Basics

The first thing you have to understand is that ghosts are real. Ghosts, spirits, and other ethereal beings exist and interact with our world on a regular basis. The average human is unable to comprehend this. They may believe that there is something out there, but if they really, truly understood just what was out there, their mind wouldn't be able to grasp it and they would loose their hold on reality, not only in that world, but this one as well. The most common reaction to witnessing an event involving the spirit world in any way, shape, or form is short term memory loss. A person's mind tells them that what they have seen cannot possibly have taken place, so they forget it ever happened. The most extreme reaction is death, though it is also the most rare, and usually only happens if the person had a pre-existing condition. A few simply go insane (varying levels, from padded room to mild paranoia), though this is usually due to repeated exposure.

Like most things in life, there are exceptions to the rule. In the past these people were knows as shamans or witch-doctors, but over the many centuries they and others like them have grown into what has become Ghost Hunters*. These people have the ability to see and interact with spirits, but not because of a genetic family trait or some mystical power. It is a skill like any other skill and can be obtained only with practice, studying, and training, though some people are able to do it easier than others. For a more in-depth history, click here.

People who are noticed to possess the five principal requirements are recruited to attend a Secret Academy where they take classes to learn the correct ways to interact with the spirit world. Eventually the students will narrow their field of study to follow one of five different career paths open to them. Occasionally children will see spirits without any training at all, but adults will shrug it off as an imaginary friend or an overactive imagination and if this talent isn't caught, the child will eventually loose this ability as they grow older and come to believe such things don't exist.

Ghost Hunters have partners, ghostly apparitions that give their assistance when they can, and a mask, which is a physical manifestation of their soul. Other things unique to a Hunter's life are their weapons, which have a power of their own, paper spells, which Hunters use to conduct five techniques, and the uniforms that they wear while in training. Skulls and the number five hold great symbolic meaning for them.