=Banshee=

The banshee, or bean seigh in Gaelic, holds a special place in this author's heart (as special a place it can hold, that is). I first sought out the wailing woman while 19 years old, traveling in the Aran Islands. It did not take long for me to hear the terrifying keening that is her calling card, as it were.

The banshee scream, or its "keen" is at once siren-like and repulsive, like the scent of rotting meat or vomit. It is most certainly a song, and its lyrics are immediately discernible. My notes contain the following couplet:
"If rest and comfort only is all thou desire/
Attend then upon me, and caress the gold lyre."
Tradition holds that the keening is a harbinger of death, this is not strictly true. It simply means that at midnight, the wailing woman will present herself seeking your body for sustenance.

She is a strikingly beautiful but gaunt woman dressed in a pale white dress. She floats half a meter above the ground and does not appear to possess feet. Her skin is a strong white, and her eyes are milky and pupil-less.

She is not the most accomplished wrestler in the bestiary (that honor belongs to the minotaur) but she is no pushover. Her ability to levitate along with her ear-splitting scream are powerful weapons, be sure to bring a silver blade, it is the only substance which may pierce her skin. In order to fully kill her, you must sever her vocal cords. They are incredibly taut and produce a sharp, musical twang when cut. Leave the body where it lies: the Irish are familiar with what to do after this.

-HTK


(for future reference, any entry ending with HTK was written by Charles Ian Stanton, from his How To Kill entries on /x/)