On Ghosts and Spirits

n response to my most esteemed Sodalis' query on ghosts, I am not familiar with the information presented in the text known as 'The Broken Covenant of Calebais'. but the information known to me, runs thusly.

A ghost is the spirit of a person which, for some reason, does not rest peacefully within the bones of the corpse, nor does it pass instantly on to it's final rewards.

On the matter of resting peacefully within the bones, there seem to be several ways for this to be accomplished. There is the process known as Christian Burial, which, when peformed in sanctified ground, places the Warding of the Dominion on the bones, and makes the spirit reside within them, sleeping undisturbed, until the time of it's judgement, which may occur when the bones have decayed to dust and all arcane connections have been severed due to age or destruction, or at some point after that. Certainly, the point at which the theories of Bonisagus lose contact with the spirits of the dead is upon this event.

There is also the ritual known as The Wizard's Burial, which you are all doubtless familar with, which we of the Order use, since we are rarely granted Christian burial, that our spirits do not walk after our death. While this spell remains in effect, the spirit is bound within the bones and cannot roam. I refer you to the text known to us as 'Covenants', in the section which describes the typical rooms of the ideal Covenant, for a reference to this spell.

There also appear to be other speical rituals used by the pagan people which accomplish a similar effect. While I was apprenticed, I witnessed several such rituals. All apppeared to have the effect of a Wizard's Burial, that is, the magic could be dispelled and the spirit contacted. Despite my best efforts, no corpse which has been given the Christian's Burial seems to be summonable. I am curently still working on this vexing problem.

On those who go immediately to their rewards:

It is also well known that several classes of spirits are taken immediately from this world and move onwards into another. Firstly, there are the Great Christians. Saints, the truly faithful, and the crusaders who ahve died on a holy mission all go immediately to their final reward. Or at least, this is what is presumed, since such spirits are completely beyond our power to contact, the body is as clay to us, without a visible or contactable anima or spirit. My fellow, Hethcathora of Rome, reports to me that, in his experiments with the remains of deceased high clergy, that such figures as Cardinals are indeed contactable, with some notable exceptions, such as martyrs, the turly pious and the like. He has not yet had the opportunity to perform extended experiments on one who held the supreme authority in the See of Peter, so I cannot report to you his findings, but I eagerly await them, and will replay them to you. Such experiments are exceedingly difficult to perform, since Magic is, by Papal Bull, forbidden in the Papal Lands, thus neccesitating care and a reliance on mundane means of obtaining them.

Secondly, there are those who have passed into the Final Twilight that markes the end of a Magus' existance on Earth. This enigmatic ending is, I belive, a passage into the great places of Magic, but, such specualtion is futile, for the spirits are lost to us.

Of the contention that those who proceed to Hell are beyond our power, I must maintain that this is not the case. Those who are damned, even by the death by their own hand, may be summoned forth, by the spell we all know as Whispers Through the Black Gate. While their Ghost may not be summoned, since it is bound in the chains of Torment, it may speak through their dead flesh and bones. This is verified, and I have spoken with the spirits of several renounced Magi and a variety of mundanes, all executed for Diabolism. I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with a Magus who passed into the Final Darkness while under the influence of a Pact which dealt with the soul, so I am unsure that such could be contacted. I have heard rumors and read texts which produce conflicting reports on this matter.

Of Ghosts proper, they are beings of some power. They seem to remain in the land of the living so long as that which compells them exists. For some ghosts, this amounts to an eternity, such as in the case of the well known spirit Harlin. FOr others, that which compells them is a finite thing, such as the protection of a true love or the accmplishment of a task. In both cases I have performed experiemtns on these ghosts, and the death of a true love will sometimes cause the ghost to disperse and to sometimes fixate on the person who slew the true love. In the case of a task, the accomplishment of the task will indeed dispell the ghost.

Of the ghosts of Magi, I can only say that, left untended, most Magi will walk as ghosts. It seems to be of their nature. Such ghosts are most formidable, since they have access to the spells they knew before their discorporation. As all know, such ghosts may also pass into twilight.

Of the substance of ghosts, I can say much. That which is properly a ghost is entirely of the form Mentem. It may, through it's magics, appear solid, but a Coporem spell on it's form will produce no effect though a direct attack such as an Incantation of Lightning may disperse on until the changing of the sun or moon.

Ghosts ofen have access to occult powers, like most magical beings. Many can possess living beings. A ghost is no real threat to a magus, for few are powerful enough to pierce the Parma Magica of one who is knowledgeable in Mentem and who has developed their skill at the practice of the Parma Magica particularly. they are weak, and rarely seem to reach beyond the sixth magnitude of power, though I must note, and insitently, that a Magus' ghost can be more powerful than this, and the raw power of it's spirit may not be what the penetration of it's magics is based on.

Some ghosts are visible. Some are not. Some may vary between both states. Ghosts which are not visible tend to be weaker, and can affect the world around them only in minor ways, at most equivalent to a few Rego Terram, Muto and Perdo Ignem, and Creo and Muto Auram spells.

Of the process of becominga ghost, and of their true nature, I will not say much here, save that death as we know it seems to be only a temporary phenomenon, a discorporation, and that unless a spirit is left to wander and fade, it can be placed into another body. Those who wish to learn more may entreat me personally, bringing such gifts as are approiate from those who wish to learn to those who teach.

As an aside, at this point, allow me to extend an offer to my fellow Sodalis. I am in need of material for my experiments, and will pay, in teaching or in silver or vis, for this thing. I require the eyes, fresh as in life and unspoiled, preferably still within the head, of the victims of murder. Those who live near or within a city, and are within a reasonable distance of the southern Normandie Tribunal, should contact me in regards to this.

Thus scribe I,
The Roseblack
Rosa filia Felis Rex, Follower of Tremere