There are thousands of different spirits, most of them unique beings who live and die by rules far different from for mortals. This document attempts to bring some structure to the chaos that this complexity causes.
The information contained in this document is intended for the use of Gamemasters only. Players who wish to know about the different Spirits are welcome to look in the Spirits primer.
A spirit's Potency is used to purchase its attributes, skills, and powers. The more Potent the spirit, the more power its form becomes. A complete description of how to spend Potency, as well as example spirits, is available.
It is important to realize that if a Spirit's body is killed, the spirit itself will die. Very few spirits are disassociated with their bodies in such as way as to survive forceful discorporation. A few, notably the Angels and some Demons, naturally have the ability to survive such events.
The information contained below is a brief introduction to the issues that the various spirits must deal with. More detailed information is available in the Spirit Type's specific document.
The Angels (Elven for Iron Stars) are a race of Faery badly damaged during the Great War. They lost the ability to take on a physical form, living in a kind of strange limbo state between life and death. Simel, the greatest of the Iron Stars, took on the role of a God in the Pattern, supporting the remnants of his race. For millennia, Angels manifested occasionally, where the Pattern was threatened with destruction.
The birth of the Younger Races marked a change in the balance of Angelic life. An Angel can 'anchor' itself to a human or wolven, finally taking on a permanent physical form. Although they cannot go far from the being that acts as their anchor, it is a chance to exist, as they have not for centuries. They will not permit harm to come to their anchor if they can prevent it.
Angels have all of the powers of Faery, although they focus on True Magic almost exclusively. Most take on the form of a normal animal, although they tend towards albino coloration.
The Demons are not so much a single race as a variety of related energy beings with a nasty disposition and tremendous control over the forces of Chaos. They live in a world without substance, where powerful Spirits creates the only solid land that exists. The Spirits that create places for others to live rule over lesser spirits with an iron fist, commanding absolute obedience. In turn, the lesser spirits compete with each other to establish a complex hierarchy of obedience and submission.
Demons are universally interested in gaining a foothold in Sedena. They revel in the freedom that comes with a solid world. Most also delight in the torment and subjugation of other beings. A common bargain with a demonic being is that it will receive 'free-time' in return for service.
Inborn control over Chaos makes Demons some of the most powerful Wizards in the world. The forms of most demons are horrific to behold, mismatched parodies of forms that the see in Sedena.
When a person dies, the Gods of Death judge his spirit. If he has completed the tasks set before him, and has nothing more to contribute to the Pattern, he is allowed to pass on. A few spirits are returned to Sedena, ordered to finish the tasks that they started. Those spirits allowed to pass on go to the Halls are the Dead, echoes of what they once were.
When the Dead are called up from the Halls, they appear as translucent versions of their former selves. They cannot effect the Pattern, use magic, or touch any physical object. In truth, they are completely powerless. The Dead retain their memories and skills, however, and can offer advice if asked.
A reincarnated spirit cannot be summoned - he is one of the Folk again, and beyond the power of normal Sorcery.
All Dragons are expressions of the Great Dragon, a single, nearly infinite spirit that opposes the Old Ones. Bound into the heart of all of the worlds of the Pattern, the Dragon is always ready to take up the fight against his ancient brothers.
Each spirit takes a small amount of the Dragon's power and knowledge into itself. When the spirit is destroyed, the power and knowledge flow back into the Dragon, never to be lost. This means that if a Dragon is killed, and the Dragon so wills it, the dragon spirit can be reformed at any time.
'Star Magic' is actually manipulating the power of the Dragon. All Dragon spirits have natural 'Star Magic' powers that equal or exceed the wildest imaginings of the magicians who practice the style. The forms that Dragons take are wildly varied, ranging from the horse like unicorn to the reptilian Great Dragons.
Elemental spirits are beings of pure power, related to one of the four aspects of creation. They take on a vast variety of shapes, from oddly colored Folk forms to raging winds or whirlpools. In most cases, their form is chosen by the imagination of the magician that summons them.
The various Elements are:
Elemental spirits are only rarely 'encountered' in a wild state. They do not come to Sedena of their own free will, preferring the strange worlds of their birth. These spirits become distraught if kept in Sedena for more than a few days, randomly lashing out at anything that happens to pass by.
So called mixed elemental spirits are actually Elemental magicians who, after learning the last secrets of their art, choose to transcend death by binding themselves more closely with the Elemental powers. They are not undead, but a special class of beings all to themselves. Most 'mixed' elemental spirits have a Potency of over sixty, with Potencies of a high as one hundred not being unheard of.
Faery are the awareness of Sedena, an expression of the power of the Pattern of the land and sea. As such, they exist to protect the land and its creatures, including the Folk. Most attempt to dwell in quiet harmony with the Folk around them, unseen and undetected by even the most powerful magicians.
The Faery are bound to the land that spawned them, unable and unwilling to move far from their homes. Most have a source, an object or thing (like a tree or spring) that is the source of their power. The Faery die if the Pattern of the source is disturbed. This fact has not escaped the notice of many unscrupulous mortals, who seek out the sources of Faery power in order to better 'bargain' with these spirits.
In recent years, the Faery retreated to the Forest of Faery to escape destruction by humans who did not understand their place or purpose. The Forest is their fiercely protected reserve, a place where humans, unless accompanied by one of the Elders or a Faery, are not welcome. The Faery will not directly harm unguided humans, but also will not allow them deep into the Forest.
A notable exception in the long litany of sorrow that comprises the Faeries interactions with humans is the land of Han. Faery live among the people openly. They advise rulers and common folk alike about how best to live off the land. As a sign of good faith, the Faery also teach one hundred ninety two hand picked mortals the secrets of their magic.
Most Faery wield True Magic, with occasional Elemental powers appearing among their Lords and Nobles. They have mostly human like forms, although some also have animal like features.
Some Faery, embittered by the constant retreat and exploitation, took up arms against the Folk. They turned their backs on their original purpose, and instead concentrate on returning the world to a 'purer' state, where the Faery can live in peace and harmony. From their point of view, this can only happen when all of the Folk are dead or scattered so far apart that they can never organize again.
The Fallen Faery long ago learned how to source themselves out of land that is not originally their own. This cures them of the greatest weakness of their brethren. It also means that all of the Fallen Faery of a single source are bound together in a curious symbiosis, effectively expressions of the same, badly messed together spirit. They are in constant pain, and their minds are filled with the clamoring thoughts of their brothers.
Although the Fallen Faery have all of the powers of their Faery kin, they are somewhat less powerful as individuals. Additionally, the forms that they take are often mockeries of Folk or animal forms, twisted by centuries of hate, rage, and fear.
The Old Ones are banished from the Pattern, and cannot effect events that take place in the world. Many of their servants, however, live on, hidden in deep crypts and sealed vaults. They have strange, twisted shapes, often undulating slightly in the eyes of mortals.
Although they seem driven to destroy, the servants of the Old Ones are only barely aware. Most are no more intelligent than a three-year-old child, afraid of the terrible things that happen around them. Habits of destruction are built into them, not a function of their own preferences.
A curious ability of the Servants is their power to 'bond' with one of the Younger Races. This bond works over any distance, allowing the two beings to share senses. It also allows for crude two-way communication, limited to a few words per minute. Unfortunately, a human or wolven who participates in the bond gains one point of Taint per week. For more details about Taint, please refer to the Wizardry document.
One of the servant races, the Nameless, are both aware and free of the influence of the Old Ones. They retain the awesome powers that were built into them, including the deadly power of shape shifting. The Nameless appear is pools of shifting mercury, held together for moments into odd, almost elven shapes.
Some of the Folk refuse to pass under the judgement of the Gods of Death. These creatures assume a kind of existence somewhere between life and death, a place where they can continue in the Pattern for a time. If they are lucky, they slowly gain in strength. If not, they dwindle away into wraiths, then into nothingness.
The Undead gain Potency by draining it from the Folk. They gain one point of Potency for every Folk that they slay. Every month, they lose one point of Potency, no matter what steps they take to prevent it.
Most Undead are caught in a constant downward spiral, until they lose so much intelligence and awareness that they no longer know how to keep themselves alive.
Undead start with a Potency equal to their ME in life. Their magical Potencies are equal to their Undead Potency, or their IQ. They may not use True or Star Magic in their Undead form. A few still wield Wizardry or Sorcery, but none can use the Personal Pattern Powers that they possessed in life. Their Patterns have changed, often radically, in order to support their new existence.