Undead

Creatures, most often human in origin, who have been resurrected in body, spirit and sometimes even both. These creatures are not inherently Evil but if they have been returned by the will of another they are often exploited into undertaking it. Some undead come back of their own volition, for they have matters that must be attended to before they can reach their final resting place. 

The greatest tool against the undead of any kind is the use of silver weaponry, which cuts through even incorporeal forms and prevents undead flesh from healing. Decapitation is often the most efficient method of putting down the corporeal undead. 

Ghosts

A ghost is the incorporeal spirit of a dead human. They take on the form of the deceased from the moment they died, which can sometimes prove to be a gruesome sight. I once helped lay to rest the ghost of a young man who had been flayed by a cruel Countess a century before, his wish was to seek revenge on the Countess’ family. His form was truly grotesque, it was no wonder he brought fear and ire wherever he appeared. I did not help him in exacting his revenge, for the Countess was long dead and her living family proved to be kind and empathetic rulers. I could not allow him to bring harm to the innocent. Instead, I severed his connection with this plane of existence.

To forcefully remove a ghost without fulfilling its wishes, you must exorcise it. With ghosts of weak will, this is something you can do yourself with the aid of a holy symbol, holy water and religious scripture. Each Jaeger has a passage from their own books they prefer to recite, and for myself I refer to stanzas 126-132 from The Litany. Learn your scripture so that you can recite it without the physical text, as you may not have it available when you need to conduct the exorcism. 

Cast out the spirit by chanting the scripture - you must do this with the greatest conviction, else the spirit will sense your weakness. Spirits can exploit weakness by plaguing you with nightmares, muddle your memory, make your skin crawl with hives and at its worst, possess your very being. As you recite your scripture, toss holy water upon the spirit in triplicate. Any more or fewer than thrice will prevent the exorcism from working, repeat this sequence for as long as required until the spirit is forced from existence. You will know if your exorcism is working if the spirit recoils, as if the touch of the water burns its very essence. It will not be able to phase through material any longer, and you will be able to corner it. 

Be swift when changing from holy water to your holy symbol. Continue reciting your scripture. Hold your symbol aloft so that your chosen gods may imbue it with strength so that you may finally cast the spirit out. You should now shout your scripture, the increase in volume will force the spirit to listen to what it deems ill to its senses. Focus all of your strength into your voice and your symbol, and watch carefully for the spirit’s will to break. 

Once you are sure that the spirit’s will is broken, you may end your chant of scripture and order the spirit to leave this plane of existence. Your words can be your own, as long as your orders are clear. When exorcising ghosts, I prefer to keep my demands simple by loudly and clearly stating, “You are not welcome upon this plane, move on to the afterlife and seek eternal peace.” Repeat this until you feel your holy symbol warm in your hand with divine intent, strike the spirit with a final blow from the symbol and watch in silence as its spirit disperses. 

In matters of stronger willed ghosts, you may enlist the assistance of other Jaegers or a priest. Priests channel their gods’ divinity with more effectiveness than any Jaeger, and most are happy to assist with a donation to their church. The same process is to be undertaken, preferably with all reciting a single scripture.

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Second Edition Note: 

Over the last century, we have found that this remains to be the most effective method of exorcism. However, with the enlistment of witches into our ranks we have another means of casting spirits forth to the afterlife. Witches are able to conduct rites that can rip a ghost from this life and forcefully cast it into the next, it is arguably a more brutal method, but just as effective as a traditional exorcism. 

The only issue with this method is that only a witch can conduct it. My esteemed colleague, Adam Chambers, a witch of over two decades, offers this specification to any witch who wishes to conduct such a rite. 

Prepare a cauldron of scalding lard with a tincture of clove oil, with a herb parcel of hawthorn, bay and garlic. Take the heart of a sparrow and place it within a pentacle drawn with gravedirt. Speak in Evil’s tongue and draw the rune of binding with a needle and pierce the sparrow heart to bind the spirit to it. Toss the heart into the cauldron. Once cooled, bury the contents of the cauldron beneath a birch tree. 

Artificers have had some luck in trapping ghosts into trinkets, however, what you then do with them has yet to be discovered. It is deemed unethical to keep a ghost trapped in a vessel without the intention of releasing it for exorcism. Trinkets are created by using polished crystal and glass to create mirrors that ghosts are unable to phase through, the most commonly used combinations are made as dodecahedron with glass mirror, pyrite, black tourmaline and moonstone. The use of moonstone is believed to keep the ghost sedate whilst it is in captivity. 

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In brief:

• Ghosts are incorporeal and can only be harmed, but not killed, by silver

• Solve a ghost’s unresolved business to help them move on

• Exorcise a ghost to unbind them from the mortal plane

• Witches can unbind ghosts via ritual

Skeletons

When a corpse has degraded to nothing more than bone, it is only through the means of evil magics that those bones can form together into a body once more. A skeleton is a mere husk of a person, but surprisingly tricky to destroy permanently. 

You may attempt to dismember or decapitate a skeleton, but so long as a limb is intact they will still be able to move. Skeletons are able to put themselves back together, and a way of delaying their reforming is by scattering their bones. The only way to truly ‘kill’ a skeleton is to take a lengthy amount of time to smash them to smithereens, or kill the necromancer or demon controlling them. 

Do not attempt to tamper with a necromantic casting circle, Jaegers are not magically equipped to dispel such magic and risks being killed or corrupted by attempting such.

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Second Edition Note:

In modern times, witches are able to dispel necromancy through ritual. An efficient spell, once again offered by Adam Chambers, can be cast once the ritual circle used by the demon or necromancer is found. Secure the circle in a ring of salt and sanctify it by burning a combination of burdock, frankincense and pine. Once the circle is cleansed, the witches should create a small opening in the salt to pass through into the circle, they should NOT step over it. A volunteer, who does not need to be a witch, can close the circle of salt behind them. Inside the circle, the witches must cast the spell of purification. This will remove all remnants of necromantic power and any skeletons attached to the spell will fall to rest once more.

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In brief:

• Skeletons will always seek to put themselves back together

• Kill the one who raised the skeletons to permanently kill the skeletons too

• Witches can dispel necromancy through rituals

Shades

Colloquially known as zombies, shades are the resurrected corporeal bodies of the deceased. They have no soul, no memory and no intelligence. Everything that made a shade human has already moved on to the afterlife, this reanimated corpse is all that remains. A mockery of life. Do not be swayed when coming across a face you once knew on a shade for it is not them. Be cautious when fighting shades as they carry a host of nasty diseases that they eagerly pass on through biting, so make sure to wear sturdy armour when battling against them. Shades can be killed by decapitation. 

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In brief:

• Decapitate a Shade to kill it permanently

Revenants

These spirits have the ability to shift between corporeal and incorporeal forms. They are intelligent, but cannot be reasoned with. This intelligence makes them cunning and strategic in nature, and many a Jaeger has fallen to their trickery. We believe that this intellect is garnered through their diet; the souls of the living. By devouring human souls, they take on a shred of their sense of reasoning. The more souls that a revenant can feast upon, the quicker its wits will become. It is believed that the souls of the wicked are more likely to become a Revenant, rather than being bound by unfinished business like a ghost, they are bound here by a desire to mindlessly kill, hunt and consume.

Revenants require to be bound in corporeal form before they can be killed. This can be done with exorcism, or harming the Revenant enough with silver to force it out of its spectral form. Once corporeal, treat as you would a normal Shade.

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In brief:

• Revenants must be forced into corporeal form to kill permanently with exorcism, ritual or silver

• Decapitate their corporeal form to kill it permanently

Liches

Liches are highly intelligent and dangerous spirits who can grant humans the ability to become necromancers. Whilst it is not the only way to become a necromancer, it is one of the most common. We believe that a lich is the higher form of a revenant, where they have successfully consumed so many souls that they have evolved in physiology. Liches are surprisingly articulate, but their rotten physiques often mean their voice is projected through mental effects rather than usual speech.

Liches have the ability to cast powerful spells and careful preparation must take place before hunting them. Liches can be exorcised, but this can be a challenging feat that would require multiple priests or Jaegers to achieve. Liches are driven by desire for power, and this is something that can be used against them. Numerous witches have returned as Liches, power in just life not being enough for them, and stands as a powerful lesson in ensuring witches are always disposed of properly. They must receive the correct embalming and protective charms lest their wicked spirits find a way back to this plane.

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In brief:

• Liches are incorporeal and can only be harmed, but not killed, by silver

• Exorcise a Lich to unbind them from the mortal plane

• Witches can unbind Liches via ritual

Mummies

Mummies are not actively revived by necromancers. Instead, a mummy is usually returned from the dead thanks to necromancy that took place prior to the mummy’s death. Often, mummies are the highly preserved corpses of the wealthiest of society, who wish to extend their lives into the unlife. Sometimes in life they were a necromancer, and into death they continue to be, but sometimes mummies are humans who paid a handsome price to a necromancer to prepare them to return to the world of the living. 

Some mummies wish to just continue where they left off from death, considering dying an inconvenient distraction. This may be fine if a mummy were to live in solitude, or away from society, but there are those in denial who try to reintegrate themselves. Even the best embalming processes will eventually wear off, and the undead nature of a mummy can become clear quite quickly. 

Given the sacrilegious nature of necromancy, and its inherent tie to Evil, we cannot allow for mummies to exist among the living. Whether they realise it or not, mummies are the heralds of plague and disaster, and one trying to avoid the afterlife will doom any around it.

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In brief:

• Mummies can be, but are not always, necromancers

• Decapitate a Mummy to kill it permanently

Vampires

Vampires are highly intelligent corporeal undead, but have no soul. They can only experience the most extreme of emotions, which often leads them to becoming tyrannical in nature as they seek out the ultimate high of dominion over others. These immortal horrors have heightened speed, agility and the ability to become one with the wind. They are extremely dangerous, but can be reasoned with if the negotiator can resist their charming and intimidating gaze. They do not require the sustenance of a living human, and instead subsist on human blood. Vampires who do not get their fill are known to fall into a frenzy, killing and devouring any human unfortunate enough to be in their path.

We are not sure if vampirism is a curse or a disease, for there is clear argument for either side. To become a vampire, one must consume their willingly given blood of a certain quantity. We specify this, as vampires are also known to keep thralls. Some are bewitched, but most are enthralled through the addictive properties of a vampire’s blood. A vampire will tithe blood to their thralls, keeping them ensnared to do their bidding in the hopes that they will get a drop more. 

The greatest weapon against vampires is daylight. Vampires cannot step out under the warmth of the sun as it will burn them terribly, and prolonged exposure will destroy them entirely. However, vampires can regenerate extraordinarily quickly, and fighting one takes careful preparation to ensure that they are not given the opportunity to heal. A wooden stake through the heart can send a vampire into a form of stasis, preventing any form of regeneration, but it does not kill them. The only effective way of killing a vampire is to draw them out into sunlight. 

One can protect themselves against a vampire by openly wearing a holy symbol. Vampires are true evil, and will be repulsed by the mere sight of good. Even acts of true faith can make a vampire recoil. Garlic can offer a mild repellent, but is less effective. 

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In brief:

• Vampires are destroyed by daylight

• They can be repelled by holy symbols

• A wooden stake to the heart can put a vampire into stasis