The Price Family Field Guide to the Twilight of North America
Ghostroad Edition
THE LIVING
Ambulomancers. Characterized by their reluctance to trust themselves to any form of vehicular transit, these born wanderers are eternally on the move, gathering strength and power from the distance they have traveled. A novice ambulomancer will be able to control the road in small ways, finding food, shelter, and protection even within the harshest environments. An advanced ambulomancer will actually be able to interpret the language of the road itself, using this information to predict the future and manipulate coming events. Ambulomancers can be of any species, human or non-human, although humans and canines are the most common.
Routewitches. These children of the moving road gather strength from travel, much as the ambulomancers do, but the resemblance stops there. Rather than controlling the road, routewitches choose to work with it, borrowing its strength and using it to make bargains with entities both living and dead. The routewitches of North America are currently based out of the old Atlantic Highway, which “died” in 1926, and are organized by their Queen, Apple, a young woman of Japanese-American descent who matches the description of a teenage girl who mysteriously disappeared from Manzanar during World War II. The exact capabilities of the routewitches remain unclear, although they seem to have a close relationship with the crossroads.
Trainspotters. Very little is known. They have been called “the routewitches of the rails,” but no direct information has yet been collected.
Umbramancers. These fortune-tellers and soothsayers are loosely tied to the twilight, but the magic they practice is more general than the road-magic of the routewitches and the ambulomancers. It’s unclear exactly what relationship the umbramancers have to the twilight. Although they have been seen visiting the crossroads, there are no known bargains involving an umbramancer.
THE DEAD
Beán sidhe. The beán sidhe are alive and dead at the same time, which makes them difficult to classify, but as they prefer the company of the dead, we are listing them here. These Irish spirits are associated with a single family until that family dies out, and will watch their charges from a distance, mourning them when they die. They regard this as a valuable service. We are not certain why.
Bela da meia-noite. The bela da meia-noite, or “midnight beauty,” is an exclusively female type of ghost, capable of appearing only between sunset and midnight. They enjoy trendy clubs and one-night stands. They’re generally harmless, and some have proven very helpful in exorcising hostile spirits, since they’d prefer that no one get hurt.
Coachmen. These archaic ghosts have rarely been seen in the modern day, bound as they traditionally are to phantom carriages, complete with horses. They are happy to give lonely travelers rides to their final destination, and generally fail to point out that this will involve riding in their bellies.
Crossroads ghosts. Marked by their eyes, which all sightings have described as “containing miles,” these ghosts speak for the crossroads, a metaphysical construct where those who are connected to the afterlife in some way are able to go and make bargains, the nature of which we still do not fully understand. The best known crossroads ghost is Mary Dunlavy, who tends to answer questions with “I’ll tell you when you’re dead.”
Crossroads guardians. The flipside of the crossroads ghost is the crossroads guardian, a being which was never alive in the traditional sense, but which now represents the interests of the crossroads in all things. When asked about crossroads guardians, Mary Dunlavy’s response consisted of a single word: “Run.”
Deogen. Also known as “the Eyes,” the deogen are non-corporeal, fog-like, and often hostile. They will lead travelers astray if given the chance, and have been known to form alliances with other unfriendly spirits. A deogen/homecomer team-up is to be feared.
Dullahan. Like the beán sidhe, Dullahan are alive and dead at the same time, a feat which is even more impressive considering that their heads are fully detachable. They sometimes serve as psychopomps, and are more commonly known as “headless horsemen.” Because that’s something to help you sleep at night.
Einherjar. These dead heroes are supposed to stay in Valhalla, if it exists, so we don’t know why they sometimes crop up in the living world. They become solid in the presence of alcohol or violence, and they very much enjoy professional wrestling.
Ever-lasters. These eternal children haunt playgrounds and schoolyards, playing clapping games and going to classes that never end. A surprising amount of knowledge is encoded in their rhymes, for those who find the time to listen.
Gather-grims. Next to nothing is known about this class of psychopomp; we’re not honestly sure that they exist. We have heard them mentioned by other ghosts, but they are leery about answering questions, and will generally change the subject. Investigate with caution.
Goryo. These powerful ghosts are most often of wealthy backgrounds, and are commonly of Japanese descent. All known goryo were martyred, or believe themselves to have been martyred, leading to their undying rage. They can control the weather, which is exactly the kind of capability that you don’t want in an angry spirit fueled by the desire for vengeance.
Haunts. All haunts lost love at some point during their lives, although it may have been decades before they actually passed away. Their kiss can cure all known ailments. It can also kill. Which it does seems to be fairly arbitrary, and based on how close the person being kissed is to death. As haunts are not terribly bright as a class, they often misjudge their affections. Try not to encourage them.
Hitchhiking ghosts. Often referred to as “hitchers,” these commonly sighted road ghosts are generally the spirits of those who died in particularly isolated automobile accidents. They are capable of taking on flesh for a night by borrowing a coat, sweater, or other piece of outerwear from a living person. Temperament varies from hitcher to hitcher; they cannot be regarded as universally safe.
Homecoming ghosts. Called “homecomers,” these close relatives of the hitchhiking ghosts want one thing only: to go home. They are typically peaceful for the first few years following their deaths, when their homes are still recognizable. The trouble begins once those homes begin to change. Homecomers whose homes are gone will become violent, and in their rage, they have been known to kill the people who offer to drive them home.
Homesteads. Sometimes called “caddis flies”—although this term has fallen out of fashion—these stationary cousins of the coachmen loved their homes so much that when their deaths coincided with the destruction of those homes, they found a way to carry them into the twilight. A homestead is the home, and has full control over their own “bodies.” Be wary of these haunted houses given form. They do not easily forgive.
Maggy Dhu. Black ghost dogs capable of taking on physical form. They can weigh over two hundred pounds, and their bite is deadly to the living. The Maggy Dhu are somewhat smarter than living canines, but they are still animals, and are often vicious. Interestingly, all types of dog can become Maggy Dhu after death; many are believed to have been Chihuahuas in life. They are believed to harvest souls.
Pelesit. Ghosts bound to living masters through an unknown ritual. They appear normal in the twilight, but have trouble manifesting fully in the living world unless they are at or near the scene of a recent murder.
Phantom Riders. Speed racers of the ghostroads, these ghosts carry their cars with them into the twilight, but exist as independent beings. They thrive on fast driving and drag races, and have led more than a few mortals to their dooms by asking if they want to take a drive.
Reapers. These dark-cloaked ghosts seem to exist only to guide the spirits of the recently deceased onto the next stage of their existence. We don’t know why. They do not speak to the living, and none of us has ever been willing to commit suicide for the sake of an interview.
Strigoi. The strigoi are an interesting case: the dead use the name to refer to a specific type of angry ghost, capable of becoming fully corporeal when it revisits the site of its death. These ghosts have no truly vampiric qualities, and seem to be unrelated to the cryptids of the same name.
Toyol. The toyol are sorcerously bound spirits of infants who died before or shortly after birth. The less said about them, the better.
White ladies. These spirits of abandoned or betrayed women can be of any age, united only by the tragedies which killed them. They are not technically road ghosts, but are often mistaken for hitchers, and have been recorded seeking rides as a cover for their violent revenge. White ladies are extremely dangerous, and should be avoided.