Bàsil Òstair

Bàsil is the next dead man in the Scottish tale of the girl and the dead man. Rumoured to be a zombie, he's very lonely due to being avoided like the plague.

Appearance
Bàsil looks like a corpse. He's deathly pale, has sunken red rimmed eyes and blackened fingernails. Most people think he's creepy.

Story
A woman had three daughters. The eldest decided to go seek her fortune so her mother baked a bannock (a type of flat bread) and told her she could have a big bit with her curse or a small one with her blessing. The girl chose the big bit and went on her way. After a while she grew tired so sat down to eat, and some birds asked for some. She refused and sent them away. She travelled on until she came across an inn, and asked for work. The innkeeper accepted and told her to watch over her dead brother for the night. She fell asleep at her post and the innkeeper came in, saw her sleeping and knocked her dead with a stick.

Later the second also decided to seek her fortune. She did exactly what her sister had done, choosing the big bit, shooing away the birds and falling asleep only to be struck dead.

The third sister, when deciding to venture forth, chose the small bit with a blessing, shared with the birds, and came across the inn. She was told to watch over the man, and stayed awake sewing. The man sat up and grinned at her. She threatened to hit him with a stick if he didn't lie down. So he does. Later he does it again. Upon the third time he grins at her, she hits him with a stick. It sticks to him and to her hand and he drags her out into the forest. They run all night, branches and nuts falling in their eyes and face. At dawn they return to the inn. The girl gets paid and is given a cordial that resurrects her sisters and they go home.

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