Souls
In Borgalor, souls1 are incorporeal beings from a world bordering it, commonly referred to as the Void, Soul Realm or Afterlife, though the lattermost is inaccurate. In their natural habitat, souls are amorphous, lack individuality and wander aimlessly, clumping together and breaking apart at random, often stumbling into Borgalor where the boundaries between the worlds are thinner.
When this occurs, the soul can only last for a short while there on its own, and needs a living, multicellular organism for long-term survival. Initially a form of commensalistic relationship, over time the soul and organism merge as the former gains individuality and takes on certain traits from the latter, and enhances the host's arcane abilities to some extent.
When the host dies, the soul separates from it and returns to the Void, where it retains the personality and memories of its host for a while before reverting to its default state. This process can be slowed down through regular contact with mortals, which is done by briefly weakening the barrier between Borgalor and the Void and calling the full name of its former host. They can even be convinced to briefly visit Borgalor to protect people from harm by acting as a shield against magical attacks.
Different borgalorean cultures have varying attitudes towards this practice, with elven cultures rarely summoning the dead, while in many orcish ones, contacting the dead for guidance is an important part of ancestor worship. While the term Necromancy technically describes any contact with souls of the dead, most borgaloreans use it specifically for the taboo practice of preventing souls from returning to the Void, either by trapping them in the host after death or in an object to enchant it.
While a soul trapped within an object can eventually escape when the thing breaks, though now devoid of memories and personality, those prevented from separating from the body upon death are forever bound to Borgalor. The latter are found in the wasteland of Amþax following the Fell Wars, where they remain in a state of frenzy and attack any living being that gets too close.
When this occurs, the soul can only last for a short while there on its own, and needs a living, multicellular organism for long-term survival. Initially a form of commensalistic relationship, over time the soul and organism merge as the former gains individuality and takes on certain traits from the latter, and enhances the host's arcane abilities to some extent.
When the host dies, the soul separates from it and returns to the Void, where it retains the personality and memories of its host for a while before reverting to its default state. This process can be slowed down through regular contact with mortals, which is done by briefly weakening the barrier between Borgalor and the Void and calling the full name of its former host. They can even be convinced to briefly visit Borgalor to protect people from harm by acting as a shield against magical attacks.
Different borgalorean cultures have varying attitudes towards this practice, with elven cultures rarely summoning the dead, while in many orcish ones, contacting the dead for guidance is an important part of ancestor worship. While the term Necromancy technically describes any contact with souls of the dead, most borgaloreans use it specifically for the taboo practice of preventing souls from returning to the Void, either by trapping them in the host after death or in an object to enchant it.
While a soul trapped within an object can eventually escape when the thing breaks, though now devoid of memories and personality, those prevented from separating from the body upon death are forever bound to Borgalor. The latter are found in the wasteland of Amþax following the Fell Wars, where they remain in a state of frenzy and attack any living being that gets too close.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Souls that wander into Borgalor appear as wisps of smoke, though luminescent, while souls of the dead have distorted facial features, and trapped ones like those found in the wasteland of Amþax retain the similarly distorted shape of their former hosts
Genetics and Reproduction
How souls propagate is unknown, but they can only die while in Borgalor.
1Original icelandic: sálir, singular: sál.
Lifespan
Unknown
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Souls that wander into Borgalor are colourless, glowing and semi-transparent, souls of the dead temporarily gain a cyan hue
Personality dies, the soul remains but it is impersonal and all souls once "clean" are identical to each other. Basically they could be the same, or dissolved in an "ocean" of spirituality. People would try to use magic to preserve their individual identity, I suppose. Perhaps not. I played with a similar idea in Sharitarn, sort of. The non-talking animals have individual souls and immortality by reincarnation in Sharitarn Universe. While talking ones (people) have a time after they die (up to 2 years) walking around in a sort of ethereal layer of reality. Then they are attracted and devoured by a huge spiritual Bird of Prey (the "tarn" in the name Sharitarn). So, intelligent beings must cesse existing after dead, past a certain time (for practical purposes, equivalent to what happens in your setting here?) They leave echos behind, residual memory and energy that sometimes are complex enough to be mistaken by spirits. However, those things are just 'footprints' of spirits, and fade away gradually. I am calling them "ghosts". Also, like in your world here there are spells to mix body and spirit in a stronger than normal state. On Sharitarn that's the core of Necromancy Way. Necromancers create undead that way, and be turned in a high undead (those with spirits and intelligence) is the only way for a human achieve potentially eternal existence. There is nothing imoral about it, you are giving up humanity (and they do have a sort of "supreme race" bias in favour of humanity, most civilized Sharitarnes) and your legal status after that will vary depending on the State City. Still, undeads are very resistant and many have significant powers that come with the "model" they have chosen. Is fairly expensive, high costs, and you need to get yourself very competent and honest Necromancers or you could end up in a bad situation. All that considered, it is timeless existence, whit no expiration date. Personal identity preserved. Despite that, very few Sharitarnes go for it. Even those who have the money and can afford the best available models, usually prefer to die normally. Knowing they will end up devoured by the Spiritual Tarn in the afterlife. Even those who are rich, and are citizens from a Necropolis (a city with a Mage University that teaches Necromancy, and forms Necromancers). Even necromancers themselves: most choose to die, regular way. I got this idea, and placed it in the setting to be one of those far-fetched elements that my characters cannot understand. Because my narrator/leading characters are usually from Earth. Involuntary immigrants on Sharitarn. I though that would be interesting to place in the setting things they would look and think "those Sharitarnes are all Mad!! That's insane!!! Why would ANYONE not to choose to be turned in an undead if those are the terms and the option is available?" Since your main characters are not immigrants from another universe I don't suppose that sort of intentional inconsistency would serve your world here as well as it serves Sharitarn. But perhaps all societies have some level of internal contradiction that will feel natural for those born and raised in it? And crazy for anyone else.