40K Lore: The Warp Will Consume Your Soul II – Astral Spectres
Today Loremasters, we continue our series on the myriad ways in which the Warp and the horrors within are going to eventually consume your soul unless you guard against its perfidy. This week, Astral Spectres.
Gather ’round Loremasters, for we continue our series on the dangers of the Empyrean, and how it would simply be better if we could somehow declare exterminatus upon that vast and Immaterial plane, but since it’s the only way to travel swiftly across the vast gulf of void between worlds, we apparently can’t so instead here are more horrors that will consume your soul.
Sit down Loremaster-Initiate Crenshaw, there aren’t actually any of those horrors here at the moment. Only in your mind–but er, not literally. Last week’s Empyrean Horror preferred to devour the mind, this week’s prefers to devour the soul. Come and learn of the Astral Spectres.
Astral Spectres are warp creatures formed from psychic energy and the fabric of the Empyrean, and created by the foolhardy actions of an untrained psyker. They feed off soul-essence, requiring a constant supply of warp energy to survive.
Spectres vary in appearance, but all retain the same basic form. Each is a vaguely humanoid figure, composed of semi-translucent shadow. They are uniformly vile and horrifying to behold, and their mere presence unnerves nearby creatures.
While the natural form of a Spectre is incorporeal, they are able to possess the bodies of intelligent beings. They feed off the soul of their host, leaving them as a mindless husk, and absorb some of their host’s memories, which the Spectre uses to maintain a façade of normality.
No Loremaster-initiate Crenshaw, there is not some kind of Astral Spectre test to determine who is and isn’t possessed by such a creature. That’s why they are so insidious. And that’s why it is so important for a psyker, however minor in power, to submit to training–elsewise their mind and soul are open to immortal peril. That’s why we–what is it?
Yes Loremaster-initiate Crenshaw, there’s no way to easily tell who is and isn’t a psyker, so theoretically any one of us could be possessed by an Astral Spectre. Even you. Even me. Put that candelabra down, Loremaster-initiate Crenshaw, any of us could be but none of us are–er it seems Loremaster-initiate Crenshaw has “gone Marbo” as he puts it–make sure the vents in your rooms are sealed, we’ll fetch the Arbites team to bring him down.
Again.
Editor’s note, the Loremaster office has been declared a tier-5 combat zone as of press time, meaning that a well-trained Imperial Citizen should be safe, but we advise caution nonetheless.
