Ghosts are the most commonly seen type of Undead spirit, arising when the circumstances surrounding a person's death cause some part of his or her soul to remain near the place of death in the mortal world. The most common reason is that the person was not buried properly -- either not in consecrated ground, without the correct funerary rites, or both. Sometimes a Ghost may also arise because a person died with some great task unfulfilled, or was murdered by a killer who is still at large.[1a]
Unless somehow coerced by powerful evil forces, Ghosts are not usually malevolent. Some may be mischievous and enjoy scaring the living. Most, however, wish only to be released from their tormented existence and pass on to Morr's Realm. A Ghost may seek to enlist the aid of the living to perform this release; perhaps by ensuring its body is reburied on consecrated ground, or by bringing its murderer to justice.[1b]
Barrow Ghosts[]
Barrow Ghosts are the Ghosts of servants who were sacrificed to defend or attend to the Barrow King in his next life, but others were chosen to protect his earthly remains from grave robbers and other ne'er-do-wells. Such beings drift between this world and the next, insubstantial creatures that cannot interact with the mortal world, bound forever to guard their master's corpse. Though they lack physical form, they are deadly nonetheless, for their very presence burns the living with a blistering cold.[2a]