astral spirits
Astral spirits are collective dreams, and are the natural inhabitants of the Pyx Obscura. Though rarely seen in the city, their uncanny abilities tend to cause intense unrest among the populace of Seradus.

Astral spirits are generally not available as player characters. These files are provided for reference purposes only. Further information about these entities can be found in the files below.

Jump to: general • form • powers • roles • note

general information
Astral spirits are the native inhabitants of the Pyx Obscura. These collective dreams are wild, chaotic beings, led by the gathered impressions and will of all dreamers in the world, past and future.

The strength and abilities of these spirit entities vary. Similar, in theory, to dreams, these beings are collaborative creations of the world mind, and are far more difficult to control. They are not presently -- nor have they ever been -- human.

As no one dreamer is responsible for their creation, no one dreamer can bind or lead these beings. They are not guided by a single will as dreamers are, but by many. Some have become self-aware enough to gain a will of their own, but they are few and far between and tend to be of the more powerful variety.

These beings are as much archetypes as the realms they spring from in the Pyx Obscura. The realms are enviornments, and astral spirits are their population. A minor astral spirit may take the form of an infantry soldier in a realm of war, while a major astral spirit may be a representation of any number of deities related to the concept. These beings are not encountered only in portions of the spirit world to which they are thematically connected, though they are arguably stronger in their home realms, or realms often associated with the concepts they embody.

Any concept throughout history associated with a deity of some sort will have a corresponding major astral spirit as well as an astral realm, and often more than one of each. Forgotten gods and antiquated notions still echo through the Pyx Obscura, slowly losing energy as less belief sustains them in the dreaming world. For an astral spirit, faith is energy and strength, though this should not be considered equivalent to direct worship or religious observances. Pop culture icons, fictional characters and genres, and figments of the imagination have gained purchase in the collective unconscious, and thus they also have niches within the Pyx Obscura and spawned astral entities based purely on the amount of attention paid to them by the dreaming masses.

Themes from popular culture have become increasingly prevalent in the Pyx Obscura, and with this sudden influx of imagery drawn primarily from the mass media and the sensory saturation of modern society, the spirit world is flooded with celebrities and fictional characters. These astral spirits are not the actual individuals they represent, and it would be entirely possible to stumble across the shade of a dead celebrity in conversation with twenty astral spirit facsimilies of him or herself as they appeared in different films. Their relative youth in the Pyx Obscura is deceptive; while they are not as powerful as many of the ancient archetypes, they receive enough energy through modern day dreamers to be considerably stronger than any given dreamer. Sherlock Holmes and Marilyn Monroe, for example, are likely candidates for these minor astral spirits.

The effect these astral spirits have on the city is a primary reason for the lack of welcome they receive. The isolation of voidspace in the wasteland was chosen partly to prevent astral spirits from entering the city, as their presence diminishes the integrity of the energies sustaining Seradus. Each astral spirit has the power of many minds behind it, and that strength will literally warp the reality of the Pyx Obscura to conform to their presence, including the perpetually reinforced reality of the city.

Understandably, the ruling castes of the city -- including the Fates -- do not readily accept astral spirits of any kind within the city proper. The threat to stability they pose places everyone harboring within Seradus at risk, and it is a risk not comfortably tolerated. Even the most simple or harmless astral spirit will find a cold reception upon arrival, and this reaction is unlikely to change over time as the denizens of the city recognize the entity for what it is. While the city is tolerant of nearly all seekers of sanctuary, astral spirits are a noted exception.

Servant spirits of the greater entities, known as shards, are sometimes glimpsed within the city walls. This is often enough to cause a furor of rumor and suspicion among the residents, creating an immediate atmosphere of paranoia before they are forcibly ejected. Shards are generally believed to be scouts for the greater, self-aware spirits inhabiting the planes, and their presence frequently suggests the impending arrival of a more powerful and even less welcome spirit entity. Without exception, such "visits" from the greater powers are seen as an invasion, regardless of actual motive, due to the damage their very presence will cause to the city.

form
As an etheric construct, an astral spirit's form is more fluid and changeable than any physical body, even in the Pyx Obscura. Unlimited by the constraints of traditional mechanical movement, these creatures are more ephemeral than even the dreams crafted to serve the will of any one individual. Because so many dreamers contribute to the creation of an astral spirit, the spirit's form has aspects of each dreamer's impression. In addition, anyone viewing the spirit contributes their own beliefs about how the astral spirit should appear.

Astral spirits are more perceived by the subconscious mind than they are ever truly seen. A viewer will project the appearance they believe the entity should have onto the spirit. Since astral spirits are generally personified archetypes, the concepts they represent are almost universally familiar to those viewing them. The concept the spirit embodies is perceived by the viewer's subconscious before any visual representation can form, and the viewer essentially creates the image of the astral spirit in his or her own mind.

Using the examples mentioned above, Sherlock Holmes may appear in the form of various actors who have portrayed him on stage or screen, and Marilyn Monroe may be a brunette Norma Jean to one person and a sultry platinum blonde with a perpetual wind under her skirts to someone else. The viewers may be looking at the spirit at the same time, but they will see different things, and neither will change the actual composition of the spirit whatsoever.

Astral spirits have no control over the manner in which they are perceived. Considering how few of them have the required awareness to conceive this may be problematic, the difficulties inherent to this condition are compounded.

powers
The effects of the presence of an astral spirit can range from subtle to extreme. Though dependent in part on the strength of the spirit itself, some effects are common to all astral spirits.

The environment inhabited by an astral spirit will warp and change to suit the spirit's presence. Like their inconsistent appearance, this is an effect beyond the spirit's control.

Some effects are minor and empathic in nature, projecting a certain feeling or mood to others in the spirit's immediate area, while others are more dramatic, causing physical changes in the environment that may be temporary or permanent. A spirit linked to conflict, for example, might cause arguments to erupt around it without taking any direct action at all. A spirit of decay may cause metal it touches to rust or make fleshly citizens age while they are near the spirit. The effects are directly related to the concept to which the spirit is linked. The degree of influence the effect has on any given character may vary based on how much influence that concept has in the character's life, consciously or subconsciously.

Astral spirits also have the ability to phase unrestricted by fatigue. This takes no effort on the part of the spirit, as this is its most natural mode of travel. Wards can block the phase ability of astral spirits as normal, and many such wards are in place throughout the city, thus limiting the ability of these characters to move easily from place to place. (See `news power phase' for more information.)

roles
Astral spirits have no formal positions within the city, and the presence of even minor astral spirits within the city is often a prelude to difficulties.

Mystics have some communication with astral spirits on a regular basis, though this occurs across great distances in the Pyx Obscura, not within the city limits.

note
Because of the surreal effects these characters have on the game world, they are not open to player characters. A few minor astral spirits may be permitted on the grid under special circumstances, but it's unlikely to happen as a first character or without extensive discussion with the wizard staff. The proper thematic reaction to the presence of an astral spirit is likely to be a score of witch hunts, and this adds another level of difficulty integrating them into the game beyond appearances as short term plot characters or non-player characters.

This information is provided for reference only, since these beings would be known within the city, and may be a topic of discussion among characters.