The Svrakiss were the supernatural enemies of Jaddeth in the doctrine of the Derethi religion,[1] half ghost, and half demon.[2]
Shu-Dereth
The Svrakiss were the souls of men barred from entrance into heaven for hating Jaddeth in life,[1] and so were condemned to wander Sel, bitterly cursing their fate and preying on the living.[2] The Derethi believed that they had the ability to take of the bodies of living men and control their actions.[1] When someone who followed Shu-Dereth had bad luck or a difficult time, they believed that the Svrakiss were to blame.[3][4] The Svrakiss were considered to be a representation of absolute evil.[2]
History
The Svrakiss were initally a Svordish concept that was adopted by the Derethi.[2]
When Elantris fell, the Derethi claimed that the Elantrians had really been Svrakiss all along, using their evil powers to perform magic to make the weak-minded worship them.[1] This was not a belief shared by the Korathi priests.[5] Hrathen and Dilaf used this excuse to attempt to turn the Arelish against the Elantrians,[6] although Hrathen did not genuinely believe that they Elantrians were Svrakiss.[1]