Amytisou

Meanwhile Primo’s luscious blonde hair—

epitome of darkness cd graphics

Man there was so many options to chose from here, but I ended up going with the purple guy. He's so ☹️

A new chapter of my medieval fantasy AU is up on Ao3! Here's the link if ya wanna give it a read!

{ The Dragon's Heart }

And you get extra art this time lol:

250+ (for now!) Ghost video interviews, sorted by chronological order

I’m doing my best, I don’t have the exact date for some 😿😿

For now they’re all sorted for up to 2023. It’s still missing some data (length and such), but anyway, here’s the YT playlist for easier access.

i've posted about some of this stuff before, but i wanted to make a separate post about it because i think the canon lore material for the Nameless Ghouls is pretty interesting and cool!!

the Nameless Ghouls are humans who were killed and transformed into undead servants of The Clergy through a ritual sacrifice.

various sources indicate the Nameless Ghouls are humans.

the Era 0 Ghouls are obviously humans.

The Future Is A Foreign Land // Metal Myths

Primo has stated that the Ghoul Writer is a human.

That’s right. Ghost have their music written for them. In one online interview, a so-called “ghoul writer” is mentioned who supposedly composes melodies and lyrics with the help of ungraspable powers from beyond – devilish whispers instruct him which words should accompany which chords, and so forth. “There is indeed a human individual who composes patterns of tones and words which operate ever so beautifully in unison. However, I am of the belief that there is a higher being who speaks through this individual,” asserts the Pope. Sweden Rock Magazine (November 2010)

the Meliora lore video series The Summoning shows the Nameless Ghouls are just humans who wear costumes. the Nameless Ghouls are seen unmasked and not wearing uniforms while the band was between album cycles. Sister Imperator presented their new masks to them, and they always wore their uniforms from that point forward.

The Summoning

later, Sister Imperator says that the Ghouls' devil masks are actually meant to be the faces of their dark gods, which the Ghouls wear as representatives of the church.

SISTER IMPERATOR: You wear your masks for the press, but your masks were never intended to simply hide your faces– they are the visage of the Gods, and you mock them with your senseless orgies and trysts. Even your depravities are dull! The Summoning VI: The Proceedings Intensify

the lore also indicates the Nameless Ghouls are undead servants.

in The Summoning, Sister Imperator describes ritually sacrificing the Ghouls– she kidnapped them, tied them up, and buried them alive.

SISTER IMPERATOR: It started with a vision: you were all standing before me, hoodwinked and bound with both caddy and shack! I led you each toward a coffin, where you were made to lie down. The lids were closed, and one by one, I placed a level on the top to make sure you were still and cold in the darkness. Iron nails fell from my hands and scattered like leaves around my feet. The Summoning V: The Square And Hammer

at first, i wasn't sure if she was talking about literal events, but she later mentions the "harrowing initiation" the Ghouls went through, so it would seem that this event did actually happen and it's how the Nameless Ghouls became Ghouls.

SISTER IMPERATOR: I charge you with dereliction of duty! For the harrowing initiation you have been through, I would charge you with treason! The Summoning VI: The Proceedings Intensify

the 2022 lore video Metal Myths describes the dead Papas I, II, and III as being reanimated "faceless ghouls". though the Papas are just kept in their glass coffins and don't get to do anything else, i think this still fits with the description of Ghouls as dead servants. they were killed and are now being used in service of the Clergy.

DUSTY COMSTOCK: If the breaking of the sacred bloodline wasn't enough, what Sister Imperator did next was shocking. She had orchestrated, and had carried out, the assassinations of Papas 1, 2, and 3. They'd been housed in The Ministry since their retirements, as is customary, but Sister, with the collaboration and support of Papa Nihil, had a different plan for what should become of them: reanimate them, and use them as 'faceless ghouls' on the impending tour. Once on tour, these former Papas would be entombed in a traveling crypt, as in the catacombs of old. Metal Myths: Ghost Pt. 2 (April 2022)

the Nameless Ghouls in the band are considered to be Papa's apostles and missionaries / leaders to believers of the church.

SISTER IMPERATOR: I expect no more interruptions. You had your chance to defend yourselves. Without your guitar and drums, you are are mere acolytes, not the grand missionary men you were trained to be. You want to be equal to your Papa? Ha! [...] Why are believers still living in secret, spinning your records in their parents' basements? Why have you not led them into the murky light of His shadow? You are supposed to lead. It is your task. Your task! To lead! I think you're afraid of real change. Let's take a breath. I think I understand the problem. You think Papa's words should be enough. But then you misunderstand the nature of true power. Papa is not a mouthpiece for the Dark Divinity. He is not a pawn. He is a mediator. He is the path. His way is the truth and the darkness! And you, you are his apostles. The Summoning VI: The Proceedings Intensify

however, while the Nameless Ghouls are expected to respect Papa's authority and follow his lead, they don't actually work for Papa– they work for the Clergy / Sister Imperator.

sometimes they're given tasks unrelated to / outside of the band.

i don't really consider Escape The Ministry canon (because a lot of it doesn't make sense), but i think it offers interesting insight into the lore. Escape The Ministry states:

The unnamed ghouls are sometimes tasked with mindless administrative tasks like taxes. These directives always come from The Clergy, however. Escape The Ministry - archived video; no longer available to play :(

as for other tasks unrelated to music, Sister Imperator ordered the Nameless Ghouls to kill Papas I, II, and III. the fact that the Ghouls actually did it shows that they are more loyal to Sister Imperator + the Clergy than they are to the Papas.

Chapter Three: Back on the Road

and i'm not surprised the Ghouls don't feel loyalty to the Papas, considering they don't interact with Papa much and are often mistreated by Papa when they do. Terzo was said to be pretty nice to the Ghouls, but never really interacted with them offstage. and Secondo notably cared so little about his Ghouls that he didn't recognize them offstage and sent attack dogs on them for his own amusement.

INTERVIEWER: How has it been working with the third Papa? How is he fitting into the group? NAMELESS GHOUL: We like him, actually. He seems to be quite nice. Obviously, we haven't really done our "miles" with him yet, so we don't know him that well. And he doesn't travel with us- he sort of goes separately everywhere, and he appears just before the show and then he just disappears. So we haven't really had the time to sort of fully get to know him. But overall, he seems quite a joyful chap. Metal Injection (September 2015)

What was the moment you realised you’d made it as a rockstar? “When Papa II actually recognised my presence as OK on our last ministry meeting. It was definitely a sign that I was starting to make it!” With great stardom often comes great ego. Have you ever uttered the words: “But don’t you know who I am?!” “I have actually – several times in fact, but Papa II is just as inconsiderate as Papa I, and will hush you and then ask you to leave the backstage area.” What’s the worst fight you have ever been in? “When Papa II ordered the dogs to be unleashed on me. This happened right after he gave me the feeling of having made it.” Metal Hammer (April 2013)

the Nameless Ghouls are not part of the Clergy and are not involved in the decision-making process for the church / band.

So how would you choose Papa III? Oh he's being chosen by the clergy. It's like having a President. There's a board that decides who will be the next guy and we just have to follow and hope for a better one next time. Phoenix New Times (October 23, 2013)

and their meetings / briefings are kept separate from Clergy meetings, as shown by the title cards in the 'The Summoning' lore videos.

THE CLERGY HAS ADJOURNED AND THE NAMELESS GHOULS ARE SUMMONED… The Summoning part 1 // The Summoning V: The Square And Hammer

(to be clear, the word "summoned" here means "called into the room to attend a meeting", not literally summoned from hell or something.)

the Clergy also assigns elements to the Ghouls. the Ghouls don't come pre-installed (for lack of better phrasing) with their elements.

INTERVIEWER: You have funny signs on your costumes and guitars. NAMELESS GHOUL: They represent the elements, with the addition of a 5th, like... the aether. Yes. INTERVIEWER: So actually, they are not funny. NAMELESS GHOUL: No, they're not there for fun. They have a meaning. That's not our entire meaning, but it has a symbolic meaning. INTERVIEWER: And everyone has a symbol. Why that? Did you choose it yourself? NAMELESS GHOUL: No, they were given to us. INTERVIEWER: By the Papa? NAMELESS GHOUL: By the Clergy. Berlin Metal TV (December 9, 2013)

sadly, though, Ghouls' elements only seemed to be relevant in Eras 1, 2, and 3, when the symbols were incorporated into the uniforms. Terzo stated in his 'If You Have Ghosts' talks that the elements were simply used to distinguish the Nameless Ghouls from one another, and he referred to them as Earth, Air / Wind, Water, Fire / Alpha, and Quintessence / Omega. but starting in Era 4 and going forward, the elemental symbols were no longer incorporated into the Ghouls' uniforms, and Cardinal Copia refers to all of them as just "Ghoul" or "Ghoulette".

also, there may be Nameless Ghouls that aren't part of the band at all.

in The Summoning, a strange hooded creature can be seen sweeping the floors. not sure if this thing is a Ghoul, but Sister Imperator describes it as a "haunted servitor."

SISTER IMPERATOR: Do you see this [UNINTELLIGIBLE], this haunted servitor of our Dark Father asking for nothing while it does its simple tasks? You see it and all think, "Our instruments are far greater than that old broom!" But they are not! They are merely tools to do His great work! The Summoning VII: Believe This

in addition, Sister Imperator is specifically addressing the band's Nameless Ghouls in this meeting, but many other people can be seen in attendance who are unmasked and wearing plain clothes. they sit behind the band Ghouls (who are wearing their uniforms) during the meeting, and they stand up and applaud at the end of Sister Imperator's speech. these people might just be congregants, but it's also possible these are other Ghouls who aren't members of the band. (i'm not sure why they'd be at a meeting where Sister Imperator is addressing the Nameless Ghouls if they're just regular people.)

The Summoning VII: Believe This

so to summarize:

the Nameless Ghouls are humans.

they were killed and transformed into undead servants in a ritual sacrifice.

they work for The Clergy, not for Papa.

they're considered to be apostles and missionaries.

they sometimes have other jobs unrelated to the band.

their elements are assigned to them by The Clergy (but they're not really relevant anymore)

Will you be the American to my burger