Excerpts from the Manual of Unnatural Beings

  And so the wretched plead upon the steps of their forespoken chorus, for in their lack of faith they would not accept their wrongdoings. In that moment of judgement shall they be cast out of the blessed belonging, to brandish their message of repentance to any that should balk at the sight of the promised door ~ The Book of Mullisvar

  Unrepentant are formed from the souls of the recent dead who, upon standing before their Judging Chorus, were unable to reconcile with their past transgressions. Individuals who make such refusals are prevented from moving on and are instead cast back into the mortal world as twisted representations of their unresolved grievances.

  With the loss of their physical bodies, the majority of Unrepentant are invisible to the unaugmented human eye. However, under the effects of certain lights, such as Sirrithae’s Lifeflame, their new appearances can be observed as shadowy apparitions. These forms, their observed behaviors and the unique circumstances surrounding them have all been recorded within this manual. It is our sincere hope that this information can be distributed across all lands so that as many innocent lives as possible can be saved.

  Common Designation : Pathstalker

  Type : Humanoid

  Aggression Level : High, Active

  Forming Grievances : Anger, Betrayal, Deceit

  The Pathstalker is an Unrepentant of medium-level threat. It is often discovered on the outskirts of society, in the aftermath of major battles or significant natural disasters. It holds a severe loathing for humans, hunting and chasing any who cross its path across great distances and time scales. While typically encountered solo, groups of up to twelve Pathstalkers have been recorded in various locations. As with all Unrepentant, Pathstalkers are invisible to the human eye. However, their silhouettes can be revealed under the light of Sirrithae. Folklore in some regions also states that cats are capable of detecting their presence. It is believed that Pathstalkers are formed from the betrayed, the unholy, and the liar.

  These creatures are typically eight feet tall with slim figures. Other notable features include their reverse-jointed avian legs, their hair-like tentacles and their long forearm blades. While their legs may appear spindly, a Pathstalker is capable of great bursts of speed and endurance.

  Notable Event: The scouring of the flagship Prince of the Waves

  The Prince of the Waves was the flagship of the Kydrin Royal Navy, constructed and launched in 143 F.T.C with a crew of 256. Three years later, the Prince was engaging in anti-pirate operations when several captured pirate captains being transported back to the mainland for trial and execution managed to escape their cells. Their escape attempt was unsuccessful and they were quickly slaughtered before they could reach the main deck. In the aftermath, one of the captains became a Pathstalker, appearing in the dead of night and quickly slaughtering the crew. With no one left to control it, the Prince of the Waves began drifting aimlessly and eventually washed ashore on the Kydrin coast two weeks later. After this event, priests of Sirrithae are almost always present on key vessels.

  Common Designation : Languid

  Type : Amorphous

  Aggression Level : High, Passive

  Forming Grievances : Abandonment, Reluctance, Ignorance

  The Languid is an Unrepentant that takes no fixed form, instead coalescing into a shadowy pool that flows like water at an incredibly slow pace. A Languid does not discriminate against any particular creature and will subdue and absorb any animal that unwittingly enters its body. Those that do walk into a Languid feel an increasing sense of tiredness and fatigue the longer they stay within it. Eventually, the animal or individual will fall into a deep slumber, the languid will then digest them, growing in size in the process.

  Fortunately, a person who enters and becomes aware of a Languid can escape its clutches by leaving the body, as such many Languids can be reported and removed before they become problematic. Languids hold no real form of self-locomotion, however they are able to pull themselves using a living being as an anchor, bringing them into their centre for the highest chance of a successful hunt.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Notable Event: The loss of Brimstone Pass Field Hospital

  During the fifth war between Solfin and Vaurkal, the majority of the fighting took place in a steep-sided valley known as Brimstone Pass. As the two armies clashed, a small Languid was able to travel along the main road as columns of men and supplies passed through it. Later it would arrive at the Solfin Army’s field hospital which at the time housed hundreds of wounded, immobile soldiers. This event unfortunately coincided with a Vaurkal raid which caused the guards to leave their posts. When they returned, all but a handful of the most able wounded were dead, and the Languid had grown five times its original size.

  Common Designations : Lingering / Stephanie’s Tutor

  Type : Humanoid

  Aggression Level : Variable

  Forming Grievances : Abuse, Unreadiness, Duty

  A Lingering is a unique Unrepentant which can occasionally be seen as an improvement for the living surrounding their appearance. Lingerings attach themselves to an individual of importance in their life that they would wish to change. Appearing as a second shadow that trails their chosen host, the Lingering can alter the host’s personality and speech to suit their desires. While many Lingerings are malicious and cause great grief to their hosts, others are seen as benevolent, guiding hands that pilot their charges to become better people. Lingerings are one of the few types of Unrepentant which can pass on to the Chorus once they determine their purpose has been fulfilled.

  Notable event: The reconciliation of Stephanie Pericell

  Lady Stephanie Paricell was a noble’s daughter infamous for her short temper, haughty attitude, reluctance to compromise and violent outbursts. With her parents lacking the strength to control their child, she was instead handed to tutors, priests, anyone willing to attempt to teach her good manners. None were able to, and with each failed attempt Stephanie’s actions became more egregious. This eventually resulted in one tutor’s death as they were pushed from a fourth story window. Returning as a Lingering, Stephanie suddenly underwent vast personality changes, becoming a model citizen overnight. Once the change was complete, the Lingering vanished, becoming the first recorded case of such an event.

  Common Designation : Rainsour

  Type : Amorphous

  Aggression Level : Passive

  Forming Grievances : Loss, Grief, Fear

  The Rainsour is a low risk Unrepentant more commonly viewed as an annoyance than a threat. Like an invisible storm cloud, a Rainsour is a stationary gaseous mass that appears to sap the enjoyment and happiness of all that pass beneath it. People experiencing a Rainsour report the sensation of soft rain upon their bodies, followed by small but growing waves of depression and listlessness. These clear signs, combined with their inability to move, cause most of these Unrepentant to be quickly discovered and either banished or entrapped.

  Notable event: The failed negotiations at the Meios Trade Collective

  During the years of 195-203 F.T.C, a number of crucial trade and financial summits ended without any agreement despite there having been no concerns that deals may not be made. These negotiations were all held in a purpose-built meeting hall constructed by a company known as the Meios Trade Collective to be used as a neutral site for international trade agreements. Unbeknownst to those third parties, the Collective had built the hall around a known Rainsour and, using a near-invisible nets stretched above the negotiating table to block the rain-like sensation, several key proposals the Collective did not agree with failed due to the Rainsour causing the attendees to lose hope of a settlement. This scheme was later discovered, with the Collective being dissolved and the Rainsour banished.

  Common Designation : Guardslit

  Type : Humanoid

  Aggression Level : High, Active

  Forming Grievances : Injustice, Corruption, Failure

  A Guardslit is an aggressive, calculating Unrepentant that exhibits a much greater intelligence than its Pathstalker cousin. Taking on a greatly similar body to the Stalker, it instead trades the tentacle-like head feelers for a sharp, angular, jagged head that is said to jingle like a set of distant keys. Guardslits appear to only target those carrying weapons, and primarily appear in towns and cities with a significant military presence. Only active at night, the Guardslit will attack and kill one target per day before vanishing again. Once a certain number of armed individuals have been killed, a figure that has been recorded to vary greatly, the Guardslit will vanish, its grisly work apparently complete.

  Notable events - The Fjostri Daggershade

  The town of Fjostri in northern Yerrhenge was subject to a Guardslit’s ire during the winter of 136 F.T.C. The military presence in both the town and the nearby fortress was notoriously corrupt, with locals stating that they would rather face wasteland bandits than those who should protect them from such villains. In order to prevent their crimes becoming more widely known, the leader of the garrison, his name forever struck from the record, ordered every traveller leaving the town be searched, and intimidated into never revealing what was truly happening. One man was caught smuggling letters destined for Yerrhenge’s rulers, and was subsequently executed. Over the next two months, this man’s return as a Guardslit would haunt the streets and battlements. Targeting only the corrupt guards and their masters, they became so fearful that they refused to attend their posts at night, locking themselves in their barracks and allowing others to escape the town and call the nation’s justice down upon the crooked men. Once the royal army arrived, the Fjostri Daggershade was never seen again.