Bats- Not only creatures of disease, they are associated with the religion of Urgathoa, goddess of gluttony, undeath and disease. A common hedge witch's remedy for some diseases is to eat the hair of the bat who bit the patient.
Cabinets of Curiosities- Most families have at least one of the cabinets. Most hold a handful of exotic or unusual items. The wiser families use these cabinets to work around the Silver Standard, buying and selling these ... curiosities.
Mirrors- Mirrors in general are believed to reveal some undead as their true form and so are put on walls opposite doorways, such as in entry halls and bedroom windows. It is believed that these undead cannot stand to see their true selves and will not cross the threshold.
Plague Masks- After the Bleak Breath nearly wiped out the city of Kavapesta in 4249 these masks, and the men that wear them, have spread panic and chaos in any city they are sighted in.
Rat Kings of Calaphas- The movement of Ustalav's capitol from Ardis to Caliphas taxed the limits of an already cramped port city. The overcrowding brought crime and death to the poorer districts. Soon stories of grotesque menaces known only as Rat Kings.
Whippoorwills - Common legends use whippoorwills as messengers of the goddess Pharasma. They are said to snap up spirits like small bugs and are found lingering near the dying or fated.
Coins for the Boatman- If a person is rich or powerful enough to have a tomb or crypt to be interred in, coins are placed on the eye sockets of the body and then the face is covered with some type of cloth. These are believed to be payment to the Boatman of the river Styx.
Elves-Many Ustalavs fear any elf who takes up residence in or around human cities. This fear comes from the long life spans of elves, causing some to believe they are vampires in disguise.
Contagion-With so many real monsters and threats and so little real knowledge as to their cause, many people believe that any disadvantageous condition is contagious. Thus conditions such as insanity might be infectious, bad luck can rub off on others, dark fates threaten those around them, and efforts to work against the dark powers invite trouble and retribution. Many people incorrectly believe that Ustalavs are untrustworthy of outsiders; the truth is they are untrustworthy of everyone. Even death is viewed by Ustalavs as dangerous to be around for it is believed spirits and powers vie for the escaping soul…if the creature still had one.
“A Test of Blood”-The different regions of Ustalav all have their own regional test, but almost every county has some version of this “test”. Many locals firmly believe that these tests affirm if someone is or isn’t under some form of magical spell or compulsion. Some counties have additional superstitions and home remedies that indicate if someone is diseased or cursed. Depending on how well received a traveler to these counties is determines the difficulty of said tests. “If she floats like a duck…”
Animals-Most animal superstitions have to do with bad luck, such as cats being able to see one’s sins or foxes being red because the first fox was born amid the flames of hell. Thus it is typically considered unlucky to cross paths with or bring harm to such creatures. Many animals are also said to be allies of the dead, with crow eyes being a windows through which the dead can peer and whippoorwills heralding a coming death (finding a dead whippoorwill can be especially bad luck). Dogs, hawks, and horses, however, are the focus of many good superstitions, as their keen sense of smell, sight, or bestial intuition can alert their owners to evil before it strikes. Forge works and the craft of civilization are also said to combat the base savagery of beasts, and so silver and cold-forged iron are used in making many weapons and talismans that gird those forced to travel the wilds.
Fortune Telling- Although most dismiss casting bones, reading tealeaves, and interpreting storm patterns as the diversions of charlatans and the unbalanced, Ustalavs treat spirit boards and Harrow cards with a respectful suspicion. Most believe in these tools’ ability to commune with spirits or divine hints of the future, but also know fearful stories of dreadful powers unleashed by inexpert users. Thus, the common folk tend to avoid such divinations-and magic in general-except for in times of most dire need.
Graves-Just because something’s dead doesn’t mean it’s gone. Ustalavs hold great respect for the dead, and fear their return. Graves, crypts, mausoleums, and headstones are treated as the homes of those interred, and those who defile such places garner the ire of those within. Potter’s fields and grave shrines are often situated at crossroads, so that unquiet spirits become lost on the road rather than terrorizing their home communities. It’s also common for the corpses of the wicked or those who died mysteriously to be wrapped in chains, laden with rocks, or planted vertically or upside down, all to deter the dead from returning. The poor of Ustalav also commonly cremate their dead, and it’s said that a pinch of a loved one’s ashes sprinkled across a threshold or mixed into clay or mortar protects a place from wandering spirits.
