Incorporeal forms

Also known as incorporeal forms, Animi are entities that can form from any entity of the Weltan system upon death. Common animi that are generated upon death are ghosts, souls and spirits, but other types exist as well.
When a biological entity dies, its animi remains in the body for a time, preventing effective necromancy until the soul has departed, and only the body remains. When the animi has departed, it can manifest as a ghost, a soul and/or a spirit (or sometimes several or combinations of these).
Every creature, living or dead, is powered by an or several animi. Without it, they are just lumps of flesh or piles of bones (Ie, corpses or corporeal undead). This animating force can be contained within a soul gem, if the soul gem has the capacity. From the gem, the ghost/spirit/soul can be used to power items.
== Animi biology ==
Research into the biology of Animi is intended to provide a framework for understanding how animi work. The ramifications section discusses how some of the most extraordinary lifeform phenomena can be understood through the biology of animi.
=== Core Tenets of animi ===
# Every living being in Welt has one or several animi,  that manifests after death as an incorporeal form.
# A beings’ animi is intrinsically linked with its physical form, but exists independently of it.
# A lifeform’s animi is capable of acquiring energy from the physical world via its physical form. 
=== Structure of an animi ===
Every animi in Welt consists of the same four fundamental elements:
# A consciousness; responsible for the thoughts and emotions of the being.
# A reservoir of life energy.
# A detailed plan for the physical form of the being.
# A bond linking it to the physical form of the being.
These together form an animi, the incorporeal form of a living lifeform.
=== Mechanics of an animi ===
==== Creation of an incorporeal form ====
When a being’s bond between its animi and physical form is broken, typically from lethal damage, it ceases to be alive. Its animi can then become a or several incorporeal forms, and the body can become a or several forms of corporeal forms. The animi can split into several forms upon death. An animi can continue to exist so long as its reservoir of life energy sustains it. Under normal circumstances, a bond between an animi and a physical form cannot be created, as such it is .
==== Life energy ====
When a being is first created, its animi receives a relatively small amount of life energy that makes up their reservoir. Lifeforms, however, are able to use their physical forms to acquire energy from the physical world and store it as life energy within their reservoir.
==== Life energy reservoir ====
This reservoir of life energy is the resource that lifeforms use to do seemingly extraordinary things, such as perform attacks, change forms, or evolve. In doing so, they convert this life energy back into some physical manifestation.
An animi’s reservoir can only hold a finite amount of life energy, though in specific situations an animi can leverage an external energy source (Animus stones) to perform feats normally beyond the limits of its finite capacity. 
=== Reproduction ===
Reproduction of lifeforms is actually just two animi creating a new animi. This explains how wildly different species can produce offspring together. Biology isn’t really a factor. An egg is just an extremely simple physical form. This minimizes the life energy required from the parents to create this new being. Because the egg is a physical form, it provides the new animi the means to gather energy from its surroundings. After it has gathered sufficient energy it can use this to “hatch” into a more capable form, which is really more like lifeform evolution than the hatching of an animal’s egg.
=== The special case of multiple lifeforms ===
Lifeforms that seem to be multiple lifeforms, must actually be single animis with a consciousness that contains multiple identities and a discontinuous physical form. 
=== Non organic lifeforms ===
Lifeforms who seem to have “items” such as stones or clothing as part of their body are also cases of discontinuous form. There is no reason lifeform’s body plans need to be entirely “biological” in nature, as evidenced by entirely mechanical lifeforms.
=== Undead lifeforms ===
Undead lifeforms are often described as possessing other objects and beings, or being reincarnations of deceased individuals. It seems probable that this is actually a lifeform’s animi consuming the animi of another being, but preserving at least part of its consciousness (memories) or simply integrating an object into its physical form.
=== Artificially created animi ===
Artificially created lifeforms have animis like every other lifeform, and the body plan within that animi provides the means for reproduction despite an apparent lack of a biological mechanism for doing so. This ties into the cells and DNA that many lifeforms have, but others apparently do not. These biological structures are the result of the animi’s body plan, rather than dictators of how the body is structured.
=== Animi body plan ===
A new animi is created whenever beings reproduce. The fundamental elements of the beings are used to shape the fundamental elements of the new animi. An animi’s body plan defines how its physical form is structured, and how it can be further improved through the application of life energy.
A body plan is composed of factors, which can fall into either of two categories: Species Factors and Individual Factors.
* Individual factors cannot be passed to offspring and include the size of a particular lifeform, and its susceptibility to yeast. These factors are largely influenced by the consciousness of an individual animi.
* Species factors can be passed to offspring during reproduction, and include how permanent changes to the physical form will be made, such as evolution, forms, and gender differences. These factors are only minorly influenced by the consciousness of an individual animi.
== Types of animi ==
There are several types of animi, these include Ghosts, Souls, Spirits, Specters and Banshees. 
=== Ghosts ===
Main article: Ghosts
Ghosts come into existence after the death of their living selves, they are often confused and will seek to make sense of their condition. Sometimes the trauma is so great that they become stuck in a loop of existence, and require the psychological help of a Necromancer or of a Seer to exit the loop. 
A Dalmer Ghost can use powers of telekinesis over physical objects. Ghosts are completely lucid and can communicate normally with other dalmer, however they are semi immaterial, meaning that they can go through solid objects, but are bound to the ground and cannot “fly” very high. Ghosts, like souls are fully capable of haunting objects, though not to the degree of control a soul can demonstrate. they are also incapable of giving the object special effects. Ghosts have been known to be able to operate musical instruments, and to appear to live in a sort of “Limbo state” where only Dalmer gifted with Parasight can interact with them. 
Ghosts suffering from Post Traumatic Death Disorder tend to get more violent and dangerous the longer they are left untreated, leading to behaviors more akin to wounded animals. The effects of this disorder include loss of self and memories over a period of time, leading to frustration and violence. This fact prompts a public service for more funding for Necromancers across the Empire. 
Ghosts are the most prolific type of incorporeal undead, and third most prolific undead, behind zombies and skeletons. 
A ghost's power to interact with the physical world comes from the ghost "telling" objects what to do.
=== Souls ===
Main article: SoulsA Dalmer soul is the other form of afterlife separate from the ghost, and the spirit incorporeal form can haunt items to give them new properties, meaning in the same way that Dalmer ghosts can haunt a soul can enchant things with their personality. Souls are fully capable of haunting objects, as well as leaving electronic and physical messages, souls are completely mute however.
Souls are used by several creatures to cast spells or to increase their power. They are impermanent and immune to harm. A soul, much like uploaded consciousnesses, can be stored into a soul gem, which allows the soul to communicate and when placed into complex objects the soul can control complex machinery such as robotic frames. 
=== Spirits ===
Main article: SpiritsA Spirit is the most mysterious and least understood of dalmer undead forms, they have the capacity to possess other biological beings. They are mute and must possess other speech capable beings in order to communicate.
==== Rarity ====
Dalmer spirits are incredibly rare, appearing in less than 0.01% of deaths, and disappearing instants later. This wasn't always the case, spirits never had the same average of apparition post mortem as other undead, but now they are much rarer. Spirits still appear at the same rate in the other races. 
It was revealed that following the creation of the Spirit Bringer on the moon, all the spirits were in fact teleported to the moon at the moment of creation.
=== Specters ===
Main article: Specters
Some Dalmer return from the grave as specter's, most returning to complete unfinished work, to fulfill an oath or to seek revenge on a wrongdoing.
Specters are mute
In legends, specters and banshees only return when the deceased is an orphan, the last of its clan, and is without children. As such its debt cannot be repaid by its children or its family, and will do so himself as a specter. Most often specters are simply ghosts in need of psychological counseling.
Specters and Banshees are unique in the fact that they seem to exhibit all the traits normally associated with the different types of immaterial undead such as possession, haunting and telekinesis.
=== Banshees ===
Main article: BansheesBanshees, like Specters are incorporeal undead who return due to unfinished work. A key difference between a Banshee and a Specter is the former has the ability to speak. Banshees are noted for their weakness to smiles. 
====Shadows ====
Main article: Shadows
The dalmer found a way to separate animi from a body, without the body dying. the extracted animi is always hostile and directionless though. These are known as shadows. shadows can multiply. they can be revealed to be shadows by invisible light. Shadows are essentially Banshees who remember who they were. 
== Properties ==
=== Intangibility ===
Animi share the common property of being intangible, and appear usually to be made of a misty, airy material. They are able to pass through objects and cannot be interacted with unless with certain materials.
=== Invisibility ===
Animi are capable of making themselves invisible, only being detectable through the use of an Ectospectrometer, by a Seer or by someone with the gift of Parasight.
=== Possession ===
==== Haunting ====
Souls have the ability to haunt objects, giving them the ability to manipulate the object and give it special effects. this ability is often confused with Ghostly Telekinesis
==== Ghostly telekinesis ====
Ghosts have telekinetic abilities that allow them to manipulate several objects at once. 
==== Spiritual Possession ====
Spirits have the ability to possess lifeforms, and doing as they please with them. 
=== Residue ===
All animi have the particularity to leave behind residue of Ozone and Ectoplasm. 
=== Tethering ===
Animi are often bound to an object or a place, as such their movements are restricted to this area/object some animi can move over larger distances, but unless they can move what they're bound to, they can never be totally free. This condition isn't universal, as some animi have complete autonomy and can move as they please. In the case of spirits, they are sometimes bound to their bodies unless their bodies have been put to rest.
=== Objects of affection ===
Animi often bring more than themselves into the incorporeal form. When an object of the animi’s affection is interacted with often, it becomes covered with ectoplasm, which causes it to gain supernatural characteristics. Examples of these items include ghost ships, cars, clothes and weapons from example. 
=== Spiritual summoning ===
Before it was revealed that spirits are warped to the moon upon creation, it was believed that one could summon Spirits. it has since been revealed that they are summoned just like demons.
=== Incorporeal Form Pacts===
Pacts also exist for incorporeal forms. A pact is how an immaterial being can give special abilities to its physical host in exchange for its services.
= Ramifications =
The mechanics of animi detailed, can explain many seemingly extraordinary phenomena of Welt work within its structure.
== Concepts ==
=== Type ===
There are 18 different kinds of life energy, known as types. These types are irreducible. Multiple types of life energy can be found in a single animi’s reservoir simultaneously. The type of life energy is determined by the source it was acquired from. Different lifeform species are better suited to acquiring different types of life energy. 
=== Aura ===
Animi constantly emit trace amounts of life energy. This radiation is known as an aura, and changes depending on the state of the animi emitting it. This aura can coalesce into physical matter known as ectoplasm. 
=== Strength leveling ===
The increase of a lifeform’s strength, is an abstraction of a lifeform’s accumulation of life energy as they mature. The level cap is analogous to the maximum capacity of an animi’s life energy reservoir. Gaining experience from battle can be seen as the extraction of life energy from the animi of defeated opponents.
As all life energy is one of 18 discrete varieties, i.e. the lifeform types, a lifeform species’ type(s) is just which varieties of energy predominantly fill their reservoir. The type of a lifeform’s move is the variety of life energy that is used to perform it. It seems probable that reservoirs can contain more than two types of life energy, and this is a simplification to allow for turn-based video game combat mechanics. 
=== Animi bond ===
It’s possible that the “bond between a trainer and a lifeform” is actually some sort of tangible link between their animis via their auras. As the aura contains information about the state of the animi, this could provide a nonverbal means of communication about thoughts and emotions. This makes the duo more competent in lifeform battles.
=== Animi energy manipulation ===
The sensing of auras and manipulation of the energy emitted from animis makes sense. This would allow animi to sense emotions and thoughts and identities, and provides the substance known as ectoplasm.
=== Spontaneous evolution ===
A lifeform evolving as its level increases in the core series must be representative of an individual's gradual accumulation of life energy in their reservoir eventually being sufficient to achieve a superior form. The numerous other, more exotic, evolution methods all give the evolving lifeform access to some new energy source or material that must be essential to the construction of their next form.
=== Haunting ===
Main article: Haunting
Souls have the unique ability to haunt and give the haunted objects extra effects. Simple haunted objects can be levitated and moved easily by souls, but more complex machines seemingly cannot be moved as easily. These more complex machines can only be haunted a filled soul gem, which provides greater focus and control. Powerful Souls can haunt entire buildings or structures. Usually, souls leave their vessels when they are destroyed, but they can be removed by force via exorcism.
=== Existence of free will ===
The existence of free will, and dreams being sustenance providing / technologically manipulable things, is explained by the consciousness portion of an animi.
== Technologies ==
=== Infinity energy ===
Infinity Energy, as it has been branded, is actually life energy that has been extracted from the animi of beings. 
=== Animus stones ===
Animus Stones provide an external reservoir of life energy beyond what an animi can store on its own, allowing a lifeform that can leverage that composition of life energy to temporarily achieve a superior form. The body plan for this new form is contained in the Animus stone, which is how the same individual can evolve into different forms depending only on what kind of stone is used.
=== Biological Preservation Orbs ===
Main article: Biological preservation orbs
Biological Preservation Orbs convert a lifeform’s physical form into life energy (the reverse of when a lifeform evolves, converting life energy into a physical form) preserving this alongside its animi to eject later. Since the BPO, and subsequently the Public Storage System, are actually storing the sum total of a lifeform’s being and consciousness, it explains why various technologies in Welt are able to glean so much information about lifeforms while they’re in this state.
=== Soul Gems ===
Main article: Soul Gems
Souls can be captured within a soul gem. This allows the soul to have greater focus and control, making the soul more powerful. Soul gems are also a potent power source, one soul is equivalent in power to a nuclear reactor, and putting enough souls together can create something functionally similar to the sun.
=== Soul Flight ===
Main article: Soul Flight
Soul Flight is the capacity to separate the soul from the body, allowing the soul to float a short distance from its body and possess objects and return to the body. Although the Dalmer can learn to detach their soul while still alive via soul flight. Over time the soul deteriorates until becoming non existent, meaning that spending too much time away from a haunted object or thing will cause the soul to disappear. The only way for the dalmer to actually “cease to exist” is to commit spiritual suicide by flying towards the atmosphere, never to return, or to be reunited with the souls’ original skull. 
====Comatic Soul Flight====
Dalmer in a coma can partially release their animi, which results in them being in limbo, unable to venture far from their body.
====Self Splitting: ====
Main Articles: Self Splitting
Only possible once physical maturity is reached, Self splitting is the division of a Dalmers personality, the Self, (roughly the combination of Soul Spirit and Ghost) into two new personalities. This practice disables soul flight until the soul is regenerated. This means that souls can be split infinitely, the soul splitting also yields microbes of the soul, which can grow into distinct souls if placed in objects or a usable body, but these microbes are simple personalities, akin to children who can grow into individual personalities of their own.
This practice is rarely used by the Dalmer, but the maximum theoretical number of times Self Splitting can undergo is 9 for a biologically born Self. it is theorized that the splits of the Self can be joined together once more, but the Selves being so very different rarely accept to do so.
The microbes caused everyday items and animals to develop personalities and sentience.
====Shadows ====
Main article: Shadows
The dalmer found a way to separate animi from a body, without the body dying. the extracted animi is always hostile and directionless though. These are known as shadows. shadows can multiply. they can be revealed to be shadows by invisible light. Shadows are essentially Banshees who remember who they were. 
= Other race Incorporeal Forms =
The other races can also become undead immaterial forms.
==How to become an incorporeal form==
Living beings who have a special belief in the spiritual or an apprehension of the afterlife can become essences after life. they remain in this state as long as they are remembered. their appearance is largely determined by who remembers them. As such, legends about ghosts ensure that these cannot disappear. To combat this they tend to leave civilization to disappear at last when they are forgotten. but those who remember and believe in them keep them on the physical plane. 
Category:Undead
Category:Pages with red links
Category:Biology of Welt
Category:Long Articles
__FORCETOC__