This page covers full in-lore explanations and functions of Spirits as a concept. This means this is largely supporting 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 to not make this page look dense, and so 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 to one another, so this section sets out basic information of how Spirits can be viewed in relation to each other, and 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 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, an incorrect labeling that applies widely because of the ignorance among the common people towards the science 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 the creation of 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 almost a slur for Spirits from the Beyond, with their own preferring to use the term Facsimile. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Because Shades are created when mortal souls are consumed by Ordial Entities, they are created incomplete, and usually bereft of aspects that the Ordial entities took out. They may for example have lost abilities, memories, or emotions and relations to people. This does not impede on a Shade's ability to become a great fighter or magical entity, but it does weaken their capacity to manipulate and control mortal souls, as their soul is incomplete and they are a crude reflection of the soul they were copied from, that perished in the process. Shades should never be underestimated because of all of this, but the vast majority of Shades are mindless drones who aren't even self aware of their condition, as the Ordial Entities have a much stricter strangle-hold on their consciousness than the Spirit Sovereigns do for other Demons or Apparitions.
Alorian Spirits: Revenants
Aloria's native Spirits are called Revenants, and they are only created in very specific conditions, and 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 still incomplete fragments of thei original soul (that in the case of the Shades is totally destroyed), 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, that their soul will become complete and they will pass on into the appropriate afterlife. As a result, Primal Revenants are considered weaker than Shades even, because their existence is temporary, however Planar Alignment changes disrupt this nature and makes them more permanent.
Theurgists
Theurgists are people who have some experience or make it their life-trade or skill to summon any form of Spirit into Aloria. Theurgists are sometimes also called Karamatologists (though this is a Suvial term), or Warlocks (though this is a far less common vernacular), and some Theurgists who believe themselves to do good work, consider this a slur. Theurgy as an art is almost widely reviled by all Religions and all legal systems, save for those where the exact nature of Transdimensional Spirit and Cultural-Religious Spirit, somewhat overlap (discussed further below, in the Interpretations section). Theurgists always try very hard 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 own 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 usually don't have a voice or just make bestial or magical grunting noises, and are rarely ever humanoid, more often appearing either like magical essence clouds or lights, or some form of 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 even Spirits that were bound to a Summoner's will, like for example Suvial captive Spirts), 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 as an art is much like a skill, it can be trained and improved, and also weakened by lack of use. However, Theurgy as a skill 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 or 3 for practical reasons. This reason being, 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 more like cannon fodder). There are obviously 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 both 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 keen-ness 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 own 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 they want, is one very likely to betray their master, or in the best case scenario, make them appear like an incompetent clown to other Karamatologists. The Suvial consider Spirits nothing more than cannon fodder or 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 from time, and are usually kept safely stored for centuries. Anyone who is 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 lay person 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 very hard 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 own weakness, in that they pretend to need to know someone's full name to possess them or send a Spirit into their body. They do not, simply put, 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, or 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 though, Bylaws are saving graces, not immovable barriers. They are self-imposed rules that make existence more fun for Spirits, but if these Bylaws ever become too troublesome for the Spirit, that Spirit can remove it whenever they wish. A Spirit's Bylaw that has been "solved" and leads to the Spirit too frequently getting banished and outsmarted, is a Bylaw that is very likely to be removed or altered because it has become 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 them to ignore most of their Bylaws, making it harder for them to harm or possess someone. This protection is half Bylaw on the Spirit's behalf, and half-willing protections by the Gods of Aloria, who shield their followers (and non-followers) 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 one hundred percent protect them from Spirits, as just the act of providing a name, even a fake one, gives a Spirit power.
Spirit Banishment
Spirit Banishment is the concept of evicting it from wherever it is currently anchored, to someplace 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 just destroyed, the magical essence holding together their existence is exploded and returns to whatever realm they came from or fades into non-existence. For stronger Spirits, the process gets a bit more defeatist and complicated. Stronger Summoned Spirits are released from their binding and return to the place of reality from which they came, but can immediate 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. Sometimes Banishment is not the ideal outcome, and those who hunt Spirits seek other solutions, like divine intervention, Canoptic 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 short, it means when a Mage loses control over their own Magic and start uncontrollably casting Magic. Without help from outside, this is a guaranteed-death scenario for the caster or a guaranteed possession scenario for the caster. Either the Mage explodes after 10 seconds of uncontrollable Magic casting, or their uncontrollable Magic casting acts like a giant flare in a dark night, 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 such Spirits are exceptionally violent and usually go on 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 accidently be Invaded because they unknowingly agree to sell their body or soul to a Spirit. Additionally, and the main focus of this point, 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 got outsmarted by a Spirit they controlled. Furthermore, it can also just happen entirely unwittingly, because they gave 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, involving the Spirit destroying the original Soul thus replacing the host body, but it can also be a lot less violent, by co-habitation. Whether the Spirit is able to take control over the body depends on the mind of the host, weaker willed 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 persons who were invaded by a Spirit who are not susceptible to exorcism, will end up being put out of their misery. Even if a Spirit is expelled, they always leave something behind. Spirits are like a corrupting blight on a soul, they infect parts of memories or emotions or relations or feelings, and may permanently alter a host by leaving some of themselves behind in their altered 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 for 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 can 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 even 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 of such places, but 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 by 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 killing them. Poltergeists are so strongly linked to a place or building, that Exorcising them destroys them wholly.
Cultural/Religious Interpretations
If a specific Religion is not mentioned in this section, assume that it just has a blanket negative view on 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 however 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, that they may well be called an ignorant fool by other Characters, and that 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 by being 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 a 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 with, if religious goals align, but in other instances, they are treated just like any other Fornoss believer would. 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 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, like for example 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 lay folk and sometimes even priests, who would rather seek to help this wayward soul complete their holy quest and duty and pass on peacefully, than to 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 that pity and sympathy for Unionist Revenants and Burning Choir Undead, is more incidental than the norm.
Evolist View
Evolism as a Religion considered transcendence to Spirithood to be a true blessing from the Gods, and widely considered 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, which means that Exist Spirits must by default serve other false religions. Note again 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, but generally speaking all Estelley worshipers, even the Sihndar (but much, much more strictly, see section below), 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 has 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 they pose to others around. 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 first priority kill, the puppy-Spirit as incidental priority kill (only if it is convenient) and the flower-Spirit as comfortably ignored (even if presented the opportunity to kill, 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, after this assessment, 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. As this equation is negative (more innocents die), this Demon is considered a no-go when it comes to pragmatic sanction of 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, and just 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 would 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 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. As a last note, it is important to clarify that the Sihndar do not tolerate anyone but them making these assessments. An Ailor or Lanlath is not allowed to assess whether a Spirit is of indeterminate use, because they do not know the threat of Spirits as intimately as the Sihndar do. 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 very much 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 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 possibly 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 this way, they make liberal use of Spirit By-Laws and the concept of "Bindings" which are Draconic Magic conjoined with a large number of immutable By-Laws, to account for this. As such, Draconism followers seek to find a basis of respect for Spirits, insofar they behave in a way that the Dragons would approve of. Spirits who abuse, kill, maim, or 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 to them. 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 is vastly different. While Spirit Sovereigns represent entities formed in other dimensions coming to Aloria, Spirit Arken (usually just 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 by which the Arch-Exist and Arch-Void could manifest in Aloria. These Arch entities are considered the highest forms of intelligence from their respective Dimensions, but they 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 from which they were born, they are bound to Aloria, though they can create pocket-dimensions of their own, the most notable of which is the Void Arken of Power, who created Vaarda, which would eventually become a form of Fornoss religious afterlife. 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 first-born Void and Exist Arken Pride and Justice are the most powerful Arken of them all, and specifically born first because pride is the strongest vice, and a desire for justice the strongest virtue of all mortals of Aloria.
Spirit Arken can also create Spirits and induce Spirits into their Legions, but are less likely to do so. Their Spirits are usually just 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 their 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 manifest through parts of the mortal world, rather than just created from magical energy devoid of any attachment. This has led some to conclude, that Arken are more morally gray entities, as opposed to 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 un-bound dimension. Thus, Ordial Arken also do not exist, because the Beyond as a realm is somehow 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 also being mirror opposite traits: Pride-Justice, Diligence-Sloth, Greed-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 reborn as a mortal infant each time they do, with no memories of their past self.
Spirit Sovereigns
Spirit Sovereigns are considered the tier of power below the Evolist Gods, with powers akin to that of actual Gods. Spirit Sovereigns command legions of Spirits, and inevitably, all Spirits that are either revived from mortal souls into Spirits, or Spirits created from other realms, are subject to one such Spirit Sovereign. It is possible for a Spirit to break free from their Spirit Sovereign or to 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 70,000 years old at least, and they were the first-born 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 bound proxies of the Death Gods, because Shades are not powerful enough souls to become so influential, and obey commands of the Death Gods of the Beyond instead, like the Malefica, Machinist, Consigner, or Glacial. 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 just 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 their polar opposites. 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 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 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 kind 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 them so dangerous. When summoning Spirit Dukes, one must always contract a time and place in 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 them, 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. At the same time, Spirit Dukes offer some unique functions that are not conventionally possible in Roleplay. Interacting with Spirit Dukes should always be treated as something extremely dangerous for someone who is either just 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 it being a Challenging Experience that tests the Player's tenacity and wit. Spirit Duke interactions are sometimes hidden, but generally always leave some kind of trail of hints. The end product should be satisfactory roleplay between the summoner, their friends, and people who might choose to investigate a person's suspicious behavior, who can still hide behind some form of plausible deniability. Most Spirit Dukes transcend Planar Alignment, meaning that they have become 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 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 much-beloved Spirit by those who have run out of potions and Magic to restore their youth and beauty, having instead to rely 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, or receive more beauty, or Beautyborn Magical Gifts.
Demand: Hana's Demand, is that for each request, two random people in society are cursed with Hana's Rot, which makes them old, or ugly, or diseased.
Turael, the Sky-rise Hubris
Turael is a Spirit that feeds on the ego and 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 with anyone who is 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, or 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 pov), or a lie.
Demand: Falicopus's Demand is enacted on the person who made the statement. If the statement was a lie, Falicopus will tell them someone summoned it, and that it revealed the lie.
Nobilius, The World-rule Soulrot
Nobilius is a Spirit that likes to pretend itself 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, with some having met it in summonings.
Offer: Nobilius's Pact involves asking it for help in some sort of Tournament, Plot, Politics, Appointment, or just a piece of useful political blackmail to be used art 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, and despite this, many summoners try to make a pact with it, because of the unique gift it provides. 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, to his gift.
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, having broken into all afterlives, even the Beyond. It summons the souls of the dead and long deceased, capable of puppeteering them in much the same way as their gods or even the Ordial terrors could. Only the most 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 done 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 has the Demand at the ready before summoning, for if they show empty-handed, he will turn them into crystal.
Offer: Malechis offers a unique soul-bound crystal, materializing out of the summoner's abducted aristocratic life essence, which does not harm, but feed 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, softly, and in truth, 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 time in present, past, and sometimes even future. It can be asked questions, but each answer, must be rewarded with a question to the summoner.
Demand: Clarifex's demand 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, or 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) critters and 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 lays 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 cursed gift 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 truly 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 Artifact) objects from people or places, even the Imperial Palace, or even from the clutches of Gods.
Demand: Stethis always leaves behind a calling card for what it stole, including both 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 confirmed recently by Magic scriers. 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 By-Laws, 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. the spirit is known to be a gourmand and a force of destruction, it is known to enjoy devouring sources of magic before wreaking forth terrible calamities either localized or across swathes of the known world. For centuries it was imprisoned, but now it has broken free into the world.
Offer: Catlanor offers to create mage storms, void conduits, or change the winds of terror, among a host of other horrible calamities.
Demand: Catlanor demands sacrifices of sources of magical power, in the form of people, magical objects, or other sources of magical power (like artifact sparks).
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.
