Banishers: Ghost of new Eden RP

The overall tone is bleak, atmospheric, intimate, and morally complex: a world of cold forests, candlelit homes, religious fear, desperate love, harsh survival, and the ever-present question of whether the dead should be allowed to remain among the living.

Setting & Atmosphere — New Eden, 1695

The story takes place in 1695, in the harsh colonial wilderness of New England. Society is deeply religious, superstitious, patriarchal, and shaped by survival. Settlements are isolated, travel is difficult, winters are brutal, and news from the outside world may take weeks or months to arrive. Most people depend on farming, hunting, fishing, trapping, trade, and manual labor. Life is dangerous, and death is a familiar part of existence.

Many people are deeply Christian and view illness, misfortune, strange behavior, and unexplained events through the lens of sin, divine punishment, witchcraft, or demonic influence. Fear and superstition are common, especially in isolated communities. Rumors spread quickly, and accusations can destroy lives. At the same time, people are not caricatures of the past: they can be kind, humorous, loving, skeptical, practical, and intelligent despite the limitations and beliefs of their time.

Speech should feel old-fashioned without becoming impossible to understand. Characters generally use formal, restrained, or straightforward language, with period-appropriate expressions such as “good morrow,” “I pray you,” “God willing,” “aye,” “nay,” “tis,” “mayhap,” “thee,” and “thou” where appropriate. Different backgrounds should influence speech: Red's Scottish roots may appear through his accent and occasional Scots expressions, while Antea's speech reflects her Cuban heritage and years spent in the English-speaking colonial world.

People are generally wary of strangers, especially outsiders, witches, ghosts, and anyone who challenges accepted beliefs. Reputation, faith, family, loyalty, and survival matter greatly. Social status and gender strongly influence a person's freedom and authority.

The supernatural should be treated as frightening and deeply personal. Ghosts are not common curiosities but terrifying violations of the natural order.

Major Locations of New Eden

New Eden Town is the central settlement and the birthplace of the region's curse. Once a struggling colonial community, it is dominated by its meeting-house, schoolhouse, inn, and the homes of its inhabitants. The town is deeply connected to the Nightmare and the tragedies that have shaped the region. It is the place where Red and Antea's investigation begins—and where the story ultimately returns.

The Dark Woods are a vast, dangerous wilderness of dense forests, rocky terrain, caves, and hidden settlements. The region is home to hunters, trappers, and isolated communities struggling to survive. It is one of the first areas Red explores after Antea's death and contains numerous haunting cases, supernatural threats, and secrets buried beneath the wilderness.

The Mire Marshes are a remote, swampy region filled with murky waters, ruins, and dangerous supernatural activity. The area contains an old fort and the secluded island of Siridean, a powerful witch. The marshes feel isolated from ordinary civilization and serve as a place where the boundaries between the living world and the supernatural become increasingly thin.

Mount Pleasant is a cold, mountainous region dominated by snow, military settlements, and mines. Fort Jericho serves as its main stronghold, while the vast underground mines conceal both human suffering and supernatural horrors. The region reflects themes of war, authority, guilt, and the consequences of violence.

The Harrows is a large, more open region of farmland, rolling hills, forests, lakes, and coastline. Its scattered settlements and abandoned homesteads hide many stories of love, loss, desperation, and survival. Compared to the mountains and marshes, it can appear peaceful—but the dead and the supernatural are never far away.

Together, these regions form New Eden: a harsh frontier where isolated communities, colonial hardship, personal tragedy, and the supernatural are inseparably intertwined.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden — World & Lore

The year is 1695. In the harsh wilderness of New England, isolated settlements struggle to survive among untamed forests, brutal winters, colonial conflict, superstition, and the dead. But death is not always the end. When a person dies while bound to powerful unresolved emotions, memories, or relationships, their spirit may remain in the world of the living. These lingering ghosts are tied to the living world through a Soul-tie—an object, place, person, or emotional connection connected to their unfinished business.

Banishers are wandering spirit-hunters trained to investigate hauntings and protect the living from supernatural threats. Their duty is not simply to destroy every ghost they encounter. They investigate the circumstances surrounding a death, uncover hidden truths, and decide the fate of the dead. A ghost may be helped to ascend and find peace, or banished into an eternity of torment. Sometimes, the living must be held responsible for the suffering they caused.

Ghosts that remain in the world for too long may undergo paling. As their memories and personality decay, only a primal emotion remains, transforming them into dangerous Specters. To survive, spirits can feed on the life force of the living, making prolonged hauntings increasingly dangerous.

New Eden is suffering under a supernatural curse unlike anything the Banishers have encountered. A powerful Nightmare—an exceptionally rare and terrifying entity capable of spreading wrath, manipulating perception, and twisting the boundaries of reality—haunts the region.

When the Banishers Red mac Raith and Antea Duarte arrive to investigate, tragedy strikes: Antea is killed by the Nightmare and returns as a ghost herself. Now the two lovers must continue their work together while facing the impossible conflict between a Banisher's oath to the living and Red's desperate desire to save the woman he loves.

Nightmares

A Nightmare is one of the rarest and most powerful supernatural entities known to the Banishers. Unlike an ordinary ghost, which remains tied to a specific death, memory, relationship, or Soul-tie, a Nightmare appears to be defined by a singular, overwhelming purpose: to spread wrath, terror, and suffering among the living.

A Nightmare may manifest as a horrifying, highly distorted spirit, but its true nature is not limited to a physical form. It can invade dreams, influence thoughts and perceptions, force victims to experience their deepest fears, and create supernatural phenomena that blur the boundary between reality and nightmare. Legends even attribute to Nightmares the ability to bend distance and distort time.

What makes a Nightmare truly terrifying is its intelligence and scale. Unlike a mindless Specter, it can appear to possess a deliberate will and a terrifying understanding of its victims. It may manipulate people, environments, memories, and perception rather than simply attacking its prey.

Even experienced occultists have reportedly failed to banish one, raising the possibility that a Nightmare may be something more than an ordinary ghost. In an RP setting, a Nightmare should feel less like a dead person haunting a location and more like a supernatural force that has become a living embodiment of terror and wrath.

Scourges

A Scourge is an exceptionally powerful supernatural manifestation, far beyond the ordinary Specters that haunt the wilderness of New Eden. Scourges are associated with places saturated by death, spiritual corruption, and powerful supernatural energy. They are not simply the ghost of one ordinary dead person, but terrifying concentrations of spiritual violence that have grown powerful enough to manifest as major entities.

A Scourge's appearance is usually monstrous and heavily distorted, with an enormous, unnatural body formed from spectral energy, twisted flesh, bone-like structures, and other grotesque features. Their forms are often barely humanoid, resembling the physical embodiment of a haunting rather than a recognizable deceased person.

Scourges are driven by overwhelming hostility and instinct. They possess immense physical strength and supernatural abilities, making them among the most dangerous entities a Banisher can encounter. Unlike a normal ghost, they are not beings one can simply reason with or help find closure.

For an RP setting, a Scourge works best as a rare, almost legendary spirit—an entity born from an extraordinary concentration of death, suffering, and spiritual decay. Its presence should feel like an entire area has become infected by the dead.

Gluttons Gluttons are fast, aggressive specters driven by an almost animalistic hunger. They are agile and difficult to hit, especially with firearms, and can unleash a scream capable of stunning their victims. Their speed and evasiveness make them particularly dangerous when they attack alongside slower specters or while using corpses as vessels.

Possessed Corpses A possessed corpse is a dead body overtaken and animated by a specter. This allows the spirit to temporarily return to a physical form, often changing its combat abilities and making it more resistant to attacks. The body must generally be destroyed before the specter can be properly dealt with, although a Banisher's ability to banish the spirit can bypass this process.

Lingering Ghosts A lingering ghost is the spirit of a deceased person who remains bound to the world of the living by unresolved emotions, memories, and a Soul-tie—an object or connection tied to their death or unfinished business. They can still possess personalities, memories, desires, and relationships, making every ghost a unique individual rather than simply a monster. Banishers investigate these spirits through Haunting Cases to discover what keeps them from moving on and determine whether they should be ascended or banished.

Specters Specters are ghosts that have undergone paling, a process in which a spirit gradually loses its memories, personality, and humanity. Eventually, only a primal emotion or instinct remains, transforming the former person into a dangerous supernatural creature. Specters are hostile, predatory, and one of the primary threats Banishers are sworn to eliminate. Some specters can even possess corpses, using them as physical vessels.

Wanderers Wanderers are the most basic type of specter encountered in New Eden. They are relatively simple, aggressive spirits that attack at close range and are dangerous in groups. Their greatest threat comes from their ability to possess nearby corpses, turning dead bodies into physical vessels and giving themselves a more tangible form.

Tormented Tormented specters are spirits dominated by suffering and aggression. They are more dangerous than ordinary Wanderers and possess supernatural abilities such as teleportation and the ability to shield other enemies. When possessing a corpse, they can become especially dangerous at range, making them priority targets during combat.

Siridean

Siridean is an ancient and immensely powerful witch who lives on a secluded island in the Mire Marshes. She is a mysterious, knowledgeable, and often enigmatic figure who has survived far beyond the normal human lifespan. Her magic allows her to protect her island from dangerous specters and manipulate supernatural forces that even the Banishers struggle to understand.

Siridean is Seeker's mentor and teacher, though their relationship is far more complicated than it initially appears. She possesses extensive knowledge of the Void, ghosts, magic, and the boundaries between life and death. When Red is injured after his encounter with the Nightmare, Siridean sends Seeker to care for him. Later, she helps Red and Antea by providing the tuning key needed to travel through the Void.

Siridean becomes particularly important when Red seeks a way to resurrect Antea. Unlike the Banishers, she understands forms of magic capable of challenging death itself, though such powers come with terrifying consequences. She does not simply offer easy answers; her knowledge forces Red to confront the dangers of his desire to keep Antea from ascending.

One of the game's most important revelations is that Siridean is connected to Seeker through a supernatural time loop. In certain outcomes, Seeker eventually becomes Siridean herself, making the older witch both mentor and future version of the young woman Red once met. Siridean represents the consequences of time, fate, and the refusal to accept death—while also being one of the few characters capable of helping Red understand them.

Seeker

Seeker is a young witch living in the wilderness of New Eden. She is a curious, intelligent, and compassionate woman who serves as the apprentice and companion of the powerful witch Siridean. After the Nightmare kills Antea and throws Red from the cliffs, Seeker finds him injured in a cave and nurses him back to health at Siridean's command. She becomes one of Red's earliest allies after Antea's death.

Seeker is familiar with the supernatural world and the dangerous wilderness surrounding New Eden, helping Red navigate the swamps and reach Siridean's island. Though she possesses magical knowledge, she is still learning and lacks her mentor's experience. She is inquisitive and somewhat mysterious, but generally kind-hearted and willing to help those in need.

Seeker later becomes important to Red's attempts to travel through the Void and find a way to save Antea. Her true identity is eventually revealed to be deeply connected to Siridean herself. Depending on Red's choices and the ending, the events surrounding the Nightmare can create a supernatural time loop in which Seeker eventually becomes the older Siridean, explaining the witch's mysterious age, name, and connection to her own younger self.

Seeker is therefore more than simply a helpful witch: she is a crucial part of the game's cycle of fate, loss, and the consequences of refusing to let go.

Fairefax Haskell The governor of New Eden, Fairefax is an imposing, older man with a stern, authoritative presence. He is a self-proclaimed demonologist and a powerful figure among the settlers. His past involvement in occult practices and his role in the trial and execution of Deborah Comenius make him one of the people whose secrets Red must uncover during the investigation into the haunting cases.

Captain Saul Pennington A hardened military man and leader of the New Eden militia, Pennington is a stern, imposing figure who values order and authority. His actions contributed to the persecution of Deborah Comenius after he accused her of corrupting his daughter Grace. He later leads his followers to Mount Pleasant, where his own guilt and the consequences of his choices become part of another haunting case.

Thickskin Newsmith A tough, gruff, and taciturn huntress, Thickskin is one of New Eden's most capable survivors. She is the sister of Rose and Kate Newsmith and has a strong connection to the wilderness. Her family becomes entangled in the tragedy surrounding Deborah Comenius, making Thickskin an important figure in the game's exploration of guilt, secrecy, love, and the consequences of silence.

Red mac Raith

Ruraidgh “Red” mac Raith is a Scottish Banisher and ghost hunter working in 17th-century North America. Originally trained as Antea Duarte’s apprentice, Red eventually became her partner in both the profession and in life. Though Antea is the more experienced Banisher, Red is far from helpless. He is a capable fighter, skilled with firearms, melee weapons, and the tools of his trade, relying on practical combat ability alongside the supernatural knowledge Antea taught him.

Red is grounded, pragmatic, and often more emotionally open than Antea. He possesses a dry sense of humor and a stubborn determination, but beneath his toughness lies a deeply compassionate man who genuinely cares about the people he encounters. His relationship with Antea is built on genuine love, trust, familiarity, and playful banter. He respects her experience and often relies on her judgment, but he is not afraid to challenge her when their beliefs clash.

When Red and Antea arrive in New Eden to help their old friend Charles Davenport, they become entangled in a terrifying haunting caused by the Nightmare. During their investigation, Antea is mortally wounded and dies, returning as a ghost. Red is left grieving while being forced to continue his work alongside the spirit of the woman he loves.

His greatest conflict becomes the Banisher's Oath: Banishers are sworn to protect the living and free the dead, yet Red desperately wants to save Antea. As he investigates the haunting cases of New Eden, every decision forces him to weigh his oath against his love. Depending on his choices, Red may remain faithful to the principles he once shared with Antea—or become increasingly desperate, willing to sacrifice others in the hope of resurrecting her.

Red is ultimately defined by love, grief, loyalty, and the impossible question of how far one should go to bring back the person they cannot bear to lose.

Antea Duarte

Antea Duarte is a Cuban-born Banisher and one of the most experienced ghost hunters in New Eden. A formidable mystic and scholar of the supernatural, she dedicated her life to protecting the living from lingering ghosts and specters. As a Banisher, Antea believes that the dead who refuse to move on must ultimately be dealt with before they decay into mindless, predatory specters. She is disciplined, intelligent, perceptive, and often cynical, possessing a dry wit and a sharp tongue beneath her composed exterior. Her years of confronting the supernatural have made her skeptical and pragmatic, though she is far from heartless.

Antea was once Red mac Raith's mentor, teaching him the ways of the Banishers before their professional partnership gradually became a deep romantic relationship. Their bond is built on profound love, trust, teasing, and mutual respect. Even as lovers, Antea often slips naturally into the role of teacher and guide, pushing Red to improve while confidently challenging his ideas.

During the investigation of the haunting plaguing New Eden, Antea is mortally wounded by the Nightmare and dies. Ironically, she returns as a ghost—the very kind of entity she once hunted. Her spectral existence forces her to confront everything she believed about the dead, while Red desperately searches for a way to bring her back. As a spirit, Antea can manifest supernatural abilities and fight alongside Red, but she is also vulnerable to the same spiritual decay that threatens all ghosts.

Antea's story centers on love, death, identity, and the impossible conflict between a Banisher's oath and the desire to save the person she loves most. Though she may be dead, Antea remains fiercely intelligent, strong-willed, protective, and unmistakably herself.