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Recently I've been considering an idea for a fantasy series with a folklore/mystery feel; soft magic with (seemingly)arbitrary rules, rural medieval villages, etc. The work would probably have a tone similar to that of the Thickety, Shadows for Silence, Jinx, or... one other series whose name I can't remember that everyone who posts will likely guess immediately. Like all of these, it would likely be set in a large, mysterious forest, the name of which you can already guess(though it is subject to change) Wraiths Wraiths are spectral monstrosities that haunt the Wraithwood and are, unsurprisingly, the source of it's odd name. They appear as tall, vaguely humanoid masses, colored a murky dark green and with an outline not unlike that of a twisted, gnarled tree. Out off all the denizens of the Wood, they are the most likely to attack humans, and the Hunters' primary purpose is to fight off Wraiths. Wraiths are governed by a few basic rules: 1. A wraith may not enter into a home that is currently the home of children. In this case, "children" means anyone between birth and puberty. This does not necessarily mean a place where a child currently is, merely a place that the child makes their home. For example, if a family with children were to leave their house and go on a trip, wraiths would not be able to enter the house while they were gone. If said family lodged in an uninhabited home for a night while away, wraiths would be able to enter the building. 2. Wraiths are repelled by items which have been long possessed and cherished by children. For example, a favored stuffed animal or toy serves as an effective repellent. However, such items will not stop a determined wraith from attacking. 3. A wraith can only be directly harmed by an item that has shed human blood. The amount of damage the item did to the person it was used against is the same as the amount of damage it can do to a wraith; so, for example, a kitchen knife that someone happened to cut their finger on would do little more than bother a wraith if used against one. Conversely, a weapon that has been used for murder would be able to destroy a wraith entirely. If the item has shed human blood multiple times, it will be more damaging than it would be had it only hurt a human once; however, it's capability of harming a wraith will not be the sum of the two injuries caused to the humans. For example, an item that has been used to kill two humans will not be able to kill a wraith twice as easily as an item that has killed one human. Witches Witches are humans that have left human society and fallen under the influence of dark powers. They are twisted and can often be told apart from normal humans by their odd mannerisms and attitudes. Though generally reclusive, witches have been known to kidnap or curse humans on occasion. Their powers are strange and unknown, and they have an odd connection to wraiths. Witches are repulsed by peace and calm; an individual who is currently in a peaceful and unstressed mindset is far less likely to be harmed by a witch, and environments with this atmosphere, such as libraries, are uncomfortable for witches. Hunters Hunters are a group of humans dedicated to protecting the rest of the population from supernatural threats. They study the behavior and abilities of wraiths, witches, and other denizens of the Wood in an attempt to understand them. Hunters rarely last long; for a Hunter to survive to his fiftieth birthday is considered a great achievement, and at any given time the oldest one living is likely in his late thirties or early forties. Society Society in the Wraithwood is very rustic. Small, tight-knit communities, nestled away in small pockets of clear land, are the norm. Agriculture, primarily farming and ranching, is the main occupation. A set of larger semi-urban towns, known as the Vocational Communities, each specialize in a more academic expertise; for example, one specializes in metalwork, while another specializes in literature. Each of these towns has an academy dedicated to it's allotted subject, and serves as the center for that subject in the entire region. Though several towns have residents practicing the more practical specialties(for example, blacksmithing or tanning), and these individuals will often take private apprentices, the Vocational Communities are still able to maintain a system where most of the traffic in that skill goes through them. The supernatural nature of the environment also has an effect on society. For example, in many places, younger children are often sent to live with grandparents, in order to help secure the safety of the grandparents and to assist them in their old age. This is rarely divisive or detrimental, however; families will usually live entirely in one town, or at most, a few neighboring towns, and reunions are common. The single orphanage in the region, located in one of the Vocational Communities, also serves as a popular waystop and hotel. One of the largest problems facing Hunters is the lack of availability of weapons. Wraiths can only be harmed by items that have harmed humans, and they can only be majorly harmed by items that have done major harms to humans. Hunters will often purchase or be given items that have been involved in accidental deaths. Violence between humans is rare in the Wraithwood, but when it is committed, any weapons used will be given to the Hunters. Some who are nearing the end of their life volunteer to be killed in order to create such an item, but this is rare. It is possible to create an item capable of majorly harming a wraith by using it to inflict a large number of non-lethal injuries on humans, but in order to create a weapon capable of destroying a wraith with this method you have to inflict a huge number of minor injuries, or a few major ones that are potentially lethal on their own. Though all methods have been used, non of them is very efficient, and lack of weaponry remains a large problem for Hunters.