Ethos

Energy has permeated the Cosmos since the beginning, and it flows through all creation in three distinct forms. Ethos, or soul energy is the first of these, and all beings from the lowest insect to the First Survivor herself possess this energy. Also known as dark matter, it makes up not only beings, but the fundamental realms outside of the prime material. All the planes are made of this soul-stuff.

It is intrinsic to the very core of a being, and manifests differently for outsides and mortals. For beings from outside the mortal world, they are composed of the very energy, with their soul energy acting as their lifeforce as well as their physical body. Therefore, if their form takes damage, then their very soul is fractured apart. If they are killed within their progenitor sphere (in most cases), an outsiders' ethos is then absorbed into the plane quintessence. If they are not on their sphere, they reform sometime later there as their essence drifts back through various ways.

For mortal beings, their lifeforce (body, more specifically the brain) acts as a metaphysical "cage" around them that keeps their soul anchored to the Material Plane and allows them to think and move around. Minders, or those with the magical ability to manipulate souls are able to move this energy from cage to cage or even move the cage itself. If this energy is removed or destroyed while keeping the lifeforce intact, then the body that once contained the energy will continue living on, albeit with no will of its' own. A creature that has a negative Ethosic Score ([Intelligence Score + Wisdom Score + Charisma Score]/3) which is a combined score of 9 or lower has their ethos stunted and hardening to become negative ethos. It is unable to be used by magik such as Soul Magick, be stored in soul gems or other similar effects applied to them. Additionally the being is only able to take an amount of additional steps in their path(s) equal to up to half their Ethosic Score beyond their first while they have negative ethos.

Ethos and souls are measured in Cairns. While mana is fairly easily to regenerate and contain outside of the body, and lifeforce is easily regenerated, a beings soul cairns are not easily remade. Mortals loses memories and experience when their soul is damaged, and unless repaired through powerful magic or other means, it must be made anew instead of regenerated like the other forms. The normal commoner contains about 2 soul cairns inside them.

The shade and color of a souls ethos can determine much about the soul. There are two scales, one based on the hue and shade of the ethos. Chaotic souls are pink in shade, while lawful ones contain a violet ethos. Good souls are lighter in shade, the more righteous the soul, the less color shows. Evil souls however become saturated, darkening to blackness with the most depraved souls. Neutral souls sit with a lavender that is neither light nor dark.

Most being's souls are worth between 2 and 40 cairns of ethos. Exceptional souls can gain an additional 20 cairns. Mythic souls are capable of gaining additional 20 mythic cairns. Gestalted creatures souls are worth an additional 1.25 multipliers (round up). Therefore a truly exceptional mythic soul would be worth an immense 80 cairns, while a gestalted one would be worth 100 cairns. A being that has been reduced down to a single cairn has very little time, usually no more than a single day of and on the Ethereal before they are absorbed by the Elemental Planes under the guidance of Maltheal.

Using energies to dominate the actions of another person such as spells like *Dominate* or *Charm Person*, or necromancy spells such as *Control Undead* allow a being to influence the will of others with their own, using magic or other similar effects as a catalyst. A being may only have a number of other intelligent beings cairns equal to double their own amount of cairns under the influence of their direct will. Additionally, a being may have a number of unintelligent beings (vessels) equal to double their own amount of cairns under their influence of their direct will such as mindless zombies. A being may also use their intelligent limit for unintelligent beings but not the other way around. This limit is known as the cairnic control limit.

Provided the target creature is within "sight" and line of effect from the one attempting to know how many cairns they possess, another being may attempt a Charisma check with a DC equal to the total cairns of the target creature. If this check succeeds, they gain an understanding of the weight of the opposing soul in cairns.

A being could consume the ethos of individuals in order to gain more power themselves, however the individual must consume a normal **intact normal** cairn, of whos cairn value is 1.5 times greater than themselves at one time to gain power (a level). Mythic cairns however are different. For every 10 ***intact*** mythic cairns consumed, the individual individual gains 1 Mythic Tier themselves.

An intact soul is worth 6 motes of mana or 36 essence, though this effect is multiplied by the cairn level and certain souls have an additional 1.25 (round down) modifier to them (the Gestalt template). Souls that are not housed within a *material vessel* or caged with essence are not intact, considered fragmented and each fragment, though the size of a cairn, is only worth 3 motes of mana or 18 essence. This applies even if housed together in a *spiritual* or *metaphysical vessel.*

Ethos, when manifested is just a little less than .9 cubic inches in size. This size increases exponentially similar to the cairns power itself: .9 cubic inches x the Cairns of the soul).