Enslaved Spirits

Many wonder what happens after death. Fortunately… or unfortunately, depending on the circumstances, death isn’t always the end. While the question of what happens when the spirit departs from the human body is still a mystery, the intangible idea of a soul is something that has been measured and calculated, at least within the realms of their use in magic. Many realms outside of Middara view it as a sort of currency, and some creatures would laugh at the idea of only having one.

An enslaved spirit is just that; A soul of the deceased that is kept from its final resting place to serve some other creature in slavery. These souls come in as many forms as the creatures they are ripped from. When first separated from their bodies, they look much as they did in life, although pale and ...

semi-transparent.

Many attribute this mirrored form to the spirit still clinging to its original sense of identity, even in death. After a while, however, their forms tend to change as they become more accustomed to their masters whims and wishes. Those trapped in the service of these mercurial beings are often twisted into exaggerated symbols of death; grinning skulls, gory corpses, tortured frames wracked in agony, or anything else pleasurable to their masters.

An enslaved spirit retains some of its physicality, as it helps them to interact with the physical world to perform their master’s tasks. This leaves them susceptible to normal weapons, and they can be banished temporarily this way. However, they are not severed from their prisons. Nothing save permission from, or the destruction of, their master can free them.

While there have been recorded cases of individuals voluntarily becoming enslaved spirits to stave off impending death, it’s not something that is considered morally acceptable in Middara. Becoming an enslaved spirit is seen as a fate worse than death, as the creatures who are capable of creating such bonds dabble in magic that is questionable at best.