Soul

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The Soul is the common name for a concept held by most cultures and religions relating to the ability of a living being to act toward its desires or perceived purpose, rather than remaining passive as non-living objects do. Most of the prominent doctrine and theories pertaining to the soul come from the adherents of Undm the Soulkeeper, though the concept is not unique to them and close-equivalent beliefs are held by most cultures that do not specifically acknowledge Undm or do not adhere to the typical beliefs surrounding her.

While all things in creation are said to have at the very least a Spirit (a concept, a will to be, or a basic purpose) and many also a Body (physical form), the Soul is less common. The Soul provides the capability for the Spirit to act, rather than remain passive with nothing more than the will to be. Creatures with Souls are the "living" things, from plants to fungi to animals to mankind to the Immortals.

Classifications

There are theories about differing types of souls. A Body or a Spirit will be utilized and realized differently depending on what type of Soul is provided them. The following are the most common and widely-acknowledged classifications of souls, though variances or beliefs in yet other types do exist in some cultures.

  • Primal Souls: Plants, animals, fungi, and the various Primal Immortals are said to have Primal souls, usually believed to be born from or extensions of the greater soul of the natural world itself (see also the Fasa theory of the Gaea).
  • Human Souls: The origin of Human souls differ based on cultural mythos but are almost always considered set apart at least to some degree from Primal souls (hence the need for the practice of Druidy for humans to connect with primal forces). Many believe Human souls to be a product of the Vael, whether wholly artificed or the result of alteration of some other type of soul, and thus some believe Human souls may be directly related to the Vael and therefore have the capability of ascending to the higher state of being of the Vael Immortals.
  • Vael Souls: Many of the Immortals are said to have Vael souls, particularly the Prime Immortals (Vandin, Iarel, Undm, and Vodr) and their associated Immortals. While oft debated, many believe the Vael souls originated somewhere beyond our world. Origin theories include the Spiritual Plane, the World Between Worlds, an afterlife, and Temicotli, among other things.
  • Nether Souls: The nethrim are said to have Nether souls, which are believed by many to have origins beyond our world. Origin theories include the Cataclysm, the Hungering Night, the World Between Worlds, and Temicotli, among other things.
  • Daemon Souls: A controversial soul category, often dismissed as little more than a default to be used when no other classification is suitable for those souls believed to be not native to our world.

More Information

When a body can no longer sustain itself and breaks down, the soul leaves the body. Its capabilities and potential destinations in this state again differ between cultures and religions, though most known and prominent cultures see the Human souls eventually finding their way to Undm the Soulkeeper to then be judged or otherwise directed to a fate or afterlife largely beyond mortal knowledge.

Many believe that the Spirit can be affected by a Soul, altering the Spirit and even leaving hints of sentience within the Spirit itself even after the absence of a Soul. Members of Rook Parlour claim to have verified this theory with their finding of soul shreds lingering in the blood of deceased creatures via the Soul Harvest ritual that their organization has developed.

The belief that the nether can alter or corrupt a different type of Soul is a prominent one, though is often considered a case of speculation that is lacking in detail, if not evidence. There is certainly no lack of evidence of nether-corruption in the Lost Lands but it is hotly debated whether this corruption is limited to the Body, the Spirit, or the Soul, or some combination thereof. Whatever the case, it is a common point of concern among nearly all inhabitants of the Lost Lands where nether is present in abundance. This causes some to fear and avoid at all costs the nether for its potential soul-corrupting properties, while others choose to pursue ever-greater studies of Sorcery in order to better understand and control the nether and prevent - or even reverse - such occurrences. It has been demonstrated that the Inner Light is effective at purging nether from both body and soul, but the unfortunate lack of thaumaturges in the Lost Lands makes this a rarely-available potential solution.