Pharasma and Ghosts

[overlord_laharl]

So, Pharasma despises the undead, and considers them an abomination. Her priests hold that destroying them is a sacred duty.

So how do she/her clergy react to ghosts? Ghosts are not created intentionally through necromancy, nor does becoming one reflect some taint within the person prior to death (like how cannibals may spontaneously rise as ghouls). In fact, a ghost might want nothing more than to cross over and be judged by Pharasma so it can move on to the afterlife, but it simply can't. They're just an accident.

So if a cleric of Pharasma encounters a ghost, what's the protocol? Destroying it does no good, it will just come back. Leaving it alone would seem neglectful since it's against the natural order. I suppose trying to help it cross over would be ideal, but that could require any number of tasks, not all of them ones the cleric would likely be willing to do. I doubt any of Pharasma's faithful are clamoring to give Geb any help, to pick an extreme example.

[Chief Cook and Bottlewasher]

I imagine they would assess, run through (their own) checklist of simple/quick solutions (eg, find the corpse and provide funeral rites), depending on their own specialities, and inform the local church and what they've tried. It would be a responsibility for the church as a whole and for them to find an expert if necessary. All communities need midwives and funeral rites, so it's a widespread faith.

[laraqua]

I'd agree with Chief Cook and Bottlewasher. They might be willing to sit with them, have a quiet chat and if the trouble is something easily resolved they might set about doing it or might gently insist that the ghost pass on without it (don't really want to encourage the practice).

[LazarX]

overlord_laharl wrote:

So if a cleric of Pharasma encounters a ghost, what's the protocol? Destroying it does no good, it will just come back. Leaving it alone would seem neglectful since it's against the natural order. I suppose trying to help it cross over would be ideal, but that could require any number of tasks, not all of them ones the cleric would likely be willing to do.

Must be one hell of a lazy cleric of Pharasma then. Serving your deity does require that you put out effort from time to time. A cleric of Pharasma SHOULD want to put the ghost to rest. There may be occasions where he may find himself unable to do so, due to lack aof ability, or knowledge, or being distracted by more weighter matters, at the very least, he should make a note of said ghost to his superior.

[tonyz]

In general, it seems to me that clerics of Pharasma would want to put ghosts to rest (free the soul to let it pass on to the Mother's hall). Of course it's difficult and dangerous, but that's why you hire adventurers.

[James Jacobs]

Ghosts are tragic undead, but they're still undead. Worshipers of Pharasma seek to put them to rest.

[Thanael]

Also Inquisitors.

BTW: Read Tanith Lee's Kill the Dead for an excellence ghost hunter story .

[Zhangar]

Of course, some ghosts (or haunts) have release conditions that are utterly terrible.

Carrion Crown Book 6:

Such as the haunt at Renchurch that can only be laid to rest by releasing Tar-Barphon from his prison.

Though now that I've said that, there's a really specific psychopomp - the Shoki - that gets around that problem, and a Pharasman can always pull that in with a planar ally spell to help out.