Not everyone who dies becomes a ghost. Some become a wound.
Wraiths are not born from death. They’re born from destruction. Unlike ghosts, who linger out of sorrow or unfinished business, or demons, who tempt from hunger and corruption, wraiths are made from trauma, brutal, soul-breaking moments that erase identity and twist what remains. Some were cursed. Some were sacrificed. Some burned out from grief so complete, their soul unraveled and reformed as something monstrous. Wraiths are rage and pain given shape. They do not haunt gently. They are shadows that scream, curses that walk, and faces you almost remember, but wish you didn’t. They often don’t recall who they were before the break. Or if they do, they hate that person now. Some try to control their brokenness. Others embrace it. But all wraiths are dangerous, even to themselves.
Level One Magic (innate)
- Terror Pulse: They can release a wave of raw spiritual energy that causes fear, unease, or hallucinations in nearby beings. It does not control or injure, but creates dread that is hard to ignore.
- Soul Shard Manifestation: Wraiths can conjure pieces of their shattered soul, taking the form of shadowy weapons, howling echoes, or cursed objects. These are unstable and vanish after use, but carry emotional or magical weight. (this can be enhanced through a patron)
- Vessel Override (Lethal): Like ghosts, wraiths can possess mortal bodies, but the result is even more devastating. The host is not just overwritten; they are burned out, their body warping under the emotional strain. This can cause physical changes in the host body.
Physical Attributes
- Shadow-Cloaked Form: Wraiths are darker, less defined than ghosts, often shrouded in mist, bleeding shadow, or surrounded by flickering imagery from their death. Their faces may shift, blur, or disappear entirely.
- Tremor of Presence: Wraiths warp the environment around them, sound distorts, reflections shatter, and animals flee. Their presence feels like an emotional scream that never ends.
- Fragmented Voice: Many speak in broken sentences, layered whispers, or echoes of screams. Others are completely silent, their fury made manifest in motion alone.
- Sorrow-Spiked Aura: Wherever a wraith goes, sorrow follows. The air grows heavy. Regret hangs in the chest. Something always feels… off.
Personality and Behavior
- Fragmented Identity: Wraiths often don’t fully remember who they were, or their memories are twisted and contradictory. Some cling to one defining moment, others deny their past entirely. Their minds are never fully whole. They are prone to intrusive memories, hallucinations, or collapsing into loops of trauma when triggered.
- Emotional Instability: Their moods shift violently. A calm conversation can turn into a violent outburst in seconds. Many feel broken and self-aware and hate it. If a wraith loses emotional control, they begin to flicker, distort, or destabilize. Prolonged collapse can cause them to forget who they are or lash out blindly.
- Drawn to Suffering: Wraiths instinctively sense suffering, especially if it mirrors their own. Some try to comfort the broken. Others lash out to make people feel what they feel.
- Isolation by Instinct: They tend to withdraw from others, either to protect people from themselves, or because they don’t feel worthy of being seen.
- Not Fully Dead: Some wraiths were created without ever dying, through cursed rituals, soul-severing trauma, or divine punishment. They remember the body like a dream they can’t wake from. Many wraiths lack a clear tether, or their tether is their trauma itself. This makes them powerful, but also puts them in constant danger of unraveling if that trauma fades, heals, or is forcibly severed.
Examples
- The Broken: Formed from unresolved trauma,often highly emotional and volatile. May appear cracked or flickering.
- The Forsaken: Cursed into being by gods, mages, or ancient rituals. Deeply aware of their curse and often obsessed with revenge or redemption.
- The Shattered: Multiple souls fused by tragedy or ritual gone wrong. Their form is unstable, and their mind flickers between personas.
The Hollowed: Forgotten, erased, or discarded souls. Emotionless, dangerous, and often completely detached from their past life.