How are Ghouls Made?
Gonna show my ignorance here, but . . . how exactly are ghouls made? What effects the transformation from a human being into a ghoul? I know that there is a certain "pedagogical" aspect to this (e.g. "The Lesson" painting in "Pickman's Model"), but above and beyond that, how does it happen? Can anybody point me to some useful resources? Sorry if this is old hat -- I just haven't seen a satisfactory answer yet. Help, please?
AKA Professor Max von Schiller of the Miskatonic Area Paranormal Society (MAPS)
AKA George Finch of the Secret Everest Expedition
"Let's see if someone tries to kill us and work backwards" -- Dr. Who
AKA George Finch of the Secret Everest Expedition
"Let's see if someone tries to kill us and work backwards" -- Dr. Who
From what I've read, it's a mix of hanging around with them, and sharing their food. They also do the changeling act swapping babies for their own, which would suggest they can reproduce, but still bolster their numbers with "converts." Delta Green has some writing about it being a prion-based disease, which has interesting implications...
From the great reference Keeper Companion I, the mythos tome of Cult de Ghouls also will give a benefit of accelerating the transformation from human to ghoul. As the ghouls, I believe can align themselves with various great old ones, they could get help from one priest/avatar of that group to change someone though you could also find a way in some kind of believed narrative that they get slowly corrupted in the Dreamlands in contact with a ghoul though I'd imagine anyone with darker tendencies hanging around graveyards might just wind up as one. Again much easier to do this with an NPC & there could be other spells/artifacts for it too.
Now if you're like me & you wind up in one game where a player often will want to become a ghoul once they start getting exposed to the ghouls then it could get messy but the ghoul is fairly low on the mythos ladder of meanies so getting to change to one should be common enough that a crafty keeper can come up with some ways that make sense.
Now if you're like me & you wind up in one game where a player often will want to become a ghoul once they start getting exposed to the ghouls then it could get messy but the ghoul is fairly low on the mythos ladder of meanies so getting to change to one should be common enough that a crafty keeper can come up with some ways that make sense.
"That's funny, usually the blood gets off on the second floor." -Mr. Burns in The Shinning episode (Treehouse of horror V)
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I've always played it as a transformative disease that takes hold of an individual who habitually consumes the raw flesh of human dead. The process is sped up if the corpse they are eating has been embalmed.
Just my spin on it.
Just my spin on it.
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I like it. I may try to play with this notion in a scenario someday.Wordcraftian wrote:I've always played it as a transformative disease that takes hold of an individual who habitually consumes the raw flesh of human dead. The process is sped up if the corpse they are eating has been embalmed.
Just my spin on it.
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It's been a fun idea to handle; One of the founders of a secret society I invented became a ghoul this way. Of course, only the most esteemed members of the organization are privy to this information. All most people know is that he was a somewhat eccentric man who vanished inexplicably one day after exhibiting strange behavior (even for him)... He was seen frequenting a local cemetery late at night and having midnight picnics with odd looking strangers.Keeper Jon wrote:I like it. I may try to play with this notion in a scenario someday.Wordcraftian wrote:I've always played it as a transformative disease that takes hold of an individual who habitually consumes the raw flesh of human dead. The process is sped up if the corpse they are eating has been embalmed.
Just my spin on it.
Not a unique idea, I'll admit. But I like the flavor a secret background with ghoul involvement adds to an already shady organization.