Ghuls (old Lore)

Introduction
Once a species loses its Born, it has to face degeneracy. Without the elixir of life, each thinking creature slowly evolves into a mutated beast known as Ghul. Across the eons, countless races descended into ghulhood, losing their former sentience and intelligence.

The Ghul curse
The Born is the biological and spiritual anchor for every thinking race in existence. Without it sapience can not be stabilised and will cause its individuals to slowly loose it. Since a Born contains the genetic information of a race, being apart from it causes mutation and defects close to the effects of incest. Almost all Ghuls develop Xeroderma pigmentosum and become albinos. Other biological disorders can occur randomly, creating Ghuls without eyes or with several arms.

In a controlled scenario, a species that has lost its Born will face about 50-100 years of struggle where almost every member develops some kind of genetical disorder and disfunction. For the next 200 years, it will degenerate in a stable process where intelligence and sapience grow weaker and animalistic tendencies grow stronger. The species that emerges at the end of this process is nothing more then an animal with a stable anatomy. Humans often grow into furless apes through this process.

The Guhl curse is usually far more problematic though. As soon as a Ghul tribe engages in cannibalism, they are able to sustain their intelligence and stop devolving as long as they consume enough Bornwater through the flesh of their kin. Should they have devolved too far however, they will start to suffer heavy mutations. Since they have no Born of their own anymore, every form of Bornwater is unnatural to them and causes disfunctions and unnatural effects on flesh and mind. Insanity or inhuman tendencies go along with twisted spins, extreme growth and huge talons. through cannibalism Ghul tribes survive for thousands of years while developing their own anatomy and abilites based on the mutation that ensues through the consumption of Born and flesh.

Most Ghuls develop a thrist for Bornwater and are able to smell it across several kilometers. This usually goes along with cannibalistic tendencies, creating a large stock of weak Ghul servants that serve as fudder and few extremly strong Ghul kings that have grown into unnatural strength and size. Although each Ghul tribe develops its own specialities and anatomy, they usually grow stronger noses aswell as long claws and teeth. All Ghuls are skillfull climbers and can climb any kind of wall. Some might grow furr, feathers or scales.

Feeding Frenzies
All Ghuls are gluttonous creatures, consumed by an unquenchable hunger for Bornwater. Each Ghuls feels the constant pull of degeneration and weakening flesh and each of them knows that the elixir of life is their salvation. They can sense Bornwater, being able to either smell it or trace it psychicly through unkown means. Should its brodem grow to strong, their hunger will grow into a state that makes them loose all selfcontroll. Similar effects can occur when being too close to Bornwater. Maneaters and Ascendants naturally hide the smell of their own Bornwater under the primal stench their bodies excude; a strategy necessairy to safe them from their weaker brethren. When being close to Bornwater they might fall into a state known as Feeding Frenzy. When doing so they will abandon all sense of selfpreservation, caring only about stilling their ravenous hunger through sinking their teeth into flesh. They will fight with an unbridled ferocity, thrashing, clawing and gnawing their way into the skin of their prey. In this state they will often overpower their enemies and might go so far to consum them alive. Their movements become even quicker and more spasmic in this state. When it ends, the Ghuls are either dead or have left nothing behind but a set of gnawed off and broken bones.

When a single Ghul falls into a Feeding Frenzy, they will trigger a pheronomical singal to all surrounding brethren which might trigger them aswell. When large hordes of Ghuls fall into this ravenous state, the air becomes so thick with the musk they excrete that it becomes hard to breathe. It can be smelled from several miles away even by human noses and although it might not trigger every Ghul in reach, it will alert them that fresh prey is in reach. This also functions as an effective alarm in Ghullairs.

The smarter a Ghul, the less likely they are to fall into this state. Ascendants and sorcerers are mostly immune against it, let alone some extreme cases, yet many of them have learned to controll the excretion of said musk, allowing them to set entire regiments into a Feeding Frenzy.

Ghul types
There are several types of Ghuls that exist in most larger tribes that engage in cannibalism develop the following types of Ghuls:

Beastbloods
Beastblood Ghuls are the weakest and most animalistic. They have lost so much of their intelligence and sapience that they are unable to speak and are nothing more then animals in the distorn shapes of smaller men. Beastbloods usually still serve their tribes like a dog would serve a human. They are loyal to their masters mostly through instinct and fear. Beastbloods have the lowest rank in Ghul soceity and have to feed last when new fodder is found. This is often the reason they are unable to grow into stronger and smarter Ghuls. Beastbloods have mastered the arts of climbing and stalking, creeping through a forest undergrowth or small tunnels to strike unseen. They are the smallest and usually fastest among all Ghuls and serve as meatshields for their stronger kin.

Lower Ghuls
Lower Ghuls are the most common form of their kind. They are smaller then most humans but quicker and more agile. Despite their distroted apperence, the main difference to their healthy kindread is that they are weaker and dumber. Their mental capacities are low and they have trouble progessing complex thoughts. Most of them have developed a bestial hunger in battle while still being cravens in their hearts. Lower Ghuls are still able to craft, use arms and wear armor.

Half-Ghuls
Once a Ghultribe has deviated enough from their original form through centuries of devolution and corruption, they are often no longer members of their original race even in the biological sense. While being able to sire children with their former kin, these haybrid offsprings are infertile. Half-Ghuls are usually less ghulish in their overall physeology, yet they often grow some of their common traits like pale, blistered skin, claws or sharp teeth. While some of them might thrive in Ghul-soceity, most of their kind are bred as living sources of fresh Bornwater.

Leapers
Leapers are Beastbloods that have been well fed and bred. From small beasts they have grown into large and agile creatures and host the smallest and most limited brains of all ghuls. They serve as warbeasts and mounts for smaller Ghuls and reach heights of up to 1,5 meters. They are quick although slower then horses and possess deadly claws and teeth. Some have developed long whiplike tails which they can use to keep enemies at distance. Even though Leapers have grown to hunt and run large distance on the ground and in tunnels, they are still able to climb walls like most unkin.

Maneaters
Maneaters are on the top of each tribe. through the consumption of healthy mortals and weaker Ghuls they have grown into an abnormal size and strength. Maneaters are as musculuar as they are agile, using their bestial arms to tear apart flesh, bone and metal. Maneaters are usually more upright then most Ghuls and against common believe they are not stupid. Instead, Maneaters have developed a unnatural intelligence with coldhearted and calculating minds. Most of them develop some forms of insanity and their thoughts are as ingenious as they are devious. Maneaters may either fight with weapons or the blessings of mutation they have grown.

Ascendants
Ascendants or Ghulkings are the strongest members of each tribe. They are their leaders and masters, guiding their tribes through each worlds ruins, forests or dark underbelly. Ascendants are close to Maneaters but usually even stronger and larger as they are on the top of the foodchain. Through the consumption of countless corpses, they have developed a Bornbound comparable to that of weaker Godkings. They regenerate rapidly, possess unnatural mastery over body, mind and the arcane and tower over their weaker kin. Most Ascendants reach heights of 3-4 meters and are strong enough to bend steel with their hands.

The Abominations
Abominations Ghuls mock the healthy forms of flesh even more then their regular cousins. Many of the Ghuls most devious minds have studied the mutation that their kind suffers through cannibalism and the loss of Bornwater. Abominations do not oppose the unnatural change to their flesh but embrace it and try to use it to their advantage.

Mutators
Mutator priests possess both the sickest and smartest minds among their kin. They embrace and worship the mutation within their bodies and controll it through a combination of magic and Bornweaving. Thanks to that they grew several limbs, toxins and claws or larger brains to increase their mental potential. They manipulate and change the flesh of their kin through strange sorcery; either with their direct hands or through creating a tainted Born from corpses. This art is a very limited form of fleshcrafting but surpasses what regualr Bornweaving can achieve. Mutators are the advisors, priests and mages of each Ghultribe and create the most dangerous of its abominations. Many of them have developed a unique form of Foresight that allows them to see threw their creations. For this reason most of them grow smooth and eyeless heads to show their power while they surround themselfes with their chosen creations.

Abominants
Abominants are the favorite creation of the Mutators and one of the strongest creatures Ghultribes release upon their prey. Abominants are Maneaters that have been bred for increased strength and size. Most of them are huge and overgrown with controlled mutation, carrying countless gifts of the Ghuls twisted Borns. Abominants tower over any other unkin, reaching heights of up to 6 meters. Abominants are only fed with living prey and the suffering of their prey stimulates their magical mutation. They have not only developed extreme strength and speed but also sensisitve noses that can smell Bornwater across several kilometers. In battle they are so eager to feed that most Abominatns fight until they have consumed all of their foes or suffer a final death through the hands of their prey.

Ghul Coteries
Ghuls often fall back to more primal structures of soceity. Without laws of any other force then the will of their Ascendants, there is nothing that can save a Ghul from the malicious intends of their brethren other then the protection of the group. Forming what is known as a Cotery offers this form protection and is a practice extremly common among females. They will gather in groups of 10 to 100 females, establishing unity and defense against ravenous attacks from other Ghuls and the possibility to raise their young safely. These Coteries have strict hierachies and are usually lead by a matriarch. Should a male Ghul wish to mate, he must approach such a Cotery and earn the right to breed with one of them through proving his strength, smooth talk or the offering of a gift. The matriarch will atlast decide with whom the Ghul will be allowed to breed. Males must approach such opportunities with caution as it is common for them to be consumed by the cotery before or after the breeding. This ensures only the strongest Ghuls breed and that those of lesser worth are either assigned a fitting mate or serve as fudder. This practice also passivly serves to further the gap between lesser and stronger Ghuls.

While some male Ghules may from small groups they are mostly solitary. It is extremly rare for them to form male Coteries, just as its rare to have a mixed Cotery. The later is more common in less primal Ghul soceities.

The Ascendant of a tribe will be forced to consult with their Coteries and ensure their loyalty.

Religion
Ghul tribes have several kinds of religions they believe in. It is very common among younger tribes to carry on the faith they had in their former lifes. Over the time, it will slowly devolve into a bestial and cruel faith based on the animalistic instincts of the devolving Ghuls. Across the passing generation, the gods of a Ghultribe mutate as quick as their discliples until twisted idols adorn their ragged nests.

Yet some ghuls manage to fight their inner animals and adapt their faith around the constant struggle against ones rising nature. Although those tribes rarely survive, they manage to reduce the amount of mutation they suffer as cannibalism is prohibited or atleast controlled.

Other tribes serve darker masters then tainted interpretations of their ancestors. Cultists, Fleshcrafters and Samesi like to visit Ghultribes as prophets and priests, converting their monstrous cousins to the service of their own gods. Many powers of destruction and corruption consort among the Ghuls since they make good allies for those that strengthen then and provide enough Bornwater.

Despite countless custom faiths there is one believe that grows strong among older Ghultribes. It is known as the Cult of the Whisperer and is the main representation of their hunger for Born.

Cult of the Whisperer
Inside each species Born there are those that die in defience and pain. The souls that opposed their own death with all their might, that hated and feared the end of their life will burning ferocity leave their mark in the Born. Shards of their former personalities and their last thoughts echo across each Bornwell, although they are usually too silent to be heared.

Cannibals function as mental enhancers for these personas that are slowly invoced threw their guts. Every Ghul is guided by soft voices whispering to them. The more they feed the louder they grow. Over time, Ghuls have begun to worship these voices and named them The Whisperer. Threw the spirits dwelling in their nests this name has grown more powerful. Although the voices still share the characteristics of the dead they once belonged to, they are directed to more bestial tendencies. The Whisperer is the truth that lies in the Ghul Curse, the bestlord that demands his children to feed and consume, to spread their tainted blood across all mortal races.

This belief is often connected with local customs or other common faiths like the worship of plagues or mutation. The priests and mutators that controll and inspire their tribe use their powers to carry messages across the minds of their deciples threw the Whisperer, making them believe their god spoke to them. This power allows a tribe to exchange messages quickly. Additionally it strenghtens their bound and conviction that what they do is the only possible way.