An explanation as to why sluagh have the ability to see and hear wraiths, as lain out in The Book of Lost Dreams.
Sluagh have the greatest contact with the Restless Dead. They can see and interact with wraiths more easily than virtually any other supernatural creature on Earth. This ability is believed to date back to an agreement between the spirits of the dead and the sluagh. It is said that there was once a man by the name of Glam, who was kinain to the sluagh, although only his soft-spoken voice pointed to it. One day, Glam was walking the ramparts of his city when a hue and cry was raised from the gate. Glam rushed down, and was told a shambling creature approached the city, the stench of death heavy upon it. Glam strapped on his silver buckler and heavy sword, then ran to meet this creature. When he came upon it, he stopped in his tracks. It had the shape of a man, yet was white as a sheet. Upon its head was a grievous wound that must have been fatal. Glam was prepared to fight the undead creature, but it spoke to him words of peace, explaining that it was a spirit of the dead, returned to its body and risen from the grave to avenge its murder.
Glam listened to the creature and stayed his hand. He felt compassion for the dead man, and instead of attacking, swore to aid him in the bringing justice against the murderer.
Glam and the dead man traveled to the village where the murderer, a common footpad, lived. There they found him playing dice and drinking. When the thief saw the man he had left for dead approach, he died of fright in the middle of his games. Glam, disappointed that there would be no fight, asked the dead man if there wwas [sic] anything else he could do.
The dead man answered that he had fulfilled his task, but many spirits of the dead needed help in fulfilling theirs. Many of them needed a pair of hands in the waking world, and Glam and his kin would do his kind a great service is they would aid there spirits. Glam agreed.
Before the dead man sank into the Beyond, he cast a spell upon Glam. The spell affected all who shared Glam's blood, and allowed them to see and speak with the spirits of the dead who remained bound to the Earth. It was this gift Glam passed to his sluagh kin, and this is why they can see the dead to this day.
Sluagh Perceptions
In order to see a wraith, a sluagh must make a Perception + Kenning roll (difficulty 9). To hear a wraith, the character must spend a point of Glamour.
Return to Sluagh Lore
Or dislocate your bones
Or take two steps back and return to the Changeling Main Page