The Soul and the Nature of Undeath

Some of the most compelling villains in fiction are, if done right, the undead. The ghoul, the vampire, the mummy, the zombie and similar creatures that represent humanity's deepest fears of death, disease and even, in the case of vampires, sexuality plug into an ancient and visceral dread that seems hard-wired into the human psyche. Cursed with an endless, bleak existence of either longing for their lost humanity (common in modern vampire fiction) or wholly falling into the madness of their inherent predatory malevolence, the undead are compelling villains indeed.

Orcus by Todd Lockwood

In the Wyrmshadows campaign setting, undeath is utterly and undeniably a curse. For the undead of Illythria undeath is not merely a warped blessing of eternal youth and vigor. Undeath, even for those outwardly blessed with the appearance of eternal youth and beauty is an empty, infinitely lonely, regret-filled hell because the Orcus, the Lord of the Undead, wishes it to be so. Himself transformed into a monstrous horror in his ascendency to the Throne of Anguish as sovereign of The Eternal Sepulcher, Orcus gains much in the way of petty gratification in the loneliness, regret, madness, endless hunger (or thirst), and pain of those who either willingly or unwillingly suffer his cruel attentions in the form of the curse of undeath. Though some mortals so cursed come to, at best, grimly accept their ghastly condition, undeath on Illythria is not an oddly romantic state of being. Undeath is manifest loss, bleakness and suffering that desires to lash out to destroy, taint and devour that which is beautiful and alive.

As satisfying a villain as the vampire, lich, ghoul lord or other undead mastermind may be, I have always, as a gamemaster, been dissatisfied with the implications of undeath as presupposed in some fantasy role-playing or fiction settings. A common trope regarding the curse of undeath is that the one so cursed loses his or her immortal soul in the process of transformation from human to unliving monster. This assumption has always troubled me insofar as firstly, the damned soul did nothing to earn it's fate and secondly, the curse of undeath is somehow able to undermined the metaphysical process of divine judgment (in most fantasy settings, just as in our collective mythologies, a deity usually sits in judgment over the fate of all mortal souls). So, for example, getting bitten by a vampire and rising to join the children of the night manages to countervene not only a sense of fundamental justice but even, where applicable, divine will.

I have, for the sake of internal consistency within the Wyrmshadows FRPG Setting, reimagined both the nature of the mortal soul and the nature of undeath. This reimagining is, in my opinion, a reasonable reworking of related concepts that allows the curse of undeath to be a truly fearful reality and yet not one that unjustly condemns an undeserving soul to an eternity of torment and suffering through no fault of its own.

Druid Ghost by Alan Lathwell

The Soul and the Nature of Undeath

The curse of undeath, the work of the dark god Orcus, is a source of visceral terror for all mortals (those not either lost to darkness or utter madness). This primal terror is rooted not only in the physical danger most undead beings represent, but for the spiritual danger the state of undeath represents as well. Long has it been assumed, by most, that the soul of those afflicted with undead is lost to darkness forevermore. However, this simplistic assumption is, thankfully, not entirely correct.      

Though it is not common knowledge outside of esoteric circles, the truth is that the soul of  *sapient mortals (humans, elves, dwarves, vitharr, orcs, etc.) and, non-divine, immortal beings (the evariel for example) is comprised of two portions, the Animus, and the Shade.

The animus is, quite literally, the vitalizing life-force. It is the animus, sometimes called chi, ki, prana, or by myriad other names, depending on the culture of the speaker, that is cultivated by some martial orders allowing the trained to focus this vital energy into devastating armed and unarmed attacks. In Westria and the Aranlands, for example, the animus is cultivated as a “rage” that allows some warriors to become lost in a kind of battle-trance that is legendary throughout Arvanor for its ferocity. When magic (such as the spell enervation), the undead (such as from the Constitution draining touch of a wraith to the level draining touch of a vampire), or some other force drains life from an individual, it is from the animus that this life-energy comes. At death, this aspect of the mortal soul dissolves into the environment where the mortal form took its last breath.

The shade is the aspect of the soul which contains the mortal personality, emotions, and intellect. When most people think of their “soul” they are, in fact, thinking of their shade. The shade contains the portion of the individual that is their recognizable identity. When an individual makes a bargain to sell her soul to an infernal in exchange for some boon, this is the aspect of the soul which is sold and the aspect which is (per such a pact) inexorably drawn to Tartarus upon mortal death. The shade is also the aspect of the soul which is trapped with trap the soul, magic jar or any spell of similar effect. The shade is also the aspect of the soul assigned by a lich to its phylactery (the process of lichdom splits the shade into two portions, the conscious portion which dwells within the body of the lich and the unconscious portion which is bound in the phylactery).

Game of Thrones White Walker Concept Art: HBO / Martin Rezard

The effect the curse of undeath has upon the shade is particularly chilling. When one rises as one of the sentient undead (such as a ghast, vampire, ghoul, wight, etc.) the shade remains trapped in the new, undead form but, while it still remains conscious, it is subsumed by a “mirror persona” constructed entirely of the malevolent spiritual energy  of the Eternal Sepulcher (commonly referred to as an “unclean spirit”).  This false persona contains the memories and general sensibilities of the shade, but is a wholly evil perversion of that aspect of the soul. The shade, trapped within this form and now powerless, must stand in mute witness to the horrors perpetrated by the indwelling mirror persona. Upon the destruction of the undead creature, the trapped shade is freed to journey to the afterlife for judgment. 

Non-sentient undead such as skeletons and zombies possess no shade. If a given form of undeath grants a non-sentient undead creature some of the skills it had in life, what remains is merely a spiritual “echo” of the personality (shade) now gone.

The shade is immortal and though it can be trapped,  bound, or even sold (by its owner and no other), it cannot be damaged or destroyed by any being of a less than divine nature (Wyrmkings, The Fallen, the Grey Lord, etc.). This aspect of the soul is, unlike the animus, truly immortal. The judgment a shade receives at the Court of Souls is less a moral judgment than merely the assigning of a soul to the afterlife most appropriate to its nature based on its beliefs, allegiances,  morality/ethics and actions while an incarnate mortal being. The true horror lays with those who believe themselves unworthy of an eternity in either Tartarus or The Eternal Sepulcher. It is noted by the psychopomps with some perplexity, just how few mortals believe themselves worthy of an audience with Orcus at the foot of the Throne of Anguish.

*Non-sapient mortal life-forms, including non-sapient magical creatures, possess both an animus (which dissolves upon death) and a lesser developed shade which, upon death, enters into the spirit world for a brief time before dissolving into a pure spiritual essence, it’s energy recycled and reentering the Mortal World adding to the potency of Nature and life itself.  Nothing is wasted.

Aesthetics 2: The Feel of the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting

Ferox  by Cos Koniotis

Loosely continuing my train of thought from last week's post (Wyrmkings help me I want to post more often but time can a premium sometimes) I wanted to look at a few more elements of the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting in depth. As primary setting designer, I've set my sights on a balance of High Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery. In other words I want both players and game masters who choose to utilize The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting for their gaming adventures to be able to play heroes and heroines or develop adventures that can fit either in Robert E. Howard's Hyboria or J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth...not at the same time mind you, but as the need or desire arises, without violating the aesthetics of the setting.

What follows are a partial list of the core assumptions of the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting and the world of Illythria. Serving largely as personal notes, setting forth the setting core assumptions in this manner allows me to work within semi-rigid boundaries that allow all of us involved in this mammoth project to exercise creativity while cleaving closely to the vision of what we want the Wyrmshadows setting to be.

Heroes are the Exception to the Rule

 

The folk of Illythria, whether human or otherwise, have and live according to basic needs, desires, pleasures, customs, mores, traditions, attachments and aversions appropriate to their race and culture. Most folk aren’t heroes or crusaders. Most are relatively unconcerned and uncommitted to anything greater than the survival and well being of themselves, their families, their communities or nation. Most people are bound to their time and culture in such a way as to never truly rise about the circumstances of their birth.

 

In a world were relatively few individuals travel more than a few  miles from their place of birth, those who would actively seek adventure are seen as, depending upon the circumstances, fascinating curiosities, honored heroes or a potential threats to be carefully watched.

 

Whether they are wandering freebooters seeking their fortunes, mercenaries seeking gold and glory, fierce buccaneers, noble knights questing for the sake of their faith, or explorers seeking the arcane secrets of long dead civilizations, the players’ characters stand apart from the common folk of Arvanor by merit of their ability to choose.

 

Beyond the will of the dread rulers of The Void, the distant and inscrutable gods, the ancient and fearsome Wyrmkings, the hero chooses her fate and in the process becomes more than an actor jostled by the forces of history; instead she becomes the creator of history. In the Wyrmshadows  setting, it is ultimately mortals who move the world. From time to time greater than mortal agencies act in Illythria but even though their immortal might may be greater than the power of any single mortal agency, the history of the world bears witness to the reality that a small band of heroes can, if they are smart, strong, courageous and fortunate, thwart even the will of powers far greater than themselves.

 

In the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting, heroes come with varied outlooks, Sometimes the hero of one culture’s tale is the villain of another’s. Sometimes those who become heroes don’t start out that way. Sometimes heroes become villains and sometimes villains become heroes seeking redemption. Allow your players’ characters the opportunity to evolve and change in accordance with their experiences. Some would-be heroes, once exposed to the horrors that lie beyond the periphery of civilization, deepen in that their heroics become less concerned about seizing personal glory and more interested in serving an ideal greater than themselves. Others who face the darkness and cruelty of the world harden their hearts becoming cynical, having realized that no one person or group of people can completely change the world. And then there are those that tread too closely to the edge and become the very monsters they once did battle against.

 

 

Faith Matters/Faiths in Conflict

 

The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting does not support our modern world’s postmodern viewpoint in regards to matters of faith and religion. For the peoples of Illythria, the truth of their faith is an unquestioned reality. Whether the more distant gods of the Great Church, the divine immanence of the Wyrmkings or the fearful reality of The Fallen, the supernatural world is as real for Illythrians as the Mortal World in which they live.

 

Unlike many fantasy gaming settings, the gods, generally speaking, do not make personal appearances, though in the past they have, according to legend, been known to do so. Instead, the gods are known through the faiths that act in their name, through visions, omens, oracles and the sacred scriptures penned by great prophets in ages past. For most believers, the words of the ancient sages as written down in the sacred texts or conveyed within their oral traditions are as much divine utterance as if the god itself had spoken.

 

The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting assumes that individuals find hope and strength in their faith and that the gods are more than merely creatures of great power that exist to challenge powerful heroes or villains. The idea of actually doing battle with and slaying a god is utterly alien to the inhabitants of Illythria and outside the boundaries of the Wyrmshadows setting’s core assumptions regarding the nature of divinity. There are apocryphal tales of mortals doing battle with the gods, but most consider these stories nothing more than blasphemies. Just as in our world, Illythria is a world of myriad spiritual and metaphysical ambiguities and mysteries. One priest's myths are another's fundamental spiritual reality. The Wyrmkings and gods may know, but for the most part they dole out "truths" as it suits their needs and desires.

 

The folk of Illythria know the gods as inscrutable even if they believe that most of them have the best interests of their worshippers at heart. The simple fact is that the ways of the gods are not the ways of mortals and that though mortals can apprehend some portion of divine will, the fullness of that knowledge is ever elusive to all but the gods themselves. Many are the legends of mortals who thought to presume upon the gods and suffered for it. Just as many tales exist of mortals who have been blessed by the gods for some grand purpose of their choosing. Either way, the point of these tales is to teach mortals that the gods choose whom they will and any attempt to force a god’s hand ultimately leads to disaster.

 

The vast majority of Illythrians believe in an afterlife, though the nature of the afterlife is as varied as the many faiths of Illythria. Some faiths teach reincarnation, other teach eternal reward or punishment, while others speak of an afterlife entirely different from what one might expect. On Illythria, the afterlife is a matter of faith even if the reality of the spiritual is not.

 

Due to the complexity of Illythria’s spiritual landscape, the faiths of Illythria, from that of the Great Church, that of the various Wyrmkings, that of The Fallen, the animistic faiths of various tribes, etc. often find themselves in direct conflict with one another. Due to the ancient rivalries between Wyrmkings and the gods, even faiths that share a similar moral or ethical outlook can, at times, be implacable enemies. The reality of Illythria’s religious conflicts is rooted in the ancient history of the elder gods Ankhara and Beherim, the War of the Gods, and the birth of the Wyrmkings as divinities in their own right. Even though the various faiths may have a different spin on these events, all are certain of their ultimate reality. These beliefs, as well as the political and cultural power of the various priesthoods, assure that there is always some manner of conflict simmering under the surface of Illythria’s interfaith relations.

 

Just as in our own world, the faiths of Illythria can accept certain practical realities despite their differences and can, at times, work together for a greater good that transcends theology.  In rare instances, the faith of the dominant Wyrmking and that of the Great Church are practiced side by side. More commonly, relations between the Great Church and the faiths of the Wyrmkings are more strained but don’t boil over into violence. In the most religiously oppressive lands of Arvanor, those not submitting to the worship of the local deity are viewed as dangerous heretics and are hunted down and slain if captured.

 

(...More working core assumptions to come next post)

Aesthetics 1: Sword and Sorcery vs. High Fantasy

"Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat & stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame crimson, and I am content"
- Conan the Barbarian (Robert E. Howard)


Sword and Sorcery Fiction is (according to Wikipedia) defined as...

"Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus mainly on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters.^"

As a young fantasy fan, I cut my teeth on the works on Robert E. Howard. When I was about thirteen years old I owned a complete collection of the Ace Publishing Conan Novels. Being so proud of that collection I kept the books in pristine condition, not allowing anyone else to touch them for fear they would in some way damage these sacred relics. As a boy prone to daydreaming, I would spend a great deal of time, when I wasn't rereading the stories, simply gazing upon the amazing work of Frank Frazetta, whose art graced the cover of all twelve books.

That art took me to ancient Hyboria, and still does.

Even though I have read the works of other authors, the writings of Robert E. Howard is still, for me, the defining benchmark of Sword and Sorcery Fiction. In order for us to define anything, we have to look at it in terms of its individual characteristics. The list that follows, are a list of characteristics that are, in my opinion, necessary for S&S to be S&S. These qualities are an aesthetic, a sensibility that separates S&S from other subgenres of Fantasy Fiction. This isn't an exhaustive list of qualities I see as defining characteristics of S&S, but it is a list of the characteristics that I have found most useful in guiding me while I craft the Wyrmshadows RPG setting, the nations, peoples and overall aesthetic of the world and those who dwell therein. The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting isn't only a S&S setting, but it is strongly influenced by the overall S&S sensibility.

1.) S&S stories are personal and the motivations of S&S heroes are personal.
S&S heroes have motivations that are personal. Their goals may be no more or less noble (or wicked) than those of high fantasy heroes, but S&S heroes do not "do good for goodness sake." A Paladin in a high fantasy tale can, according to genre tropes, seek to end the tyrannical rule of the evil warlord for the sake of "goodness" or "justice" with no personal stake in the matter whatsoever other than pure motivation of "doing the right thing." A paladin in a S&S based tale may have the exact same goal, to end the rule of the tyrannical warlord, but he will be motivated to do so for more tangible reasons such as personal outrage, revenge, the commandments of his church, due to events in his past that make the crimes committed by the warlord feel like a personal affront, deep empathy/sympathy for the warlord's victims, the opportunity for glory, the enjoyment of battle, to honor his god, etc. or any number of personal reasons. The paladin may even think in terms of ending the rule of the warlord because it is "the right thing to do" but like a real, living, breathing individual, the paladin will have a deeper undercurrent of motivations for risking his life.

In the same manner as above, so it is with S&S villains. Villains in S&S stories don't conquer nations
an slaughter their enemies for the sake of  "evil" or "darkness" as one finds in less sophisticated high fantasy tales. Instead a S&S villain will do whatever he does for any number of personal reasons, reasons that may run the gamut from personal psychopathic pleasure to the delusional belief that he is doing the right thing. Just as in our own world, sometimes S&S villains believe that the horrors they inflict must be done, for the greater good.

2.) A setting strongly influenced by S&S is less idyllic and more morally "grey" than those settings dominated by high fantasy sensibilities.

High fantasy characters can tend toward angst. They are often afflicted by the consequences of what they do in a manner more akin to modern sensibilities than are S&S heroes. High fantasy presumes a more idyllic milieu both in regards to the reality of the fictional world being presented and the heroes' perception of that world. High fantasy settings tend to reflect a medieval or ancient world as we wish it would have been as opposed to how it had been. To a far lesser extent, S&S settings do the same thing. S&S settings do, at times, present an idealized reality to readers/gamers, but in an S&S setting their is always the potential of a corrupt or shady underbelly in even the most seemingly idyllic setting.

The dark underbelly needn't be a conspicuous corruption at the heart of Camelot, so to speak, but instead the often unpleasant complexities that underlie the smoothly running world presented on the surface. It's been said that, "everyone like sausage, but no one wants to see it prepared," and this is often how things are in a S&S setting. A kingdom in a S&S setting may have very little crime and a high standard of living while at the same time the laws that make the kingdom relatively crime-free may involve the abridgment of citizens' civil liberties and very harsh punishments for those involved in criminal behavior.

A game setting with S&S roots like the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting attempts to take into account the realities of a complex, albeit fictional world while at the same time not descending into dystopian nightmare of cynicism and ultimate futility.

S&S heroes are born into an overtly complex reality and see it as it is. Each individual is affected differently by his or her environment. Those of a more sensitive nature may never be at ease with the sometimes unpleasant complexities of either their world or what they must sometimes do in order to survive. Others, those of a more pragmatic nature, will be at peace with the way the world works and their place in it. The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting has room for both. Both the introspective Drizzt Do'Urden of Forgotten Realms fame and the legendary Conan the Barbarian, with his equally legendary lack of introspection, have a place on the world of Illythria. However, owning the S&S roots of the setting means accepting the reality that there are, just like in the real world, more Conans out there then there are Drizzts. Illythria is a world of many introspective, poets, philosophers and theologians but their numbers are profoundly eclipsed by the numbers of those of a more self-orientated, pragmatic, and even amoral nature.

High fantasy characters, as opposed to their S&S counterparts, can tend toward emotional or existential angst. They are often afflicted by the consequences of what they do (particularly in regards to violence) in a manner more akin to modern sensibilities than are traditional S&S heroes. S&S heroes, such as Conan for example, are products of their time and environment and because of this have very different sensibilities. To have a Cimmerian barbarian see bloodshed in the manner similar to that of this author would be a preposterous anachronism. Those for whom warfare is a constant cultural reality and for whom death by violence is an accepted, if unwelcome, possibility would likely be rather ambivalent in regards to having to commit violent acts in order to survive. Such an individual may not relish violence, however, it is very unlikely that such an individual would need to deal with much in regards to existential angst because of it. There are regions of Arvanor, such a highly civilized and diverse Arnach, where modern sensibilities in regards to the subject of violence may be somewhat understandable, if still quite rare. In other regions, like the rugged and savage Aranlands, such an aversion to violence would be as alien as pacifism and would be utterly and fatally impractical.


(....To be continued next post)

Breathing Worlds to Life

Looking out upon the world.

"Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and the strength, use it to create.” -Maria Montessori


Illythria, the world of The Wyrmshadows of RPG Setting was born, in my imagination, some twenty years ago as a place where I could place fantasy tales, the kinds of fantasy tales I wished to tell. I wanted to create a world that would resonate with my sensibilities regarding what did, and did not, work in regards to a fantasy milieu. Until now, this world existed only as mental reveries and sometimes self-contradictory notes both on paper and on digital documents. After long consideration, I thought it time, with the help of highly skilled and creative contributors, to bring Illythria to life as a setting wherein gamers can set their own stories of adventure, tragedy, heroism, romance, courage and terror.

My inspiration spans the High Fantasy sensibilities of J.R.R. Tolkien, the gritty Sword and Sorcery Sensibilities of Robert E. Howard, the historical resonance of George R.R. Martin and Bernard Cornwell, as well the religious myths and folklore of our world. Illythria is a fantasy world for grown-ups, so to speak, where the fantastic doesn't remove verisimilitude from the table, where the existence of magic doesn't negate the need for complexity and believability. It's a world where the motivations for heroism make sense. Some fight for faith, some for gold, some for love, some for vengeance, and some for honor. In the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting both "good" and "evil" exist, not as tangible things, but as perspectives. Even the most wicked Illythrian villain doesn't do what he or she does to strike at "the forces of good" but instead to advance an agenda that is, for them, valid and concrete. Just as on our world, people do what they do for myriad reasons and never merely because they "fight for good" or "serve evil."

This blog, The Wyrd of the Wyrmkings, is intended to be a development journal, akin to a diary, wherein I will, as much as I am able, give the reader a "look behind the curtain" as it were. As the The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting develops and becomes more concrete you will see why certain creative decisions were made and the mechanism by which I, as well as other contributors, came to make a given choice regarding a the creative process as we attempt to balance internal consistency, believability, the fantastic, the epic and the commonplace within a setting designed to be the backdrop of countless stories told around the gaming table.

And hopefully, this blog can serve to inspire other Gamemasters who wish to try their hand at world-building. I long ago learned that a little inspiration can go a long way toward firing up the engines of creativity.

Gentle reader, may it be that you are shielded by the wings of the Wyrmkings until our paths cross again.