Jonathan Stroud - Lockwood & Co. Book Three - The Hollow Boy

Gibbering Mist*—A weak, insubstantial Type One, notable for its deranged and repetitive chuckling, which always sounds as if it’s coming from behind you.

Glimmer*—The faintest perceptible Type Oneghost. Glimmers manifest only as flecks of other-lightflitting through the air. They can be touched or walked through without harm.

Gray Haze*—An ineffectual, rather tedious ghost, a common Type Onevariety. Gray Hazes seem to lack the power to form coherent apparationsand manifest as shapeless patches of faintly glinting mist. Probably because their ectoplasmis so diffuse, Gray Hazes do not cause ghost-touch, even if a person walks through them. Their main effects are to spread chill, miasma, and unease.

Greek Fire—Another name for magnesium flares. Early weapons of this kind were apparently used against ghostsduring the days of the Byzantine (or Greek) Empire, a thousand years ago.

Haunting— See Manifestation

Iron—An ancient and important protection against ghostsof all kinds. Ordinary people fortify their homes with iron decorations, and carry it on their persons in the form of wards. Agents carry iron rapiersand chains, and so rely on it for both attack and defense.

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**—A swollen, misshapen variety of Type Two ghost, with a generally human head and torso, but lacking recognizable arms and legs. With Wraithsand Raw-bones, one of the least pleasing apparitions. Often accompanied by strong sensations of miasmaand creeping fear.

Listening—One of the three main categories of psychic Talent. Sensitiveswith this ability are able to hear the voices of the dead, echoes of past events, and other unnatural sounds associated with manifestations.

Lurker*—A variety of Type One ghostthat 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 ghostis 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 apparitionsat bay.

Operative—Another name for a psychic investigation agent.

Other-light—An eerie, unnatural light radiating from some apparitions.

Phantasm**—Any Type Two ghostthat 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 Specter, and all the more dangerous for being harder to see.

Phantom—Another general name for a ghost.

Plasm— See Ectoplasm

Poltergeist**—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 psychic investigation agents. The tips of the ironblades are sometimes coated with silver.

Raw-bones**—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 Sourcesand other psychic artifacts and sells them on the black market.

Salt—A commonly used defense against Type One ghosts. Less effective than ironand 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.

Seal—An object, usually silveror iron, designed to enclose or cover a Source, and prevent escape of its ghost.

Sensitive, a—Someone born with unusually good psychic Talent. Most sensitives join agenciesor the night watch; others provide psychic services without actually confronting Visitors.

Shade*—The standard Type One ghost, and possibly the most common kind of Visitor. Shades may appear quite solid, in the manner of Specters, 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 behavior. They project feelings of grief and loss, but seldom display anger or any stronger emotion. They almost always appear in human form.

Sight—The psychic ability to see apparitionsand other ghostly phenomena, such as death-glows. One of the three main varieties of psychic Talent.

Silver—An important and potent defenseagainst ghosts. Worn by many people as wardsin the form of jewelry. Agents use it to coat their rapiers, and as a crucial component of their seals.