Hi, I'm Rust- your humble archivist of all things Ghoul =)
I will be going by they/them pronouns on this blog, pretty please
I'm a big fat nerd about speculative animal behaviour, biological adaptations, + the ghost band lore, and I'm hoping to use this blog to get all of that out of me and into the world. I've always loved seeing people's interpretations of ghoul biology, behaviour, and even just the inner workings of the Ministry, so, idk, maybe I can be that for someone else too?
My writings (and perhaps art, eventually 👀) will be vaguely written from the perspective of an in-universe archivist of ghoul knowledge within the Clergy, but I don't intend to take this premise all too seriously outside of an aesthetic and writing style
i have archived 6141 concert videos for Era 3 / Meliora / Papa Emeritus III / Terzo .
as stated in my last archive update post, videos in the archive now have tags for content, characters, and songs! obviously, 6000+ videos is a lot to tag, so i didn't want to wait until i was done tagging all of them to publish the Era 3 archive-- it would take forever. so i'll be continually updating this page as i tag more videos. so far, i've tagged the videos through the end of 2015 (the first 1530 videos).
i hope this will be useful to other fans of Ghost. thank you for your continued support 🫶
Part 1 of my ghoul designs. Starting off with Rain and Dewdrop ✨
Feel free to ask questions cause I'd gladly share my creative process, it's just that idk where to start :')
Headcanons and explanation about their design and respective elements under the cut:
Water Ghouls
They have thin and small horns that can easily break off. Their horns are meant for display purposes and not for butting heads with other ghouls
They have the thickest and longest tails among the ghouls. Due to this, they are one of the 2 elements that have non-prehensile tails. This does not however stop them from using their tails as a whip for smacking things and other ghouls as a warning
With what they lack in horns and defenses, they make up for being venomous/toxic
Colors = cool colors (red, orange, yellow are rare)
Rain
His tentacle-like hair is affected by his emotions. The stronger the emotion, the more curly it becomes. If he's bored or sad, it goes limp
Tends to drag his tail while he walks, easily trips. On more than one occasion, his packmates accidentally stepped on his tail
Has a venomous barb on his tail
Fire Ghouls
They have goat-like horns that point inward, a fire orb can appear when they use their magic
Wide mouths that have slits on the cheeks. These openings act as a vent to help regulate body temperature
You can tell the maturity of the ghoul by the color of their flames (Blue = young/inexperienced, Red = old). If their flames are green, something is wrong
Colors = ranges from warm colors to black/brown only
Dewdrop
Some water ghoul features carried over after his transition. The gills on his neck act as a replacement for a fire ghoul's mouth vent
Blind eye effect: The fire transition gave his eyes a foggy look. Vision is completely fine but it seems like he's always staring blankly into space
Had his hair cut off days after the transition by Aether and Mountain because they were worried about him. He was ripping locks of his hair from his scalp to calm himself (think of a bird plucking its own feathers)
His hair grew back during Copia's papacy but it now grows unevenly and needs to be constantly fixed/tied back
Part 3 of my ghoul designs featuring the air girlies (and Zephyr as a bonus). I've officially made it through the halfway point and now have 4 ghouls left to design for the impera era woo
Previous designs here: Part 1 | Part 2
As usual, headcanons under the cut:
Air Ghouls
I'm taking inspiration from Dante's Inferno because I remember there were harpies in one of the circles of hell. Hence, the bird design.
They're often seen accompanying earth ghouls. In Inferno, harpies feed upon the leaves of souls who turned into trees. Based on this, air ghouls stick around earth ghouls because they care for the plants they use for food and shelter. Air ghouls in return warn earth ghouls of any danger and lead them to resources they could both benefit from. (This doesn't really apply on topside but the ghoulettes still like to hang out with Mountain)
Besides birds, I also wanted to add a butterfly/moth motif to give the characters a more inhuman look. Air ghouls have false eyes to confuse and intimidate other ghouls in the pits
These ghouls, especially those with long hair, have their hair braided by other air ghouls as a social custom (also so hair doesn't get in the way while flying)
Females have dull colors while males are colorful
Cirrus
Sharp features, long wispy hair similar to cirrus clouds
Often has her hair braided by Cumulus when they're on duty
A fast flier and very energetic with her movements
The 2nd in command of her pack
Cumulus
Like the cloud she's named after, she has more softer features than the other ghouls. Don't let that fool you because she's just as aggressive as the others.
A silent flier and not as fast as cirrus
Tends to stare at people with her large round eyes. She likes making people feel uncomfortable with her stares.
Part 4 of my Impera ghoul designs: Swiss and Mountain. These two were the hardest for me to figure out but hopefully, they turned out alright
Previous designs: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Headcanons under the cut:
Mountain
During the Prequelle era he had long hair and it was occasionally braided by the ghoulettes. Once Impera came, he decided to cut it so it wouldn't get in the way while he worked (Swiss held a funeral for the loss)
Flowers grow on his horns during the spring
He wears different pants to accommodate his hooves and help him move easily while drumming, it's tailored to look like the regular ghoul uniform
His biggest weakness: Freshly waxed floors
Swiss
His eyes are hidden most of the time but the Siblings are advised not to look directly at his eyes specifically
Styles his hair in multiple ways after finding a fashion magazine
Very silent when he moves, Copia got so sick of getting jumpscared by the ghoul that he placed bells by the end of his tail. Swiss thinks it's funny and uses the bells to annoy him instead by constantly jingling them
As promised I went ahead and continued my "ghoul guide" with a part 2 (part one linked in replies)! This one covers stuff specifically with a made up lore guide of in-world ghoul stuff as if they were a sort of unique magic entity.
This one wound up way longer and had to be split so expect a third final one eventually lmao. for now though... I'm gonna take a break and yell. Bonus extra info plus the transcript under the cut!
ID in ALT text!
Bonus note: While not portrayed in the guide, it’s important to know a detail about ghouls’ origin called “memory echoes”. While ghouls are formed from humans past who lose all memory of their previous self while maintaining an assumed personality from before, at times certain instances of events, actions, items, and otherwise can trigger these “echoes”. Echoes are very rare, but a valued treasure to ghouls; they make them feel more connected to their past and more “human”. Upon triggering an echo, a ghoul will become completely listless, unable to respond or react until the echo has completed, usually within seconds.
“Memory echoes” are described as blurry faded memories that often show featureless shapes and colors, but a very strong “feeling” of a Deja-vu of the moment. They feel viscerally real and can have a mix of the senses i.e. touch and smell, but produce no recognizable faces or imagery of the self. No ghoul has ever reported fully remembering one, nor any semblance of their true past beyond the haunting leftovers.
Begin Transcript:
A Compendium of Hell’s Derivates
While there are many theories on the demonic nature of ghouls,
The true source is surprisingly Human.
Souls cannot be recreated; rather, they’re Recycled and Reborn
The cycle of ghoul creation started for unknown reasons…
But one thing is Certain:
Natural forces do not change easily.
Raw elements collide with the fuel of life itself until one connects
by His command
A violent injection of pure elemental magic
Rewrites and erases all memory and one’s past, drastically altering the soul…
These new powers lend to the powerful allies of the ministry,
However….
… new powers are a dangerous toy.
While coined as “Feral”, new ghouls would better be designated “Raw”, “Unbound”, and “Lawlessly Dangerous”
First formed, they are still elements;
Torrential, Aimless,
Incapable of coherent thought or rules
-but with time, coherence returns to the individual
Who grows much like a life cycle’s stages without necessarily aging.
The overall cycle is the same per ghoul, yet varied enough each rises differently…
First form: “Raw” – Second form (1): “Feral” – Second form (2) – Third form: “Stabilized”
Catalyst, violent, poor formation – Unaware, wild, chaotic – Conscious; can act like oneself; less raw – fully formed and recognizable
The first form, “Raw”, is notably so violent the devil himself does not release them until stage two.
The second form in stage one of a “Feral” ghoul is much like the forces of nature; free willed and wild, understanding minimal speech.
Take caution: they can be mischievous and cause decent damage.
In the second stage of a “Feral” ghoul, they behave like typical people; however, they’re still very free and may choose to never fully stabilize.
Note: you can tell they’ve reached this stage by presence of a tail and civil habits.
If desired, a ghoul reaches the final form: “Stabilized”. They’re transformed into a stable humanoid body, a form less powerful but safer.
Note: Talented ghouls can change form at will in this stage between secondary Feral and Stable.
When it comes to location, each form is most likely to be found:
Raw: Hell, contained
Feral (Stage 1): wilds/natural areas
Feral (Stage 2): wilds and civil areas
Stabilized: anywhere people go
Seeing feral ghouls is not uncommon, and can even be considered lucky!
They tend to provide free protection to keep their home
Ghouls can only stabilize via ministry ritual;
One can assume they’re ministry members if stable, even off duty.
Ghouls are uncommon, but found most places if looked for;
This seems especially true near ministry placements.
Ghouls only form from adults and don’t “age” traditionally, yet they’re still mortal
Deceased ghouls do not seem to return or recycle.
Summoning intentionally pulls only second stage feral ghouls or stable ghouls from anywhere,
They don’t always like this however (see other guide).
The cycle of ghouls serves a main purpose – as forces for the Dark One, in return for rebirth
However, there are two channels through which they serve.
1) Natural defense against corrupted holy magic
Non-stable ghouls defend at will naturally where they live
2) training to fight, protect, and uphold the ministry’s efforts in the name of the Devil.
Contrary to belief, summonings cannot grab from “nothing”;
Like the creation of a ghoul,
Their element, once developed, is what becomes pulled by nature
The force of such pull is incredible,
A disorientating test of will so great…
…it can render even the most sound minds rather violent.
This is why while some choose to stabilize, others may not;
But should a mind change, they can be freed or re-summoned.
Alternative to wild summoning, one can summon from trained ghouls over feral;
Many ghouls are trained for ministry positions all over, but any can be summoned if unassigned.
Though stabilized, unassigned ghouls are not contractually bound to anyone until assigned.
They’re great for extra work hands and being able to know what kind of team mates you’ll get without leaving it to chance.
Summoning any ghoul however reverts them to feral form, and the challenge to tame them remains the same.
Just because you know a ghoul does not mean an easy summon.
Finally, be warned: forcing unwanted breaking or upholding of a summoning contract
Will have dire consequences.
Aside from rarity of an element, there are “power classes” within each element.
Tiers:
Rarity of an element does not equal strength.
The break down is as follows:
Rare – extreme and dangerous power. These ghouls earn a specialized title.
Quite strong, stand out in their class and very sought after.
Most common tier; average and decent powers that are expectable.
Weak powers, but some uses are applicable.
Uncommon – ghouls who possess little to no powers. Ghouls in this tier may at times suddenly change power tier without warning to any other category.
S-Tier ghouls are quite rare and a sight to behold- truly, they embody nature’s power.
I have no idea how many more of these will be made (I want to do height, hair, ect at some point) But here's sheet one :)
explanation for everything hc wise and such below the cut 🐟
Water:
Water ghouls only have one kind of horn and those being the deep blue fading into a grayish blue, but with some ghouls (first observed in Mist) they will have a slight rainbow affect when the light reflects right (imagine them like those holographic stickers) . Their tails can also have a similar affect. Some ghouls even have blue patches that are bioluminescent and can spread to skin aswell. The most common areas for this are joints and cheeks.
Fire:
There are two different variations for fire ghouls, either white or the red fade variation. This is the most common ghoul type to have two different colored horns. Their tails are sharp and ashen looking, it is very easy to accidentally slice skin with it, for this reason they have unreasonably thick skin that can also withstand their fire.
Quintessence:
The horns seen above are that of a ghoul-kit, and a full grown ghoul. The purple color that ranges from blue-purples to pink-purples darkens as the ghoul gets older, white star like shapes are acommon trait but not guaranteed. Their tails are the same as their horns.
Air:
Air ghouls are by far the lightest colored ghouls (from horns down to skin). The horns take on a greyish-blue to grayish-green color, some appearing nearly all white like the fire ghoul horn type. Tails are a cloud like feel and constantly change shape like the pupils of their eyes.
Earth:
Earth ghouls have either coffee brown or a greenish color. Earth ghouls horns also darken with age. Occasionally the kind of earth ghoul with brown horns will grow vine like plants that wrap around both their tails and horns. Tail ends mimic those long leaves on trees.
Multi:
Multi ghouls are the funnest to work with because of the different possibilities, they can take on any coloration or combination of the different ghouls colors, these ghouls also have the chance with different colored eyes and horns, its still not as common as fire ghouls though. Swiss has light orange fading to grey horns and Aurora has horns that are colors that blend together in a rainbow like fashion. Their tails work the same. The most common base color for eyes are white though.
Hell-Bound:
Yes, fallen angels and hell bound angels exist with my headcannon, they take on the appearance of a ghoul slowly. Wings decay and their skin slowly darkens, horns painfully protrude from their heads and they loose their angelic abilities and get replaced with new demonish ghoul like ones. Though its common for them not to gain any power at all and have the same abilities as a human. A tell tale sign your dealing with a Hell-Bound is their eyes, once golden; now a murky yellow-brown color with pupils that resembled st. peters cross.
Anyways, ill make another post at a later date explaining heights, personality and all the other important things
if you ever want to use my hc's feel free to do so! just tag me or send your posts, I wanna see em >:]
✧.* Ghoul Headcanons - Summoning, Rarity, & Population
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Water ghouls are the most common and easy ghoul to summon for service. This is due to both their relatively submissive behaviour and over-abundance in the pits of hell. Some among the Clergy consider them the most "basic" form of ghoul because of this, however this is not scientifically backed and is generally regarded as a harmful stereotype.
While water ghouls are common and easy to summon, this fact exposes an interesting side effect. Hybrid water ghouls are far less common than any other combination; a phenomenon hypothesized by academics to stem from their geographical isolation from other elements resulting in a lack of inter-breeding. However, current knowledge of ghoul behaviour is garnered purely from topside sources and thus this cannot be confirmed.
Due to their abundance, water ghouls are a popular candidate for element transmutation rituals, being seen as largely replaceable. Of the 2 rituals that have been successfully performed within the Ghost project, both subjects were originally water ghouls.
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Quintessence ghouls are one of the rarest elemental alignments to be summoned, at least in their pure, non-hybridized form. Pure quintessence ghouls are the least common element in the pits, making up about 8% of the population. Additionally, while they are generally docile and empathetic towards humans, quintessence ghouls hold a large amount of unique power. Prolonged exposure to their raw quintessence can cause adverse effects to humans, which means that the summoning process can be both unstable and potentially dangerous if not done with proper efficiency.
Of the 4 quintessence-aligned ghouls that have worked on the Ghost project, only 2 have been pure quintessence. Of the other 2, 1 was technically a quint-air hybrid (though with a small enough air portion to completely pass as quintessence), and the other was created through elemental transmutation. The latter, however, was not able to perform long under the quintessence role due to instability of their new element- this event resulting in a ban on quintessence transmutation until appropriate advancements in ritual magic have been made.
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Air ghouls are not incredibly uncommon in the pits, taking up an equal percentage of the population as fire and earth ghouls. Due to this, there is unfortunately not much notable information regarding their commonality in summoning. However, one interesting phenomenon regarding this element is how common multi-elemental instances are. Air hybridization is known to be the most common elemental mix, for reasons unknown. It is especially puzzling when the social behaviour of air ghouls are considered. They can be quite territorial creatures outside of their pack, typically thriving when restricted to isolated locations with a topological advantage, and away from other ghouls.
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Fire ghouls, similar to quintessence ghouls, are a rarer find. However, this is conversely almost purely due to their difficulty to summon rather than any lack of populace. In the pits, fire ghouls are about as common as air or earth ghouls, however they are infamous for their testy and aggressive nature. Summoning reports state that almost half of all fire summoning attempts result in failure, and 15% end in some form of injury to the summoner.
Despite the difficulty found when summoning a fire ghoul, they are remarkably one of the easiest elements to transmute into. The body of a ghoul easily adapts to the fire phenotype, as fire ghouls contain few variable or dramatic elemental features, and dimorphic features from the subject's original element are easily cauterized away as the fire element is accepted. The Ghost Project hailed the Clergy's biggest transmutation success story, with Dewdrop (a water ghoul) successfully transitioning into a high-performing fire ghoul.
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Earth ghouls are another standard population element, with an equal population to air and fire. Despite their dominance-seeking behaviours among fellow earth ghouls, they are typically no more difficult to summon than the average air ghoul. One intriguing pattern among earth ghouls is their remarkable stability in maintaining roles in the workplace for long period of times. However, if an earth ghoul is not able to "take root" so to speak, they are incredibly susceptible to rejection of the role (even more so than water ghouls). This explains cases in which one earth ghoul is able to inhabit a role for a long period of time, but when replaced, 2-3 earth ghouls will cycle through the role before it is filled for another long-term rotation.
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╰┈➤ Many would assume that Multi-elemental ghouls would be the most difficult type of ghoul to summon, due to their rarity in earlier eras- presuming perhaps that the techniques of earlier summoners were less advanced than those currently used. However, it is in fact the opposite.
Around 30% of ghouls in the pit are multi-elemental in some capacity, due to inter-element breeding. This makes them one of the more common pulls from a standard summon. The fault of their previous rarity in fact lies with the social beliefs of the Clergy. Before Era IV, it was believed that ghouls of a pure elemental alignment would be more focused and effective in their respective instrumental talent. As such, summoners were heavily discouraged from summoning multi-ghouls for serious projects, and any that were summoned for the Ghost Project were either sent back or instead enlisted for standard duties in the Ministry.
Opinion on multi-ghouls slowly began to shift by Era III, as academics questioned these traditional ideas due to the lack of tangible evidence of multi-ghouls' shortcomings. This shift coincided with Papa Emeritus III's purposeful summoning of Swiss to be a backup vocalist and instrumentalist. His performance validated hypotheses that multi-ghouls could in fact be incredibly talented at their craft, and they have since become renowned for their performance in multi-faceted, supportive, and performance-based roles. However, multi-ghouls are still largely omitted from single-instrument roles.
