09-16-2013, 07:56 AM
Ghul, n. Arabic base, synonymous with ghoul, ghost.
Ghūl, n. Arabic base, synonymous with demon.
Looks like the latter is what we're dealing with, though that was pretty obvious just that night at the theater. Books are confusing and don't differentiate very well - someone should fix that. Mine are better than the Chantry's, in this particular case. They're on [this shelf], if anyone wants to check. But I didn't translate them yet, so good luck!
Historically speaking, ghūls are supposed to be the result of humans finding their way into the underworld, a la Persephone (which means some ferryman somewhere isn't doing his/her job). Entropic spirit-creatures, demon children of Iblis Prince of Darkness, find them and eat them, gaining taste for human flesh. They're skilled shapeshifters that can assume any form, but will always have hooves, and I guess they can 'taste' the emotions in the flesh they consume. Most appear to like betrayal best, though they also like hatred, despair, and fear.
Usually, they stalk their victims for weeks, months, before dining, but our guy was probably starving from its trip, or maybe we stopped it from going hunting - I'm not sure. They're patient things, and go out of their way to know everything they can about their victims. (So watch out for strangers who are cozy-ing up to you!)
They're super resilient and regenerate. You have to kill them with one shot (or at least quickly), and burning the body sends the possessing demon screaming back to the underworld.
Necrophilia is a thing for them. They impregnate recently dead women, a new ghūl emerges and reaches maturity three days after. Any given ghūl can only reproduce once per century, so maybe we're lucky? I wouldn't count on it, though.
Ghūl, n. Arabic base, synonymous with demon.
Looks like the latter is what we're dealing with, though that was pretty obvious just that night at the theater. Books are confusing and don't differentiate very well - someone should fix that. Mine are better than the Chantry's, in this particular case. They're on [this shelf], if anyone wants to check. But I didn't translate them yet, so good luck!
Historically speaking, ghūls are supposed to be the result of humans finding their way into the underworld, a la Persephone (which means some ferryman somewhere isn't doing his/her job). Entropic spirit-creatures, demon children of Iblis Prince of Darkness, find them and eat them, gaining taste for human flesh. They're skilled shapeshifters that can assume any form, but will always have hooves, and I guess they can 'taste' the emotions in the flesh they consume. Most appear to like betrayal best, though they also like hatred, despair, and fear.
Usually, they stalk their victims for weeks, months, before dining, but our guy was probably starving from its trip, or maybe we stopped it from going hunting - I'm not sure. They're patient things, and go out of their way to know everything they can about their victims. (So watch out for strangers who are cozy-ing up to you!)
They're super resilient and regenerate. You have to kill them with one shot (or at least quickly), and burning the body sends the possessing demon screaming back to the underworld.
Necrophilia is a thing for them. They impregnate recently dead women, a new ghūl emerges and reaches maturity three days after. Any given ghūl can only reproduce once per century, so maybe we're lucky? I wouldn't count on it, though.