no sign of their homes or families remaining.  Some are driven mad by such a thing, for it is hard for the minds of those who cannot comprehend the ways of the Many Spirits to understand what has occurred.

One of the reasons we of the Kerra-Kerra travel is because of these Little Uproars.  Our bonds with the Many Spirits allow us to know that such an event is coming; thus we do not linger too long in one place.

There are Towns that Vanish that are not the work of the Little Uproars.  You will know these, because the buildings of the towns are still there, perhaps even the valuables and perhaps even the animals as well.  Only the people of these towns are gone.  There are several of the Ghost Towns of the Vanished Peoples that dot the Bitter Frontier, and these places we do not go, for even we do not know exactly why such a thing would happen.  To the south, perhaps it is the Goblin People who are the cause, sneaking in at night and stealing the people away, but in other places, there are no such dangers.  Perhaps it is the Reaper Spirit at work, claiming the entire town in its hunger to end all life.  Or perhaps it is something of the Devil-Wardens, their lost dark sorcery at work that steals the people away, perhaps to other long forgotten Cages deep within the earth, or perhaps in realms beyond.

#Lore24 – Entry #168 – Wild West Month #17 – The Wrathful Spirits

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

The Many Spirits are as they are.  They are the world around us:  wild, free, sometimes violent, sometimes deadly, sometimes kind, sometimes helpful.  Some spirits are more often some ways than others.  We learn to listen to these spirits, to honor them as we live our lives.  However, there are some of the Many Spirits who are different.  These are the Wrathful Spirits, and though we honor them, we also do not seek their aid, for to do so brings much pain and suffering, and usually, death.

Hungry is the Spirit of Rage, its fury hot and angry, and it is always seeking a willing vessel to imbue with its dark gifts.  There are tales amongst our people and the others of the Bitter Frontier of those warriors who have become possessed by the Spirit of Rage, and they are to serve as warnings.  The Spirit of Rage consumes all reason in return for the strength, stamina, and resilience it offers in return, making even your closest allies as enemies.  It is a spirit of chaos, seeking only to spill blood and consume flesh.  Never assume you are capable of withstanding its influence should you ever willingly accept it into you, for it cannot be reasoned with, for it consumes such thoughts as fire consumes dry wood.  If your enemies do not slay you, your closest allies surely will, for you will be long gone from the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons when the Spirit of Rage takes you.

Perhaps the youngest of the Wrathful Spirits, the Deadeye Spirit is growing more and more powerful in this age of Thundering Weapons, as it has never been easier to slay a person.  Though not as hungry for blood as the Spirit of Rage, the Deadeye Spirit is still a bringer of death; it simply prefers to savor the death it brings as though savoring the Holy Fire Water.  This spirit joins with those who seek to become the best at slaying with Thundering Weapons, granting them remarkable accuracy that may seem impossible, speed which is beyond what is normal by any of the Many Peoples living upon this world.  It is said by those who have witnessed this spirit that shadow covers the face of the shooter, leaving only a single glowing eye visible, an eye which fills those around it with dread as the slaying starts.

The Reaper Spirit looms over all other Wrathful Spirits, for all eventually must share their bounty of souls with that of the Reaper Spirit.  It is different from the Spirits Which Guide us to the Heavens upon our death, for it is not a guide for the soul; it is a dangerous and powerful force of destruction.  The Reaper Spirit is a bringer of death in all its forms:  violence, plague, natural disasters…anywhere there is great loss of life, the Reaper Spirit is likely to have had influence.  Some once believed that the Reaper Spirit could be called upon to enact revenge against those who wrong you, but far more deaths than you can imagine were the result, for friend and foe alike are forfeit when dealing with the Reaper Spirit.  Were all life to end upon the Broken Care that Still Imprisons and the Reaper Spirit consume every soul of every person and animal here, it still would not be satisfied.