Souls

It is unfortunate that so few mortals ever get to cross into Spirit World during their time in life. Meeting with the spirits is quite revealing, as the life of a spirit is not bound to the same commonalities that all mortals are. A spirit needs no body, no personality, no sense or way to interact with the world. Those weak of spirit seem to resign their afterlives to be a wisp of essence for all eternity, floating through space waiting to be consumed or destroyed. And yet the strong of spirit appears even greater in death than they did in life. Majestic and forceful in stature and personality. To see who in your life was truly weak or strong of spirit is a rare and personal experience
— Rhogar's Encylopedia of the Realm

Introduction

Every person and living creature in Halcyon has a soul. This is something that is hard to define, and the vast majority go through their lives without even considering that there is a part of them that is bound to a place beyond the material realm. When that person or thing dies, their soul awakens in the Spirit World, where it will remain for eternity.

The Strength of Spirit

Not all souls are made equal. The Spirit World is a reflection of the Material Plane, and so one might think that it would get awfully crowded down there after a few dozen generations have come and gone. However, a soul does not manifest itself the same way the body of its host would have in the material plane. The souls of the thousands of prey animals (like rabbits or deer) will be almost invisible and minuscule in size. Similarly, a person who lived their life weak of character or personality, will not have a significant or notable presence in the Spirit World. The stronger the will and life of the person, the more powerful their spirit will manifest itself in the Spirit World. The strongest of spirits can even have a marginal influence on the material plane and can grow to become very powerful beings.

Communing with the Dead

The spirits can be very elusive to reach and to communicate with. Very few have the opportunity to actually visit the Spirit World and getting messages across to a different plane of existence is a very difficult feat. For this reason, it is not often that common folk try to reach out to loved ones who have passed away. And for most common folk, it is unlikely that the souls of their loved ones were strong enough to even communicate in death. However, all this doesn't mean it isn't possible to reach the Spirit World. Powerful mages, clerics, and spiritual persons often will seek the help or knowledge of the dead.

Devious Dead

Not all who die are ready to give up their worldly goals and machinations. A powerful villain on the material plane will likely still seek power in Spirit World. Their souls can help give them newfound powers as well.