Jonathan Stroud - Lockwood & Co - The Whispering Skull

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

fn1

A grey, misty female form, often wearing old-fashioned dress, seen indistinctly at a distance. Cold Maidens radiate powerful feelings of melancholy and

malaise

. As a rule, they rarely draw close to the living, but exceptions

have

been known. See also

Floating Bride

.

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

.

Dark Spectre

fn2

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 do 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. See also

ichor

.

Fetch

fn2

A rare and unnerving class of

ghost

that appears in the shape of a living person, usually someone known to the onlooker. Fetches are seldom aggressive, but the fear and disorientation they evoke is so strong that most experts classify them as

Type Two

spirits, to be treated with extreme caution.

Fittes Manual

A famous book of instruction for ghost-hunters written by Marissa Fittes, the founder of Britain’s first psychical

agency

.

Floating Bride

fn1

A female

Type One ghost

, a variety of

Cold Maiden

. Floating Brides are generally headless, or missing another part of their anatomy. Some search for their missing extremity; others cradle it or hold it mournfully aloft. Named after the ghosts of two royal brides, beheaded at Hampton Court Palace.

Gallows mark

A stone used to support a gallows post. Often this stone remains at the execution site long after the wooden frame has rotted away.

Gallows Wraith

fn2

A malignant subtype of

Wraith

, found at former places of execution. ‘Old Crack-neck’, which killed three agents in Tyburn Fields, is the most famous gallows Wraith of all.

Ghost

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 cult

A group of people who, for a variety of reasons, share an unhealthy interest in the returning dead.

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 . . .

Ghost-touch

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.

Glimmer

fn1

The faintest perceptible

Type One

ghost. Glimmers manifest only as flecks of

other-light

flitting through the air. They can be touched or walked through without harm.

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.

Haunting

See

Manifestation

.

Ichor

Ectoplasm

in its thickest, most concentrated form. It burns many materials, and is safely constrained only by

silver-glass

.

Iron

An ancient and important protection against