Soul Guides

Those seeking to become Soul Guides must have a calm, gentle nature and not be easily distressed. They must be compassionate and caring, and not be easily ruffled by the emotional demands of the dying or their families.

Anyone seeking to become a Soul Guide must apply at a Healing House within any major city, or have a local Soul Guide write a letter of recommendation to the nearest Healing House on their behalf. The applicant will be interviewed and tested for proper temperament and potential.

If accepted to become a Soul Guide, the applicant undergoes several years of training. It begins with one year of basic training at the Healing House where they were accepted, then they spend several more years apprenticed to another Soul Guide.

It is the Soul Guide doing the training who decides when an apprentice is ready to become an independent Soul Guide, but a minimum of five years of training is expected.

All needs of a Soul Guide are met through community support. While some monetary compensation is given, no family is expected to pay more than they can afford for the services of a Soul Guide for their loved ones. Instead, Soul Guides provide their services to their community in exchange for the care given by the community in terms of housing, food, clothing, entertainment, and whatever materials the Soul Guides need for their work.

Soul Guides ensure that souls complete their current life in a positive way, so that they can start their next lives in a positive manner. They are most often called in by family members or friends of the person close to death, but some seem to have a sense of impending death around them. Because of the strong belief throughout Avarha in the cycle of rebirth, all major cities and most communities have at least one Soul Guide at any time.

Due to the important purpose Soul Guides serve in their communities, they are venerated and highly regarded. Many are cared for by their communities in terms of meeting all their personal and professional needs.

Soul Guides exist in all communities throughout Avarha and include all genders, ages, races, and family arrangements.

Most Soul Guides work directly within the residence of the individual who is dying, or that of their family. They also work in healing facilities and in military camps.

In their work comforting the dying, Soul Guides will often utilize magic, herbs, soothing words, or gentle music to provide comfort and pain relief for the soul they are tending. Their main purpose does not involve comforting the loved ones around the dying individual, but will do so in some circumstances if it is needed. They may also provide some comfort to the surviving loved ones once the soul has passed, but they do not remain with them for long after the soul they have tended has passed.