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Undead, Banshee

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This is a banshee (aka Cythraeth). Sometimes banshees are depicted as undead women lamenting and sometimes they are fey spirits like elves. I then chose both to "average out" a result that would accommodate both legends.

I decided to depict them as undead creatures made from female elves that died to some great sorrow. They are semi corporeal, and kill by their keening and wailing. I'm not sure to what degree. Perhaps those who hear their crying should be affected by supernatural sorrow and this could depress their combat capabilities. And them a wail of a banshee my cause supernatural fright and further disperse the parties against them. And then, finally, keening, which would cause death to the one it is directed towards.

Banshees are very sad girls, always crying and waling. I think maybe, if you are a shaman or someone very holy, you could peacefully communicate with them without them lashing out. I believe they would respond to you as a possible agent of hope, redemption of succor. I don't believe they are evil at all and I believe that the ordeal between the holy priest/druid/shaman and the banshee where they are trying to help her would involve much crying, embracing and consoling fallowed by her eventual acceptance and a few divine spells to help her on her way. It should be a challenge, even though there is no direct danger for the priest. I mean, try consoling a banshee of her sorrow, there's a reason why a divine agent is the only thing that can help her. It may take hours upon hours of an ordeal, like an exorcist but not against an enemy but someone you are trying to save from an unlife of damnation, the soul of a sad elven maiden. This would be, to me, bonus XP big time.
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Miki-Fauns's avatar

I like how you depict them as undead fey. That's how I personally depict banshees in my world (they are the ghosts of sidhes).

I would imagine the "exorcism" would likely take longer than hours, but rather weeks if years akin to traditional therapy. Though for a D&D campaign, that would be unrealistic.