The Disembodied
The Disembodied are the tragic survivors of one of the most catastrophic magical events in Aigusyl’s history—the shattering spell cast by The Mages of Madness that broke the Aether Accord and ignited The Fracture War. This arcane calamity was meant to tear apart the boundaries between realms, and for a chosen few—or cursed many—it succeeded too well. These individuals became untethered from their mortal forms, now existing in a constant state of flux between the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane.
To be Disembodied is to live in a state of duality. Their forms shimmer and fracture like heat mirages, never fully corporeal and never fully spectral. Visible only in part, they flicker in and out of sight, like ghosts half-remembered by reality. In bright light, they seem transparent; in shadow, their outlines glow with ethereal resonance. Their voices echo as though spoken through a rift in space—soft, distant, and often disjointed.
Disembodied often retain their personalities, minds, and emotions, but struggle to remain anchored to the world around them. Objects slip through their fingers. Walls become obstacles one moment, and passable veils the next. They suffer from phantom sensations, feeling warmth where there is none, or cold where there should be heat. Most experience a deep disorientation, a constant sense of being both here and elsewhere—never fully present, never fully gone.
Though many view them as cursed, the Disembodied possess abilities that border on miraculous. They can, with great effort or training, step sideways into the Ethereal, bypassing obstacles, listening to thoughts whispered in nearby minds, or perceiving spirits and magical currents more clearly than the living. Some have learned to manipulate their strange condition, acting as spies, saboteurs, or messengers for powerful factions—especially those still loyal to the fractured Revelry of Ruin.
The magical toll of their condition is immense. Normal healing magics often fail, while teleportation or planar travel may cause excruciating disassociation or even temporary unraveling. However, a few arcanists and warlocks have developed anchoring rituals—bindings, tattoos, or artifacts that stabilize the Disembodied for brief periods, allowing them to interact more tangibly with the world.
Many Disembodied are haunted not only by their state, but by fragmented visions of the moment the Aether Accord broke. They relive it in dreams, see it in reflections, or hear it echoing in spells and songs. Some become obsessed with undoing the fracture, believing their restoration hinges on repairing the realms. Others seek vengeance, blaming gods, mages, or fate for their stolen lives.
Neither dead nor alive, neither bound nor free, the Disembodied stand as grim monuments to the dangers of unrestrained magic. They are reminders that the Fracture War never truly ended—for in their blurred, flickering forms, its consequences still walk Aigusyl.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Due to the circumstances of their upbringing, The Disembodied struggle with traveling to other planes outside of the material plane and the ethereal plane. Often causing intense physical or mental pain without an anchor.
