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Haunt are sometimes thought to be reflections of emotionally charged events, but are actually very weak spirits imbued with only the tiniest drop of memory or will. Most of the time a Haunt simply endlessly repeats a given event, or a small selection of scenes, but sometimes they'll seem to react to something in their environment or experience a moment of clarity. Most Haunts only last a decade or so, though particularly complex or emotionally charged spirits might double that life-expectancy.
Most people who linger after death linger as Haunts, who account for approximately 40% of hauntings.
Shades are significantly more responsive than Haunts and more capable of self-awareness, but do not understand that they are dead and often go about their everyday tasks as best as they are able (depending on their Anchors). Shades have a poor memory for anything that takes place after their death, and only adapt to new circumstances with a certain slowness, but are capable of learning to some degree. They are amazingly astute at glossing over anything that contradicts their belief that they are alive and everything is normal. A Shade can last anywhere from 25 to 50 years after its death.
Nearly as common as Haunts, Shades account for some 30% of hauntings.
Ghosts are free-willed, intelligent, and fully cognizant of their surroundings. Ghosts are also quite varied in everything from appearance to temperament, and are capable of consciously manifesting to the living (if with some difficulty). Most actual "Hauntings" that people actually notice are caused by Ghosts, as they will actually go out of their way to draw attention to themselves for some reason or another. Ghosts tend to have some business with the living, rather watching over family members or trying to avenge a murder. Ghosts that don't quickly resolve the issues keeping them bound to this plane can last indefinitely.
Among the rarest breed of spirit, Ghosts only account for 10% of hauntings.
Wisps are free-willed, intelligent, and fully cognizant of their surroundings. They are also capable of powerful manifestations, even such things as possession or physical manifestation, and are overwhelmingly tainted with malevolence. Most stories involving Wisps are tales of true terror and horror, and many are never told because those involved simply didn't survive, but the true terror of Wisps is that they have no notable goal nor any obvious connections to the living world. They simply linger of their own will, inflicting themselves upon the living until exorcised or banished.
Fairly rare, but not as rare as a proper Ghost, Wisps account for 20% of hauntings.
The above terms are 'technical terminology', known to some paranormal investigators, ghost-hunters, and a few ghosts themselves. An individual who experiences regular contact with the other side will probably understand the basic types of spirits, but might not know the exact terms used above. Those with contacts among published paranormal experts, however, will probably know these categorizations.
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