Souls

Overview

All living beings have a soul. The visual appearance (and scientific construction) of a soul is a flaming constellation of many brilliant points of light. These points are each aspects of a living creature. They are connected in a unique, complex pattern. No two souls are alike. For the most part, souls exist out of sight and reach. Only divinely-blessed mortals can view a soul.

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What is a soul?

A depiction of a soul (art by victoria_fantasy_art)

Whenever and wherever a body and mind combine, a soul manifests to accompany them. It is the "consciousness" of living beings; the thing that makes you, you.

Technically speaking, souls are a mass of energy tethered to a living being. They grow over time, and perish when the connection between body and mind is severed (ie, at death). So long as a creature has both a body and mind it has a soul.

Souls can be damaged in rare circumstances, but naturally regenerate and grow over time. They can also be seen by Divine Sight or expert specialists on soul magic.

Souls are the epitome of a being's existence. When visible, they appear as a flaming constellation of many sparkling stars with countless connections. A soul contains personality, sensations, magic, morals, and more. It is all-encompassing.

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The Soul Cycle

Souls are a form of energy. That energy is stored inside of an Afterlife watched over by a deity. When new bodies and minds unite, energy from the Afterlife is attracted to it. When bodies and minds are severed at death, their souls are drawn back to the Afterlife.

In this way, all living things share one central type of energy. When they die, they return to a realm that brings them all together, and that energy passes on to new children in the world. It is cyclical.

The Soul Cycle (art by victoria_fantasy_art)

Stages

1. A new mind and body combine. Energy from the Afterlife is attracted to this union, and becomes a newly-tethered soul.

2. The soul grows with the person. As they age, the soul becomes more complex.

3. At adulthood, a soul is fully-formed. It continues becoming denser and more complex as a person ages.

4. At death, the soul is severed from the body. It lingers for a brief period (approx. 24 hours) nearby the corpse before fading into the Afterlife.

5. The Afterlife serves as a coalescence of all untethered soul magic in Ilisara. It is a realm of great power inaccessible to living creatures.

6. Energy from the Afterlife is drawn out of the Afterlife by the joining of a new mind and body.