The Soul

The soul is essentially a large reservoir of essence that is linked to each and every inch of a person’s body. Its effects are far more than that, as the soul essentially experiences the effects of the present; it is the consciousness of one’s person, and stores one’s personality and information in parallel with the mind. Removal of a soul does not leave a body dead, it simply leaves them in a detached vegetable state until they succumb to the elements if not treated. All sapient creatures bare a soul, its strength and properties determine many things about the person themselves, but most notably their potential for magical arts. In essence, the soul is a symbiotic parasite, that grants its host a greater width of knowledge and ability at the cost of draining its life essence over a very long period of time. This is known widely in Aversia as "Aging" and getting older.

Click here to read about Souls and Revivals

Physical Description

The soul in itself is a complex object comprised from millions of mana-like strings that inherently weave together to form a singular and unique purpose. The true form of a Soul can never be discerned, only made into a sensible projection by spells and other magical viewing equipment. Souls are incorporeal, only able to be manipulated by magic and other incorporeal objects, and otherwise pass freely through objects and otherwise "occupied" beings.

Variations

Soul of an Animal

Non-Applicable

The soul of an Animal is a meager spirit, and barely carry any energetic or magical potential within them. It serves little purpose then to multiply and spread throughout the realm by any means at its disposal. The soul of an animal carries only five mana within it, and is not useful unless used in large numbers as a substitute for a larger soul.

Soul of a Monster

Non-Applicable

The Soul of a monster is slightly more powerful than that of an animal. Feasting and evolving through its life, these more unique creatures garner some hint of intelligence, and in tandem their soul evolves and grows in both body and mind. The soul of a monster contains ten mana, and is capable of casting magic to a limited degree on its own.

Sentient Soul

Unless Explicitly mentioned, a normal NPC or player character carries this type of soul.

A sentient soul is the most common type to be seen by the people that inhabit Aethius, primarily for the simple fact that it is the one which inhabits a large majority of mortal beings. The sentient soul in a pure and untainted form is among some of the more powerful organisms within the realm, and have the ability to grow naturally and multiply within mortal beings upon conception, both natural and artificial, of a child. A sentient soul carries a very large amount of energy within its structure, akin to twenty mana.

Unique Variations

Soul of a Lost Familiar

Soul of a lost familiar requires a Non-Standard Character Application.

The soul of a lost Familiar is the result of an anomaly from a mortal soul breaking off too late in the cycle of conception and can cause one of two circumstances to occur. One, the soul is recombined just before birth, and returns to a normal state as if nothing had occurred, or two, the more uncommon option. The shard generates an inactive tether to the soul of their would be sibling, and passively remains near its side. In the case of the latter situation, the child once reaching the young age of 12 years old will have their body shoot up in pain, as the soul of their lost sibling now returns to the world in the form of a hollow spirit, one that idly floats about, around the tethered sibling. This spirit will behave exactly like a twin, and carries all the unique attitudes and personality, just as if they were sentient, yet unable to understand violence. The soul of a lost familiar has less energy stored within it, as about a third of it was lost upon the merge failure. Because of such, those with the soul of a lost familiar find themselves capable of using their familiar as a dual chromatic casting instrument if they are willing.

Clarifications [OOC]:

• The spirit will fully tether to the person in question, and will act sentient. Despite this, such a spirit remains completely intangible, floating about in the pale cyan hollow shape of another human being. Their appearance varies from person to person, dependent on the appearance of the twin that was almost to be.
• The spirit itself has the ability to once every 12 OOC hours become temporarily tangible for five emotes, allowing them to do acts they otherwise would be unable to perform. Normally, the spirit cannot freely phase through walls, rooftops or floors, however can walk through doors with relative ease. Along with this, these spirits do not carry an active spark, and can only be used (when willing) as a casting instrument for up to 2 strain.
• The spirit must be within range of their host at all times, or they will automatically recall back to their location in an instant. If any physical or magical harm comes to either beings, a feeling of immense pain is fraught to the partner, as if the tether was being ripped away excruciatingly. The spirit cannot be harmed by physical attacks, but is affected by any forms of Magic normally.

The spirit will recall to the host instantly if a distance of thirty meters is breached.

Split Soul

Split Soul requires a Non-Standard Character Application.

A split soul is an extremely rare anomaly when the power of a Sentient Soul is too large to produce two new beings with stable souls upon the conception of twins. When this occurs, the soul is forced to split in order to not annihilate the twins, and effectively inhibits both bodies. This occurrence is what is called a "Soul Split". The resulting twins carry the same soul, however split between the two bodies, and linked by the residual energy that remained after the split at birth. The soul’s power is split in such a manner that each person has roughly 50% the energy a regular soul does. These bodies carry relatively normal properties, but carry a few caveats, as detailed below.

Split Souls can feel pain if one of the two bodies are harmed; the actual physical injuries do not transfer, however severe enough physical damage can cause minor blood vessels to burst, causing nosebleeds and bruising as a side effect. The other individual merely feels phantom pains, where pain plagues them for no apparent reason. For example, if one body had broken a leg, the other would not infact break their bones; instead, each time either of them attempted to walk with said leg, they’d both feel the jolt of pain that comes with it. Furthermore, A split soul can only survive by keeping hold of both bodies at the same time. The link that these souls hold is so intimate, that should one body die, the other will also perish alongside it, or if the soul is mended into the pristine body of the other using complex magical manipulation.

A split soul carries with it changes to the Magical potential of the soul. If a people with a Split Soul becomes a mage, they will only have a little over half the mana capacity as a regular mage comparatively. Despite this, an interesting interaction arises should both individuals bare the same active Aurum. When this happens, not only does the link keep both souls stable, it now begins transferring mana between them. Due to each body having slightly over half the mana a stable soul does, a Split Soul has an increased magical potential, so long as both individuals are near one another. Their mana pool is larger by roughly one fifth the average person’s.

Clarifications [OOC]:

• In order for the link to transfer mana, and for the two to gain their amplified magical effects, they must be no further than thirty meters from one another and in line of sight.
  • When separated, each body has a total of twelve/nineteen/twenty-five mana each. Together, their mana pool joins.
• Those with split soul share physical pain and phantom feelings of such if one is injured. If one of them dies, the other will do the same mere seconds later.
  • They also know the precise location of where one another is, unless an advanced magical ability blocks such.

Conjoined Souls

Conjoined Souls require a Non-Standard Character Application.

Conjoined Souls are a unique occurrence that are extremely rare. Though only achievable by magical manipulation before birth under specific circumstances or an extreme magical anomaly, the benefits and downsides are further amplified compared to its well documented opposite, the split soul. There are quite a few conditions for this anomaly to occur that are not by a strange event or reaction, but when one becomes conjoined with their "other", the effects are quite clear. Conjoined souls are capable of each having fifteen spells, and when they are within thirty meters of each other, their spell and discipline knowledge automatically combine to form the total of both their persons combined. In addition to this, Conjoined souls follow the same ruleset regarding injuries, emotions and the like.

Conjoined souls do not share physical pain, but instead emotional feeling and things such as anxiety and panic following a wound, or joy from a positive event having given them a warm fuzzy feeling inside. In addition to this, each constantly know the location and rough general status of the one whom they are connected with, and perish should their other die, regardless of distance or dimension they happen to be within.

Clarifications [OOC]:

• In order for the link to transfer spells and for the two to gain their amplified magical effects, they must be no further than thirty meters from one another.
  • Each character with the conjoinment has a total of fifteen spells and four disciplines that are combined when near one another.
    • Unlike their split soul, the mana pools of conjoined souls are the same, and do not combine when close.
• Those with conjoined souls carry one another's emotions with them. They often communally share both intent and feeling, as well as the status of their connected other. They also know the precise location of where one another is, unless an advanced magical ability blocks such.
  • Should one of the two die, the other follows suit a few seconds afterwards.

Soul of a Magical Lifeform

Non-Applicable

This type of soul is hardly seen, if ever. They are extremely advanced and condensed versions of Sentient souls, yet their power manifests in a far more volatile and energetic fashion than their regular counterpart. Magical lifeforms are all around us, yet most we do not see them very often. Spirits, Elementals and everything similar to them carry these souls, yet the energy within the souls varies heavily from one to the other.

Sentient beings too are fully capable of creating and hosting these souls themselves-but they carry a few key differences. Those with the soul of a magical lifeform carry the ability to host an expanded forty spells, as opposed to the regular thirty of a normal soul. In addition-they can hold twenty more mana then the standard soul, and due to the vast magical energy within them-are effectively immortal, due to the soul not needing to leech off their life force. There are major downsides however when hosted within a mortal body.

During the first stages of carrying such a soul regardless of how one acquired it-they will begin to lose the need to eat, drink and sleep-as well as the loss of most of their emotions. This can be described as feeling almost robotic, in a sense. In addition-their forms become vastly more frail, and are susceptible to breaking bones, internal damage and death far easier then normal beings. Though it doesn't show on the outside, the body becomes far more like an egg-shell, as opposed to a strong system that it should be. Diseases, curses and other negative effects are almost entirely effective against their person, and some of the strong effects such as lycanthropy can outright kill them, as opposed to taking over. Common traits of those with souls such as these are things such as anemia, and other internal disorders that make them vastly more frail.

Clarifications [OOC]:

• People whom carry the Soul of a Magical lifeform are granted many boons magically, such as having forty spells as opposed to thirty, twenty more mana then their current cap, and are effectively immortal age-wise.
• The downsides are lack of needing to eat, drink or sleep. In addition, they lose the ability to genuinely host many emotions, both negative and positive.
  • In addition, the person becomes extremely frail, and unable to have its body defend itself against disease or poisons like some others may. Their strength and speed reduces by one stage.
    • Refer to the Speed & Strength tier chart.

Dual Souls

Dual Souls requires a Non-Standard Character Application and 2 players.

A dual soul anomaly occurs when twins in the womb result in one of them perishing. When this occurs, instead of safely dissipating, the second soul inserts itself into the body of the first, and both become somehow anchored to the same form during a brief conflict. The result is two very different people, often the same gender, within one body. As they grow, it often becomes clear to anyone from outside that personality instability is a commonplace, though only between two forms.

While the body actively grows and remains the same with no anomalies, it is noted that only a single aurum protects and encases the souls together. This could have been caused by any number of reasons, but this effective split doesn't tend to be universal through the two persons. It is noted that while one of the two souls are in control, the other apparently still sees and creates memories, as if looking through a glass window and experiencing such things. Due to this, both personalities can have different affinities toward different professions and ways of life, despite "muscle memory" being built in.

Clarifications [OOC]:

• A dual soul is two full souls in one body with two distinct and separate personalities. When one souls is in control, the other is effectively watching through a window, but telepathy between the two is available at all times, barring the other souls removal. In addition, since both actively see what is occurring, they have the same memories.
• Due to the time apart from their bodies, each soul only has a limited time to be able to learn new things. Each soul can only learn one profession and due to having just one aurum, a single aurum type.
  • In the case of a special aurum, it is possible for one person to have learned and be efficient at it while the other personality is totally inept and incapable. The same goes for mundane skills.
• The two souls controlling the single body can often fight for control, though this is left up to the player discretion on how it works.
  • Souls can relinquish control to the other at any time, however.

Overloading Soul

Overloading Soul requires a Non-Standard Character Application.

The overloading soul is a tragic case of a conception that has presented far too much magical energies in the environment around them. Though there is no idea what the exact cause is, one thing is for certain; All those with an overloading soul die young. While normally mana stored within the soul does not regenerate, of or if it does it is at a very slow pace. The overloading soul regenerates at an extreme accelerated rate, much like a cancer. Unlike a normal soul, it is not capable of releasing excess magical energy safely-if at all. As such, over the course of the growth of the person, an overloading soul can reach a massive 300 mana threshold, six times that of a sentient soul. When certain age groups are reached, the overloading soul tends to culminate in an "Outburst", releasing a dangerous and toxic amount of magical energy into the hosts body, deteriorating them further and further as they grow.

Despite its rarity the overloading soul has been researched to the ends of the mortal realm humanely to no avail. To those which inherit it this illness is terminal, and the soul is so volatile that anything more than curses will cause immediate death. Even the divines dare not touch the soul, as the volatility from environmental changes alone prevents them from even getting close. One major difference to this is that those with an overloaded soul need not sleep, eat or drink. The body sustains itself off of the massive-if not unhealthy amount of magical energy being released from the soul.

Clarifications [OOC]:

• People whom carry the Overloaded soul have their lifespan cut in half, and receive negative traits when they reach certain age groups.
• The upsides are lack of needing to eat, drink or sleep. Due to the immense amount of pain they are in, it can be said they have a somewhat higher pain tolerance, however they are knocked unconscious far more easily than the average person.
• Those afflicted with an overloaded soul can only inherit curses (barring GV), and are unable to acquire the Aura, Bond or Mana traits.
• Those afflicted with an overloaded soul carries an unnatural and toxic regeneration to their physical form, which always scars any wounds they receive.
  • Minor wounds take 3 emotes to heal, Mild takes 4, Moderate takes 5, Severe takes 6, and Lethal wounds will not heal in time regardless.
• Outbursts are an onset of afflictions that occur and evolve throughout the life of the overloaded, and are permanent and stack along with every new outburst until they die.
  • Outbursts
    • Newborn - Child
      • The overloaded seems to have an almost white lightning like crackle in their pupil, and are often struck by episodes of sudden pain with no rhyme or reason that leave them in tears.
    • Child - Adolescent
      • The overloaded no longer needs to eat drink or sleep. A dull pain is now constant through their body along with the episodes, and their veins and arteries darken to a deeper violet that is very prevalent on their skin.
      • If the overloaded suffers from vallahism, the curse is further amplified by the overloading soul, causing it so that daylight actively burns the skin of the vallah, and if they are outside and exposed for more than five emotes, they perish from injury. Because of the amplified magical energies, they do not need to feed on others, and completely bypass any notions of instinctual bloodlust.
      • If the overloaded suffers from lycanthropy, when they transform their fur is largely missing. Instead, massive blackened lightning scars wreck their body, smoking and still searing as the transformation nearly destroys the body from within. This pain makes controlling the ferality of the lycan all but impossible, however the suffused magical energy within the form is enough so that the lycan can interact and harm ethereal beings.
      • The overloaded suffers from being weaker and slower by one stage.
    • Adolescent - Adult
      • The overloaded's iris is now a pure, intangible white, and they begin to suffer from somewhat poor eyesight to far away objects. They can now see easily in the dark, if they couldn't already.
      • The overloaded's weakness is amplified, and now suffers from being weaker and slower by two stages.
      • The overloaded's soul reaches its highest unstable state, and as such even revivals for the afflicted become dangerous. If a person with an overloaded soul is revived, the overloaded must roll a 1d20 with a DC of twelve, plus two for every death they have suffered. If they fail to meet the DC, the soul shatters within the body, ruining both the soul and the body beyond repair.

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