Haunts (Kind)

Haunts (aidastu, pl. aidastur), are one of the Six Kinds into which all humans are categorized. They are what happens when the death of a human goes wrong. A haunt's physical body may or may not survive, but its spirit is manifested in the world in some meaningful or tangible way.

Cosmology

What are haunts?

Haunts arise when a human dies and the ibu (body) and lemu (spirit) become disconnected. The spirit acquires power separately from the body, causing unnatural havoc on the earth.

Are haunts related to bubun?

It is tempting to think of bubun, which seem 'undead', and where the body and spirit are also disconnected, as related to haunts. The difference is that the intentional severing of the body and spirit accomplished by rendering is controlled, so the spirit remains attached 'at a distance'. With haunts, the spirit is fully detached from the body.

Are haunts related to saints?

Like saints, haunts are dead humans, and while their bodies don't move or act, their spirits have considerable power over the world. However, the body and spirit of a saint are definitely still connected. One theory of saints is that prior to the Epiphany of Zunuga, there were saints, but they were mistaken for haunts and destroyed. That may be the case. But the much stronger view, that saints are basically haunts, advanced from time to time by the Hulti or others, is definitely heretical.

Are haunts evil or malevolent?

Rather than evil, it is better to say that haunts are disordered or 'out of place'. The universe is characterized by Coherence that is constantly Unfolding. In this understanding, a haunt is a wrinkle - a fold not meant to be there - or a cyst - a growth of spirit where it ought not to be.

Are haunts eternal?

Unless put to rest, the lifespan of a haunt is effectively limitless. There are definitely haunts who have lasted for centuries upon centuries.

Have there always been haunts?

Yes, it appears that as long as there have been humans, there have been haunts. Zunuga's rebirth and Epiphany clarified their role, and the development of the Corps formalized the understanding of them as one of the six Kinds, but unlike bubun, revenants, or saints, they've always been around.

Can people not of the Corps become haunts?

Yes, definitely. The way they're understood is different, within their cultures and faiths, but humans everywhere can become haunts.

Can corpseborn become haunts?

Yes, definitely. There's nothing theologically weird about that.

Do non-humans become haunts?

Great question! The simple answer appears to be yes - Kinds that have First Ancestors, such as hith, can become haunts after death. Priests have had some success in manipulating and controlling these entities. The longer answer is that it's not entirely clear that non-human haunts are the same Kind as human haunts. That distinction may be more theological than practical.

Burgeoning

How does a haunt come into existence?

The process by which a haunt arises is called burgeoning, or fimfekhor "budding, sprouting". The central idea is that at the time of death, the spirit buds or distends beyond its limits, and that instead of becoming linked permanently to the body as an Ancestor, it burgeons, taking on a new form that extends outside its shell, and in fact is disconnected from the body entirely.

Is every death equally likely to burgeon?

No, definitely not. If the body is lost or unattended after death, or if the body is mutilated or mangled, the spirit is definitely more likely to burgeon. A haunt may also result from powerfully traumatic or emotional deaths. A death that is immediately attended by a priest, where the body is moved to hallowed ground, or is cared for by loved ones is very unlikely to burgeon, conversely.

How long does it take to burgeon?

After death, it is normally days or weeks before there is any clear sign to a non-priest that the individual is not becoming an ordinary ancestor. At that point, its unusual powers begin to manifest. However, a Voice can't speak to a haunt, and a Voice or Hand can detect a haunt if they try to do so.

Is a haunt an ancestor before it burgeons?

Not really. An ancestor has its ibu and lemu (body and spirit) fused - and that is not the case here. A Voice can't question a haunt the way he can an Ancestor. Having said that, if you don't know that your ancestor is a haunt, you may treat it as an ancestor socially.

Can you resurrect a haunt?

No, because the haunt isn't an ancestor, they can't be resurrected.

Can you render a haunt bubun?

No, because the haunt's ibu and lemu are already separated, the sagasolt ritual has no effect on the body of a haunt.

Can a haunt burgeon long after death?

No, once a person dies and becomes an ancestor, they can't then become a haunt, even if something horrible or traumatic happens to the body.

What happens to the body after burgeoning?

The body is an empty shell after burgeoning. It decays as normal.

What happens to the spirit after burgeoning?

The spirit - effectively, the haunt - is linked to a place, object, or even a living thing, to which it becomes attached, like a cyst.

Can multiple haunts burgeon in the same event?

Yes, in cases of deep mass trauma, multiple haunts can burgeon in the same place and time. These powerful entities are effectively multiple spirits working and acting in concert, treated as a single entity.

Capacities

Can haunts move around?

Generally, a haunt is restricted to activity in the immediate vicinity of where it burgeons, which is normally at its place of death, or on an item to which they are attached. They can't move of their own volition beyond that. Some haunts have a wider range than others, and can affect individuals in a much more substantial area, but still not beyond that area.

Can haunts act consciously?

Not really. They are triggered by events occurring around them, so there is at least some capacity to perceive what is going on in the environment, but not really to act with intention or will.

What power can haunts have?

Haunts may have a bafflingly wide range of effects, within the ordinary confines of what is possible in the universe. Some may be no more than a nuisance, while others can definitely cause serious harm or death.

Do haunts ever have beneficial powers?

Generally, no. There are certainly imaginable circumstances where a haunt's chaotic and destructive powers can be used to serve some desirable end, though.

Can haunts speak or communicate?

Generally, no. Voices can, when sufficiently powerful, communicate with haunts. The physical effects of a haunt may sometimes give some clue as to how it may best be laid to rest. But all such communications are potentially misinterpretable and/or cryptic.

Vulnerability

How do you deal with a haunt?

Both Hands and Voices have the capacity to detect a haunt, and to neutralize it - i.e., to cause it harm that renders it dormant for a time. Powerful Hands can move a haunt from one location to another. Powerful Voices can communicate directly with haunts to find out information that might help lay them to rest.

What happens when you neutralize a haunt?

Neutralizing a haunt basically means delivering spiritual damage to the entity such that it becomes dormant for a period (often a day, or shorter). This allows for further investigation or escape but does not permanently deal with the problem.

What happens when you move a haunt?

A Hand of sufficient power can move a haunt from one location - such as one where it has great potential for harm - to another location. Its power is unaffected by being moved.

How do you find out how to lay a haunt to rest?

The easiest way is for a Voice to communicate with it - this is not foolproof, because haunts can communicate only in vague ways, and may not even have an explicit sense of how to be laid to rest.

What happens when you lay a haunt to rest?

When the conditions are fulfilled to lay a haunt to rest, there is a palpable sense of fulfillment in the area around it. The spirit is reunited with the body (at any distance) or, if the body is destroyed completely, the spirit ends up wherever disembodied ancestors go. If you have the person's body, then it becomes an Ancestor and may be spoken to by Voices normally.

Social

Do haunts ever congregate?

Where powerful wrongs were done, then multiple haunts may be present at the same place, or may coalesce into a single entity. Beyond that, no, haunts have no ability to move, and so they don't have a society.

How do people interact with haunts?

Generally, haunts have negative effects on people and are avoided except to lay them to rest. There is considerable folklore and literature on this topic. Theologically, becoming a haunt is seen as an awful end. So it is rare that any person would interact with haunts in a positive way. Haunts can be used to serve human ends, however - by bringing enemies in contact with them, for instance.