Spirit: Difference between revisions

'''Spirits''' in Adaris represent the coalesced consciousness of the elements. As the primordial elements and the energies of the primordial spirits intertwine, as new beliefs and traditions arise, as language develops, new spirits form. These spirits, in their various stages of development, form the foundational consciousness that shapes all matter and life in Adaris. All things in Adaris, from the smallest creature to the largest mountain, are composed of spirits, each carrying sparks of consciousness derived from Daathir, the first consciousness.

As these spirits coalesce, their consciousness grows and becomes more distinct. Some spirits remain in a nascent state, while others evolve over time, becoming self-aware and powerful. These spirits are categorized into nascent spirits, mature spirits, ancestral spirits, ascended spirits and primordial spirits, with the original primordial spirits acting as the progenitors of all others.

=== Nascent spirits ===

[[Nascent Spirit|nascent spirits]] are the youngest and most malleable spirits in [[Adaris]]. They exist in a state of pure potential, with limited consciousness and awareness. These spirits are often the embodiment of minor environmental phenomena, such as flickering lights, gusts of wind, or small elemental creatures barely distinguishable from their surroundings. nascent spirits are influenced by the beliefs, actions, and environmental changes around them, and their form and function are fluid.

Nascent spirits are the building blocks of the natural world, forming the foundation of all matter. They lack self-awareness but are essential to the functioning of the world, as they coalesce to create more complex spirits. Osiari—practitioners of osia—primarily manipulate these spirits to influence the elements and physical reality.

=== Mature spirits ===

Whereas nascent spirits represent transient and undefined moments—such as a gust of wind or the ripple of water—mature spirits emerge when those fleeting moments accumulate and solidify into a more lasting concept. mature spirits are often born from long-standing natural phenomena, human constructions, or widely accepted ideas, where nascent energies coalesce and evolve over time.

=== Ancestral spirits ===

Given enough time and cultural recognition, mature spirits can evolve into ancestral spirits. This occurs when a spirit’s concept becomes deeply rooted in the collective consciousness of Adaris, transforming it into a powerful, godlike being. However, ancestral spirits can also emerge from the merging of multiple primordial spirits, forming entirely new, stable entities that are neither wholly elemental nor purely conceptual.

Ancestral spirits that arise from mortal belief often become patrons of communities, regions, or entire cultures, holding immense power over their followers. Others, such as Sethis, the Spirit of Mirages, are the result of primordial spirits fusing together—in this case, [[Veyatha]] (Illusion) and [[Arenam]] (Sand and Glass).

=== Primordial spirits ===

Primordial spirits are the original forces of creation, born from the chaos of the [[Primordial Void]]. These spirits are the most powerful entities in existence, representing the raw, untamed elements and abstract forces of the universe.

However, beyond these elemental forces, other primordial spirits emerged, embodying fundamental concepts that shaped existence itself:

While the original elemental primordial spirits shaped the material world, these newer conceptual primordial spirits influence the metaphysical and abstract realms, forming the intangible forces that govern thought, destiny, and existence itself.

In Adaris, everything contains a spark of consciousness, from the smallest insect to the tallest mountain. However, the ratio of consciousness varies widely. A thinking humanoid, for example, may be physically small but contains a significant amount of consciousness due to their self-awareness and complex mind. In contrast, a mountain may be massive but composed of many nascent earth spirits, each with limited consciousness.