Kalanian Wraiths

“...to be damned by Meridon is to be condemned to an eternal torment at the hands of Kalani’s Wraiths, a fate indeed worse than the death already endured…” 

- Celestials, Aberrations and the Corrupted, by Leopold Der Vitner

Overview

The origins of the Kalanian Wraiths predates even the existence of Meridon, as they were borne of the earliest era of the wars between the Gods. They were created as soldiers within these wars, where they served as part of Kalani’s armies. Upon the Dawn of Meridon the wars ceased, however the Wraiths continued to serve Kalani, taking on a new purpose, that of retribution. They are tasked now with the punishment of those Souls judged as irredeemable by Meridon, and the destruction of corrupted beings. They have also been known to hunt and torment those who bring harm to Kalani’s favoured beings or desecrate things sacred to her.

Anatomy and Morphology

Wraiths do not have an entirely clear anatomy or morphology due to being non-corporeal beings. They appear as 7ft tall beings made of dense shadow, with no discernible feet lending an unsettling appearance of gliding along. There is no face visible, as if shrouded in a cowl of shadowed darkness, the only visible feature being a set of glowing eyes, the colour of which helps discern the age of the Wraith.

Growth and Reproduction

Kalanian Wraiths do not reproduce in the traditional sense and are born as Wraithspawn from ethereal pools of Shadow Essence where all the collective knowledge and experiences of all Wraiths is held. At this stage the Wraithspawn have lighter blue to almost turquoise eyes, and their 3 fingered hands end in viscous claws. As they nature the eye colour will darken until they reach the darker blue of a full Wraith. At this point they will gain an armoured helm to their face and black metal gauntlets that seem to absorb the light around them. This maturing can take centuries, however trying to really quantify this is difficult as time flows at a different rate in The Plane of Dusk, where Wraiths spend much of their time. 

At the end of their time in the life cycle, they return to an ethereal pool where their consciousness will disperse. 

A small number of Wraiths will go on to become Elder Wraiths, but only a small number will be selected by Kalani for this role. An Elder Wraith is far bigger than a normal Wraith with eyes of glowing purple and wide antlers augmenting the increasingly skeletal looking helm. 

Habitat

Kalanian Wraiths exist primarily in The Plane of Dusk, which is a plane of existence alongside but separate from the Material Plane inhabited by other mortals. From here they are able to peek into the Material Plane and although aware of the mortals moving there, they have little interest in the actions of mortals unless instructed to do so. Within the Plane of Dusk they spend their time hunting for wayward Souls who have yet to pass through the hands of Thallo. 

Mortals are unable to perceive or see Kalanian Wraiths without undertaking gaining access to Wraith Sight , and even this is only temporary. It is said that when one feels a sudden chill of disquiet for no reason, it may be that a Wraith is passing by, out of sight.

Behaviour and Psychology

Kalanian Wraiths communicate primarily telepathically, but have been seen to understand nearly all spoken languages of the mortals. They can verbally communicate using  Shadow Tongue, but this is not a language able to be understood by mortals and will cause symptoms of deafness and concussion in those who hear it. 

They will follow all orders of Kalani, and with having no biological needs such as rest or feeding, will therefore carry out their task without respite. 

Kalanian Wraiths, like all celestials and extra-planar beings, are at risk of corruption when in contact with the Material Plane. Wraiths will therefore limit their exposure to the Material Plane and those who become corrupted will be hunted by their own kind and destroyed.