vaelora/Rules/Spirits & Dominion/Spirits and Their Power.md

“Every place, oath, and heartbeat whispers into the Veil. Some whispers are loud enough to answer back.”
– Creed of the Veil, Fifth Psalm

What Are Spirits?

Spirits are living echoes of meaning. They arise where belief, memory, natural forces, or emotion saturate the world so deeply that they take shape. Spirits are not gods or ghosts, though they may be mistaken for either; they are concepts made animate.

• A battlefield soaked in grief might birth a spirit of mourning.

• A long-tended hearth might house a spirit of warmth and welcome.

• An ancient forest could be guarded by a spirit of growth and decay.

Beceause the Veil seals Vaelora from the outer cosmos, all spirits are trapped in the mortal world. They cannot reincarnate or ascend, and this makes them both desperate and dangerous.

[!aside|right]+

Manifestation & Presence

“They’re always here. Whether they choose to let you know… is another matter.”

Most spirits are not visible or fully corporeal unless they will themselves to be—or are compelled through ritual or circumstance.

• Incorporeal by Default: Unless manifest, spirits pass through matter, ignore mundane physical interaction, and cannot be harmed by non-magical weapons.
• Partial Manifestation: Spirits may manifest aspects—a voice, a flicker in the mirror, footsteps in ash—without fully appearing.
• Sensed, Not Seen: Their presence is felt before seen: warmth, cold, scent, emotional weight. These signs often intensify with Power Rating (PR).
• Nonverbal Communication: Most spirits do not speak, but communicate through intent—images, feelings, flickers in the flame. This form bypasses language but can be distorted by strong emotion.
• Speech & Language: More potent spirits (PR 3+) may develop or mimic speech. Archspirits (PR 6) can even speak forgotten tongues, unmake words, or speak truths that burn.

🜁 Manifestation Triggers

Trigger	Effect
A ritual calling	Spirit may fully appear—especially if offered something it desires
Entering a sanctified or cursed place	Certain locations force spirits to manifest in full
Corruption or void presence	Some spirits are dragged into view when exposed to tainted energies
Emotional intensity	Rage, grief, or devotion may cause a latent spirit to manifest reflexively

GMs are encouraged to use manifestation as a cinematic tool—let spirits haunt mirrors, whisper during sleep, or emerge from ritual fire at just the wrong moment.

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Tiers of Spirit Power

Spirits vary wildly in power and scope. For clarity, we use Power Rating (PR), a scale from 1–6.

Tier	Power Rating (PR)	Scope & Behavior
Imprint	1	Barely conscious echoes. Affect only atmosphere and subtle impressions. Cannot act intentionally.
Lesser Spirit	2	Narrow influence. Can manifest small effects or interact with mortals through ritual or strong emotion.
Simple Spirit	3	Self-aware and mobile. Can influence its environment and interact with mortals regularly.
Complex Spirit	4	Broad influence over its dominions. Can impact communities or whole regions.
Greater Spirit	5	Mythic entities tied to vast concepts or ecosystems. Can rewrite reality within their dominions.
Archspirit	6	Legends given form. Shape nations and spirit-ecologies; rarely interact with mortals directly.

[!hint] GM Note: Most spirits encountered by player characters will be PR 1–4. PR 5–6 spirits are rare, narrative-defining forces.

Dominions: What Spirits Control

Every spirit is tied to 1–3 dominions, which define the forces, ideas, or elements it embodies.

• Dominions are not territory. They are the metaphysical “roots” of the spirit’s existence.

• Examples: Fire, Memory, Oaths, Weather, Hunger, Growth, Grief, Stone, Ambition, Rot.

• A narrow focus (one dominion) makes a spirit exceptionally strong in that domain. Multiple dominions give versatility but dilute potency.

Dominions determine:

1. What abilities the spirit can use.

2. What offerings or rituals resonate with it.

3. How magical traditions (binding, pacts, melding) can interact with it.

Example: A PR 3 Spirit of Storms might command Weather and Fear. It can call lightning or terrify enemies, but it struggles to harm those who do not fear it.

Detection & Forcing Manifestation

“The flame shivered. You are not alone.”

Spirits may be invisible and silent, but they are never absent. Whether haunting a battlefield or lurking in a shrine, their presence can be felt—by those who know how to look.

Detecting a Spirit

To sense a spirit’s presence, roll:

Spirit + Attune

• Difficulty: Varies by spirit PR, distance, and resonance (GM discretion)
• Each success allows the character to detect a spirit up to 5 meters away (e.g. 3 successes = range of 15m)
• Success also reveals intensity of presence (unease, heat, cold, emotional bleed)

Spirits near their locus or in resonance (e.g. a fire-spirit in a forge) are easier to sense, while those hiding or bound may require ritual aids or offerings to detect at all.

Forcing Manifestation

Compelling a spirit to appear depends on the method:

Approach	Pool	Effect
Command / Threat	Presence + Intimidate	Effective against hostile or defiant spirits; may provoke retaliation
Plea / Bargain	Presence + Persuasion	Works best with spirits open to parley or pact-making
Ritual Unveiling	Focus + Rituals	The most reliable method; requires locus, offering, or symbolic trigger

• Difficulty: resisted by Spirit + Dominion
• On success, the spirit manifests fully for 1 scene or until it chooses to vanish.
• On failure, the spirit may resist, flee, or retaliate—possibly marking the invoker with a Corruption Die if disrespected.

[!hint] GM Tip: Let manifestation rolls serve narrative beats—the crackle in the mirror, the sudden warmth in a cold room, the moment when flame breathes like lungs. It’s not just a mechanic—it’s a heartbeat in the world.

Spirit Abilities

Each spirit can manifest abilities tied to its dominions. These are active expressions of its power.

Ability Slots

• A spirit has a number of Ability Slots equal to its PR.

• Each slot is filled by one ability. Abilities scale in potency with PR.

Manifestation Dice (MD)

• A spirit has a pool of MD = PR.

• Each use of an ability spends one MD. Spirits regain MD through:

  • Time and rest.

  • Feeding on belief, offerings, or emotional resonance.

  • Achieving their goals.

Ability Types

• Environmental: Alter terrain, weather, or emotional atmosphere.

• Offensive: Direct harm, curses, possession attempts.

• Defensive: Wards, concealment, bolstering bonded mortals.

• Utility: Healing, visions, blessings, information gathering.

We’ll define dominions and their ability menus in the following section (Almanach).

[!aside]

🔥 Resonance Points (RP): Optional Mechanic for Spirit Favor

Resonance Points are a narrative-resource mechanic that measures how aligned a mortal or place is with a spirit’s dominion in the moment. They’re not spell slots, nor currency in the usual sense. Instead, think of them as emotional pressure—built from ritual, emotion, sacrifice, and symbolism.

They represent how ready the spirit is to respond.

🕯️ What Are RP?

• RP are not held by players. They are tracked per spirit (or per sacred site, haunt, or vessel) by the GM.
• They reflect how much the spirit is being fed, empowered, or honored—emotionally, ritually, symbolically.
• A spirit can hold up to PR × 2 RP at once unless otherwise note.

🔧 Mechanics: What RP Do

RP Threshold	Effect
1–2 RP	Spirit may respond without cost (e.g., trigger a minor passive, manifest briefly)
3–4 RP	Spirit regains 1 MD, or enhances a passive/active ability (GM choice)
5+ RP	Spirit may perform a free action (1 MD ability) without spending MD—especially if aligned with the offering or ritual
6+ RP	Spirit becomes anchored: cannot be banished or dispersed unless ritual breaks resonance

Spending RP:
The GM can spend or burn RP when the spirit acts, similar to MD. However, unlike MD, RP are replenished through narrative action, not rest. They do not regenerate automatically.

🎴 How to Generate RP

Mortals can perform actions to generate RP for a specific spirit:

Action	RP Gained
Offering something meaningful tied to the dominion	+1 RP (more if rare or deeply personal)
Performing a symbolic or seasonal ritual	+1–2 RP
Acting in alignment with the spirit’s nature (with stakes)	+1 RP
Burning, burying, sacrificing something publicly and with intent	+1–3 RP
Channeling strong emotion through rite or vow	+1 RP (max once per scene)

Note: RP is always contextual. Throwing a generic trinket into a fire won’t please the Flame—but burning a sword used in betrayal might. Tie actions to narrative meaning.

🌀 RP vs MD: What’s the Difference?

Resonance Points (RP)	Manifestation Dice (MD)
Generated by the world or mortals	Internal to the spirit’s power rating
Reflect alignment, favor, emotional charge	Represent the spirit’s available energy
Can trigger bonuses or free actions	Spent to fuel active abilities
Fade over time or after use	Refresh scene by scene (unless Dormant)

✦ GM Uses for RP

• Track how well the players are feeding or pissing off a spirit
• Use RP as soft narrative clocks: a Fire-spirit with 5 RP might erupt if ignored
• Turn RP into pact currency: “Burn your name into the forge, and I will listen.”

Interacting with Spirits

Most mortals live with spirits through small rites and superstitions: offerings at boundary stones, whispered prayers at hearthfires, silence in the misted woods. These gestures keep the unseen at ease.

Common folk cannot command spirits, but they can sway them:

• Offerings or respectful acts may grant a single minor favor (GM discretion): calm weather, safe passage, hidden knowledge.
• Offense or neglect can provoke small curses or hauntings: milk sours, nets tear, whispers stalk them in dreams.

Those who wish for more than this must turn to one of the magical traditions—binding, pacts, or melding—each with its own methods and costs. These are described in their respective chapters.

Corruption and Overreach

Most spirits are volatile when pushed beyond their limits.

• Each time a mortal forces a spirit to use an ability against its will or beyond its MD pool, add a Corruption Die.
• Corruption Dice (see Corruption) can:
  • Backlash against the mortal (injury, possession, dominion contamination).
  • Warp the spirit, twisting its dominions into void-tainted expressions.

This danger is why even seasoned binders and pact-mages treat spirits with fear and reverence.

Using Spirits as the GM

Spirits are not monsters to be fought until dead (though that can happen). They are narrative forces.

• Tie spirits to local meaning: history, oaths, natural cycles, places of power.
• Let their dominions color every scene: weather, dreams, whispers, allies and enemies.
• Reward players who discover what the spirit wants and how to satisfy or subvert it.

Building Spirits

When you create a spirit for your story or encounter, think of it as building a living piece of the setting. Spirits are not just stat blocks—they are embodiments of meaning.

1. Pick Power Rating (1–6)

   • This determines the spirit’s strength, influence, and durability.
   • PR 1–2: Ambient or minor spirits, encountered often.
   • PR 3–4: Significant threats or allies with clear goals.
   • PR 5–6: Greater Spirits or Archspirits—narrative forces, not regular encounters.

2. Choose 1–3 Dominions

   • Dominions define the spirit’s essence. They can be elemental (Fire, Stone), conceptual (Oaths, Fear), natural (Hunger, Growth), or cultural (Hospitality, Memory).
   • Narrow dominion focus = deeper mastery; multiple dominions = versatility but weaker in each.

3. Fill Ability Slots

   • A spirit has Ability Slots equal to its PR. Each slot should be filled with a dominion-based effect:
     • Environmental: change weather, warp emotions, reshape terrain.
     • Offensive: deal harm, curse, possess.
     • Defensive: heal, protect allies, obscure itself.
     • Utility: grant visions, reveal secrets, bless objects.
   • Scale abilities with PR:
     • PR 2–3: small, immediate effects.
     • PR 4–5: large-scale or ongoing effects.
     • PR 6: mythic influence, reshaping regions or fate itself.

4. Define Personality, Goals, and Behavior

   • Spirits are driven by their dominions: an Oath-spirit lives to see promises fulfilled, a Fire-spirit to burn or purify.
   • Give each spirit a personality quirk or goal that makes it unique.
     • What does it want? (To be remembered? To spread fear? To guard a place?)
     • How does it react to mortals? (Curious? Hostile? Transactional?)
   • Decide how it escalates: does it lash out, retreat, negotiate, or call for aid from its dominion network?

Tips for the GM

• Tie the spirit to its environment. A Forest-Spirit should warp the woods around it; a Spirit of Sorrow might linger at battlefields or ruins.
• Give mortals hooks. Spirits respond to meaning: songs, offerings, true names, sacred items. Players should be able to interact beyond combat.
• Let dominions shape the scene. When the spirit is present, its dominion colors everything: weather, sounds, NPC behavior.

Quick Example: Lesser Spirit of Oaths (PR 2)

• Dominions: Oaths, Memory
• Abilities:
  1. Seal Pact: Imposes a binding geasa on an oath; breaking it causes 1 Injury.
  2. Recall Guilt: Target relives a past betrayal, suffering –1 die on social rolls for the scene.
• Personality: Stern and silent. Lives to ensure promises are kept.
• Behavior: Seeks mortals willing to swear oaths; punishes betrayal.
• Interaction Hooks:
  • Spirit Binding: requires etched names of those swearing an oath.
  • Pact Magic: willing to bless a sworn vow in exchange for a drop of blood.
  • Melded Souls: the host becomes unnervingly obsessed with loyalty.