A list of spooks you'll most likely meet while here.

On the Windigo: A Brief Outline of the North's Spirits

When the term “wendigo” or “windigo” is used, what usually springs to mind is that of a supernatural cannibal  from the cold north, a creature twisted and corrupted by the unnatural hunger that brought it low in the first place.  It conjures images of a frenzied, hateful beast, likely with the features of an elk or wolf, a bestial nightmare of teeth and claws, and seemingly immune to most damage.  While some of this is accurate, much of it has only been added later as sensationalization by the mortal media, and few have ever bothered to pry further.

A Windigo may indeed be formed from the deliberate act of cannibalism, whether it be to survive or simply for the obscene pleasure of it, but that is not a guarantee. In fact, within the category of “Windigo,” there are three categories, broadly speaking:

• Those who have broken the taboo of cannibalism, and were thus open to the possession of an earlier Windigo Spirit or become warped into such an entity themselves.
• Those who, either by desperation or greed consort with greater malevolent forces in a bid for more power, wealth or influence, and are thus cursed by it to never feel contentment or fullness again
• An ancient spirit or primal existence that is a manifestation of famine, hardship, greed, or the deadly cold of the north.

Across all three categories, there are always the common threads of greed, hunger, the cold and death, as well as relative agreement that there are two aspects to the Windigo- the spirit and the host/body.  This however is inaccurate on three accounts: first, it hardly hints at the ancient, powerful intellect that the entities possess despite the ravages their condition inflicts upon them, and second, it barely begins to cover the breadth and depth of Windigo identities along with the methodologies that many modern Windigoag have come up with to counter or help endure their burdens.  Third, and most telling of all, it fails to highlight the incredible disparities in power and sanity that the different subtypes hold.

The most commonly encountered and most prevalent in popular culture through cultural memory of the three subtypes are the first two, the cannibal and the greedy.  Of these two, it can certainly be said that many of these creatures have long since ceased to have any shred of mortal concern or empathy left in them, and some have certainly come to enjoy their condition and revel in it.  But these must not be taken to be the sole representors of the species, and indeed, many times it may not have been the original creature’s intent.  Desperation to survive can hardly be called a sin, after all.

Regardless of this, however, the constant pain and craving that has been inflicted upon them, combined with other aspects of their transformation and the echoes of that initial desperation that drove the mortal wearing on the very core of their existence- the soul, or the true Windigo- pushes their sanity and resolve far past the point of breaking, practically shattering the original psyche and with it any sense of restraint or decency.  Only the most powerful and stalwart of mortal souls can survive with even a shred of their original identity intact, and those are usually the ones that fight it to the bitter end.  These Windigo have held onto just enough control or willpower to prevent the curse or hunger from ruling them constantly, and with the aid of other forces or connections to organizations have been able to stabilize themselves before they are too far-gone.  In this way, some initial Windigo are able to integrate or normalize with (supernatural) society.

This is not the only possibility, however-  as mentioned, the true Windigo is in fact the soul or primordial spirit, and as such an entity, it is fully capable of possessing, hijacking, or otherwise claiming a suitable vessel that has met the specifications or has fallen within their territory, frequently eliminating or absorbing the original soul of the vessel.  This process can, on occasion, act as a sort of tempering process for the rampant and vicious nature of the core Windigo- soul or identity osmosis slowly or suddenly transferring strong feelings, convictions or just plain mortality back into a slowly forming new psyche and gestalt entity.  Not even the third category of Windigo, the primals, are safe from this method, it must be noted- identity and soul osmosis can happen to any entity like that, be it supernatural or mundane.  These gestalt Windigoag still feel the pull of their hunger and desperation as strongly as any other, but with a fully-functioning psyche and sense of self they are able to resist the pull far better than other categories, and those that still value the mortal world or refuse to fall to their worst nature will frequently devise safety measures and restraints that allow them to function as relatively normal and productive members of society as well.

Of all the subtypes of Windigoag, however, it is the third category, the primal spirits, that are the strangest, and frequently the longest lasting.  Like all avatars of concepts or manifestations, they can instinctively relate to the mortals that they are intrinsically attached to. . .up to a point.  However, as beings distinctly separated from mortals by condition and nature, they are often regarded as the most alien and disconnected, no matter how intrinsic a mortal concept they may be.  Thusly, they are considered, even by other Windigoag to be the most difficult to comprehend, and it is to the considerable relief of the mortal realm and most other entities that they prefer to spend lengthy periods in hibernation or away from populated centers.

Within this strange mesh of Windigo integration and interaction, then, is where Windigo hierarchy and culture is determined.  As is typical of many supernatural entities, their society is organized both around power, age, and influence- traits which, predictably, usually go together.  Interestingly, this does not directly correlate with their appearance; the physical transformation and capacities of a Windigo are established at first inhabitance or creation.  The size of a Windigo, which grows with every meal they eat so that they may never be free of hunger, is merely an indicator of how many kills or meals a Windigo has partaken in, and while this can be seen as an indicator of age and thus power, it is not a wholly reliable one.  What is, however, is the manifestation of anomalies or demonstrations of power that occur within the vicinity of the Windigo in question.

The older a Windigo grows, the more powerful it becomes, as well as the more devastating it’s mere presence can be on the mortal realm, assuming it is too far gone to control it.  At base, all Windigoag possess incredibly potent levels of regeneration as well as a level of supernatural protection and toughness that renders most all mundane and even many forms of supernatural assault practically harmless to them, save their newly formed ice heart which can be harmed by spiritually charged flame over a lengthy period of exposure (several hours) or silver.  This, combined with the incredible levels of speed and strength that even a newly-formed windigo possess, is enough to render them as alphas amongst most supernatural hierarchies.  However, the longer a Windigo has lived, or if it is a primal spirit as mentioned above, the more potent their very existence becomes, and the more manifestations of the associated ideals begin to seep out and warp reality in a form of inherent magic.  Their tracks and breath freeze water and bring forth fog and frost, the temperature will drop and plants will wilt, animals will demonstrate a marked increase in fight-or-flight behaviour, the stench of blood and death, along with a noted increase in hunger will pervade, even snowstorms and an early setting of the sun- temporal shrinkage and anomalies-are all noted phenomena in the presence of older Windigo.  It should be noted that these are passive effects, and that the full capacity of an Elder Windigo's magical and supernatural prowess likely falls along similar veins, but far more potent and focused.

Of these supposed Elder Windigoag, one name has received immense notoriety and fame in popular culture, thanks to amongst others, a twenthieth-century pulp-fiction and horror author alongside the work of Algernon Blackwood- the supposed first of Windigo, Ithaqua the Wind-Walker.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:07, Mon 27 Jan 2020.

SKELETONS



Skeletons are a common sight in Limbo and make up a majority of the population. They're held together by necrotic energy and lack any organic muscle or skin. Making them immune to physical weaknesses such as pain, exhaustion, and disease. However with no natural armor, skeletons are considered the most fragile amongst the undead. As any part of them can be easily broken or fractured by a bludgeoning hit. Thankfully, their small body-mass allows them to be faster than most. Which can make hitting them to be an actual problem

Fun facts!

• When skeletons rattle their bones what they're actually doing, is a form of echolocation. What? You actually thought they could see? I mean, they have no eyes.
  
  
• Out of all five senses skeletons only have one, hearing. This not only makes them extremely good listeners but also more prone to headaches. Maybe that's why Todd is always so grumpy.

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:23, Thu 08 Sept 2022.

GHOST, SPECTERS AND SHADOW PEOPLE



Another common yet varied spook in Limbo. Ghost can either be the souls of the deceased, or built up energy created by the living over time. Making their appearance and capabilities varied with just a few similarities: Electromagnetic interference, invisibility, flight, intangibility and environment manipulation. Unlike most undead, ghosts are capable of traveling between "the veil" into the material world without the help of a GAWIN though when they do, they are typically fixed to a certain spot (most likely where they died) unless they can form an attachment to a living being.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:28, Thu 08 Sept 2022.