in the recent Limehouse Docks case manifested as a greenly glowing king cobra, while the infamous Bell Street Horror took the guise of a patchwork doll. Powerful or weak, most ghosts do not (or cannot) alter their appearance.
Aura
The radiance surrounding many
apparitions
. Most auras are fairly faint, and are best seen out of the corner of the eye. Strong, bright auras are known as
other-light
. A few ghosts, such as
Dark Spectres
, radiate black auras that are darker than the night around them.
Catacomb
An underground chamber used for burials. Never common in London, the few existing catacombs have fallen entirely into disuse since the outbreak of the
Problem
.
Catafalque
A hydraulic mechanism used to lower coffins into a
catacomb
.
Chain net
A net made of finely spun
silver
chains; a versatile variety of
seal
.
Chill
The sharp drop in temperature that occurs when a ghost is near. One of the four usual indicators of an imminent
manifestation
, the others being
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.