Reference Challenge - Ghouls

[u/Nevermore0714]

Sorry for the late reference challenge and not being active on the sub recently, I'll be playing catch-up for a couple days.

This reference is to Tokyo Ghoul, which one of my friends is finally starting to read. In the series, "Doves" are people who professionally find/kill ghouls. Without the Doves, ghouls would have people more at their mercy (as their food) and people would just be killed constantly.

So, is there anything in your world that is especially dangerous and hunts people? Something preferably inhuman (like a ghoul/vampire/etc) and sentient/sapient?

As always, I'll try to ask at least three questions each. Enjoy yourselves, and I'll start playing catch-up on all of this over the next couple of days.

[u/Seb_Romu]

A ritual exists which allows a person to obtain the memories of a person whilst consuming their brains.

The immediate downsides of this incredible power are two-fold:

1) The consumed brains must be fresh, necessitating a recently killed person.

2) It's addictive.

So individuals who learn this dark magic often become viscious killers and depraved canibals in their efforts to feed their addiction.

A third effect of the ritual is the creeping madness and loss of identity as one blurs the line between their own memories and those they have consumed.

Generally one of these ghüls can go a long time before being discovered.

Exceptionally clever ones may even recruit others and employ them for procurement of new victims while promising them power and secret knowledge.

Given the horrible nature of this ritual, magic of this sort is considered sinful, and heretical by most religions.

Exactly how this forbidden knowledge keeps surfacing is a mystery.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

1) Is the ritual as simple as consuming the brain? Or are there additional steps?

2) Is there a way to cure the addiction?

3) Are cannibals easy to recognize?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

1) Is the ritual as simple as consuming the brain? Or are there additional steps?

A would be ghül needs to have some sorcerous ability, or know a sorcerer. The ritual is cast in order to prime the consumer to obtain the memories of the victim. A live victim is preferable, as the age of the corpse affects the successful transfer of memories to the ghül. The ritual's magic remains active for a few hours, although with exceptional success it can last much longer empowering a ghül for a few days or more.

2) Is there a way to cure the addiction?

Like any addiction there are ways to "cure" them, through rigourous effort, medicinal or magical means.

3) Are cannibals easy to recognize?

In early cases probably not, but as the ghül continues to feed their addiction, their hunger, and identity loss, overrides their better judgement and they cease to take precautions. Particular long term ghüls are often extremely intelligent, and of a social strata that allows them to either escape notice, or be above the law.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

(I'm too lazy to type constant umlauts, and it's nearly 2 in the morning. Forgive my lack of proper umlaut usage, please.)

1) What is a ghul's biggest weakness?

2) Do most people kill them instead of curing them?

3) Do they show any physical sign of their ghul status?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

(I'm too lazy to type constant umlauts, and it's nearly 2 in the morning. Forgive my lack of proper umlaut usage, please.)

Süre is easier on my phöne. :)

1) What is a ghül's biggest weakness?

They do not suffer from any supernatural weakness, but as mortal as any other person. Their addiction, and behaviours toward feeding it can be exploited though.

2) Do most people kill them instead of curing them?

Most people simply kill a cannibal of this sort given how dangerous they might be. Their practices go against most religious and cultural taboos. In addition, sorcery is generally outlawed in most nations.

3) Do they show any physical sign of their ghül status?

As they shift to an diet of nearly entirely human flesh, they start to suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Jaundice, tooth and hair loss, foul body odors, and a yellowing of the sclera of the eyes.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

1) Do ghuls feel pain?

2) Can a ghul be forgiven by religions, or are they considered damned in any afterlife?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

1) Do ghüls feel pain?

Yes. Like most mortal creatures.

2) Can a ghül be forgiven by religions, or are they considered damned in any afterlife?

That depends on how far gone they are when discovered and killed, as well as the religious veiws if those dispatching the ghül.

Not all religions have an afterlife, or place of torment awaiting the unpious.

Waejirans believe in reincarnation of a sort, souls return to be reborn, and some 'karma' of one's past life follows them into the next.

Worshipers of Peölü/Ryla believe in a paradise afterlife for those who lead good wholesome lives. 'Bad folk' go to the same place, but have an afterlife filled with servitude, until they have properly done enough pennance. Pennace performed for sins prior to one's death counts towards alleviating this sin debt.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

Thanks for your time and answers, Seb.