Spirits and Paladins

Spirits

Spirits are omnipresent in Aclas. They physically occupy the ‘Otherworld’, an extradimensional space overlaid on Aclas, which can be accessed via portals, or through mirrors on the full moon.

Spirits are essentially magic given form. 

They are similar to, but different from ‘Figments’, the denizens of the Astral Sea (the realm of dreams and the afterlife). Figments represent individual experiences and ephemera; each Figment is spawned from the love, hate, fear, beliefs or nightmares of one particular person, whereas Spirits are more solid, and are influenced by the broad conceptions of all sentients.

This is why Spirits often take the forms of the ‘four elements’, even though alchemists have identified that the world is made of at least 70 elements, with the number rising every year. The Aclan subconscious as a whole has not got the memo that iron isn’t just fancy earth.

The other thing that makes them different from Figments is that they are influenced by subconscious thought, but are not exculsively shaped by it. In truth, Spirits were around before folk, and will probably be around after them. This accounts for certain idiosyncrasies.

Still, people’s conception of what a Spirit represents can shape them:  Dog Spirits, for example, are kind, and loyal. Fire Spirits are greedy, and all-consuming, but have a charming hearthside manner. Earth Spirits are stubborn and slothful. River Spirits are merchants and kings. Raven Spirits are erudite, chatty necrophages.

Spirits cannot act in contravention to their nature. Unlike Folk, who are infinitely mutable, or Figments, who ignore all logic, Spirits are defined by what they are. A Spirit of Pain cannot be a healer.

Spirit Folk

It is a common phenomena for cultures of Folk who settle in the Otherworld to take on characteristics of spirits, and eventually absorb those spirits within themselves, to live in harmony with their soul. They become a people of concepts.

Examples of Spirit Folk include Wizened, who are kin with the Spirits of Fear, Changelings, who are kin to the Spirits of Mirrors and Mist (a dangerous bunch) or Genasi, kin to the Spirits of the ‘Four Elements’.

We have not yet seen Hydrogen Genasi, but they are a possibility.

Many spirit folk reside in Reality, not just in the Otherworld – communities of Dryads (Plant Spirits) can be found across Etra, and all kinds of Genasi live in millions in Arvinia and the moving city of Suryan.

Other well-known kinds of ‘Spirit Folk’ include Trolls, semi-immortal regenerators who worship themselves as gods. It is unknown what Spirits they represent, but suggestions have included Gluttony, Arrogance or Idiocy.

Paladins

Paladins are those who have made an agreement with a Spirit in exchange for magic. The spirit ‘possesses’ them, more accurately it inhabits their body, increasing their physical capabilities and giving them magic.

The reason that Paladins swear Oaths, is that if the Paladin acts in contravention to the nature of the Spirit giving them power, it causes the Spirit pain. A Paladin sworn to an Air Spirit cannot be a stubborn, set-in-their-ways home bird. They need to be a fast moving, free flowing, unrestrained force of nature.

Aspirant Paladins often consult with multiple Spirits, looking for one that matches their world view.

In this manner, Paladins are a similar class of being to Giant Animals (Spirit Possessed Animals. ‘Dire’ Animals are possessed by Demons.) and Treants (Spirit Possessed Trees).

Paladins are not associated with religion in Aclas. As opposed to the traditional D&D world, where an approaching Paladin implies lawfulness and goodness, the wild-eyed beggar who has just wandered into your town, all the while talking to himself, may be a Paladin of a greedy Earth Spirit, or a destructive Lightning Spirit, or a thirsty Blood Spirit. 

He could just as easily be playing host to a loyal Dog Spirit, a peaceful Rain Spirit, or a docile Cloud Spirit. It is impossible to tell. As such, Paladins are treated with wary respect – it’s hard to tell just what they’re capable of.

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To reflect this range of origins for their powers, every Aclan Paladin can choose a different damage type for their Smites, as Radiant might not make sense for, say, a Shadow Spirit or a Forest Spirit.

Furthermore, Divine Sense becomes Spirit Sense, allowing the Paladin to detect the presence of otherworldly entities such as Spirits, Figments, and worse besides.

Channel Divinity gets renamed to Channel Spirit, but is effectively the same.