C-RRBT04 (Jan 15, 2021)
Puzzle
"Uncovered à la Özer, Chöwang, Lingpa, Wangpo."
Research | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Who are all these people? What category do they belong to?
Clue 2: What exactly gives a 'Tertön' their title?
Clue 3: More specifically, what they uncover.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: ??
Explanation: Those 4 names are the surnames of the 5 Tertön Kings (two having the same surname), a Tertön being someone who discovers an ancient hidden text, also known as a Terma.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
BRANCH [LONG ISLAND]
DATE [2021-01-15]
SERVER [EMPLOYEE NO. 1124]
BEVERAGE [N/A]
FILE REFERENCE [C-RRBT04]
…That worked? Why did that work? No. 161 was right—all I had to do was "read the book." And... it worked. Sort of. I was able to read the first five pages, but nothing more. Here’s what I saw:
PART I.
COMMON GHOSTS
Of the ghosts that slink around the Achegloom, twenty of them have proven to be nothing special. Run-of-the-mill phantoms, apparitions, cheap scares, and shadows that go bump in the night. Still… throw enough of them at that miserable Spire, and they might actually prove useful. If this war drags into one of attrition, even trash can serve a purpose. Let’s face it: these "ghosts" are like the demons in the Outer Rings—cheap and plentiful. An advantage in numbers is all they’re good for.
-L
GHOST NO. 1 – THE APPARITION
The most unremarkable of the Achegloom’s dreary denizens, flickering in and out of existence like dying embers. These white ghosts have little substance, mere shadows of who they once were, doomed to relive their final moments over and over again. Their only purpose is to unsettle passersby, offering a fleeting reminder of mortality. They are of average height, often with brown eyes, and are laughably easy to deal with—a simple Banishing Sigil is enough to dispel them back to the Achegloom, where they’ll wander aimlessly and hungry for eternity.
GHOST NO. 2 – THE BANSHEE
Tall, pale, and red-eyed, Banshees find their usefulness in their horrid wail, which cuts through the night like a jagged blade. This mournful keening foretells death for those unfortunate enough to hear it. Regrettably, the wail itself causes no tangible harm, making Banshees useful only in psychological warfare. Properly marshaled, they could break the enemy’s spirit before the fight even begins. But their unnaturally echoing footsteps and vulnerability to Spirit Traps make them an easily spotted and vanquished threat.
GHOST NO. 3 – THE BOGEY
A hulking specimen, likely the Achegloom’s answer to Satan’s most wretched soldiers. With pitch-black bodies, glowing yellow eyes, and horribly distorted features, Bogeys are terrifying in one's periphery. Sadly, their bark is worse than their bite—they are mostly useless beyond inducing anxiety. They lack tangibility, but they do require Holy Water to dispel, making them perfect horrors for lurking under the beds of the damned where Holy Water is hard to come by.
GHOST NO. 4 – THE DOPPELGANGER
Of all the common ghosts in the Achegloom, none are as insidious as the Doppelganger. These lavender apparitions can assume the very form of their victims, with the only giveaway being their equally purple eyes. Of course, purple eyes are all too common in Lady Asmodeus’ Plane, so they blend right in, sowing discord and doubt. Only Salt and Iron can reveal a Doppelganger’s true form and cast it back to the Achegloom.
GHOST NO. 5 – THE ECHO
Echoes are ghastly little things, barely a foot tall, with white forms and blinking green eyes. Unlike Apparitions, they don’t replay events but reflect the voices of the living, twisting words and intentions to create misunderstandings. Though weak, they could flood a battlefield with their echoed screams and laughter, creating a cacophony that drowns out the clamor of war. Each Echo requires a specific Appeasement to banish, wasting valuable time and resources.
GHOST NO. 6 – THE FETCH
The Fetch—a sickly yellow double with wistful amber eyes—appears just before a victim meets their fate. These ghosts are living vessels of regret, sticking around until their unfinished business is resolved. Though their power is fleeting, their emotional influence is unmatched. Unfortunately for our plans, Fetches don’t exist in the Achegloom or Everdark.
GHOST NO. 7 – THE GHAST
Ghasts are hulking, earthen-colored monstrosities with blaring red eyes, the remnants of those who died in agony. Warped by their pain, these ghosts retain physicality, lashing out with rotten hands and gnashing teeth. Slow but relentless, they’re dangerous in confined spaces where their hunger overwhelms defenses. Even better, they can teleport to and from the Achegloom with ease. Their only weakness? …Unfortunately, a simple Banishing Sigil. GHOST NO. 8 – THE HARBINGER
Unlike the Banshee, whose wail merely warns of death, the Harbinger *commands* it. Short, pale, with beady black eyes, these ghosts bring a toxic silence, an omen of impending doom that no force—mortal or demon—can stop. The only way to remove a Harbinger is to let its prophecy play out. Nothing good comes of them, and while I wish we could control their power, it’s probably best not to try.
GHOST NO. 9 – THE LURKERS
Mossy behemoths that hide in shadows, revealing only their glassy yellow eyes. Lurkers strike at the opportune moment, leaving behind trails of blood and ectoplasm. They don’t frighten with noises or sudden appearances; instead, they inspire paranoia, driving victims mad with the sense of being watched. In numbers, Lurkers can turn fortresses into psychological prisons. Only Salt and Iron can repel them, but nothing can remove their ever-watching presence.
GHOST NO. 10 – THE MARE
Mares are dream-walkers, slipping into minds to twist dreams into nightmares. Their real strength lies in draining the will to fight. In the waking world, their tiny, ink-black forms manipulate shadows, bringing instant darkness. Their gray eyes are all that’s visible in the gloom. The only way to truly deal with a Mare is through Exorcism within the dream realm—otherwise, they’ll continue to blanket the battlefield in night.
Whew. That took forever to transcribe by hand… oh. Hang on. Now the ink in the book is visible. To everyone else. Great. That was… a fantastic use of my time. Anyway, it looks like the ghost No. 161 and No. 53 saw—the Collyer Brothers—they must be Apparitions, right? And the book says a "Banishing Sigil" would work to get rid of them.