SWNOVELS Chapter : Glossary
* indicates a Type One ghost
** indicates a Type Two ghost
Agency, Psychical Investigation
A business specializing in the containment and destruction of ghosts. There are more than a dozen agencies in London alone. The largest two (the Fittes Agency and the Rotwell Agency) have hundreds of employees; the smallest (Lockwood & Co.) has three. Most agencies are run by adult supervisors, but all rely heavily on children with strong psychic Talent.
Apparition
The shape formed by a ghost during a manifestation.
Apparitions usually mimic the shape of the dead person, but animals and objects are also seen. Some can be quite unusual.
The Spectre in the recent Limehouse Docks case manifested as a greenly glowing king cobra, while the infamous Bell Street Horror took the guise of a patchwork doll. Powerful or weak, most ghosts do not (or cannot) alter their appearance. Changers are the exception to this rule.
Aura
The glimmer or radiance surrounding many apparitions.
Most auras are fairly faint, and are best seen out of the corner of the eye. Strong, bright auras are known as other-light.
A few ghosts, such as Dark Spectres, radiate black auras that are darker than the night around them.
A rare and dangerous Type Two ghost, powerful enough to alter its appearance during a manifestation.
Chill
The sharp drop in temperature that occurs when a ghost is near. One of the four usual indicators of an imminent manifestation, the others being malaise, miasma and creeping fear. Chill may extend over a wide area, or be concentrated in specific ‘cold spots’.
Cluster
A group of ghosts occupying a small area.
Cold Maiden *
A grey, misty female form, often wearing old-fashioned dress, seen indistinctly at a distance. Cold Maidens radiate powerful feelings of melancholy and malaise, but rarely draw close to the living.
Creeping fear
A sense of inexplicable dread often experienced in the build-up to a manifestation. Often accompanied by chill, miasma and malaise.
Curfew
In response to the Problem, the British government enforces nightly curfews in many inhabited areas. During curfew, which begins shortly after dusk and finishes at dawn, ordinary people are encouraged to remain indoors, safe behind their home defences. In many towns, the beginning and end of the night’s curfew are marked by the sounding of a warning bell.
A frightening variety of Type Two ghost that manifests as a moving patch of darkness. Sometimes the apparition at the centre of the darkness is dimly visible; at other times the black cloud is fluid and formless, perhaps shrinking to the size of a pulsing heart, or expanding at speed to engulf a room.
Death-glow
An energy trace left at the exact spot where a death took place.
The more violent the death, the brighter the glow. Strong glows may persist for many years.
Defences against ghosts
The three principal defences, in order of effectiveness, are silver, iron and salt. Lavender also affords some protection, as does bright light and running water.
DEPRAC
The Department of Psychical Research and Control.
A government organization devoted to tackling the Problem. DEPRAC investigates the nature of ghosts, seeks to destroy the most dangerous ones, and monitors the activities of the many competing agencies.
Ectoplasm
A strange, variable substance from which ghosts are formed.
In its concentrated state, ectoplasm is very harmful to the living.
Fittes Manual
A famous book of instruction for ghost-hunters written by Marissa Fittes, the founder of Britain’s first psychical agency.
The spirit of a dead person. Ghosts have existed throughout history, but – for unclear reasons – are now increasingly common. There are many varieties; broadly speaking, however, they can be organized into three main groups (see Type One, Type Two, Type Three). Ghosts always linger near a Source, which is often the place of their death. They are at their strongest after dark, and most particularly between the hours of midnight and two a.m. Most are unaware or uninterested in the living. A few are actively hostile.
Ghost-fog
A thin, greenish-white mist, occasionally produced during a manifestation. Possibly formed of ectoplasm, it is cold and unpleasant, but not itself dangerous to the touch.
Ghost-jar
A silver-glass receptacle used to constrain an active Source.
Ghost-lamp
An electrically powered street-light that sends out beams of strong white light to discourage ghosts. Most ghost-lamps have shutters fixed over their glass lenses; these snap on and off at intervals throughout the night.
Ghost-lock
A dangerous power displayed by Type Two ghosts, possibly an extension of malaise. Victims are sapped of their willpower, and overcome by a feeling of terrible despair. Their muscles seem as heavy as lead, and they can no longer think or move freely. In most cases they end up transfixed, waiting helplessly as the hungry ghost glides closer and closer . . .
The effect of bodily contact with an apparition, and the most deadly power of an aggressive ghost. Beginning with a sensation of sharp, overwhelming cold, ghost-touch swiftly spreads an icy numbness around the body. One after another, vital organs fail; soon the body turns bluish and starts to swell. Without swift medical intervention, ghost-touch is usually fatal.
Gibbering Mist *
A weak, insubstantial Type One, notable for its deranged and repetitive chuckling, which always sounds as if it’s coming from behind you.
Greek Fire
Another name for magnesium flares. Early weapons of this kind were apparently used against ghosts during the days of the Byzantine (or Greek) Empire, a thousand years ago.
Grey Haze *
An ineffectual, rather tedious ghost, a common Type One variety. Grey Hazes seem to lack the power to form coherent apparitions and manifest as shapeless patches of faintly glinting mist. Probably because their ectoplasm is so diffuse, Grey Hazes do not cause ghost-touch, even if a person walks through them. Their main effects are to spread chill, miasma and unease.
Haunting
See Manifestation
Iron
An ancient and important protection against ghosts of all kinds. Ordinary people fortify their homes with iron decorations, and carry it on their persons in the form of wards. Agents carry iron rapiers and chains, and so rely on it for both attack and defence.
Lavender
The strong sweet smell of this plant is thought to discourage evil spirits. As a result, many people wear dried sprigs of lavender, or burn it to release the pungent smoke. Agents sometimes carry vials of lavender water to use against weak Type Ones.
Listening
One of the three main categories of psychic Talent. Sensitives with this ability are able to hear the voices of the dead, echoes of past events, and other unnatural sounds associated with hauntings.
Lurker *
A variety of Type One ghost that hangs back in the shadows, rarely moving, never approaching the living, but spreading strong feelings of anxiety and creeping fear.
Magnesium flare
A metal canister with a breakable glass seal, containing magnesium, iron, salt, gunpowder and an igniting device.
An important agency weapon against aggressive ghosts.
Malaise
A feeling of despondent lethargy often experienced when a ghost is approaching. In extreme cases this can deepen into dangerous ghost-lock.
A ghostly occurrence. May involve all kinds of supernatural phenomena, including sounds, smells, odd sensations, moving objects, drops in temperature and the glimpse of apparitions.
Miasma
An unpleasant atmosphere, often including disagreeable tastes and smells, experienced in the run-up to a manifestation.
Regularly accompanied by creeping fear, malaise and chill.
Night watch
Groups of children, usually working for large companies and local government councils, who guard factories, offices and public areas after dark. Though not allowed to use rapiers, night-watch children have long iron-tipped spears to keep apparitions at bay.
Other-light
An eerie, unnatural light radiating from some apparitions.
Phantasm **
Any Type Two ghost that maintains an airy, delicate and see-through form. A Phantasm may be almost invisible, aside from its faint outline and a few wispy details of its face and features.
Despite its insubstantial appearance, it is no less aggressive than the more solid-seeming Spectre, and all the more dangerous for being harder to see.
Phantom
Another general name for a ghost.
See Ectoplasm
Poltergeist **
A powerful and destructive class of Type Two ghost.
Poltergeists release strong bursts of supernatural energy that can lift even heavy objects into the air. They do not form apparitions.
Problem, the
The epidemic of hauntings currently affecting Britain.
Rapier
The official weapon of all psychical investigation agents. The tips of the iron blades are sometimes coated with silver.
Raw-bones **
A rare and unpleasant kind of ghost, which manifests as a bloody, skinless corpse with goggling eyes and grinning teeth. Not popular with agents. Many authorities regard it as a variety of Wraith.
Salt
A commonly used defence against Type One ghosts. Less effective than iron and silver, salt is cheaper than both, and used in many household deterrents.
Salt-bomb
A small plastic throwing-globe filled with salt. Shatters on impact, spreading salt in all directions. Used by agents to drive back weaker ghosts. Less effective against stronger entities.
A feared Type Two ghost, which may or may not display any kind of visual apparition. Screaming Spirits emit terrifying psychic shrieks, the sound of which is sometimes enough to paralyse the listener with fright, and so bring on ghost-lock.
Seal
An object, usually of silver or iron, designed to enclose or cover a Source, and prevent the escape of its ghost.
Sensitive, a
Someone who is born with unusually good psychic Talent.
Shade *
The standard Type One ghost, and possibly the most common kind of Visitor. Shades may appear quite solid, in the manner of Spectres, or be insubstantial and wispy, like Phantasms; however, they entirely lack the dangerous intelligence of either. Shades seem unaware of the presence of the living, and are usually bound into a fixed pattern of behaviour. They project feelings of grief and loss, but seldom display anger or any stronger emotion. They almost always appear in human form.
Sight
The psychic ability to see apparitions and other ghostly phenomena, such as death-glows. One of the three main varieties of psychic Talent.
Silver
An important and potent defence against ghosts. Worn by many people as wards in the form of jewellery. Agents use it to coat their rapiers, and as a crucial component of their seals.
A special ‘ghost-proof’ glass used to encase Sources.
Solitary **
An unusual Type Two ghost, often encountered in remote and perilous places, generally outdoors. Visually it often wears the guise of a slender child, seen at a distance across a ravine or lake. It never draws close to the living, but radiates an extreme form of ghost-lock that may overwhelm anyone nearby.
Victims of Solitaries often hurl themselves over cliffs or into deep water in an effort to end it all.
Source
The object or place through which a ghost enters the world.
Spectre **
The most commonly encountered Type Two ghost. A Spectre always forms a clear, detailed apparition, which may in some cases seem almost solid. It is usually an accurate visual echo of the deceased as they were when alive or newly dead. Spectres are less nebulous than Phantasms and less hideous than Wraiths, but equally varied in behaviour. Many are neutral or benign in their dealings with the living – perhaps returning to reveal a secret, or make right an ancient wrong. Some, however, are actively hostile, and hungry for human contact. These ghosts should be avoided at all costs.
Stalker *
A Type One ghost that seems drawn to living people, following them at a distance, but never venturing close. Agents who are skilled at Listening often detect the slow shuffling of its bony feet, and its desolate sighs and groans.
A desperately uninteresting Type One ghost, which does precious little apart from tap.
Talent
The ability to see, hear or otherwise detect ghosts. Many children, though not all, are born with a degree of psychic Talent. This skill tends to fade towards adulthood, though it still lingers in some grown-ups. Children with better-than-average Talent join the night watch. Exceptionally gifted children usually join the agencies. The three main categories of Talent are Sight, Listening and Touch.
Touch
The ability to detect psychic echoes from objects that have been closely associated with a death or haunting. Such echoes take the form of visual images, sounds and other sense impressions.
One of the three main varieties of Talent.
Type One
The weakest, most common, and least dangerous grade of ghost. Type Ones are scarcely aware of their surroundings, and often locked into a single, repetitious pattern of behaviour. Commonly encountered examples include: Shades, Grey Hazes, Lurkers and Stalkers. See also Cold Maiden, Gibbering Mist and Stone Knocker.
Type Two
The most dangerous commonly occurring grade of ghost. Type Twos are stronger than Type Ones, and possess some kind of residual intelligence. They are aware of the living, and may attempt to do them harm. The most common Type Twos, in order, are: Spectres, Phantasms and Wraiths. See also: Changer, Poltergeist, Raw-bones, Screaming Spirit and Solitary.
Type Three
A very rare grade of ghost, first reported by Marissa Fittes, and the subject of much controversy ever since. Allegedly able to communicate fully with the living.
Vanishing point
The exact spot where a ghost dematerializes at the end of a manifestation. Often an excellent clue to the location of the Source.
Visitor
A ghost.
Ward
An object, usually of iron or silver, used to keep ghosts away. Small wards may be worn as jewellery on the person; larger ones, hung up around the house, are often equally decorative.
Warning bell
Great iron bells used to mark the nightly curfew, and rung at times of serious ghostly outbreak. Erected by the government in many smaller towns and villages as a cheap alternative to ghost-lamps.
Water, running
It was observed in ancient times that ghosts dislike crossing running water. In modern Britain this knowledge is sometimes used against them. In central London a net of artificial channels, or runnels, protects the main shopping district. On a smaller scale, some house-owners build open channels outside their front doors and divert the rainwater along them.
Wraith **
A dangerous Type Two ghost. Wraiths are similar to Spectres in strength and patterns of behaviour, but are far more horrible to look at. Their apparitions show the deceased in his or her dead state: gaunt and shrunken, horribly thin, sometimes rotten and wormy. Wraiths often appear as skeletons. They radiate a powerful ghost-lock. See also Raw-bones.