Welcome students. As you know, science has developed greatly during the ages, leaving almost no room for unexplained peculiarities in history. Almost. Today I will tell you about a phenomenon that’s created many legends, and still hasn’t been explained, as it does not resemble anything in nature, nor magic as we know it. We will talk about the Santh – their depictions, stories and everything we know and don’t know about these weird creatures. Let us begin…
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Great mystery surrounds the Santh. However, there are facts about them that we can deem confirmed. First of all, Santh are a form of undead people. They always closely resemble a person that has recently died in the area, and often has not yet been buried. Their physical form is a matter of debate – depending on the particular appearance, they are described as demonic lords with a dead man’s face, walking corpses moved by willforce or ghosts floating through villages. Most certainly, they are clearly distinguishable from a living person.
Second, they are generally non-hostile. They merely move through settlements and wilderness, undisturbed by the presence of people and animals alike. When strongly disturbed, they can shove the culprit off their way with great force, but will not interact further, and instead simply stay on their previous path. They are probably able to speak, but refuse to talk to anyone, staying silent or responding very briefly when prompted.
Third, they always have a mission. It varies greatly from one Santh to the other. Some of them have the most typical business, like avenging a friend’s death or collecting a large debt. Others, however, have more peculiar goals in mind – there are cases known of Santh who needed to bring a letter to another person or recover a lost ring. You will learn more examples in just a moment.
Santh need to complete their quest. It is believed that they are physically and mentally unable to perform any action other than necessary to reach their end, but there is no research to confirm this. And to accomplish it, they use all the means necessary, and know no boundaries. Once they manage to do it, their fate is unknown – all that is known is that they go away and never return. Bad things can happen, though – more on that later.
Lands of modern Taervin, year 655 of Era I
The first confirmed observation of a Santh occurred even before we arrived at the Continent. It was described by historians from the great Academy in Annyeohan, and took place south of the Lake. A middle-aged farmer, from the Southfolk of course, died of an illness. A year before, his brother had been murdered by bandits, and the culprits had not been found. A few days after his death, some people started to claim they had seen him walking in the village. Soon, it was confirmed – almost everyone had seen him. But he was different. His look was absent and his body did not seem normal – some said it was glowing, and others it was as if made of wood or metal instead of flesh. The Santh wandered in the nearby villages for a few dozen days. Finally, he found the one that had killed his brother, and cut his heart out with a sickle. Then, he went away, never to be seen again.
Nyther’s Hold, year 398 of Era II
A very strange case of Santh was observed in the East a few centuries after the Generals arrived. Fever had taken a little girl of just five years. Her family and their friends mourned. But they did not know she was bound to this world. An older boy had one day stolen her favorite wood figure, just to mock her. The whole neighborhood was horrified when they saw the girl walking the street, murder in her eyes. Nobody was expecting what she would do. She found the boy quickly, but even upon seeing her empowered, he would not yield. He was found on the next day – alive, but hardly bruised and with his eyes ripped out of the skull. The wooden figure was gone. The last anyone had seen of the girl was her jumping off a tower, but no corpse was found below.
Dally, year 432 of Era II
A neighborhood in Dally mourned the death of a young man, yet unmarried, in a tragic hunting accident. Before death, he loved a woman who would not want to marry him, and instead chose a local merchant. And so, he returned to the world of the living in order to pursue his ambition. However, even for a relentless spirit, it was difficult. The couple became aware of his mission soon enough, and started to flee. He had to chase them on foot through the whole cape. It took him over 20 years, without ever stopping, as he had no more human needs. Only after that time the merchant died. The woman, now mature, was not afraid anymore, and decided to marry the undead lover. Soon after the ceremony, the man left the city, never to return.
Revenith, year 663 of Era II
If you thought Santh always reached their purpose, you were wrong. This story will prove it. The old owner of a trade company died of age. However, he had still not finished all business in the mortal world. A merchant from the capital owed him a full loan of almost a hundred thousand angens, and it had not been repaid in time. The need to reclaim the money kept him in our realm. However, when he reached the place he looked for, horrifying many people in the process, he discovered to his terror that the merchant had died as well, leaving little possession and no heir, and that the money had disappeared. The Santh had become meaningless, as he could never finish his task. Eventually, he left the city and went into the wilderness. After days of wandering around the Empire, he hid in a small cavern in the forest, to conceal his pitiful existence from the mortals. He was seen on various occasions later. People described him as a ‘small creature, with the posture of a human and the height of a dwarf, looking as if he was made of poor leather’.
With this story, we shall conclude the day. Thank you.
Aedilër 