This page covers full in-lore explanations and functions of Spirits as a concept. This means this largely supports lore for the Mystech Page but is not required reading for most roleplay. It exists to establish plot lines and basic functions of the lore universe. We have made little effort not to make this page look dense, so we only recommend reading it to those with a vested interest in Spirits as a concept or the deeper lore rules of their functioning in the world of Aloria.
Spirit Alignment
Spirits can, generally speaking, only be aligned to one Dimensional Alignment (except for Primal Revenants). These alignments also affect how they compare, so this section sets out the basic information of how Spirits can be viewed compared to other Spirits, mortals, or the greater and more powerful Spirits mentioned further on this page. While they all have unique names, all forms of Spirits have the same Proficiency capabilities and Roleplay Mechanic access when it comes to character design for fairness's sake, even if the lore states that some Sprits are weaker than others.
Void Spirits: Demons
Demons, as a term, is most commonly and widely used to define any Spirit. It's an incorrect labeling that is applied widely because of the ignorance among the common people towards the nature behind Spirits. Demons are the most common Spirits across Aloria, purely because of the number of Void Invasions that have happened and the number of Kathar/Evolism believers who choose the Void Gods to transcend their soul into a Spirit. Void Demons are considered strong but very obvious -they love to make their presence known and are usually not very subtle. They are inclined to all the vices of the Arken but, in being so, are considered very predictable.
Exist Spirits: Apparitions
Apparitions, as a term, is rarely used because Exist Apparitions are often mistaken for Demons despite being from opposing dimensions. Apparitions are far less numerous because the Exist Gods and Estel have been far more conservative with creating Spirits, not sprinkling them around as cannon fodder for war but purposeful designation where religiously or morally relevant for their creators. Exist Apparitions are considered weaker but far more elusive, they are adept at hiding and working in mysterious and unseen ways to fulfill their own or their creator's goals. They are inclined to the virtues of the Arken but, in being so, can be quite cruel.
Ordial Spirits: Shades
The term "Shade" is inherently a slur for Spirits from the Beyond, with their preferring to use the term "Facsimile." The truth lies in the middle. Shades are created when Ordial Entities consume them. The Ordial Entities will take elements of the soul, such as memories, emotions, and abilities, and when the Shade appears it is considered an incomplete copy of the soul. This does not impede a Shade's ability to become a great fighter or magical entity but weakens their capacity to manipulate and control mortal souls. Shades should never be underestimated because despite most being mindless drones who are strictly controlled by Ordial Entities, they are capable of becoming skilled and dangerous beings of violence.
Alorian Spirits: Revenants
Aloria's native Spirits are called Revenants, and they are only created in very specific conditions. They are never induced into some sort of Spirit Legion from Alorian entities unless they become Planar Aligned to the Void/Exist/Ordial and join their Legions willingly. Primal Revenants are, very much like Shades, incomplete souls as a byproduct of the process of their creation. Unlike Shades, however, they are still incomplete fragments of their original soul, but they are missing certain memories, feelings, relations, or emotions. Primal Revenants are bound to the mortal world because of a strong feeling or an incomplete life goal or mission that they have yet to complete. This also means that if this precondition to their creation is fulfilled, their soul will become complete and they will pass on into the appropriate afterlife. As a result, Primal Revenants are considered even weaker than Shades because their existence is temporary. However, Planar Alignment changes disrupt this nature and make them more permanent.
Theurgists
Theurgists are people who have some experience or make it their life-trade to summon any form of Spirit into Aloria. Theurgists are sometimes also called Karamatologists (this is a Suvial term), or Warlocks, a less common name--and a slur, according to some theurgists. Theurgy, as an art, is almost widely reviled by all Religions and all legal systems, save for those where the exact nature of a transdimensional Spirit and cultural-religious Spirit somewhat overlap (discussed further in the Interpretations section). Theurgists always try to hide their practices from the prying eyes of the government and any organization that hunts Spirits or Spirit summoners. There can be some genuinely skilled theurgists who know exactly what to say to make the right pacts and bargains with Spirits to always come out on top, but, generally speaking, the history of theurgy is littered with the corpses of the unprepared and overconfident summoners who either were invaded or just exploded on the spot for contracting powers they could not control. Out of all magical practices, theurgy is considered the most dangerous and unpredictable, but also the highest reward yield, as Spirits are commonly held to be the most powerful and versatile tools to acquire more might and influence.
Theurgists distinguish a difference between what they call summoning--the act of calling forth an independent Spirit with their mind--and evoking-- the act of calling forth a lesser Spirit. Summoned Spirits are always vaguely humanoid or some other form of monstrous appearance and speak with their own will and thoughts. Evoked Spirits do not usually have a voice or will make bestial or magical grunting noises, and are rarely ever humanoid, more often appearing either like clouds of magical essence or light or a demonic-looking creature or impish fiend. Evoked Spirits are dumb but can be trained to do simple tasks like cleaning or carrying things around, while Summoned Spirits can only be tricked into these activities and are more liable to rebel and kill the Summoner if they let their guard down thinking they successfully reduced a powerful Spirit into being their personal house servant. Evoked Spirits have no functional will of their own and will always be under the control of the Summoner, even when the Summoner leaves. Summoned Spirits (or Spirits that were bound to a Summoner's will, such as Suvial-captive Spirits), are extremely dangerous because they become independent when they leave the vision range of their owner. The Summoner can only give commands while near the Spirit, and so a Spirit will always seek time away from its master to do things that the Summoner neglectfully did not tell it not to do. Theurgists who ignore or let their Spirits roam freely without oversight or a complex 100-layered command contract are considered extremely novice and carelessly naive Spirit owners.
Theurgy Limits
Theurgy is much like a skill - it can be trained and improved, and also weakened by lack of use. However, theurgy, generally speaking, has an upper limit for practical reasons. A theurgist can control hundreds of Evoked Spirits without any problem. These entities will not seek freedom from their host or controller because they have no concept of it, but the number of Summoned Spirits that can be controlled at any time is usually capped at 2 to 3 for practical reasons. This reason is that any more Summoned Spirits would divide the attention of the Summoner too much to the point it would endanger their work. Even though Spirits have an agreeable contract with their owner, Spirits always long to be free of any kind of control (often even their Spirit Sovereigns, but choose to remain part of the legion for practical reasons). Having more than the recommended number of Spirits causes one's mind to be too divided, and makes one unable to keep tabs on what each Spirit is doing at any given time of the day, thus increasing the odds that one will break free and shatter the mind of the theurgist or invade their body and take over. Even in the case of voluntary invasion, no more than 3 Spirits can physically exist inside a mortal body before it simply explodes. There are unnatural ways to extend this number, but they usually involve artifacts or god-given blessings or powers. Lastly, Summoned Spirits also cannot summon more Spirits (except for Evoked Spirits, which are utilized like cannon fodder). There are exceptions for Spirit Dukes, Sovereigns, and Arken, but a rank-and-file Spirit cannot summon other Spirits of the same rank or power unless they are specifically controlling the body of a theurgist with their soul intact, and using them instead.
Suvial Exceptions
The Suvial art of karamatology is an exception that is born out of a mixture of genetics and culture. At its base, karamatology represents a series of expertly crafted rituals and commands for Spirits that subject them to the will of the Suvial (or Half-Suvial) individual. However, these rituals and commands would never fully function without the very specific keenness in the mind of Suvial that allows them to spread their active attention to both their surroundings and a much larger number of Spirits elsewhere. Simpler put, their brain is capable of sequencing multiple thoughts at the same time when it comes to spatial awareness and the existence of multiple Spirits, meaning they are not at risk of being killed by their minions if they go over 3 Spirits. It is still strongly recommended they keep a tight lid on the freedom of their Spirits, however, as any Spirit that is left to wander too far from its retainer and allowed to do whatever it wants is one very likely to betray its master, or, in the best case scenario, make them appear like an incompetent clown to other karamatologists. The Suvial consider Spirits nothing more than tools to be used. This is also why there is no wider explanation of their cultural stance on this page.
Spirit Catalysts
Spirit Catalysts are objects, concepts, or ideas that interact with Spirits in some way or another, creating a unique result or interaction.
Canopic Jars
Canopic jars are small earthenware pots blessed with a mixture of divine blessings as well as spirit-constrained rituals that turn them into effective prisons for Spirits. Spirits normally cannot be held by conventional means, but Theurgists have found a way to use old Asha burial practice jars which were once believed to help their dead ascend to the Khama afterlife, to both capture and contain Spirits against their will. A Spirit that is captured inside a canopic jar is unaware of reality outside of it, and cannot ever be released without outside help. Outsiders however can break open these very fragile jars, as they are just made from earthenware and cannot be reinforced with Magic in any way, or risk infusing it with the very essence which would cause the Spirit to break free. Canopic jars work on both Summoned and Evoked Spirits, but not any of the higher more powerful beings. They do not decay over time and are usually kept safely stored for centuries. Anyone familiar with theurgy can hold a canopic jar and tell what Spirit is in it and how powerful they are. It is possible only for theurgists to temporarily release a Spirit from a jar before returning it. Any other layperson opening a jar immediately shatters it and sets the Spirit free.
Spirit Bylaw
The Spirit Bylaw is an ideological concept that many, but not all, Spirits ascribe to that is difficult to logically understand for outsiders not intimately familiar with why Spirits choose to live among mortals. Many Spirits decide as a "bylaw" to impose an internal weakness on themselves for no particular reason but to increase the chances of them being defeated or outsmarted. For example, Spirit Sovereigns impose their weakness in that they pretend to need to know someone's full name to possess them or send a Spirit into their body. Simply put, they do not, but this self-imposed limitation creates a form of cat-and-mouse game that the Spirit Sovereigns enjoy. Similarly, any other Spirit might impose their own self-detrimental rule like an inability to cross flowing water, an inability to see a person standing in the snow, or an inability to possess a person unless they give a very specific set of flowers to them as a gift. Spirits wish to live in a world and experience its functions and pleasures, but part of that also means experiencing its failures and setbacks. Sometimes these bylaws are all that stands between a Spirit going on a mass-murder rampage, but most Alorians are thankful enough that they exist, not to spend time questioning them. Ultimately, bylaws are saving graces, not immovable barriers. They are self-imposed rules that make existence more entertaining for Spirits, but if these bylaws ever become too troublesome for the Spirit, that Spirit can remove them whenever they wish. A Spirit's bylaw that has been "solved" and leads to the Spirit too frequently getting banished and outsmarted is very likely to be removed or altered because it is an obstacle.
Spirit Name Protections
One of the most common and noteworthy Spirit Bylaws is the protection afforded to all living people in Aloria based on their names. Giving or knowing a person's real name gives a Spirit power over them, allowing the Spirit to ignore most of their set bylaws. This protection is half-bylaw on the Spirit's behalf and half-willing protections by the Gods of Aloria, who shield people from Spirits. Generally, the faithful are protected by their gods, and the Dragons protect atheists and agnostics. Each version of this bylaw functions roughly the same: a Spirit gains absolute power over a person when the person willingly gives their name, a Spirit gains a little power over someone when an ally of theirs speaks their name aloud, and a Spirit gains no power over someone when an enemy gives their name maliciously or if magic is used to mind control or coerce them into giving up their name. There is some nuance to this, however, as while it is reasonable to assume that a Spirit could disguise as a person and go into a tavern and ask someone's name this is, to Spirits, extremely "cheap" and boring, and functionally does not work. Giving a name is only a "win" in a Spirit's book if they have truly tricked and outsmarted a person when the person had hints that they could have noticed and not given their name. Names also do not usually have power in perpetuity. If a person's name is given secondhand, the Spirit only has power over them for that interaction. However, if someone gives their name directly to a Spirit, it gives the Spirit power over that individual for a longer time. This concept has led to many cultures and societies developing the concept of a "secret name" which is a person's true name that only they–-and, usually, their parents and most trusted loved ones–-know and they give to no one else. This does not entirely protect them from Spirits. The act of providing a name, even a fake one, gives a Spirit power.
Spirit Banishment
Spirit banishment is the concept of evicting a Spirit from wherever it is anchored to somewhere else or into non-existence. Banishment is never consistent and very dependent on the power of the Spirit in question. Evoked Spirits or weaker Summoned Spirits are destroyed, and the magical essence holding together their existence explodes and returns to whatever realm they came from or fades into non-existence. For stronger Spirits, the process is complicated. Stronger Summoned Spirits are released from their binding and return to the place from which they came, but can immediately re-form in the world within mere hours of having been cast out. This is why, sometimes, banishing Spirits only makes it worse, because a Spirit that can reliably be tracked, imprisoned, or otherwise impeded becomes an unknown problem when it just respawns somewhere else in the world where nobody is aware of it. Banishment is not always the ideal outcome and those who hunt Spirits seek other solutions like divine intervention, canopic jars, or seeking ways to abuse a Spirit's bylaws to eradicate it.
Mage Limit Breaking
Magic Limit Breaking is a process explained on the Magic Page, but in summary, it indicates when a Mage loses control over their own Magic and starts uncontrollably casting Magic. Without outside help, this is a guaranteed death or possession scenario for the caster. Either the Mage explodes after 10 seconds of uncontrollable Magic casting, or their uncontrollable casting acts like a giant beacon alerting all nearby Spirits to their presence and creating an easy way for them to possess their body. Mage Limit Breaking possession is far more violent than any other form of invasion, in the process, the Spirit immediately destroys the soul of the Mage present in their body, thus claiming it wholly and killing the original host in all but body. The usually preferred solution for a Mage Limit Broken possession is to destroy the host as these Spirits are exceptionally violent and usually go on an immediate rampage to try and kill as many people as possible.
Spirit Invasion
Spirit invasion is the concept of being possessed by a Spirit, which can come about in a variety of ways. Invasion can be forced by greater Entities who force a Spirit in, but a person can also accidentally be invaded because they unknowingly agree to sell their body or soul to a Spirit. Another example, and the main focus of this section, is when a theurgist becomes invaded. A theurgist usually becomes invaded when they lose control over the Spirits they hold onto, either by careless storing of their canopic jars or because they were outsmarted by a Spirit they controlled. Furthermore, it can also happen entirely unwittingly because they gave the Spirit the wrong answer, or played a little too long into a game the Spirit was playing in trying to trick them into agreeing to free them, which would give them free reign to possess their summoner. Spirit invasion can be violent, with the Spirit destroying the original soul and thus replacing the host body, but it can also be less violent via co-habitation. Whether the Spirit can take control over the body depends on the mind of the host. Weaker minds are more likely to be controlled and have no way to establish control over their own body, while stronger hosts can re-establish control after losing control for a while, and try to keep the Spirit away from controlling them. Being invaded by a Spirit is not always a death sentence - there are ways to live with it, but most outsiders consider it a death sentence, so most who were invaded by a Spirit who is not susceptible to exorcism will end up being put out of their misery. Even if a Spirit is expelled, it always leaves something behind. Spirits are like a corrupting blight on a soul: they infect parts of memories, emotions, relationships, or feelings and may permanently alter a host by leaving some of themselves behind in the host's personality.
Assorted Spirits
The Lore has more Spirit types than just the ones mentioned on the Mystech Page which are playable by players. Some of these are very impractical to play out in active roleplay, but it is still worth mentioning them as they can be used for roleplay backstory, or events by both Players and Staff.
Vested Spirits
Vested Spirits are Spirits that inhabit objects, but that are not specifically Puppeteer Spirits. They differ from Puppeteer Spirits in that they are not capable of exercising individual motion and action onto an object. For example, if they were to possess a piece of armor, they could not make it float and move around like a person, it would have to be worn by a mortal host, and could only influence the host indirectly by making them want to wear and use it more while whispering intents and desires into the host's mind and giving them more power. Vested Spirits don't want to take over a host or break free from their object, but they want to influence their host and make them act more like what they want them to act like. Vested Spirits can usually be removed from objects through some exorcism process but will usually find a new object to inhabit, and sometimes seek out previous hosts to return to.
Poltergeist Spirits
Poltergeist Spirits are Spirits that inhabit buildings or houses. They can move freely inside the objects, people, and confines in those places, but they cannot leave beyond the threshold of any exterior wall or roof and are, as such, trapped. Poltergeists can be extremely dangerous and are usually equally, extremely malicious. They are possessive over the building they inhabit and usually become murderously violent against anyone trying to live in it, either directly killing them with objects in the house, or possessing one of the people present in the house and getting them to kill everyone instead. Poltergeists can be purged from buildings, which usually ends up destroying them.
Cultural/Religious Interpretations
If a specific Religion is not mentioned in this section, assume that it has a negative view of any form of Spirit presence. Remember that these stances are general, not enforced. Characters are allowed to deviate from this standard because of personal experiences or traumas. Be aware that these stances are the accepted norms, meaning that if your character finds a way to soften those stances or become more tolerant of Spirits for personal reasons, they may well be called an ignorant fool by other characters, and they would be right by saying this.
Fornoss View
The Fornoss Religion distinguishes a difference between what they call "Fjandi" (Spirits who are from other Dimensions) and "Fylgja" (Spirits who may be from other Dimensions but are defined more as ancestor Spirits, or believers of Fornoss faith). Fylgja are always defined as either having been a mortal Fornoss believer in life and ascended to Vaarda where they were made into Void Spirits by Helskorn, or Void Spirits associated with Helskorn or Thirun that were bound in faith to Fornoss. This binding process, in particular, is important as Spirits cannot naturally experience spirituality and belief in Religion without strict spiritual binding. When spiritually bound to Fornoss, these Void Demons worship and obey all the Fornoss Gods, even the Eili, and are considered benign in the eyes of the Fornoss believers. Fylgja are respected, and sometimes even fought alongside if religious goals align, but in other instances, they are treated just like any other Fornoss believer would be treated. If they happen to be supporting the wrong side in a war, they are killed just as likely as Fjandi would be. Note, just because Fornoss believers distinguish this religious difference between Fjandi and Fylgja does not mean Regalia sees it this way. Fornoss is a tolerated but not a state religion.
Unionist View
Any form of ghost or Spirit is considered evil or corrupted in the eyes of Unionism, even if they were Primal Revenants who formed from the most pious of worshipers. Any form of un-life, undeath, or life after death is considered a violation of the judgment of the Everwatcher and a refusal to be judged in his eyes on the Great Way. However, the reality is that Unionist history is littered with examples of extremely Unionist pious entities, such as the Burning Choir Undead or Primal Revenants of Everians who continued their holy quests through the body of a (sometimes willing) Unionist-worshiping host. Religious doctrine is against Spirits as a whole, but a Primal Revenant who is not planar corrupted and holds onto their beliefs of Unionism can sometimes find sympathy among the laypeople, and even priests, who would rather seek to help this wayward soul complete their holy quest and duty and pass on peacefully than inflict violence on the image of piety. There are, however, also fanatics who simply refuse to listen to any moderating views of Unionist life in between the living and dead and try to put it out of its misery. This is also the legal stance of the Regalian Empire, so pity and sympathy for Unionist Revenants and Burning Choir Undead is more incidental than the norm.
Evolist View
Evolism as a religion considers transcendence to Spirithood to be a true blessing from the Gods and widely considers all forms of Void/Ordial Spirits to be good things. Opinions fluctuate on Primal Revenants, mostly because Primal Revenants are very temporary, which Evolism believers consider more of a stay-of-execution until actual death sets in for the individual, thus not the truly wholly freeing experience of becoming a Void Spirit. Note, because of the tonal difference between Void Spirits and Ordial Spirits, Evolists strongly prefer Void Spirits (considering Ordial Spirits diminutive), but practically always look down on Exist-based Spirits as weak and incompetent purely because there is no Exist alignment in the Evolist pantheon. Furthermore, note that Evolism is a tolerated and not state Religion in Regalia. As such, even if one of the aspects of Evolism is to transcend and become a Spirit after death, this concept itself is illegal, and anyone who engages or professes a desire to become a Spirit will face persecution.
Estelley View
The Estelley religion proposes a contradiction: that Spirits can be the works of the Gods, and that specifically Exist Apparitions are always created as a test from the Gods given unto mortals to overcome or impress in a challenge of wits and then part with so that the lesson can be passed on to someone else. Allorn history is lengthy with stories of powerful Archmage princesses impressing their legitimate right to rule by challenging and defeating a particularly powerful Spirit of Cemaan sent to assess their strength in the leading of armies, for example. Estelley lacks this religious role for non-Exist Spirits, with Void Demons and Ordial Shades both presented as an entirely hostile force created and intended to lead the believers astray, mandated to be opposed or slain whenever possible. Different Estelley groups handle this in different ways: the Suvial frequently bind Void Demons and Ordial Shades as cannon fodder with some religious justification, while the Sihndar battle them. Generally speaking, all Estelley worshipers, even the Sihndar, give Exist Spirits (and their Sovereigns, by proxy) some breathing room as long as they stay entirely within religious guidelines and play nice with mortals because they believe that Estel has a hand on them still and can keep them contained.
Sihndar View
Sihndar have an extremely complicated view of Spirits that may not be possible to fully comprehend purely off the lore, and may require a lot of reasoning and evaluation in each circumstance to consider what the stance should be. By default, all Sihndar hate all Spirits, period. But, the first consideration that Sihndar always has to make is the priority of the Spirit and the danger it poses to others. For example, if a Sihndar is faced with three Demons, one that is killing 10 people, one that is killing a puppy, and one that is gathering flowers, they must designate the murder-Spirit as priority kill, the puppy-Spirit as incidental priority kill ( if it is convenient) and the flower-Spirit as comfortably ignored (even if presented the opportunity to kill, it is ignored instead). Because there are numerically few Sihndar and because they are almost always outperformed by Spirits who are not bound to mortal flesh, Sihndar have to pick and choose their fights. Secondly, Sihndar have to make a more complicated assessment of the indeterminate use of a Spirit. For example, a Spirit that likes violence could be a temporary ally in the fight against a Kathar but is unlikely to be one because its violent nature would cause it to kill other non-Kathar and likely normal people. The "indeterminate use," in this case, refers to the cost balance of helping defeat a Kathar versus killing 4 random bystanders. Because this would be a negative result with more innocents dying than 1 evil Kathar, this Demon is considered a no-go when it comes to temporary cooperation.
On the other hand, a Demon of the Thousand Eye God who is singularly interested in knowing things may be worked with in pragmatic sanction because their indeterminate use is positive. For example, the Sihndar may acquire information with which to kill 3 Demons and, meanwhile, this Demon is not killing anyone but is only learning about the Sihndar's troubled childhood because it feeds off knowing information. The "indeterminate use," in this instance, is the positive balance of many dead Demons and no communal losses because giving up this information was societally harmless. This has sometimes resulted in situations where Sihndar allied, or even downright allowed themselves to be possessed by Spirits--the very thing they normally fight--if their long-term assessment cleared that it would be beneficial to the overall cause. This is all motivated by the one singular truth that the Sihndar hold dear: "We hate the corruption Spirits bring forth, but we love that they hate each other just as much." Spirits will always fight other Spirits for dominion, and this fact can be used to the benefit of the greater war against their corruption. This point, in particular, may well be the only reason why the Sihndar have lasted as long as they have in Drowda despite being outnumbered and overpowered and the lack of support from other nations and peoples of Aloria. They have been able to play the Spirits off against each other, sometimes even the Sovereigns, to hold onto a losing war for centuries and turn it into a stalemate. Lastly, it is important to clarify that the Sihndar do not tolerate anyone but themselves making these assessments. An Ailor or Lanlath cannot make this assessment, for example, because the Sihndar deem them incompetent. The Sihndar will always speak out against the concept of consorting with Spirits by anyone but a Sihndar because, in their view, they simply cannot know.
Draconism View
The Draconism view of Spirits is complicated and, similarly, is on a case-by-case basis like the Sihndar view. For Draconism believers, their ideology centers around a pair of rituals the Dragons have developed for their followers and is split between the Draconism ideological pantheons. It is not possible to succinctly summarize the nuance of the Draconist view on Spirits, as there are many aspects to their treatment, but it boils down to a few key points. Firstly, Draconists acknowledge that sentient Spirits can potentially be allowed to exist in the world and find peace with mortals. While they understand that Spirits by far and large will kill people just because they were made that way, they make liberal use of Spirit bylaws and the concept of bindings, Draconic Magic conjoined with a large number of immutable bylaws, to account for this. As such, Draconism followers seek to find a basis of respect for Spirits, insofar as they behave in a way that the Dragons would approve of. Spirits who abuse, kill, maim, corrupt, or otherwise spread Sinistral Magic around are immediately discounted. However, Spirits who show a willingness to be bound to mortal behavior and restrictions through Shard Binding or Nature Binding are considered worthy of kindness, understanding, and respect. The specifics of Shard Binding and Nature Binding are explained on the Mystech Page.
A Spirit subjected to bindings has the unofficial protection of the Dragon Cult in Regalia, though if they engage in undue violence, criminality, or other actions that oppose the views and ideologies of the Draconist Faith, this protection can be lost. Note, Nature/Shard Bound Spirits are not fully legal in Regalia, but there is a provision that treats Draconists like Suvial in the eyes of the Law for Nature/Shard Bound Spirits only, meaning they can "chaperone" these Spirits in the City legally. However, Draconists are held responsible for these Spirit's behavior, meaning they should only do so when the conclave feels secure about a Spirit they are about to accept.
Spirit Arken
Spirit Arken are immensely powerful Spirits like Sovereigns, but because they are Alorian-native, their rules of engagement in Aloria are vastly different. While Spirit Sovereigns represent entities formed in other dimensions coming to Aloria, Spirit Arken (typically called Arken) are formless essences from these other dimensions taking shape and manifesting entities in Aloria. The word "Arken" comes from the Meraic word "Aanker" or "Anchor," which represents their identity as metaphorical chains that the Arch-Exist and Arch-Void could manifest in Aloria. These Arch entities are considered the highest forms of intelligence from their respective dimensions and are so terrifyingly powerful that they cannot manifest in Aloria without having some form of physical attachment there, which is why the Arken were created. The Arken cannot physically enter the dimensions they're born from--they are bound to Aloria--though they can create pocket dimensions of their own. The most notable of these is the Void Arken of Power who created Vaarda, which eventually became a form of afterlife in the Fornoss religion. Spirit Arken are complex entities because as they are born to Aloria and bound to many of its mortal whims and urges, they are often some form of addict to the emotions of mortals. Each Arken is born in order of power and in order of the power of emotion. This means that, for example, the firstborn Void and Exist Arken--Pride and Justice, respectively--are the most powerful Arken of them all and specifically born first because pride is the strongest vice and a desire for justice is the strongest virtue of all mortals.
Spirit Arken can also create Spirits and induce Spirits into their legions but are less likely to do so. Their spirits are usually mindless entities meant to seduce mortals to their nature. For example, a Pride Demon would cause a person to become more prideful and self-serving, while a Justice Apparition would make a person more inclined to exact merciless justice on what they deem as wrong, morally or legally. Because of their intrinsic connection to Aloria, some would claim that Arken are more like real people than other Spirits ever could be because they are manifested through parts of the mortal world rather than created from magical energy devoid of any attachment. This has led some to conclude that Arken are more morally gray entities than the Spirit Dukes and Spirit Sovereigns, who are purely out to benefit themselves. The world of Aloria does not have Arken because the concept of a Spirit Arken birth can only happen from an unbound dimension. Thus, Ordial Arken also do not exist, because the Beyond is linked to Aloria as its mirror dimension. There is always an even number of Arken of both Void and Exist in the world, with each being mirror opposite traits: Pride and Justice, Diligence and Sloth, Greed and Charity, and so on. Arken are theoretically immortal but because of a fluke of the laws of reality concerning the Draconism Denial of Immortality, they are forced into a cycle of rebirth, meaning they can die and be killed, and will be reborn as a mortal infant each time with no memories of their past self.
Spirit Sovereigns
Spirit Sovereigns are considered a tier below the Evolist Gods with powers akin to actual Gods. Spirit Sovereigns command legions of Spirits, and inevitably, all Spirits that are either revived from mortal souls into Spirits or created from other realms are subject to one of the Spirit Sovereigns. A Spirit can break free from their Spirit Sovereign or betray their command, but this does create animosity between them and other Spirits still bound to that Sovereign's legions. Spirit Sovereigns are ancient Spirits - some speculate they may have been around since the Seraph era, making them around 70,000 years old, and they were the firstborn of essences breaking into Aloria. The Spirit Sovereigns led the legions of the Void in each successive Void Invasion, and as such could be considered "Generals of Hell." The majority of Spirit Sovereigns that are found in Aloria, are by far and large Void-aligned. The Beyond does not produce Spirit Sovereigns except sometimes as direct proxies bound to the Death Gods because Shades are not powerful enough to become influential and obey the commands of the Death Gods. The Exist does produce Spirit Sovereigns, but because of the bound nature of Estel (the Arch-Exist) for tens of thousands of years, and her alignment with mortals for so long, the Exist Sovereigns lacked the time and repeat warfare against mortals that the Void Spirit Sovereigns enacted that created their vast legions. As such, Exist Spirit Sovereigns are rare and usually a lot more solitary, not only avoiding the creation of extensive legions of Spirits but also hiding away from being attacked by Void Spirit Sovereigns, who are constantly on the lookout to destroy them. A list of all available and widely known Spirit Sovereigns can be found on the Mystech Page.
Spirit Dukes
Spirit Dukes are Spirits of immense power but are not strictly as powerful as Spirit Sovereigns. Spirit Sovereigns command legions of Spirits to serve under them while Dukes only rule a handful of Spirits, as their notable talent is exercising terrifying powers over curses, magic, and space and time. Spirit Dukes are generally not evil in the strictest sense, they are creatures with a love for the art of the deal. Summoning them is extremely straightforward; Spirit Dukes are so widely known that one does not need a traditional Spirit Summoner. Any person who has gotten their hands on a scroll or some form of writing that describes the summoning circle and accompanying ritual can summon these Spirit Dukes, even if they have never dealt with Magic or Spirits before in their lives, which makes the art of summoning so dangerous. When summoning Spirit Dukes, one must always contract a time and place in a Staff Ticket so that a Staff member can represent the Spirit Duke. Spirit Dukes are extremely dangerous when summoned. When summoning a Spirit Duke, the Summoner gives kill perms for both themselves and anyone else present to the DM, and if things go wrong during a Spirit Summoning, these characters may receive semi-permanent debuffs, maims, or other long-term character ailments or curses. Simultaneously, the Spirit Dukes offer some unique functions that are not conventionally possible in roleplay. Interacting with Spirit Dukes should always be treated as something extremely risky for someone who is either so power hungry they don't care, or full of themselves that they think they can outsmart the Spirit Duke. Spirit Dukes will always seek to outsmart their summoner and take more than they are offered, so everyone who shows must be incredibly cautious of what they say, even in mutter and whisper, as Spirit Dukes can hear far and wide, while some Spirit Dukes consider whispering in their presence an offense by itself worthy enough to strike someone down then and there. Spirit Dukes may ask innocuous questions which are pacts in disguise and may impose more if too much information is given to them, or take more if they are angered by being too secretive. Interacting with Spirit Dukes is always a fine balance between seeking good roleplay and being a challenging experience that tests the Player's tenacity and wit. Spirit Duke interactions are sometimes hidden but always leave a trail of evidence. The end product should be satisfactory roleplay between the summoner, their friends, and people who might choose to investigate a person's suspicious behavior while still providing the summoner a chance to hide with plausible deniability. Most Spirit Dukes transcend planar alignment, meaning that they are a little bit of everything.
Desidor, the Foul Earth-Shaker
Desidor is a Spirit that feeds on the misery of destroyed homes, the anguish of those deprived of a safe place to sleep, and the glee of the demolitioner. Its entire focus in Aloria has been to destroy buildings and cherish the aftermath of its destruction. It usually does this by causing magical earthquakes, but has been known to appear as a massive Spirit and bite buildings in half with its steel teeth.
Offer: Desidor's Pact involves the summoner choosing a building in Regalia for it to demolish. Some buildings may be protected by Gods and thus defy destruction by its hands.
Demand: Desidor's Pact has an unclear demand, which is what makes this Spirit unpredictable. Sometimes it asks for a service or object, other times it reveals the summoner to the victims.
Corporus, the Twin-bound Bodysnatcher
Corporus is a Spirit that is generally considered more mischievous and benign than evil and cruel, but even its comedic demeanor should not ruse summoners into letting their guard down. It takes glee from the confusion and hopelessness of others around it and will seek to create circumstances in which both its victims, but also its summoner, feel sore regret over ever having summoned it.
Offer: Corporus's Pact involves choosing two people to swap bodies indefinitely, or choose a person and to physically appear as them indefinitely. This does count as a Disguise.
Demand: Corporus's Demand is always the body of the summoner. It will make a Homunculi clone of the summoner to do with as it pleases at a later point in time.
Hana, the Lead-burdened Beautyfade
Hana is a Spirit that feeds off the misery of those who fear growing older and having their beauty fade. Hana, as such, is a beloved Spirit by those who have run out of potions and Magic to restore their youth and beauty, instead relying on the dominion of Spirits to resolve their issues. Yet like all other Spirits, Hana takes a terrible price from society for each summoning.
Offer: Hana's Pact involves the summoner asking for aspects of beauty, whether they wish to look young, receive more beauty, or Beautyborn Magical Gifts.
Demand:Hana demands that for each request, two random people in society are cursed with Hana's Rot, which makes them old, ugly, or diseased.
Turael, the Sky-rise Hubris
Turael is a Spirit that feeds on the hubris of the tower builders and those who build for pride. What exactly it gets out of building towers for mortals is unclear, but it seems to take particular glee in those towers falling to decay and becoming ruins of their former owner's inability to maintain control or influence. Turael's Towers are often dark and foreboding in their environment.
Offer: Turael's Pact involves choosing a location for Turael to construct a Dark Tower. This Dark Tower is then owned by the summoner until they are pushed out or it is destroyed.
Demand: Turael's Pact does not have an immediate cost, but burdens a massive and unclear cost on the summoner should they lose the tower, which leaves them at the Spirit's mercy.
Phasnar, the Cosmic Misalignment
Phasnar is a Spirit that most consider quite benign, even if his intentions and actions aren't always clear. Phasnar is an incorporeal being that does not directly interact with the world but takes its summoners with it on journeys of astral projection to lands far away, where they may be witness to objects, people, and events out of their place, and sometimes even in time.
Offer: Phasnar's Pact involves choosing a location to astrally project to, after which the Spirit takes the summoner with on an incorporeal journey over long distances.
Demand: Phasnar's Demand is very unclear. Sometimes nothing happens, sometimes the Spirit reveals the person where they projected to, and other times, it steals something from them.
Stratalymus, the Thousand-soldier Decree
Stratalymus is a Spirit that is notably active around the Marshal Cabinet of Regalia, constantly seeking a way in by offering the delectable gift of divine victory in battle. It rejects summonings from anyone who does not have military leadership, but will gladly treat anyone desperate enough for a military victory to cement their legacy or fame to last generations.
Offer: Stratalymus's Pact involves a deal by which it weakens or strengthens an army involving the summoner, guaranteeing their glorious victory on the battlefield or the fleet.
Demand: Stratalymus's Demand is always not immediate, meaning it will extract something of great value later from the summoner, like a lover's soul, a firstborn child, or family wealth.
Falicopus, the Perfect Lie Unfolded
Falicopus is considered a very benign Spirit as even though its pact does have a negative consequence, this outcome is always very exact and Falicopus does not lie or deceive the summoner, in turn. Falicopus is a Spirit of truth and verity that, when told something, will reveal its value as truth or a lie while also punishing the would-be liar with tormenting anguish and anxiety.
Offer: Falicopus's Pact involves stating a statement made by another person during a Summoning, after which Falicopus will say whether this was a truth (from the speaker's point of view), or a lie.
Demand: Falicopus's Demand is enacted on the person who made the statement. If the statement was a lie, Falicopus would tell them someone summoned it and that it revealed the lie.
Nobilius, The World-rule Soulrot
Nobilius is a Spirit that likes to pretend to be of noble venerability but is one of the most vicious and cruel Spirits. Nobilius only treats nobles and Knights and seeks to be involved in noble politics or knightly competition to stake its claim on the aristocracy. Nobilius is a well-known name among the upper classes of the Regalian Empire, as some have met it via summonings.
Offer: Nobilius's Pact involves asking it for help in some sort of tournament, plot, politics, appointment, or a piece of useful political blackmail to be used at court.
Demand: Nobilius's Demand is unclear and can manifest in more ways than one. Sometimes it brands the summoner its mark of the Spirit or possesses the host at a later time.
Ularanus, the Serpentine Facsimily
Ularanus is a Spirit of deceit and betrayal, but many summoners still try to make a pact with it because of the unique gift it can provide. The Domain of Ularanus is the unseen serpents, snakes with opaline scales that cause them to become completely invisible until they strike at their hapless prey. And yet, Ularanus always finds a way to betray even the summoners.
Offer: Ularanus's Pact involves requesting invisibility, which is granted for a determined amount of time from summoning, or until the summoner attacks or is revealed.
Demand: Ularanus's Demand is to be seen on all his crafts, meaning that if invisibility granted by him breaks, his opalline snakes slither away, heralding his work.
Thunetor, the Afterlife-eating Worm
Thunetor is a Spirit of death and the afterlife, as it has broken into all afterlives, even the Beyond. It summons the souls of the dead, capable of puppeteering them the same way as their gods or the Ordial terrors could. Only the holiest of souls or god-protected are outside of its reach to be bent to its will and used as bargaining chips.
Offer: Thunetor's Pact involves his summoning to call forth the Spirit of a dead person, which will then answer 3 strict questions from the summoner's mouth.
Demand: Thunetor always demands a Temple Raid of his choice, which, if not completed in some time, results in him taking the soul of the summoner. Divinium can be kept by the raider.
Malechis, the Scales of Soul-weight
Malechis is a Spirit of wealth and gems who relishes in the greed of others and feeds from the misery of the captured and bound. It seems to have a particular interest in aristocrats and is one of the few Spirits that demands the summoner have the Demand at the ready before summoning. If they show up empty-handed, he will turn them into a crystal.
Offer: Malechis offers a unique soul-bound crystal, materializing out of the summoner's abducted aristocratic life essence, which does not harm them but feeds on their joy and happiness.
Demand: Malechis's demand must be met at summoning - a bound and gagged aristocrat of status. Malechis will be offended and angered if an irrelevant cousin or adoptee is offered.
Clarifex, the Unsung Truthseeker
Clarifex is considered perhaps the most benign known Spirit Duke. It speaks fairly and softly and only seeks to establish truth. It never extracts something from its summoner that it does not deem just. Upon summoning, it will evaluate the summoner, and give them a numerical value. This value represents how many questions it will ask of them, and they must ask in return.
Offer: Clarifex knows all of the time in the present, past, and sometimes even the future. It can be asked questions, but each answer must be rewarded with a question to the summoner.
Demand: Clarifex's Demands are the questions it asks of the summoner. If the summoner refuses to answer, lies, or skirts around the question, Clarifex can become violent.
Tay-Kondis, The Chitter Critter Creature
Tay-Kondis, sometimes referred to as the "Scurrying Rat Spirit," is a "cute-looking" Spirit that likes to take the form of seven-eyed kittens surrounded by an amalgam of smaller (Spirit) creatures. It is generally considered quite a benign Spirit, but one must never forget that this benign appearance hides an underlying mischievous and pranking nature that does a lot of actual harm.
Offer: Tay-Kondis offers a pact that involves placing a Curse of the Animalia on a person, either turning them into an Asha, or a more diminutive animal mentally.
Demand: Tay-Kondis demands nothing from the summoner but may play mischief on them as if the target person accepts and embraces their curse, they will know who did it.
Chalarion, the Involuntary Soulmate
Chalarion is considered one of the more evil Spirits because it is a Spirit of forced affection and infatuation, but never true love. Spirits do not understand true love, so Chalarion creates curses that approximate the experience but one that is deeply unpredictable. Between love and obsession, a thin line that Chalarion does not understand, and frequently crosses into foul nature.
Offer: Chalarion's pact offers to put a Curse of Love on a target person, which causes them to be (lovingly) infatuated, or (toxicly) obsessed with the summoner.
Demand: Chalarion does not demand anything, but should always be approached with as many compliments and graceful words as possible, as flattery puts it in a good mood.
Eragius, the Ever-swelling Mass
Eragius is a Spirit that is obsessed with combat, violence, rage, and physical strength. It is generally considered a very dumb Spirit that is so singularly obsessed with its interest, that many summoners consider it easy to fool. However, one should always be very careful, as even this stupidity can lead to misinterpretations of what it means to say, meaning that due diligence is required.
Offer: Eragius can and will increase the physical power of the summoner, enlarging them, or adding (for example) more Strength Proficiency to them.
Demand: Eragius is always proportional in its requirement of the summoner, meaning it will take something away from the summoner for the power it gives.
Brasis, the Unsundered Horn-blower
Brasis is a unique Spirit Duke in that it is believed he might have been a living person once, an Urlan named Brasius that lived some centuries ago. Through machinations of the Void Gods, however, it is believed he became a Spirit Duke and has been delivering his Curse of the Beast to those willing and unwilling ever since. This is why Brasis may behave erratically in summonings.
Offer: Brasis offers to make any of his summoners and their friends Corrupted Urlan. If they refuse, they must choose someone to place this Curse upon.
Demand: Brasis demands long-term loyalty, meaning that those who chose his gift will need to do quests for him later, or face the rot of enfeebling.
Tiradus, the Symphony Mind
Tiradus is another widely considered benign Spirit Duke, but this one genuinely seems to be incapable of doing anything evil, malign, or even accidentally mischievous. This Spirit is generally thought of as an old confused soul that gets so caught up in its rhetoric that it ends up forgetting to even ask for anything in return. That being said, unintelligent people have been known to anger it.
Offer: Tiradus offers to teach critical and pragmatic thinking to its summoner and their friends. It does this by dissecting a theory they propose.
Demand: Tiradus demands nothing in return. It genuinely seems to enjoy teaching people how to critically think, but leaves if it thinks they are incapable.
Stethis, the Loose-fingered Keychain
Stethis is an extremely idiosyncratic Spirit that many describe as arbitrary but some consider it to be shrewd and dangerous because of its extreme precision in cheating the summoner. This is the Spirit of thieves and theft. It will always seek to steal more from the summoner than is promised, and every word and phrase should be highly considered when conversing with it.
Offer: Stethis is capable of stealing (not player-owned Artifacts) objects from people or places, even the Imperial Palace or from the clutches of Gods.
Demand: Stethis always leaves behind a calling card for what it stole, including a calling card to identify itself and whoever now owns the item.
Chiroson, the Cerulean Laughter
Chiroson is an enigmatic Duke because its existence was speculated as merely theoretical, but was confirmed recently by Magic scryers. Chiroson is unique in the line-up of Spirit Dukes because it is the only pre-born Duke known as a Kemet Spirit who once lived in the Dewamenet Empire. Very little is known of this Duke, due to a lack of historical interactions and the risk of unpredictability.
Offer: Chiroson is a Dewamenet battle platform engineer, capable of building vast machines of war, but their use is unclear to summoners.
Demand: Chiroson's demands are unknown because it is not bound to bylaws, which makes it much more dangerous than already dangerous Dukes.
Catlanor, the Calamity Paragon
Catlanor is widely considered to be among the most malign and malicious of the Spirit Dukes. It is known to be a gourmand and a force of destruction and enjoys devouring sources of Magic before bringing terrible calamities either localized or across swathes of the known world. For centuries, it was imprisoned but has now broken free.
Offer: Catlanor offers to create Mage Storms, Void Conduits, or change the winds of terror, among other calamities.
Demand: Catlanor demands sacrifices of sources of magical power in the form of people, magical objects, or other sources of magical power (like Artifactsparks).
Seri, the Smiling One
Seri is a trickster Spirit who deals in twisted contracts. It fancies itself a patron of con men and dangerous liars. Uniquely among the Spirit Dukes, it is known to have a past as an Exist Apparition, whereas the other Spirits of this caliber are almost always Void-aligned. While it can aid in dastardly schemes, it always takes its cut of the profit with unforeseen consequences.
Offer: Seri is capable of arranging meetings with other hard-to-reach Entities as a middleman and brokering Magical get-rich-quick rewards.
Demand: Seri hungers for Artifactsparks, Divinium, and magical secrets. It also has a history of sending hitmen after its summoners if they don't meet its demands exactly.
