The Candle-Wife
Urban legend / NPC / Minor Spirit
She walks the alleys at dusk, barefoot and silent, her body pale like wax left too long in the sun. Her hair curls like smoke, and her eyes flicker faintly in the dark.
Long ago, her husband was lost at sea. Each night, she lit a candle for him, hoping he'd return. When he didn't, she kept lighting them. For weeks. Then years. Then decades. Until one night, the candle was her.
Now she drifts through the quiet corners of the city, leaving the scent of ash and salt behind her.
Locals say:
If you're lost and light a candle for her, she'll guide you home.
If your heart is heavy with grief, she'll listen. But she always takes something in return.
If you try to follow her too far, you may never return
Some believe she's just a story.
Some believe she's mercy
Some know she's something else entirely.
How to use her in your game:
A spirit who offers cryptic guidance or boons in exchange for tokens of grief (locks of hair, tears, memories)
A warlock patron whose gifts are subtle, flame-based, and emotionally charged.
A minor urban deity whose shrine is a cluster of candles hidden beneath a bridge.
A haunting encounter: a soft light in the alley... and the chance to speak to someone you've lost.
