What if it’s like the Pied Piper story and they just wonder away, pulled by some unknown force, and disappear. Some have not been affected (are immune or whatever), and so remain as the survivors?
So, basically, a guy comes with a flute and takes rats away with the flute to save the town. Then later, the same guy’s flute attracts children and the children follow him and they’re never seen again.
It’s unclear if he had ill intentions… Some versions write it so that you don’t know if he was trying to take the children all along or not.
On Alagossia, ghosts, spirits, phantoms, and zombies are called Os’zars which means the living dead or the dead who still breathes aether. Os’zarin is when an Os’zar takes possession of a body or some object.
However, those who are banished or exiled or kicked out of something or someplace are called Ghosts. They are treated like ghosts as they no longer exist and are considered dead to others.
Decided that there are some rodents who are friends of the birds only to get insider information. AND there are birds who are friends of the rodents to get insider information.
And all the while, the real enemy has been doing whatever the heck they want.
This has been going on for decades and decades by the time the story starts.
Lesser demons cannot disobey princes of hell. Not only is it the rules of demonics, but it is something that is like a primal instinct they can’t help but do. And so, if a prince of hell asserts his or her status as the boss of the land, they have to abide to the rules whether they like it or not.