Dybbuk

The discorporated spirits called dybbuks arise from souls denied respite in the afterlife, often because they committed some great transgression in life. These spirits are said to cling to life through possessing victims to escape the punishment awaiting them in the afterlife. Only by trapping, cowing, or destroying such spirits can a mortal hope to drive them back.

Dybbuks, who are most often the spirits of men, hide within possessed victims. Their targets of possession are usually young women on the eve of their wedding nights, which can be seen as an omen of an ill-fitting match, particularly in arranged marriages. Male and nonbinary victims do exist as well, though in lesser quantities, and also often on the eve of a troubled marriage. No one knows for sure why dybbuks are drawn to such situations, though it may be because the transgressive soul of a dybbuk seeks to bring chaos to the most strictly regimented aspects of society.

A victim possessed by a dybbuk might be loud and crude, refuse to eat or drink, perform profane acts, or otherwise stir up trouble in the victim's household. The possessed victim has no memory of these events after their possession ends.

Certain classes of specially trained priests can expel dybbuks from their victims through exorcism. Typically, this uses a methodology combining smoke, the blowing of a horn from a ram, and the recitation of holy verses. Exorcisms are, however, extremely difficult and dangerous, and require great knowledge and skill on the part of the priest due to the power of these malevolent spirits.