Material Soul

Death and Rebirth

Written by Endrise

Death is a terrifying concept, but one that many must face some day in their life. There's no reason to postpone the inevitable. I have seen many try, most go mad, some fall into despair. They watch loved ones die and their empires crumble.
Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and accept that nothing lasts forever.

— Kharon

Every sentient thing on Fabulae has a soul, from the smallest insect to the largest tree. It forms the building blocks of all creation, the cycle of life itself.

The Basics

What is a Soul?

A soul, in its rawest form, is a collection of the person's memories and thoughts. From the day they are born, their body takes in their surroundings, creating new experiences as a result.

With each moment the soul absorbs, it grows in power. It is said that creatures centuries old have souls powerful enough to be gods, if not surpass them. At least, if their body holds up.

As the soul grows, it burns through the body, weakening it over time. Depending on what experiences it faces, the damage can be either minimal or lethal. Like a flame melting a candle, unless replenished, it will burn through the body some day.

The Cycle of Life & Death

Every soul is born from the essence of other ones. Whether it takes two parents, a single wizard or even a collective sacrifice. From there, it inhabits its body, and lives it life.

The soul keeps growing as one ages, gathering knowledge from the life it experienced. Some might live a long life of many moments, others one cut short by an unlucky moment. Eventually, the soul will outgrow the body, and let it cease to live.

After dying, the soul moves into the Ethereal Veil, breaking down over time. Once its memory fades from the world of the living, it ceases to be. From then onwards, it is but fuel to all other souls, memories of its former life floating around the veil.

Changing the Cycle

While it is hard to fight against the cycle of life and death, some people do succeed at changing it. Whether they find a loophole that allows for a perfect reincarnation, or become truly immortal.

Perfecting the Cycle

By perfecting the cycle, one can find ways to reincarnate with nearly all memories in tact. This often is done by having an object tied to them which triggers said memories in their new life. Anything from a symbol, an idol or even a location that is near and dear to the user.

Others bargain with the psychopomps that roam the Ethereal Veil, for a chance to try again. Sometimes they succeed, and might be reborn as Duskwalkers. If they are truly lucky, they might get a chance to do undo their wrongs, to return to their former life even for but a moment. Or in other cases, fix their mistakes in a better life the next time.

Breaking the Cycle

Everyone sees death as a cycle that can't be broken, a constant in the universe. But I have gone beyond death. I laughed in the face of the gods that rule the veil, and became something neither alive nor dead.

— Maritesa

While some try perfecting the cycle, others seek to break it. They want to maintain the life they currently live and will do anything to do so. They seek immortality, no matter what it costs.

In most cases, they search in the arts of necromancy, magic controlling life and death. They find ways to unbind their soul from their body, feed off the life force of others or make their bodies not age at all. Liches, Vampires, even locking themselves in a construct body to avoid death.

To keep up such forms, maintenance can be tasking. As the centuries pass, their mind might slip away, their body degrade, requiring more and more sustenance to survive. Most end up a shallow form of themselves, while others might find ways to transcend their mortal forms. Inevitably, many will subcumb some day to death and their soul will fade into the veil.

Law Applies to

Fabulae
Ethereal Veil

Type

Metaphysical, Astral

Faith & the Afterlife

For the more religious folk, death can be an experience to witness their god in person. With their soul tied to theirs, they will find their afterlife personalised to what they might believe it to be. For some it will be the judgement of their life, for others it will be the eternal paradise ever after.

According to some, a few devoted clerics or paladins even came back from the afterlife as an avatar of their deity. They speak of proving their worth, and as such being given a second chance by their patron.