Spirit
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| Afflictions | |
| Affected Races | All |
| Origins | Unknown |
Spirits, Poltergeists, Ghosts, Shades, Apparitions, Demons, all terms for the same thing, a wandering soul or entity with its own personality that lingers on Aloria because it was summoned there against its will, or because it still had unfinished business. Spirits are often confused for Undead, however Undead are defined by their connection with their undead body, while Spirits have moved beyond the confines of a body, or simply don't need one to function. Spirits are a barely researched or understood topic in Aloria, with most religions misidentifying them with Demons, the more common variant of Void, Exist, or Ordial entity wreaking havoc on Aloria. Spirits are complex and nuanced individuals that often have their own dreams, ambitions, hopes, and memories, who are just as complex and capable as any mortal to make the world a better or worse place for everyone in it. Spirits are not exactly a classical Affliction, for example, Greater Spirits do not corrupt a mortal's body in Aloria, they simply are. Because most Spirits are Invaded (term used to describe a Spirit that inhabits a mortal or artificial body and control sit), Spirits are however still classified as an Affliction by Alorian Scholars, though it is mostly not contagious (Spirits cannot feed from mortals, or spread Spirits, though they can jump between hosts).
Core Concept
How Spirits are made
Some Spirits are made, some are summoned, and others are formed from natural deaths in Aloria. Each Spirit generally has a story of its own that can be just as complex and nuanced as any living person. It is also important not to label a Spirit with a particular Morality, just because of where it is from. For example, while the presumption is often made that Demons are always evil, that is not strictly speaking true. Demons are likely to engage in violent, mean-spirited, or otherwise harmful behavior, but that personality is always informed by the world that they are born into. For more information on this subject, refer to Spirit Morality, this section will cover different ways of creating a Spirit.
- Manifestation: Manifested Spirits are by far the most common, which happens when essences or magical energies leak from other realms (like Void, Exist, the Beyond) into Aloria. Spirits when coming from these realms don't yet have a personality, which is instead formed when they reach the dimension of the living (Aloria), and form a personality based on their perception and experiences of the world they are born into. A Spirit that is Manifested from another realm, is always called a Demon.
- Summoning: Summoned Spirits are also fairly common, who occur when a Mage or Theurgist specifically draws energy from the relevant realms (like Void, Exist, the Beyond) to create a Spirit. Summoned Spirits are created in much the same way as Manifested Spirits, but are usually bound in some way to the person who summoned them, for better or worse. These relations can be cooperative and symbiotic, but also adversarial and hostile. Summoned Spirits are also by definition always Demons.
- Reaved: Reaved Spirits are incredibly rare, because they usually require a form of divine intervention to create. Reaved Spirits in the simplest terms, is what happens when an Alorian person's soul is forcibly removed from their body (either at death, or because they wanted to), by an Alorian God, or Arken. This prevents the body from becoming Undead but also prevents the soul from going into the afterlife, becoming a Spirit instead. Spirits made from Alorian souls are always Revenants.
- Remnant: Remnant Spirits are more common, and occur when someone would normally become Undead, but their body was utterly destroyed and their soul was left to drift. Some of them evaporate, but strong ones tied to purpose and emotion can become Remnant Spirits, thus becoming Revenants.
It is important to note here, that Demons by definition are always Dimension Aligned (Exist, Void, or Ordial) depending on what realm they came from. Revenants are not always Dimension Aligned, meaning they can be primal, but Revenants are not immune to being Dimension Corrupted either, meaning a Revenant might start out Primal, but become Void, Exist, or Ordial corrupted over time, giving them powers from those realms despite being native to Aloria. It should also be noted, that if a person was already Dimension Aligned when they became a Revenant, that this Dimension Alignment persists when they become a Spirit. Mechanically, this means the only difference between a Primal Revenant and a Void/Exist/Ordial Spirit, is that the former cannot have any type of Planar Magic, otherwise they would become corrupted to the latter.
Roleplaying a Spirit
Roleplaying as a Spirit can be a unique experience, though one that is recommended for more experienced players of MassiveCraft due to the requirement for them to know a bunch of lore, and also the fact that Spirits are in most cases highly illegal (dead things should stay dead in the eyes of the State), and so many Characters will actively see Spirits as their enemies. Spirits can however be great fun with friends, as any player who plays a Mage or Theurgist can in theory summon multiple Spirits, creating unique Characters for all of them. Spirits must always have a Character Sheet but can make use of the full 14 Proficiency Points like any other person. Spirits must always be created with mature bodies and minds, and the only limitation Spirits have is that they cannot create more Spirits themselves, they always need help from mortals to multiply. Spirits ought to be afraid of the Suvial (who have learned ways to control them), and Sihndar (who have learned ways to fight them), but other than this, Spirits can function fairly well in Regalia. If you play both the Spirit and the Host who is possessed by the Spirit, and have both of them have separate Proficiency Spreadsheets, you are allowed to do this, however you can never use more than one Sheet during a Roleplay Scene. If you start using any Proficiencies or Abilities belonging to one particular Character, you are locked into this Character Sheet, even if you change Account to Alts, or swap Character, or have the Host/Spirit take over.
Roleplaying a Spirit Summoner
If someone wants Spirits, or wants to have Spirits, they can simply do so and flavor their existing Point Buy Packs after them. For example, Sinistral Point Buy can take the form of aggressive Spirits doing their summoner's bidding against an enemy, or Radiant Point Buy can take the form of guardian Spirits curling around them to shield them from harm. Note that while Spirit summoning is very illegal in Regalia, there is nothing stopping a player Character from using them. There is only one important note to be made about Spirit Summoning: Spirits of Alignments different than their Summoner cannot merge with them. What this means is, a Summoner who is a Void Mage can summon and control Ordial and Exist Spirits, but those Spirits cannot merge with their body or possess them without killing both the spirit and the summoner due to magical inversion. Magic of different planes tends to resist one another in a vacuum, and causes violent explosions otherwise.
Spirit Form
Spirit Form is a Transformation that is very similar to Afflicted Form for other Afflictions, but has a couple of different rules. Spirit Form is basically what the Spirit looks like if it wasn't hiding inside a body, or item, and was able to manifest its own body. Spirit Form however can only ever apply to a mortal host, like an Invaded Spirit on a mortal body, a Colony Spirit attached to a mortal body, or a Vested Spirit owned by a mortal. Spirit Form becomes redundant for Greater Spirits or Anchored Spirits because they already appear as their Spirit form at all times. Spirit Forms are more spirit/demon-like forms, and allow some more creative freedom like making the Character appear more like a hulking beast or ghostly apparition, so long as it remains vaguely humanoid, and should not add additional function (like wielding more than one weapon with multiple arms). Spirit Form cannot imitate other types (like Vampire or Marken), and must always remain the same.
Spirit Types
While Afflictions are normally like magical curses applied to the living of Aloria, Spirit Types are a bit more complicated in that they can be from entirely different dimensions and never have inhabited a physical body. This section covers Spirit Types, while the section regarding Spirit Alignment will cover Void/Exist/Ordial/Primal Alignment matters. Note, these images have no relation to Dimensional Alignment because of color, they are purely artistic impressions. Most Spirits except for the Greater Spirit are bound to one specific type of gameplay. If you have trouble deciding, or like changing it up occasionally, Greater Spirit is recommended, as this is the only Spirit that can change Types.
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Spirit Traits
This section puts all Abilities, Free Packs, Limitations, and Mechanics together for ease of reference. Spirits are a bit more unusual when compared to other Afflictions because they have more options available to them depending on how they manifest. Spirits who permanently possess a body function differently than Spirits who have their own manifestation. Players with Spirit characters are expected to pick one of the two options, and not swap between them frequently.
Possessed Spirit Traits (Option 1)
These Spirit traits are for Spirits who are permanently possessing a person, either as a passenger, or as a Spirit who has completely taken over a body as the main 'mind.' This option is for players who want to play their own character, and the Spirit possessing them at the same time. Examples of this are: Venom from Marvel Comics, or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Free Packs
- Spirit Buff 1: Spirits may Point Buy one Pack from either Radiant Point Buy or Sinistral Point Buy, with Alignment being dictated by whatever Alignment the Spirit themselves are.
Limitations
- Spirit Limitation I: If the Spirit already has an Affliction (ex: an Invaded Spirit on a Vampire), then you do not gain any of the Spirit Traits, except Spirit-Power and Spirit-Host, but keep the Affliction Traits.
- Spirit Limitation II: If the Spirit already has an Affinity (Arkenborn/Archon), then they do not gain any of the Spirit Traits, except Spirit-Host, Spirit-Form, and Spirit-Power, and retain Affinity Traits.
Mechanics
- Spirit-Power: The Spirit inherits the Heritage Traits from the body of the person it is possessing, as long as that person can be possessed in the first place, and does not have its own mortal body.
- Spirit-Host: While Spirits are normally hidden on the host, Spirits can manifest mutations and visual aesthetics that signal their inhabitation of a body over time, or just purely by willing it.
- Spirit-Form: The Spirit can use this to transform into a Spirit Form: a unique transformation. Even though this is a Disguise, it cannot be seen through, even by Abilities or Mechanics that can see through Disguises.
- Spirit-Speech: If a Spirit becomes (or is) Dimension Aligned, they can use the Affliction-Speech types related to their Alignment (see Vampirism and Geist pages for the Speech in Traits).
Unbound Spirit Traits (Option 2)
These Spirit traits are for Spirits who manifest their own body, such as Greater, Anchored, or Puppet Spirits. They do not share a body or personality with another, and are considered their own 'person.' This option is for players who want to play a Spirit that is attached to or summoned by another person's character, or is freely roaming. Examples of this are: Hellboy from Dark Horse Comics, or Beetlejuice.
Free Packs
- Spirit Buff 1: Spirits may Point Buy one Pack from either Radiant Point Buy or Sinistral Point Buy, with Alignment being dictated by whatever Alignment the Spirit themselves are.
- Spirit Buff 2: Spirits may Point Buy one Pack from Sinistral Point Buy for free, with the Alignment being dictated by whatever Alignment the Spirit themselves are
- Spirit Buff 3: This is not a Pack, rather Spirits have a Free Pack to buy in any Category, as long as they can normally buy it. This does not raise Proficiency Points beyond the standard 14.
Limitations
- Spirit Limitation I: The Spirit cannot become Afflicted, or have any Affinity, but they are counted as Afflicted already for any mechanics that are mutually exclusive with Afflictions.
Mechanics
- Spirit-Power: The Spirit does not have a mortal body, and thus has no Heritage Traits, instead treating their Spirit Traits as their Heritage Traits.
- Spirit-Life: Spirits are immortal, and essentially cannot be killed. Players are however allowed to create custom scenarios of temporary banishment or exorcism during such Abilities being used on them.
- Spirit-Unlife: Spirits do not need to drink, sleep, eat, or breathe, though they may find comfort in some of these activities. They cannot be fed on by other Afflictions, and are also immune to any diseases.
- Spirit-Speech: If a Spirit becomes (or is) Dimension Aligned, they can use the Affliction-Speech types related to their Alignment (see Vampirism and Geist pages for the Speech in Traits).
- Spirit-Posses: While certain Spirit types can possess people temporarily, these people never gain Spirit Traits, and the Spirit themselves is incapable of using any Abilities while doing so.
Spirit Morality
Spirit Morality is a topic that begs discussion at the end, because it is a bit more esoterical, and not considered required reading to play a proper Spirit. A Spirit, either a Demon that is brought into Aloria, or a Revenant that already exists there, never has a strict mortality purely in being. The Void and Exist are realms devoid of personalities and individual identities save for the Gods, meaning that when a Demon is brought into Aloria, it manifests based on the personalities and energies of the people in Aloria itself. For this reason, Pride and Justice are the strongest Arken (who in and of themselves are Demons of a kind), because Pride is the strongest vice of all Alorian Races, and because Justice is the strongest desire of all oppressed people of Aloria. While it is true that certain dimensions have proclivities (like Void being more generally hedonistic and selfish, and Exist more compassionate but harsh), a Demon is never "born" evil or good. They are always just a reflection of the world they are born in.
That being said, Demons generally do not wish to be born. It remains true, that the vast majority of Demons are murderous, violent, hostile, and show nothing but contempt for the mortal that summoned them. The very reason why Void Invasions occur is because all that energy that was released in Aloria hated life and existence. It hated the forms, sounds, tastes, colors, and feelings that existed in Aloria, a realm that is so alien to their own dimension. Most Demons are brought in Aloria against their will, and consent, and often in fairly violent manners, immediately thrust into a world that itself wants them dead in turn. This is why so many Demons end up being or doing evil things, but a healthy debate could be had about whether or not it is even their fault to begin with. It should be noted that this does not mean Demon Morality is an open debate. In many states and religious dogmas, the authorities are not interested in a debate about ethics, and want to just purge all Demons (and Spirits they misidentify as Demons), because from their perspective, Demons have done (and continue to do) considerable damage to the world, with the ever-persisting risk of a Void Invasion being around the corner.
Revenants, while they haven't been discussed yet, are in very much a similar boat. A person who becomes a Revenant is not by default evil, but is always saddled with responsibility for what they did in their life. While their body was lost, their soul remains the same, as did all the actions and consequences of their actions remain. Revenants are generally considered more benign by the Dragon-Aligned, after all, Soul-Cores are in a way artificial Revenants, and they are natural to the world of Aloria, but Revenants can be Dimension Corrupted also, at which point they become indistinguishable from trans dimensional Demons. In conclusion, when approaching the topic of Spirits or Demons in particular, players should be careful not to have their character express opinions about the morality of Spirits as if they are ontological truths. While it is correct for purists and religious extremists to declare all of them as anathema, there should never be the OOC misunderstanding that a Spirit Character is always in the wrong by default, and should be reviewed more through the scope of the collective of their actions and intentions.
Trivia
- Greater Spirits are immensely powerful, and while it is in theory possible for multiple Greater Spirits together to form a Colony Spirit, this is generally not recommended. The sheer power of such Spirits inside a body rips apart the organic fabric, meaning the body will need constant repairs and replacements to contain the power of the Greater Spirits.
- Colony Spirit component entities aren't necessarily weak or lacking in personality. Each Colony Spirit aspect can be just as vibrant or strong as another, though in general identity between them blurs when it concerns expressions of their power.
- It is never possible to mix Spirit Alignments. While it is possible to be Invaded by both a Demon and Revenant, they must both be Exist or both be Void as Invested Spirits, it is not possible to have multiple Spirits of different Alignments inhabiting the same host, except for Suvial Heritage Traits.
- Akula are in fact not Spirits. Rather, Akula are a category of giant deep-sea creature that has fallen prey to (usually) Void essence corruption, as there are no forces fighting the proliferation of void or exist energies in the deep dark. Still, Akula are usually a type of necrotic host to several dozens Spirits.
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