Soul Map

Soul Maps are visual representations of the soul of beings born on Oabos. While they usually cannot be seen, Soul Scribes are able to get a sense for the shape of an individual's soul map and draw it as a diagram. A soul map consists of a central core surrounded by three concentric rings. The three rings of a soul map are the mind, the body, and the spirit. Each ring is then marked with the element it is filled with. The elements on each ring and their placements in relation to each other show how the elements on Oabos form within that individual. An accurate soul map can tell many things about the individual it was drawn from.

Mind Ring

The mind ring is the smallest ring and closest to the core. It is also the first ring to develop after an individual is born. The mind ring can contain any of the elements, which dictate the general nature and thought structure of the individual. That is not to say, however, that everything about how the individual thinks is controlled by their mind ring element. Rather, the mind ring element shows natural tendencies and what types of thought process and temperament come most easily to them.

Once the mind ring settles and reaches a stable strength, the individual is seen as having made it through infancy and early childhood. They are then focused on physical development. In the elementine, some individuals go through their mind ring development as an egg or an elemental sphere. Others will begin to develop a body soon after their mind ring starts to develop.

The mind ring also interacts with the body ring. If the elements on each ring are closely aligned or touching, that individual will have a deep connection between their mind and body. They may even be very centered within their body and have a hard time thinking outside of themselves. If the elements are in opposed positions the individual will have a natural disconnect between their mind and their body. Some individuals with strongly opposed mind and body ring elements struggle with dissociation, and can find it difficult to be present in their own bodies.

Soul Map Mind Ring

by Kydra_Hunter

Soul Map Body Ring

by Kyrda_Hunter

Body Ring

The middle ring is the body ring. This ring develops second, but may start developing before the mind ring is settled. The body ring element determines the base structure of the individual's physical form. This ring has far more visible effects than the mind ring, and is easier to predict. Some soul scribes have theories around how to use the body ring to predict attributes like size and strength, but there is currently no definitive way to do so. Once this ring has settled, the individual is deemed to have moved out of childhood and into adolescence.

The positioning of the element on the body ring has interactions with both the mind ring and the soul ring, and is often the best ring to consider when determining how each ring will manifest. Much like the connection between the mind ring and the body ring, having elements in the body ring and soul ring that are closely aligned or touching demonstrates a deep connection between the individual's body and the ability that manifests from their spirit ring. This typically means that the ability they manifest can only effect themselves. Similarly, if the element placements are opposed they typically manifest an ability that can only effect things external to themselves.

The ideal positioning has historically been to have evenly spaced element placements across the three rings. This both aligns with the elementine concepts of balance as well as offering the greatest range of effects. The trade off in this situation is power. If an ability can only effect the self or only effect others, that ability tends to be stronger.

Spirit Ring

The spirit ring is the largest ring and the last to develop. This is the ring that manifests an elemental ability based on the element and its placement in relation to the other rings. The settling of the spirit ring is the slowest of all of the rings and signals the transition into adulthood. The development of the spirit ring is also the main reason for the Children of Radiance resembling stunted children to the Elementine. All of their rings develop slower, but the spirit ring rarely seems to settle in full blooded humans. In the Myth-touched, the spirit ring may eventually settle but in a much weaker form due to a lack of support from their core.

How the spirit ring can manifest can vary wildly from element to element, and even within the same element. It can range from manipulating the element in some way, to an intense perception of it, to being able to channel the element in some way. The soul scribe ability is a spirit ring manifestation of the core light element (Oas) which allows for an intense perception of the core light in others, allowing them to see the form of a individual's soul.

Soul Map Spirit Ring

by Kydra_Hunter

Recent Developments

Since the addition of the Children of Radiance to Oabos there have been some significant changes to soul maps. The first change was made clear within a few years of the human's arrival. As the first human children were born on Oabos three new elements were introduced for the first time: intellect, flesh, and radiance.

The next change came much later: the appearance of linked or hybrid elements. This phenomina was first recorded in the region of The Talking Sands, where new elementine are being born that appear to have bodies and abilities based in sand. Investigations by a local soul scribe revealed that linked stone and air elements were appearing on the same ring. This is the first time that more than one element has ever appeared on the same ring of a soul map.