Ego Circuits
The doctor rolled the corpse over on its side carefully inspecting the base of the skull. "No apparent Ego damage," he muttered over his shoulder to an assistant. "Please prepare a sleeve."
"Billing says there is no insurance on record for the patient."
"Just grab a re-sleeve if we have one available," sighed the doctor coldly as he began the process of carefully cutting open the back of the corpses skull.
With the back of the skull revealed the doctor carefully freed a small silver disk from between the top two vertebra. He squinted holding the disk to the light and inspecting it a final time for any imperfections, and was satisfied with the containment of the gently glowing heart of the object.
History
Ego circuits are perhaps the single most pivotal magical breakthrough that has been introduced to the Cosmos. In ages past some of the most powerful mages prepared clone bodies for themselves to transfer their Ego (soul and consciousness) into it to preserve their youth. As magic continued advancing and becoming commoditized the lich Zur Talik created a process by which they were able to extract their soul from it's phylactery and imbue it in what would later be referred to as an Ego Circuit. With the assistance of another mage Zur's Ego Circuit was transferred to a subjects body where his consciousness now resided. Freed from the shackles of undeath Zur began performing the same rights for those with the coin to hire his services.Modern Use
In time though the secrets of the Ego Circuit spread through out the cosmos and came into reach of even the poorest individuals. In nearly all societies at birth an Ego Circuit is installed into the child through the Birthright: Ego Harnessing. Upon death those who can afford a new Sleeves have their Ego Circuit surgically implanted into a new body. Those unfortunate enough to not be able to afford a new sleeve (or live someplace with basic bodily rights) may find themselves unfortunate to end up on a Stack Exchange indentured to a life of computational servitude until their debts can be paid off.Ego Health
With lifespans effectively limitless the damage that life can deal to ones psyche compounds over the centuries instead of a single lifetime. As a result many individuals (especially the poor and destitute) tend to accumulate a great deal of trauma and mental health issues over many lifetimes. Those who are regularly imbedded in new sleeves that are not clones of their original body repeatedly over their lifetime run the risk of suffering from Ego Dysmorphia. There is however a growing industry of Ego Surgeon specializing in the study of tending to the mental and metaphysical health of the Ego. The potential mental impact of living many lifetimes in many bodies is yet to be fully understood though, and so this field continues to grow overtime.True Death
With the creation of Ego Circuits true death is inevitable, but highly uncommon. When the ego circuit is damaged psychic damage may occur to the individual, but a tremendous amount of damage (or total destruction) will result in the spirit escaping its bonds and true death. It is for this reason that adamantine is generally the chosen material.Manufacturing process
Ego Circuits are created during the Birthright: Ego Harnessing ritual generally during a child's birth. Because of the nature of the magic the ego circuits cannot be created before hand, and must be made specially for each individual.
Item type
Electronic / Cybernetic
Related Technologies
Related Condition
Rarity
Common
Raw materials & Components
- Adamantine
- Rune Inscriptions
- The Users Soul
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