In the ancient lore of the Netherbound, these specters are not just ghosts but remnants of souls so powerful or deeply tethered to the mortal world that they defy the very call of the afterlife. Unlike typical ghosts, Netherbound spirits are souls with a lingering purpose so profound that it has etched itself into their essence, binding them to certain places, objects, or individuals. Each Netherbound is unique, marked by the circumstances of its death or by the life it once led, which dictates where, when, and how it manifests in the material plane.

For the Netherbound, lingering purpose is not merely a lasting regret but an unquenchable yearning. Some seek vengeance for their death or protection for loved ones they left behind; others are bound by oaths unfulfilled, promises unkept, or missions incomplete. There are Netherbound who haunt battlefield ruins, eternally fighting battles that ended centuries ago. There are those whose purpose is simpler but no less fierce—like a mother seeking to shield her descendants from harm or a warrior sworn to protect a kingdom that has since fallen to ruin. More sinister Netherbound are driven by spite or hatred, haunting entire bloodlines with a relentless hunger to destroy every descendant of those who wronged them.

Hauntings by the Netherbound are accompanied by ghostly manifestations that defy the natural order. Places marked by their presence seethe with an atmosphere of cold, unrelenting sorrow. Fires inexplicably dim in rooms they occupy, as though the flame itself shrinks from their presence. The air might fill with unnatural silence, broken only by echoes of laughter or sorrowful whispers. At times, a stifling odor chokes the senses—a reminder of the ghost's final moments. While some Netherbound spirits move objects or cause the dead to stir, these manifestations are not conscious acts of will but the passive emanations of a soul burdened by its own past.

Freeing a soul from its Netherbound state requires more than force—it demands a profound understanding of the ghost’s past and purpose. Only by addressing their lingering purpose can they finally find rest. Alternatively, a mortal might sever their bond to this world by invoking their weaknesses: the lingering ties to their former life. The ghost of a tortured soul, for instance, might recoil in agony at the sight of instruments that once caused it pain, while a spirit tethered to a cherished home might grow weaker when faced with the sound of familiar lullabies or the scents of a lost garden.

To be Netherbound is to exist as an imprint of the past, clinging to shadows of memory and desire. These ghosts are bound as much to the hearts of the living as they are to the bones of the dead—a testament to the strength of mortal bonds that even death itself cannot sever.