Wraith (2024)

A wraith is a dark, undead being. They are ethereal and hovers a short distance above the ground. Like many undead creatures, wraiths can exude magical fear that paralyzes most of its enemies or prey. They are stronger at night and prefer to stay out of direct sunlight. Wraiths are created when they are led to willingly cheat death and live as such until they acquire the item or status from which their capability of being born came.^[6]

Description[]

Physical appearance[]

Wraiths appear as indistinct, dark forms. They move by gliding and look unnaturally still, even when in motion. Details of their appearance can be hard to discern as light cannot illuminate them.^[2]

Behavior[]

Wraiths are very miserable and dissatisfied. They seek distraction and leech life and warmth from living beings. If wraiths find a master they can comprehend, they like to surrender their wills by serving. Uninfluenced by outside sources, they routinely stay true to commands for decades or even centuries. Most are, however, willing to serve a better master who can offer them a better alternative to their current situation.^[6]

Many wraiths think that they want freedom, although their only freedom would be death. A wraith's sole remaining pleasure after turning undead is the fleeting rush of draining a life force. They're also not very interested in favors offered by others. Wraiths often project thoughts mentally as well. Usually, the messages consist of a single word, such as "hunger", "hungry", "thirst", "thirsty", "cold", "agony", "pain", or "mercy".

Diet[]

Wraiths do not need any food. However, they are able to leech life and warmth from other creatures, which is their only remaining pleasure after turning undead. It is possible that, after being drained of life, a wraith's victim will go into a catatonic stupor, similar to what revenants do.

Creation[]

A wraith is created when a powerful dark being, such as a witch, wizard, demon, viviblix, or lich leads a person to willingly cheat death in order to attain a desired object or status. The all-consuming lust for the unobtained prize is what fuels the transformation. The birth of a new wraith depends on the coveted prize remaining elusive. Once a being powerful in dark magic facilitates the change, the wraith can gain freedom only by receiving the desired object, which brings the postponed release of death. If the desired award is received in life, the potential for a wraith is lost.^[6]

Sometimes, the originator of the deal will deliberately hide, withhold, or destroy the desired object to ensure an undead servant. At other times the targeted victim craves something they can never win, such as the love of a certain woman, the respect of someone they admire, or to hold an important title or position.^[6]

History[]

The Hall of Dread[]

When visiting the Hall of Dread to find information hidden by Patton Burgess, Seth Sorenson heard voices whispering in the dungeon. When he acknowledged them, the voices shut up, and one started trying to persuade Seth into opening the cell doors, promising fealty for a thousand years. Seth avoidingly told them he would to think about it, and left the hall, with the wraith saying that he would wait.

The Blackwell[]

On a mission at Wyrmroost, at Blackwell Keep, Seth heard voices emanating from deep inside the keep. The voices led him to the Blackwell, where they kept asking him to free them, saying they would obey his every command. Later, when Agad found Seth, he hinted that the creatures in the dungeon were extremely powerful undead beings. Several of the Blackwell's inhabitants were wraiths.

After Fablehaven's fall[]

After the fall of Fablehaven, Patton Burgess told Seth to hire wraiths who would guard three locations at the recently fallen preserve, those three being the main house, the old manor, and the stables. Seth, accompanied by Vanessa Santoro, entered the Hall of Dread and started conversing with a wraith. After nearly falling into a trap, Seth released the three wraiths imprisoned in the cell and sent them to their posts. After the centaurs of Grunhold attempted to occupy the old manor and the house, the wraiths beat them back. This resulted in the centaurs proclaiming war on Seth.

After the Sphinx lost control over the Society of the Evening Star, he enrolled a company of wraiths to protect him. The same wraiths helped him hunt down Warren Burgess, and presumably also saved Warren from a manticore.

When dealing with the Singing Sisters, Seth promised them a wraith-servant, along with two other items, in exchange for the location of the legendary sword Vasilis. Seth delivered the undead creature, a wraith named Whiner, to the Singing Sisters only a few months after their deal.

Dragon uprising[]

Six wraiths attempted to attack Kendra and Seth Sorenson, Knox, Tanu, and Lomo on Midsummer Eve but were repelled by the barriers of Stormguard Castle.

After losing his memory, the dark unicorn Ronodin taught Seth that he could use the coldness of wraiths to use many of his abilities, such as dousing fire. Seth also released the undead of the Blackwell, of which several were wraiths. The undead were given access to Blackwell Keep and the connected roads, and they, along with the dragons, caused the fall of the dragon sanctuary Wyrmroost. Later, in the Under Realm, Seth asked a wraith to take him to Ezabar, which the wraith agreed to do.

When Seth entered the Crypt at the Crescent Lagoon dragon sanctuary where the phantom Dezia lived, six wraiths almost attacked Seth, but he managed to talk them out of it when he granted them freedom. He also asked the best one to lead him to Dezia, which was a wraith Seth named Midnight. In another location at Crescent Lagoon, the wraiths Lampy and Salty, who lived in thelighthouse of the island of Omari, helped Seth reach the Hidden Sage, who lived near the summit of Mount Dagaro.

Magical abilities and skills[]

Wraiths, like many other undead creatures, can exude a penetrating aura of magical fear, which immobilizes most creatures. The fear can be counteracted by courage potions, but they often have to be very potent and, as the terror radiated by wraiths is different from the one radiated by, for example, dragons, they also have to be tuned specifically for the undead. Wraiths radiate coldness as well. This, combined with their magical fear, can cause their victims to have complications with breathing and moving. The victims can also feel their throats constricting and their hearts cooling. The effects vary in potency depending on the number of wraiths.

They can also drain a creature's warmth and life force. The result of this ability being used is unknown, but it could possibly cause the victim to go into a catatonic stupor. Furthermore, the two wraiths Lampy and Salty at the island of Omari claimed to be able to "bind" the animals living there.^[7]

Individuals[]

Appearances[]

• Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
• Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison
• Dragonwatch: A Fablehaven Adventure
• Dragonwatch: Wrath of the Dragon King
• Dragonwatch: Master of the Phantom Isle
• The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven

Notes and references[]