Occult Lore

There are many strange things that exist in this world. Any ideas or stories of supernatural beings and occurrences are known as "notions." Many notions are taken as fact, even though they might be rare, but some aren't widely believed. Most folks just ignore these things and go on about their lives.

Demons
Foul, sulfur-smelling servants of Satan himself. That's what demons are. Many people have stories about run-ins with demons, but its hard to tell if they're genuine, what with human nature being so foul in and of itself.

Haints
Sometimes when folks die, they stick around for a while. This is a known truth among all people. Some are simply benign souls who can't make their final journey for whatever reason, but some are malevolent spirits who exist as rage incarnate, intent on dragging everyone they can to the afterlife with them.

Magic
Magic exists in the world, and it was first widely seen used by the natives in their wars against European settlers. It can be extremely potent, but it wasn't enough to overcome the guns, germs, and steel of the Europeans. It is now a sacred teaching among the native populations, though some outsiders have learned the secrets as well. It is said that darker, more secretive magics were practiced throughout the world but were kept out of the light of day.

Others
The "others" refers to beings of a magical nature who aren't human.

Undeath
There are many stories about the dead rising up with renewed life. Some stories paint it as divine intervention, put others use a darker brush. Stories of the ghouls from the battlefields in the civil war are widespread, but they are so horrific that many don't want to contemplate them too much. Some scientists have explored what exactly makes some people keep on living when their body won't, but so far they haven't found anything. Well, at least nothing they want to share.