Sprite

* Alphas ▾
* Betas ▾
* Yurix ▾
* Mikey ▾
* TD ▾
* Mich ▾
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Alternate
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Ryu ▾
* Sticks ▾
* Sky ▾
* Izzy ▾
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two
* Kernel
* Tier One
* Tier Two

**Sprites**, known in their initial, unprototyped form as **Kernelsprites**, are entities released from the **Cruxtruder** when first opened when a person is setting up after beginning to play **Sburb**. Before entry and after a single, normal prototyping, the sprites appear as simplistic floating heads within the kernel. However after hatching, or a second prototyping or a special prototyping they appear in a ghost-like form possessing a tail. Despite their name, ghostly appearance and abilities they have been confirmed to be corporeal and are considered to be alive (although arguably undead).

Sprites are meant to serve as a player's guide, but they also have functions important to a session. Despite serving as a guide sprites cannot accompany their players through **The Seven Gates** until they have unlocked the ability to do so at which point the sprite gives the player a **pendant** which they can use to summon the sprite. Until that point, a Sprite can still communicate with their player using a Spritelog, which can work at a distance - at least allowing TDsprite to communicate with TD as he was down on his planet past the first gate, and he was still in the house.

Sprites are apparently drawn to the Battlefield at some point for unknown reasons.

## Purpose

Combining the kernelsprite with inanimate objects, living or formerly living beings is a process known as prototyping, the objects or beings become the sprite. The sprite or the individual(s) prototyped are given access to a wealth of knowledge about Sburb and their corresponding player's personal quest, with the ability to convey the information limited by intelligence of the sprite which is limited to that of its composing parts, as seen with ???prite, who struggles to convey and understand complex concepts. They are supposed to be coy in about the information, only revealing it in vague statements, riddles, or when it is deemed appropriate, however they are perfectly capable of being direct with the information as seen with TDsprite who offers to tell the alpha TD everything. Sprites do have holes in their knowledge of Sburb, most notably in regards to the Denizens and the Choices they offer.

Along with guiding the player, they can also aid in combat, possessing the ability to create beams of energy and/or objects which can be used as an attack, heal the player and telekinetically pick up objects. The nature of their abilities is determined by the prototypings, with Poppopsprite seen creating prank and jokester items and healing Yurix after a fight with ogres, Brosprite seen creating shbaj. Sprites can also use their conjuration powers for non-combat purposes, as seen when Poppopsprite conjured a bed and oven. Sprites are also capable of passing through solid objects, which sometimes leaves behind ectoplasm.

A prototyped sprite, upon entering The Medium, will divide into a kernel and a sprite, and then the kernel will also divide in two, carrying the prototyping data to spires on Prospit and Derse. The data modifies the Underlings players face and the Royals of the light and dark kingdoms. Because the sprite only splits upon entering the Medium and never again, only the prototyping done before entering the Medium will affect the Underlings and Royals. (For example; Yurix prototyped her sprite with a doll before entering the Medium, and with his granfather's ashes after entering the Medium, but the Royals and Underlings only were affected by the doll prototyping.) A sprite entering the Medium also causes the the Battlefield to grow, with each entry of a prototyped sprite causing it to grow further. The final form of the Battlefield can only be reached by all players prototyping at least once before entry, as the final form of the Battlefield is required in order to grow the Genesis Frog and thus win the game.

A session with no pre-entry prototyping is called a Null session or a void session. A lack of spires on a session's Prospit and Derse (as well as orbs on the Queens' rings and Kings' scepters) are indicative of a Void session. In such cases the Kernelsprite is unaffected by entry and instead the kernel disappears upon prototyping.

## Prototyping

Prototyping is where an object, or living or dead organism is combined with the sprite. Each individual sprite can be prototyped twice, although they only need to be prototyped once prior to entry to make a session viable, and the second prototyping can still be undertaken post-entry, however with the kernel gone the information will not be dispersed. In order to be prototyped a sprite needs to have direct contact with an object or organism. ??? mentions that brief or incidental contact may not result in a prototyping.

While inanimate objects appear to act as templates for the sprite affecting its behavior and personality, living or deceased beings do not merely act as a template for the sprite to imitate, but rather literally become the sprite with the deceased being resurrected, including bringing the soul back from the afterlife. The Kernelsprite also has an innate attraction to the dead or soon-to-be-deceased, with almost all Kernelsprite across all sessions ever played being prototyped with such individuals.

While the physical traits and associated abilities of prototypings are cumulative upon a sprite, the mental identities of the prototyped components are not. When people have been prototyped with animals or objects, or animals prototyped with objects, they keep their identity, with the other prototyping only influencing their instincts and some behavior.

What constitutes a single component is complex, as two things combined into one can count as a single prototyping, while a single component that is existing in multiple pieces can count as a single prototyping. Prototyping two separate components simultaneously also appears to use up both prototypings.

Sprites with unstable components or conflicting prototyping are liable to self-destruct.

While sprites are supposed to act as a guide to the player, a player is also capable of prototyping themselves and becoming their own sprite. This can be used to circumnavigate the normal process by which information is revealed, as well as giving the player a power boost but at the expense of having no one to assist the player for parts of the session. However, alternate Dream self/selves]] can also be prototyped to varying effect.

## Trivia

The colors of the ??? sprites are the same color the ??? type in and visa versa.