The Nature of Spirits
Unlike Horrors, Spirits are a known quantity to the magic community. Spirits are creatures of pure magic that have been encountered and summoned since the Arks unsealed, hundreds of years ago.
Spirits manifest in two ways: through the natural ebb and flow of magic, or summoned by a magic user. The word 'summon' isn't actually calling the creature from another plane, but is shorthand for the magical spell or ritual that's used to create the spirit from the magic user's own power and the area where it's been created.
Most spirits, especially those spirits just created by magic users, only have a rudimentary intelligence. They can grasp basic concepts related to their nature, but they're limited to the intelligence of a well-trained dog. Spirits that form naturally are often different, and will grow more intelligent as they grow in power.
There are four basic types of Spirits: elementals, nature, ghosts, and Horrors. Stories from the Ancients sometimes speak of a fifth kind of Spirit, an artificial intelligence that can control LOStech, but scholars are unsure if such a creature exists.
Nature Spirits often take on names and characteristics from a defining feature in their environment, such as Old Man Oak, Splitface, and Mother Cradle.
Ghosts are often driven by goals that meant something to them when they were alive, and will remain until that goal has been accomplished. Ghost Hunters, researchers who seek out stories of people from the past, will try to help Ghosts move on to whatever life is next. Notably, no ghosts of the Ancients have ever been found, even in Arks.
Ghosts are often mistaken for Horrors, and some Legends started out as Ghost stories. The fine line between them is often when a Ghost becomes dangerous to those around it.
Spirits manifest in two ways: through the natural ebb and flow of magic, or summoned by a magic user. The word 'summon' isn't actually calling the creature from another plane, but is shorthand for the magical spell or ritual that's used to create the spirit from the magic user's own power and the area where it's been created.
Most spirits, especially those spirits just created by magic users, only have a rudimentary intelligence. They can grasp basic concepts related to their nature, but they're limited to the intelligence of a well-trained dog. Spirits that form naturally are often different, and will grow more intelligent as they grow in power.
There are four basic types of Spirits: elementals, nature, ghosts, and Horrors. Stories from the Ancients sometimes speak of a fifth kind of Spirit, an artificial intelligence that can control LOStech, but scholars are unsure if such a creature exists.
Elemental Spirits
Elementals are Spirits of pure natural materials and forces. They are Spirits of fire, earth, water, and air. Spirits of other natural materials and forces exist, but only when they're created by magic users. Not all Elementals appear alike. A fire elemental can appear as a single dancing flame, a fiery bird, or a vaguely humanoid creature. Elemental names are often onomatopeias of the element itself, such as Hiss, Sizzle, Grumble, and Bloop.Nature Spirits
Unlike Elementals which are pure natural materials and forces, Nature Spirits represent the environment. They are Spirits of the land, sea, and the air, and even Olympia itself. Nature Spirits are more likely to have been created without a magic user present, and some Nature Spirits are very old indeed.Nature Spirits often take on names and characteristics from a defining feature in their environment, such as Old Man Oak, Splitface, and Mother Cradle.
Ghosts
Unlike Nature Spirits and Elemental Spirits, Ghosts are only ever made by magic users when they die. Ghosts are the memories of people that were once alive. While Ghosts usually have some awareness of their past lives, they are permanently stuck in the past. They are unable to make new long-term memories, and will often mistake people living today for people they knew when they were alive.Ghosts are often driven by goals that meant something to them when they were alive, and will remain until that goal has been accomplished. Ghost Hunters, researchers who seek out stories of people from the past, will try to help Ghosts move on to whatever life is next. Notably, no ghosts of the Ancients have ever been found, even in Arks.
Ghosts are often mistaken for Horrors, and some Legends started out as Ghost stories. The fine line between them is often when a Ghost becomes dangerous to those around it.