The White Lady - in the right forum ;)

The White Lady

Overview

The White Lady, or in some regions The Grey Lady, is a ghost that has been sighted from Varcopas to the Icelands. It would be more accurate to talk of a group of ghosts, because several people lie at the origin of the Lady. However, for simplicity's sake we will talk about a singular ghost. Dressed in white or grey, she walks about in the spot that is said to be the place of her death. The manner of her death can be deduced from her appearance – for example, if she is walking near a lake shore with wet hair and clothes, it may be safe to assume she drowned. (Firstly you state you will talk of one ghost to keep things simple, but you talk about varying territory and causes of death which implies you are speaking in plural terms- doesnt cohede with what you previously said)

She shows herself mainly to children and elderly people (Why? Surely the sighting could simply be increased due to the youthful imagination or elderly senility- both of which meaning claims of sightings could be inaccurate) . Although there are relatively many sightings (in comparison to what?) for so elusive a phenomenon, it seems that only humans are able to see her. It is noticeable that, compared to the amount of people living near some of the places where a White Lady appears, there are fewer sightings than could reasonably be expected if she were tangible, yet more than can be dismissed out of hand.

Appearance

It is not easy to give a clear picture of the White Lady's appearance, since she 'originates' from several people (it is unclear whether this passage refers to the individual ghost being the product [literally] of several people- spiritually perhaps or if all the ghosts [of which your writing leads me to assume there are others] are relative to the descriptions based on sightings) . However, there do seem to be some common points, the most prominent of which is her dress, which according to almost all reports is of a white colour, as white as her face and even hair. In certain regions – most notably the Rimmerin's Ring – she is dressed in grey clothes, although her hair and face remain white (Any reason why?).

Another resemblance between the White Ladies is her hair, which is almost always worn long and loose. Only in a few instances was it said that it was done up with ribbons, so that she resembles more a young girl than a grown woman.

Other than that, however, her appearance varies greatly from one sighting to the next, depending on the region where she was seen. At times she is as a woman in the bloom of her life (if, quite obviously, dead), at others she is older, wrinkles visible around her eyes and mouth, although still standing tall and proud, not yet so old that she is stooped over with age. Lastly, she may appear as a younger woman, on the brink of discovering life. These are the times when her hair is bedecked with ribbons.

I am still confused as to whether or not we are talking about an independent individual spirit who would appear to change form as well as other details (including the cause of her death) or if you are talking about a group of similar spirits who seem to spring from the same general origins. Please make this clearer.

Special Abilities

As far as we have been able to gather from oral or written reports of encounters, the White Lady does not have any special powers, other than being visible after her (You use a singular personal pronoun which suggests that the White Lady is in fact one example with no others of its kind- you dont explicitly state that this is the case) death. She simply appears – sometimes once a year, sometimes in a certain season or on definite dates – and after a while she disappears again. This period is often one hour long, or else she completes a certain ritual (such as the Iceland Lady) before going.

Territory

Mention of a White Lady has been made as far back as 2000 b.S. It is possible that she was sighted even before that, but there are no written or oral sources left to confirm this. The oldest remaining source speaks of a “Lady, clad all in white, wandering at night on the road leading from Klinsor to Three Arcs Keep, or seen on the battlements of the Keep”. The text goes on to speculate that she is the ghost of a young woman, a daughter of the Keep, waiting for her lover, who left her one day with the promise of returning, but he never showed. She waited in vain for two days, and then went out to search for him, but she -likewise- never returned, except as a White Lady. The text is not signed, and it is now impossible to ascertain who wrote it. More recently the legend was repeated in a treatise by Waudrin Ghortz, contemporary researcher of all things supernatural, in which he tries to refute the existence of even one White Lady. He claims that the phenomenon cannot be real, since only humans can 'see' her, and thus she cannot possibly be more than myth (Huh? Is it the fact that Humans see something which disappears at will or the fact that other creatures or races cannot identify them? Unclear) .

Afterwards, many more sightings were reported, both of the Lady of the Keep and other White Ladies (This validates a population of White Ladies- something other facets of your entry have refuted) . It would be near impossible to list each of the Ladies, but the following list is a compilation of the most common sightings.

-Rimmerin's Ring: This 'Grey Lady', rather than a White Lady, is first mentioned around the time of the unification of Southern Sarvonia. Up to the present day, some locals claim to have seen her, wandering around the Stonedale Quarry. Oral traditions about her origins persist to this day. She is claimed to be Franja Swanvild, a rich nobleman's daughter who had fallen in love with a simple farmer and lain with him. When her father discovered she was with child, he took her to the top of the Quarry and pushed her to her death. Ever since, she is reported to come to the Quarry on the anniversary of her death, wander around the Quarry, and vanish one hour later.

-The Icelands Lady: A rather more contemporary sighting is the White Lady in the lands of the Remusians. She was first seen in the winter of the year 1655 a.S., walking the battlements of the city, one time from start to finish. She has been spotted a few times since then, but always in winter. Although a name is not attributed to her, she is believed to be a widow grieving for her husband, a soldier lost in the year 1654, when orcs besieged the city.

-On the Ximaxian peninsula, on the shore of the Diamond lake, each summer solstice the figure of a young girl in her wedding clothes can be seen. It is said that she is the ghost of a young wind mage, newly wed, whose jealous bridegroom murdered her on their wedding night, and buried her near the lake shore. It is not known why he was jealous. In all likelihood he was paranoid that she would cheat on him, even if she never gave him a real cause to think that. On the summer solstice she stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake, a wind blowing in her hair and clothes, even when the rest of the environment is utterly still.

-The Lorehold Lady: There is also rumoured to be a White Lady in the university buildings of the Lorehold. She is said to have been a librarian, pining for a love that was forever out of her reach. According to some reports, it is possible to see her when you are carrying a certain book – however, which book exactly is a point of contention.

Many more examples of White Ladies could be given. All the collected reports came from the Sarvonian continent, however. It is unknown whether the more exotic continents, such as Nybelmar or Aeruillin, know a similar phenomenon (Seems likely, alot of Nybelmarian culture is based on spirits- demonic, ancestrial, you name it theres some sort of aspect to it regarding Nybelmar).

Habitat/Behaviour

Again there is some correspondence between the different Ladies, in Behaviour as well as Appearance. Most of the time she does not seem aware of the person seeing her, looking out as if waiting for someone. In a few instances she has been known to approach the living (often a child or an elder), beseeching them with outstretched arms, although it is not clear what she would have them do. She disappears before actually reaching the person. It seems that she does not speak; in fact, all reports claim that not a sound comes from her, except perhaps the rustling of her white gown. (OK due to yor somewhat consistent phrasing I am going to assume that the White Ladies are seperate but similar phenomena of which there are multiple cases and recorded sighting- I will therefore expect all references to singular White Ladies [or speaking about them in personal terms] to be changed to fit accordingly)

Another aspect of the White Lady that all the sightings agree on is her profound sadness, which touches the heart and leaves the living wishing they could have helped her somehow (Everyones heart? Even the meanies?) . In contrast to the Wailwoman, however, meeting a White Lady is not likely to result in insanity or death.

Myth/Lore

It is said that the White Lady can choose who she appears to, which might account for the relatively small number of sightings in heavily populated areas. The reason this was not added to the Special Abilities section is that there might be other possibilities. It does seem unlikely, since according to many of the reports she is not aware that someone sees her. On the other hand however, prospective ghost-hunters must be warned – one must not go looking for her, for then she will not show herself. Alternative explanations include, if she is real, that certain individuals have a heightened sense of her presence, or if she is not, that she is merely a fiction of the imagination (Would said people only have a White Lady sense or a general otherwordly spirit sense?).

She is most often seen by children and elders. Popular myth says that if a child sees her, that she will bless it and protect it throughout its life. In contrast, when she is seen by an older person, it is said to foretell their death – a peaceful death after a long life, surrounded by friends and family. It is said to be a guarantee that they will not feel pain or go in a violent manner. This is why older people are not always sorry if they think they have seen a White Lady. However, both these myths are hard to prove, as myths are wont to (as myths are what?).

Related to these two myths is the curious tale of the Mardran family, living close to the Stonedale Quarry. They claim that the Grey Lady favours their family, for many of the members have seen her – not once, but twice in their lives. Once when they are children, and once again when they are old. Without judging the accuracy of this claim, the family does prosper, and the children seem to have a guardian watching over them, making sure that they do not get into an accident of any kind and reach a respectable age, after which they die peacefully. One example would be the time that Jorgun Mardran – now grandfather – was playing on the road near the house when one of the Baneg bulls broke out. (You use perishable information by speaking in a specific present tense, soon this information will be outdated [i.e. when he dies]. Referring to the story in the past tense however would make it acceptable) It seemed to be heading straight for him, but at the last moment swerved to the right, saving Jorgun from certain death. If true, the Mardran family is perhaps descended from the farmer who the Grey Lady originally fell in love with.

A source of as much debate as her existence is her rest. Is it possible to help a White Lady, so that she leaves earthly bonds behind and moves on? Rumours are elusive, but it does seem as though a few Ladies have laid down their burden – whether through human intervention or otherworldly, it is hard to discern. In any case, some of the sightings date from far back, and no new sighting has been made on the same place (Define place...Same exact spot or 10 leauge radius?) .

Other

Interesting to note is the White Lady Mountain, in the Prominent Mountain range. She bore her name long before there was mention of the apparition, but her connection with the ghost dates from around 1000 b.S., when an anonymous bard from a nearby town wrote the 'Lay of the Lady' – wholly ficticious, but it drew travellers to see the frozen waterfalls that he mentions, where the Lady was supposed to have met her violent death, or to trek to the shallow, yet snowy top where she is supposed to dwell on certain nights. Interestingly enough, some of these trekkers even claim to have seen her! The end of the Lay follows here. The whole poem can be found in the Library.

Within a year he had returned
But she would not run down to him
Instead she turned, ran back and burned
Their house and threw herself therein.

Or maybe she went to the top
Of the White Lady mountain where
Beneath its flanks her life did stop
And did she find her lover there.

And every spring the mountain cries
Fresh tears from frozen waterfalls
Just like a flame, before it lies
And is put out by sudden flaws.

And if you venture past the tears
Of hope and up the mountain side
You might feel that the Lady nears

The tales of the White Lady inspired the talented bard Gean Firefeet to write a song about her, which starts as follows:

Fair Lady in White

She leaves not a trace, not a shadow you see
But when she comes by she looks always at me
Her fair eyes; like flowers with frostbite they be
So haunted, not sparkling, no trace left of glee.

Fair lady in white, won’t you tell me your name
Or tell me at least if we aren’t the same
Did fate break your heart or did he find a dame
Who suited him more, tell me, who is to blame?

Compendiumist's Note:

“White Ladies” have been spotted from Varcopas to the Icelands, so they can be called a definite phenomenon - but how they come into existence, why they are only ever female, and why they 'walk' when other slain females are at rest is as yet unknown. The sceptics - led by Waudrin - would say that is because they are no more than the figments of some senile imagination... but then why are these tales so prevalent across our country, and from so many different sources? Children, grand-dams, elders and maidens, have all reported sighting the White Lady, and her legend is known everywhere.

In an attempt to describe the phenomenon – if not to ascertain her actual existence – this humble Compendiumist has talked with some of those who claim they have seen a White Lady, among whom the aforementioned Jorgun Mardran. It seems that, while some families believe they have a special connection with this or that Lady, there is not much distinction in who is graced with a glimpse of her. In each community where a White Lady is rumoured to walk, the local populace is a firm believer in her existence, even among those individuals (usually almost the whole village, with but one or two exceptions) who have not personally seen her. Outside these communities, scepticism is much greater.

A nice entry with a very realistic feel to it. You write excellently with articulation and a keen perspective of how this information would of made its way into the compendium- considering reliability and also making logical conclusions based on the research. Stylistically this is very good.

However, I feel its lacking consistency- most notably in how you talk of singular and plural phenomena at different times with vary degrees of affect. Added detail perhaps on some more of the White Lady's behaviour wouldnt go amiss- perhaps including some more radical/ridiculous sighting accounts?

Overall though I like this,

Nice work