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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 Baskarr 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.
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 Rand, or Void Spirits associated with Rand 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 through Spirit Bylaws to mortal behavior, or be bound to 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 slave 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.
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