Shadow Accord Wiki | Wraith

The Wraith Lexicon

Absorption

The act of consuming another Wraith or Spectre.

Absorption is a final solution for dealing with Spectres and weak Wraith. It involves one Wraith literally devouring another in such a fashion as there is nothing left to fall to Oblivion. The results are undeniable, and while many do not relish the idea of anyone consuming another's soul, the alternatives are little better.

The process grants power to the absorber at the cost of raising their Angst. It is not undergone lightly and only those who have been trained to handle the influx of dark power are permitted to perform the process. Some Shadows seek to do nothing but absorb other souls out of endless hunger. Rumors speak of other side effects of this gristly art such as absorbers taking on traits of those they absorb such as personality, memories, etc.

Angst

The reflection of a Wraith's mental state describing how fractured their Psyche is.

Angst is a measure of what a Wraith's mind is going through. Specifically the more troubled, fearful, anxious, and/or disconcerted overall the Wraith is; the higher their Angst rating. In Shadow Accord, Virtue acts as a Wraith's Angst rating on the character sheet. If the Angst rises above 10, the Wraith turns in to a Spectre.

Arcanoi

The abilities Wraith have to effect the worlds around them.

Arcanoi, or Arcanos (singular), are secrets that are learned at the foot of another Wraith, acquired through experience, and/or innately present. They are ways of using a Wraith’s spiritual being and energy to alter other aspects of the Underworld, or in some cases the Skinlands.

Artifact

Objects that have been imbued with great power, or forged in the underworld themselves.

Artifacts generally involve a spirit that has been bound into an item to give it extra power, or objects crafted from the soul-stuff of Wraiths themselves. Artifacts of particular note to Wraith are Stygian Weapons. These are items are forged from the souls of criminals and made into weapons of great power. Unlike regular weapons, these are just as deadly within the Shadowlands. Nearly every item in the Shadowlands is either an Artifact or a Relic.

Barghest

Hound-like beasts and servants who are created to act as shock troops or Spectre hunters.

Barghests were at once Wraith. A ritual is performed and the Wraith is moliated into a hound-like creature to emphasize their strength, and essentially lobotomized to make them simple minded and obedient. Being turned into a Barghest is often times used as a punishment or an alternative way to deal with Specters. The downside is that one skilled enough with the art, and possessing of the ritual, may undo it.

Byways

Safe, narrow passageways connecting various realms in the Shadowlands.

Byways are often manifested as winding roads or rivers stretching through the underworld. Ferrymen maintain these paths and lead travelers along them. The greatest byway, supposedly stretching across all of the Shadowlands, is known as the River of Death.

Catharsis

When a Shadow takes control and the Psyche is repressed.

Each Wraith grapples to contain and control their Shadow. Like the Psyche, the Shadow has it's own thoughts, desires, and feelings. Most Wraith are able to balance these whispers and keep their Shadows in check, but when the Wraith is sent in to Catharsis the Shadow takes total control. In order to repress the Shadow again the Catharsis must be Disquieted, or the Psyche must wrest back control on it's own.

A Wraith may willingly give control of themselves over to their Shadows, usually to gain some knowledge or power the shadow possesses. This act raises Angst, and comes with no assurances that the Shadow will so easily give back control.

Wraith who lose too much of their own will, and completely give in to their Shadows become Spectres. With Spectres, disquieting has no effect; but skilled Pardoners are able to bring the Psyche back for short periods of time.

Caul

The ecto-plasmic covering over an Enfant.

When a Wraith first manifests in the Shadowlands they are covered in a type of ecto-plasm called a Caul. Until the Caul is removed by a another Wraith, the Enfant underneath is docile, drone-like, and without any ability to communicate coherently or hold conscious thought.

Rules Note: A Wraith with a Caul on acts as if under a permanent version of the Confusion power until another Wraith removes the Caul.

Charon

The first, and still reigning, Emperor of Stygia.

Charon is a powerful, and reasonably good, Wraith who rules over Stygia as it's Emperor. He is the founder and builder of the city, said to be the only Wraith ever to take on a Malfean and win. His coming into the Shadowlands was foretold by the Lady of Fate herself, who proclaimed him alone fit to rule the Underworld.

Circle

A group of Wraith that band together, usually to occupy and protect a Haunt.

Citadel

A Haunt that has been reinforced with soulforged goods, remains of fallen cities that become Relics, and other defenses for the purpose of defending against Malestorms and attack from specters or other malicious Shadowland creatures.

Deathmarks

The marks upon a body that reflect and display how a Wraith died.

Deathmarks are the primary method of determining Legion membership, and while they can be temporarily removed or covered, they will always exist as part of a Wraith's natural state. There are some Wraith, particularly the Oracles, who can read the Deathmarks on Mortals nearing the end of their life and determine how they will die.

Domem

A Wraith who does not have any fetters and has not resolved any or all of the regrets their fetters represented.

Because they are without Fetters, Domem cannot stay very long in the Shadowlands without beginning to be sucked down into the Tempest toward Oblivion. For this reason most Domem typically stay within the confines of Stygia, which occupies a stable island within the Tempest.

Enfant

A newly un-Cauled Wraith.

When a Wraith is un-Cauled they are known as an Enfant. The Wraith who un-Cauled the Enfant is known as their Reaper. Enfants are treated differently depending upon who their Reaper is, but generally they hold the social status of children. Some Enfants are treated well and are educated on survival in the Shadowlands, while others may be neglected, sold, or destroyed.

Until their release as Lemures, Stygian society recognizes Enfants as being the direct property of their Reapers. This extreme level of control is seen as necessary to ensure that Enfants unable to resist Oblivion's pull can be strengthened or dealt with before they succumb.

The Far Shores

A realm of islands, across the Sunless Sea, which are said to contain the ideal afterlife.

Long ago a number of Wraith, unhappy with their undead existence but unwilling to face Oblivion, decided to search for the paradise promised to them by their various religions. The Ferrymen, who laid down the various byways, guide and deliver hopeful Wraith to this realm.

It is said thousands upon thousands of islands within the Tempest, created throughout the centuries, stand as the idealized versions of various religons' idea of Heaven and Hell. Whether or not the stories are true, the Far Shores are said to be an alternative to Wraith society. While many Wraith seek paradise, the byways leading to the Far Shores are not commonly known, and many have perished in the search. Whether the Far Shores live up to their reputation is anyone's guess.

Ferrymen

Mysterious and powerful guardians of the byways and roads to Stygia; Guides to Wraith seeking the Far Shores.

The Ferrymen are ancient, powerful, and mysterious figures of which little is known. They were originally organized by Charon, who was also a Ferryman at one time. Their purpose was to guide and ferry lost souls to the city of Stygia and eventually the Far Shores. When Charon declared himself Emperor of Stygia after the Great Maelstrom, most of the Ferrymen turned their backs on him and his city, but continued with their mission of guiding and guarding Wraith and creating byways. Despite their rejection and an open declaration of exile against those that did not accept Charon's claim of Emperor, the Ferrymen are given all but free reign of the empire by Stygia and her soldiers.

Within the ranks of Ferrymen, are "The Shining Ones". These Ferryman exclusively deal with ferrying souls to various islands amongst the Far Shores, and maintaining the worlds there. Most of them chose to remain in Stygia after Charon proclaimed himself emperor, growing more and more concerned with their own power and influence. It is said that with more and more Christian souls seeking "paradise" instead of their own islands, their power has begun to wane.

Fetters

Physical manifestations of a Wraith's unfinished buisness.

Fetters are often thought of as metaphors for the reason why a Wraith is unable to pass on. Aside from usually being items of great emotional significance, they also act as personal anchors for the Wraith; tying them to the Shadowlands and Skinlands. Fetters help to keep Wraith fixed where they are in the Shadowlands, thus preventing the very real possibility of being dragged into the Tempest or lured in to Oblivion. Fetters also allow Wraith to effect the land of the living. For those reasons Wraith fiercely guard their Fetters. A Wraith without a Fetter, known as a Domem, is usually in serious danger and will seek to establish another Fetter as soon as they can.

Resolving

The act of letting go of the troubling aspects in one's past life. It is a process of gaining the strength to part with the items and people they once knew in life by unraveling their attachment to the item as a Fetter. While doing so puts a Wraith in greater danger of being pulled into Oblivion, it also brings them closer to possibly reaching Transcendence, and is commonly believed to be a required step in the process.

Gaunt

A term used to refer to an especially old and powerful Wraith.

A Gaunt is usually well respected and feared, having mastered many powerful Arcanoi, and acquiring many political connections within the ruling body of the Empire or the Guilds. Most Gaunts also maintain Fetters, if not their original ones, and thus are able to spend longer periods of time in the Shadowlands. Generally Gaunts have given up the notion of Transcendence and seek to continue their existence for as long as possible.

The Golden Age

The Current Era of Stygia (13th century AD.) is considered to be it's Golden Age.

The power of the Guilds is great and wealth flows freely. The city of Stygia thrives with activity, learning, strength, and hope. The Militarization of the Legions allows for threats to be dealt with swiftly and Wraith are kept safe from the many dangers their existence offers. Oblivion stirs and grows ever hungry, but for now it is kept in check by the efforts of the Empire and her Legions. The common Wraith has never had as much opportunity to gain statues, rank, or power amongst the dead, and education, art, and learning are priorities.

While this era may be coming to an end in the next few centuries, the current version of Stygia is a far cry from the overcrowded, festering monolith of corruption and stagnation it will eventually become in the Modern setting. While no empire is ever seen as without it's problems, Players who read the Wraith sourcebooks should make note of this difference.

Guilds

Organizations of Freewraith who group together for the sake of learning, mastering, and making practice of skills with a particular Arconoi.

Patterned off the idea of gilded tradesmen in the mortal world, the Guilds are some of the most powerful organization in the underworld. They have recently begun squabbling amongst themselves as they compete for power and influence over Wraith society.

More can be found about about a particular Guild elsewhere in this wiki.

Haunts

Places of power coveted and protected by Wraith as sources of energy or places of rest.

Generally, it is a term used for anywhere wraiths have specifically chosen to gather and reside, though the choice to do so is almost always made due to the location having some special significance. Sometimes a place can hold deep emotional significance to the world of the living, and that emotion can well up into the Shadowlands to produce several effects. A Haunt is most commonly a site where the veil between the world of the living and the dead is thin, and emotional energy has reinforced the structures as they appear in the Shadowlands. These structures provide cover, shelter, and safety; as well as often containing fonts of emotional energy upon which Wraith can feed.

The Labyrinth

A constantly changing maze whose center is the mouth of Oblivion itself.

The Labyrinth, residing within the heart of the Tempest and having been gnawed from the nothingness by Malfeans, is a complex Spectre haunted maze of constantly changing tunnels and walls. At the center of this maze is the very mouth of the void, the direct entrance to Oblivion. While few Wraith who dare to approach ever return, passage there is not wholly unheard of.

Legions / Legionnaires

Stygia's standing army.

The Legions, whose members are known as Legionnaires, stand as Stygia's main force against Oblivion and it's minions. There are 8 Legions in total and their numbers are made up of Wraith who died under the same or similar conditions.

In theory, every Wraith in the Hierarchy is a member of the Legion in some capacity. Every Wraith is expected to stand and fight against a Maelstrom or Spectre, and a Citadel rarely distinguishes between citizen or Renegade to man the defenses when a storm approaches. Only members of the Legion who are given military rank are expected to preform military duties, such as Byway patrols, Spectre hunting, Renegade busting, or other police or military actions.

More information on this subject can be found on the Legions page.

Lemures

A Wraith who is newly dead, but is no longer considered an Enfant.

Maelstrom

A Malestrom is a hurricane of psychic energy, infested with Specters, akin to being caught in the strongest part of the Tempest.

A Malestrom, also referred to as the ‘Fist of Oblivion", is some of the only weather felt in the Shadowlands. They originate in varying sizes as a result of large scale traumatic, joyous, or catastrophes events within the Skinlands. Examples of this would be the Crucifixion or the destruction of Pompeii. In 476 AD, with the fall of Rome, a Maelstrom took shape of such unbelievable power that it was known as the Great Maelstrom. It was the most devastating Maelstrom to have ever existed.

Malfean

Powerful, monstrous creatures that live in the depths of the Shadowlands.

They are sometimes called the "Neverborn". They are closely tied in with Oblivion, many of them actually feed on souls, thereby destroying them. The Malfeans are like the kings of Oblivion, with Spectre's as their servants.

Oblivion

A manifestation of hunger and entropy; a dark and consuming force trying to draw everything towards it.

Oblivion is often referred to as the Void, the End, the Emptiness, or the Nothing. It is huge and inevitable, unsettling and horrific. Oblivion is what awaits Wraith who succumb to their Angst and give in. All Spectres ultimately serve Oblivion. It is unknown whether Oblivion holds any sort of sentience aside from it's will to consume. Some, likely Spectre's in disguise, say that a Wraith must go there before they can be reborn in to the Mortal World. Many Wraith say that those who go to it are forever destroyed; torn apart and consumed. Theories aside, Oblivion is acknowledged as the end of a Wraith's existence.

Oboli / Obolus

The currency of the Stygian Empire.

The Obolus (Pronounced Obo-les), or Oboli (singular. Pronounced "Obo-Lie"), is the basic currency of Stygia and the underworld. Like the vast majority of items manufactured in the Shadowlands, Oboli are forged from the souls of Wraith.

Pathos

Energy a Wraith can use to power Arcanoi.

Pathos is essentially concentrated human emotion. It is what Wraith feed upon to help prevent them from falling in to Oblivion. If a Wraith spends all of their available Pathos, they go in to Catharsis; bringing the Shadow one step closer to taking over.

Psyche

The mind and personality of a Wraith.

The Psyche makes up everything that a Wraith is in terms of their thoughts, desires, goals, etc; It makes them who they are. The Psyche is the idea of the Self. In many ways, the focus on the Psyche in Wraith culture is a result of the existence of the ever-present Shadow within each Wraith.

The Quick

A term used to refer to the Living.

Many Wraith, having existed for a great many centuries, view the world of the living to be very fast moving. The stagnant view from underworld tends to feature, in stark contrast, the movements and actions of the living to be erratic. Such is the perspective of those who watch as the years and centuries continue on.

Reapers

A Wraith who un-Cauls an Enfant.

Traditionally a Reaper is both teacher and parent to the Wraith they reap. Reapers are accountable for their Enfant's actions but also own the new Wraith to the extent that the Enfant can be bought or sold. Reapers are charged with the task of not only preparing a Wraith for life amongst the dead but also ensuring, by any means necessary, that they do not become Spectre or otherwise fall to Oblivion.

Relics

Physical objects that have slipped through the Shroud and now exist in the Shadowlands completely.

Most objects that exist in the Skinlands manifest as vague reflection in the Shadowlands. Relics are different. They are objects that have somehow slipped through the Shroud and now exist in the Shadowlands completely. They are often prized by Wraiths as they are things Wraith can interact with without having to use Arcanoi.

Renegades

Any Wraith who rejects Stygian rule, and seeks to live outside the Hierarchy's influence.

Renegades range from individualists who simply don't want to live under the rule of Stygia, to activists and freedom fighters who actively and openly fight against it.

The Shadow

The dark side of a Wraith's personality made manifest and separately sentient within the Wraith's mind.

The Shadow, which all Wraith have, is the negative aspects of themselves that draw them towards Oblivion. It has it's own goals and desires which ultimately are meant to destroy what the Wraith loves, including the Wraith himself. Commonly held at bay, the Shadow sees and experiences all that the Psyche does; whispering at the back of the Wraith's mind. In moments of weakness, such as Catharsis, the Shadow takes control and the Psyche recedes. The Shadow moves to actively destroy or subvert whatever the Wraith cares for until it is disquieted.

For more information, please view the The Shadow page.

The Shadowlands

The ghostly realm where Wraith naturally reside.

The Shadowlands, also known as the Underworld, the Land of the Dead, or the Umbra, exists opposite to the land of the living; separated by the Shroud. It is where Wraith and other undead manifestations are native residence. The Shadowlands are separated in to various sub-realms which are connected by Byways.

NOTE: Ushaw Moor, the game area of Shadow Accord, is considered a thin part of the Shroud. It is for this reason that the Shifter's version of Umbra, and those that reside within such as spirits, exist practically within the same space and interaction is possible. This is an oddity to Umbral travelers and something not very well understood.

The Shroud

The stuff that Separates the Skinlands and the Shadowlands.

The wolves call this the Gauntlet. Without the Shroud, the two places would be just one place and we could interact with humans without having to use powers. According to the backstory, there was a time, long long long long ago that there was no Shroud. Perhaps there was no death back then. Anyhow, there is one now. There are places where it's thinner, like a good Haunt, and places where it's thicker.

The Skinlands

The regular human world.

The wolves call it the Realm. It's the place we all were born, lived, and died in. It's the place our fetters are stashed in. It's the place where all that pretty, pretty emotion flows from that we just love to snack on.

Slavers

Soulforge

Spectre

Wraiths who have given in to their shadows and are now basically evil versions of their previous selves.

There are also other reasons they can be created as well. Spectre's are dangerous in multiple ways. They can be violent and destructive, or subtle and seductive. They serve Oblivion and exit to bring about the destruction of the Wraithly world. From time to time, armies of spectre's will attack Stygia.

Stygia

The empire of the western Wraiths.

Founded by the great Emperor (Imperator, to use the latin term) Charon a long, long time ago, Stygia holds rulership over all the wraiths who come from Europe as well as a few other parts of the world. The government is much like ancient Rome, with Charon as Emperor and a Senate know as the Hierarchs. Behind the scenes there are the Guilds, powerful and wealthy factions who pull many of the strings in the senate. There are also the legions, wraiths who defend the borders of Stygia from armies of spectres.

The Sunless Sea

The Tempest

A rolling sea of chaos and fury that underlays the Shadowlands which makes even the most destructive storm in human history pale in comparison.

It is populated by shrieking specters, and other more fouler things. It is a place where a rolling sea of chaos and abstraction consume all, where time, space and distance have no meaning. The landscape is constantly changing; rains of broken glass, seas of boiling pitch and eruptions of noxious gases are common, along with fragmented memories and realities that are inflicted upon the unwary. Anyone who passes through the tempest, even souls that fall directly from death straight to oblivion leave behind a memory or a thought for an unwary traveler to experience.

The Tempest is the boundary between the near umbra, and the deep umbra. But has islands of stability, and paths of relative safety called ‘Byways' that can be navigated by those who know them well. Stygia rests partially on one of these Islands, as does the ‘far shores'. Byways offer the quickest and most efficient travel across the world, if not always the safest.

Thorns

Thralls

Transcendence

Wraith