Souls and Soul Energy

Obviously, this is a broad issue, and I lost my train of thought often enough so it is probably fairly incomplete. Still, this is information relevant to just about everyone, but especially those who may be interested in joining The Dark Fellowship. As always, questions are welcome, comments as well, and requests for clarifications. The best way to look at this is as a pure guide. Deviation will more than likely just cause headaches all around and less enjoyment–and there’s a lot of room for actual enjoyment already. But come to me about any issue.

General Soul Energy Information

Soul energy (the soul) is that which empowers each of you in varying degrees. Bards often sing about the light flickering out in the eyes of the dying. They are, of course, alluding to the departure of the soul.

A single soul has many fates (and I use that word loosely). If a reaper kills a creature, the soul will immediately come to us. If an Overworlder kills a creature, the soul will either come to us immediately, remain clinging to the body, or become one of many wandering souls that are sometimes transformed into a large variety of phantasms.

All of the mentioned forms of the soul can be utilized as a source for soul energy. Indeed, even souls that come to the Underworld can be used for their energy by you (more on that later).

Before I get into how you use soul energy effectively, however, let me briefly go over why you should in the first place. First, soul energy is like all other energy, it provides a force which you can use to power myriad operations. Soul energy is best utilized when in connection with the mortal body–be it a bird or a human. Why? Because it’s already attuned to it. If one created a fire elemental, it’s only intuitive that he use fire to further power it. Thus, when you wish to raise a body from the dead, you go to the source of their previous life (soul energy).

Soul energy can also be used everywhere, and effectively. It doesn’t have the limitations of the elements, and few creatures are resistant to it (automatons are). However, it is not an unlimited supply, so one should use it wisely–and for learning purposes–or not at all.

Soul Energy Usage

There are basically two areas of soul usage. You either use the soul with the purpose of preserving its old power/memories/etc., or you use it only as a well of energy. A necromancer would use both ways. To glean ancient secrets, he would raise the soul of a long-dead sorceror and wring the information out of him. If he wanted to use a powerful soul as the basis for a spell, he would raise the sorceror only for the purpose of its energy. Both have their high points. (Interesting applications arise when you combine the two, using multiple souls.)

Raising a soul for the purpose of communication, or servitude in some form, is best done by locating the body of the creature. The affinity between soul and mortal body I mentioned earlier plays a large part in this. Because of that connection, using the body as the starting point of your spell will give you a greater chance of summoning the soul–especially useful if it’s wandering around the land nearby (they seldom stray too far from the body). The power to actually summon the soul originates either from other soul energy you have accumulated yourself, or through that which we have granted you through prayer. To get the soul to even start the spell requires that very same prayer. Others use crude means to attract souls; our way gives you great control over that which you can summon and/or capture (not to mention a vast, ready supply of souls). Of course, being able to summon it, and using it effectively and without personal danger, are two different things.

Soul energy in its basic form of pure power has some wonderful uses. If you’ve been around Kilana or I enough, you’ve seen a great many of them. We use it, essentially, for anything. That is only because we have absolute control over it, and are capable of handling that control over thousands upon thousands of souls. You do not have that range, but the range we provide for you is great in itself. Control, of course, correponds to rank. We allow The Dark Fellowship the greatest amount of control at all ranks, simply because it’s their specialty and they always prove they are capable of handling it.

How will you know your limits? You use the power. When you fail, you’ve found it. To illustrate the amount of control, I’ll use a basic comparison in terms of how many creatures one necromancer might be able to use at one time, without the threat of losing control of them (all values can be increased a bit for the Soul Takers).

An Evangelist is just starting on the path of necromancy, so he would use small amounts of the energy, and be experimenting with controlling one or two challenging creatures, or five or six lesser ones–unless he fails, of course.

Note: “Lesser” refers to such things as kobolds, goblins and trolls. “Greater” can refer to giants, dark elves, and so forth. For something large, like a hydra, it is recommended you wait until Fiend; their strength of will is very strong. And for something not only large but very magical, as a dragon, Archfiend is best.

Through practice you can become a regular necromancer at the rank of Apostle. Your control over souls is good enough that you can explore beyond the initial hazards of directing the undead. You can begin delving into uses of soul energy as energy, rather than as a body-empowering energy. (Perhaps using the energy to bind or blind a victim temporarily.) You should be skilled enough to control twelve or so lesser creatures, and five to six greater ones.

Fiends often serve as apprentices to Archfiends, and they are both very quiet about how much they can do. The Fiends won’t report on their masters for fear of having the knowledge denied, and the Archfiends are simply jealous about their power. Suffice to say, a Fiend builds upon the Consort rank, just as the Archfiend will be able to build upon whatever you see a Fiend doing.

(Note: For simpler comparisons, just keep in mind the general power of anyone at any given level. Yes, level also matters where soul energy is concerned. Anyway, just because someone has maximata dragon fire, does that mean she can put flames over the whole of Devardec? No. So, keep in mind your rank and your level when you want to experiment with necromancy and soul energy. It won’t be heavily policed, but I don’t want to have to step in and stop an Apostle from sending a cloud of possessed hydras down on Tranos! Keep it fun. Remember that you are always learning, and you aren’t perfect–you make mistakes, and sometimes they can even lead to interesting results themselves.)