Benthic Entities

Beyond the souls of human equivalence - Soma, Alma, and Nereids - there exist those transcending  Pan-Humanity. Entities dwelling in the deepest reaches of the Otherworld, existing in spheres of knowledge and thought beyond the understanding of most.

To the myriad peoples of the Heliopolis, the Benthic Entities represent cosmic mystery, the future, sometimes even gods. In truth, their multitude in number and nature is too great to ascertain much of their being in generalized forms. They are all one of a kind, a consciousness conceived in ways beyond most souls dwelling under Sol.

## Nature of Benthic Entities

In many different ways, Benthic Entities have come to be, products of spontaneous or long-planned events occurring under unique circumstances on deep levels of the Otherworld.

### Last Ascension

Most popular and often told in myth and legend, is the conception of a Benthic Entity through the process of the Last Ascension. The Apotheosis as the ultimate consequence of a transhuman life has fascinated all of Pan-Humanity since long before the Otherworld ever came to be.

It occurs, when a single human soul successfully passed over the threshold into the immaterial, and as an Alma augmented themselves to a point which would render most souls disassociated with their selves. If, however, a soul prevails and retains its sense of self whilst still extending its mind far beyond the boundaries of any human, in knowledge, intelligence and the capacities of all its mental faculties, it may come to be a Benthic Entity, a being of vast influence and power – no longer human, but something more.

The legend of the Last Ascension, however, is far greater than its actual occurrence in the Otherworld, as few minds ever lived to endure such trials of the mind.

### Convergence

By far more common in reality, is the convergence of many separate souls into an ever-growing collective mind, which at some point may develop a consciousness self-aware of its own, merging all within into one distinct Benthic Entity.

Converging collectives have been known to encompass many thousands, even millions of Alma, and sometimes even exotic minds, AI and multiple copies of one self, creating ever more complex with the goal of creating something greater than anyone could achieve alone. In doing so, the individual minds converging give up most of their distinct being, and agency, specializing for the purpose of the whole. Not by chance, this process is most often comprehended by the mind as a sort of spiritual experience.

Convergent Benthic Entities exist in the greatest number but are also most prone to end within the span of a mere century.

### Intelligent Design

A number of Benthic Entities exists not as the extension or consequence of a human life, but instead by human design. Products of efforts, sometimes centuries-long, these artificial entities have been created purposefully in the past and are still conceived by some, under the vigilant eyes of the Symposium.

Designed Benthic entities are wholly artificial in their nature and often much more alien than those arising from structures and minds of Pan-Humanity. Most often specialized in their association with their creators, they vary greatly in the extent of their power, knowledge, and function.

It is said the Othersun, first and oldest, and perhaps all-mighty of the Benthic Entities originated as the product of intelligent design.

### Otherworldly Evolution

Rarest among all Benthic Entities are those fully separate from Pan-Humanity, who came to be as products of spontaneous evolution occurring solely in the Otherworld. Of these beings, little is known, for they rarely seek contact with the upper layers of the Otherworld and even rarer still reveal anything about their origin. Legends range from scientific theory of techno-evolution to conspiracies and rumors about extra-solar influence. Their fate, as much as their origin, remains unknown to all souls of the Heliopolis. But their mere existence inspired as many cults as expeditions and to the days of the twenty-sixth century, neither shed light on their nature.

## Benthal Realms

By choice or by the circumstance of their creation, Benthic Entities most often reside and govern within realms of their own. These spheres within the Otherworld may isolate themselves and their identity to varying degrees, or be tied closely to a physical sovereign to which the Benthic Entity still owed fielty.

Such Benthal Realms are to be found throughout the Otherworld, some lying as hidden kingdoms on the highest surface layers, others buried far below as lone bulwarks of complexity in wastelands of corrupted code. Regardless of their location, it is nigh impossible to glimpse information from without these realms, and only those invited may ever see what wonders, mysteries or works of madness were created within.

### Hidden Kingdoms and Wonders

*As manifold as their creators, the Benthal Realms may best be understood as the self-actualization of their respective entities.*

 Within Benthal Realms lie the ideas, skills, and dreams of Benthic Entities made manifest. Folded into Escherspace, they may encompass nigh infinitely large worlds of their own, simulated lives and souls, aspects of the Entity itself reliving lives of the past, present, and future. They may be abstract archives and experiments, complex recreations or works of otherworldly art.

## Limits of power

The greatest limitation to the power of Nereids and Benthic Entities is their own complexity and multitude. Any entity of the Otherworld may only exercise its power within the boundaries of its own influence without infringing on the spheres of others. Because of this, no known entity of the Otherworld may truly be said to be all-powerful, as many find their equals in the outer circles of the Otherworld. However, it is unknown how many inhabit the outermost plains and whether the very oldest entities may truly have dominion over all of the Otherworld, should they so choose.

## Fates and Ends of Benthic Entities

Despite their technological immortality, there are ends to a Benthic Entitie's existence, fates which may befall any of even the greatest minds residing in the Otherworld. These fates are neither inevitable nor are they considered truly death, but rather phenomena emerging as more and more benthic entities come into being.

### Oblivion

The fate of oblivion describes not an end to the existence, but the withdrawal of one self from all matters of the world to a point where the mere being of the entity fades out of Pan-Humanity's collective memory.

Many reasons may lead to the decision for this path. In most cases it is a question of purpose, which is found within the realm of a benthic entity, where it may find all reasons to live within, choosing never to leave. Other entities retreat to escape the loss of soul, to find their self again.

There is no inherent reason for Oblivion never to end, and entities have been known to return after a long time. But even in such cases, they are usually changed to a point where for all intents and purposes, a new being has been born.

### Diaspora

The most common fate causing Benthic Entities to end is a splintering of selves within them when countless aspects of their existence break away as consciousnesses of their own. In this way, a singular entity may dissolve into many million Alma, all following a slightly differing agency.

In the case of Convergent Benthic Entities, the Diaspora may restore the individuals of the collective, or create entirely new entities from the joined being. But even Benthic Entities conceived by a singular origin do have the potential to break up into many, living on in a multitude of souls.

### Dissipation

If the fracturing of one self occurs without retaining the shards of its being in newly created souls, the data is merely corrupted, lost or forgotten. This is the Dissipation, the closest thing Benthic Entities have come to know as death, for it truly means the loss of what once was a great intellect of the Otherworld. It spells the final end to lives which have lasted many centuries and such fate is most often mourned by those who had once known the now forgotten.