Groaning spirit

The groaning spirit, sometimes erroneously referred to as a banshee, is the spirit of an evil female Elf -- a very rare thing indeed. Groaning spirits hate the living, finding their presence painful, and seek to harm whomever they meet.

Groaning spirits appear as floating, luminous phantasms of their former selves. Their image glows brightly at night, but is transparent in sunlight. Most groaning spirits are old and withered, but a few who died young retain their former beauty. The hair of a groaning spirit is wild and unkempt. Her dress is usually tattered rags. Her face is a mask of pain and anguish, but hatred and ire burns brightly in her eyes. Groaning spirits frequently cry out in pain -- hence their name.

Groaning spirits are formidable opponents. The mere sight of one causes fear, causing the unfortunate to flee in terror. A groaning spirit's most dreaded weapon is its wail or keen, which can cause the weak of heart to die immediately, their faces contorted in horror.

Note: Groaning spirits originally appeared in this form in the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.