Difference between revisions of "Kinds"

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[[File:Kinds.jpg|600px|right|thumb]]
 
[[File:Kinds.jpg|600px|right|thumb]]
*[[People]]:  This is everybody, or at least, everybody, once upon a time.  The ordinary state of life to which all are entitled for a time, but none may have forever.  A living person consists of a body and a spirit; in life, the body is an uninterrupted conduit for the spirit to express itself, whereas after death, the link is broken and must be re-established by the Voice.    All humans are seen as having spirits ([[Corpseborn]], members of other cultures, etc., etc.) but not everything that is alive and sentient has a spirit - [[Hith]] do not, because they do not become ancestors after death.   
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Humanity, uniquely among the species of the universe, is conceptualized as having six distinct Kinds (''ovre'', pl. ''ovrei'').  Originally, there were people and ancestors in the cosmology of early Ombans, with haunts being a sort of special case, probably not human at all. The development of the [[Corps]] through the [[Epiphany of Zunuga]] led new Kinds to be discovered and invented, leading to the typology that follows:<br />
*Ancestors (Abas): These are those who have died, but whose spirits are still accessible through the Voice of the Dead.  Bodies of ancestors are treated with reverence, preserved in great communal vaults in the temples of the Voice. The communal link between past and present maintained through this veiled channel of communication.  Ancestors cease accumulating memories upon death but retain that element of their memory and some of the personality they had at death.
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*[[Bubun]]: Upon death, some bodies are committed voluntarily by their families, or involuntarily (enemies fallen in battle, the executed, etc.) to have their bodies brought to a new temporary existence as bubun.  The spirit of a bubun is broken away from its body, leaving the vessel devoid of will and speech but capable of managed action.  These are the tools of the Hand of the Dead, who use them during a seven-year span, after which they may be turned over to the Voice to become ancestors (if their families are known).
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*[[People]]:  This is everybody, or at least, everybody, once upon a time.  The ordinary state of life to which all are entitled for a time, but none may have forever.  A living person consists of a body and a spirit; in life, the body is an uninterrupted conduit for the spirit to express itself, whereas after death, the link is broken and must be re-established by the Voice.    All humans are seen as having spirits ([[Corpseborn society|corpseborn]], members of other cultures, etc., etc.) but not everything that is alive and sentient has a spirit - [[Hith]] do not, because they do not become ancestors after death.   
*[[Revenants]] (Shoror): Death is not a permanent state for some lucky few.  The Voice of the Dead can use a ritual on a newly-dead person that, if successful, brings them back into unity with life, though somewhat changed - the link between its body and spirit become stitched back together.  The skin of a revenant is always deeply chilled to the touch, and their physical appearance or personality may also be changed.  The first shoror, Zunuga, came back to life spontaneously, so it is said, almost a thousand years ago, marking the foundation of the Voice and Hand and the separation of the church from the Old Folk (Hulti).
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*[[Ancestors]] (''abas'', pl. ''abasse''): These are those who have died, but whose spirits are still accessible through the Voice of the Dead.  Bodies of ancestors are treated with reverence, preserved in great communal vaults in the temples of the Voice. The communal link between past and present maintained through this veiled channel of communication.  Ancestors cease accumulating memories upon death but retain that element of their memory and some of the personality they had at death.
*[[Saints]] (Ula): Some ancestors are more fortunate than others, and the ula, or saints, are those rare individuals whose bodies remain largely incorruptible after death and who are able to communicate and work on the world not only through the intermediary of the Voice of the Dead, but transgress these boundaries of their own will.  Although immobile, saints can come to their descendants in visions, and unlike ancestors, can accumulate knowledge of events that transpire after their deaths.  A saint is sentient and capable of communicating with others without magical intervention.  However, in general, access to the saints is strictly controlled by the Voice.  Perhaps one in ten thousand ancestors becomes a saint, and there is no way to predict or control who does so.
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*[[Bubun]], pl. ''bubunne'': Upon death, some bodies are committed voluntarily by their families, or involuntarily (enemies fallen in battle, the executed, etc.) to have their bodies brought to a new temporary existence as bubun.  The spirit of a bubun is broken away from its body, leaving the vessel devoid of will and speech but capable of managed action.  These are the tools of the Hand of the Dead, who use them during a seven-year span, after which they may be turned over to the Voice to become ancestors (if their families are known).
*[[Haunts]] (Aidastu): Absent the steady guiding principles of the Voice and the Hand, death is frightening and uncertain.  A death where no part of a body is recovered, or where circumstances are dire, can produce an aidastu, a dangerous (though not necessarily wicked) spirit controlled only with great care.  The spirit is fully detached from the body, and in its flailing efforts at reunification, grave consequences emerge. Haunts are not malevolent, exactly, but they are uncontrolled and can take control of people and places, cause undesired occurrences, and otherwise manipulate reality.
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*[[Revenants]] (''shoror'', pl. ''shororre''): Death is not a permanent state for some lucky few.  The Voice of the Dead can use a ritual on a newly-dead person that, if successful, brings them back into unity with life, though somewhat changed - the link between its body and spirit become stitched back together.  The skin of a revenant is always deeply chilled to the touch, and their physical appearance or personality may also be changed.  The first shoror, [[Zunuga]], came back to life spontaneously, so it is said, almost a thousand years ago, marking the foundation of the Voice and Hand and the separation of the church from the Old Folk ([[Hulti]]).
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*[[Saints]] (''ula'', pl. ''ulale''): Some ancestors are more fortunate than others, and the ulale, or saints, are those rare individuals whose bodies remain largely incorruptible after death and who are able to communicate and work on the world not only through the intermediary of the Voice of the Dead, but transgress these boundaries of their own will.  Although immobile, saints have considerable and variable powers, and unlike ancestors, can accumulate knowledge of events that transpire after their deaths.  A saint is sentient and capable of communicating with others without magical intervention.  However, in general, access to the saints is strictly controlled by the Voice.  Perhaps one in ten thousand ancestors becomes a saint, and there is no way to predict or control who does so.
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*[[Haunts]] (''aidastu'', pl. ''aidastur''): Absent the steady guiding principles of the Voice and the Hand, death is frightening and uncertain.  A death where no part of a body is recovered, or where circumstances are dire, can produce an aidastu, a dangerous (though not necessarily wicked) spirit controlled only with great care.  The spirit is fully detached from the body, and in its flailing efforts at reunification, grave consequences emerge. Haunts are not malevolent, exactly, but they are uncontrolled and can take control of people and places, cause undesired occurrences, and otherwise manipulate reality.
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{{nem}}

Latest revision as of 12:54, 25 July 2023

Kinds.jpg

Humanity, uniquely among the species of the universe, is conceptualized as having six distinct Kinds (ovre, pl. ovrei). Originally, there were people and ancestors in the cosmology of early Ombans, with haunts being a sort of special case, probably not human at all. The development of the Corps through the Epiphany of Zunuga led new Kinds to be discovered and invented, leading to the typology that follows:

  • People: This is everybody, or at least, everybody, once upon a time. The ordinary state of life to which all are entitled for a time, but none may have forever. A living person consists of a body and a spirit; in life, the body is an uninterrupted conduit for the spirit to express itself, whereas after death, the link is broken and must be re-established by the Voice. All humans are seen as having spirits (corpseborn, members of other cultures, etc., etc.) but not everything that is alive and sentient has a spirit - Hith do not, because they do not become ancestors after death.
  • Ancestors (abas, pl. abasse): These are those who have died, but whose spirits are still accessible through the Voice of the Dead. Bodies of ancestors are treated with reverence, preserved in great communal vaults in the temples of the Voice. The communal link between past and present maintained through this veiled channel of communication. Ancestors cease accumulating memories upon death but retain that element of their memory and some of the personality they had at death.
  • Bubun, pl. bubunne: Upon death, some bodies are committed voluntarily by their families, or involuntarily (enemies fallen in battle, the executed, etc.) to have their bodies brought to a new temporary existence as bubun. The spirit of a bubun is broken away from its body, leaving the vessel devoid of will and speech but capable of managed action. These are the tools of the Hand of the Dead, who use them during a seven-year span, after which they may be turned over to the Voice to become ancestors (if their families are known).
  • Revenants (shoror, pl. shororre): Death is not a permanent state for some lucky few. The Voice of the Dead can use a ritual on a newly-dead person that, if successful, brings them back into unity with life, though somewhat changed - the link between its body and spirit become stitched back together. The skin of a revenant is always deeply chilled to the touch, and their physical appearance or personality may also be changed. The first shoror, Zunuga, came back to life spontaneously, so it is said, almost a thousand years ago, marking the foundation of the Voice and Hand and the separation of the church from the Old Folk (Hulti).
  • Saints (ula, pl. ulale): Some ancestors are more fortunate than others, and the ulale, or saints, are those rare individuals whose bodies remain largely incorruptible after death and who are able to communicate and work on the world not only through the intermediary of the Voice of the Dead, but transgress these boundaries of their own will. Although immobile, saints have considerable and variable powers, and unlike ancestors, can accumulate knowledge of events that transpire after their deaths. A saint is sentient and capable of communicating with others without magical intervention. However, in general, access to the saints is strictly controlled by the Voice. Perhaps one in ten thousand ancestors becomes a saint, and there is no way to predict or control who does so.
  • Haunts (aidastu, pl. aidastur): Absent the steady guiding principles of the Voice and the Hand, death is frightening and uncertain. A death where no part of a body is recovered, or where circumstances are dire, can produce an aidastu, a dangerous (though not necessarily wicked) spirit controlled only with great care. The spirit is fully detached from the body, and in its flailing efforts at reunification, grave consequences emerge. Haunts are not malevolent, exactly, but they are uncontrolled and can take control of people and places, cause undesired occurrences, and otherwise manipulate reality.