Jonathan Stroud - Lockwood & Co - The Whispering Skull

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

.

Limbless

fn2

A swollen, misshapen variety of

Type Two ghost

, with a generally human head and torso, but lacking recognisable arms and legs. With

Wraiths

and

Raw-bones

, one of the least pleasing

apparitions

. Often accompanied by strong sensations of

miasma

and

creeping fear

.

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

manifestations

.

Lurker

fn1

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

.

Manifestation

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.

Operative

Another name for a psychical investigation agent.

Other-light

An eerie, unnatural light radiating from some

apparitions

.

Pale Stench

fn1

A

Type One ghost

that spreads a dreadful

miasma

, a smell of noxious decay. Best confronted by burning sticks of

lavender

.

Phantasm

fn2

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

.

Plasm

See

Ectoplasm

.

Poltergeist

fn2

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

fn2

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

.

Relic-man/relic-woman

Someone who locates

Sources

and other psychic artefacts and sells them on the black market.

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.

Salt gun

A device that projects a fine spray of salty water across a wide area. A useful weapon against

Type One ghosts

. Increasingly employed by larger

agencies

.

Sanatorium

A hospital for patients with chronic illnesses.

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

. Most Sensitives join

agencies

or the

night watch

; others provide psychic services without actually confronting

Visitors

.

Shade

fn1

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.

Shining Boy

fn2

A deceptively beautiful variety of

Type Two ghost

that manifests as a young boy (or, more rarely, girl), walking in the centre of cold, blazing