General Information

[KeyJester]

General Information about things in SoA

Index

Souls
Souls, Essence, and Spirits
Death
*
Ability Stats

This thread will contain random various information of things in SoA and how they work, to give people a general understanding of Arcaiia.

Enjoy~  

[KeyJester]

Souls

The souls we carry within us are the source of most of our power. It is the battery that the energy we are created with fuels so that we can function as living beings. All living creatures have souls, with few exceptions.

Souls are said to have been created from a source of energy that is the Essence of All. This is also referred to as the Source of Life, The Soul of the World, and some even say that it is the Energy of the Almighty being Itself. This Essence of All is where everything comes from, the energy that holds our world together, and it is only from this source that a soul is able to be "born", and thus it is also said to be the place where souls return to in the end.
To describe the Source in words and images that we can understand, you can imagine it as a kind of magical fountain. At the top of the fountain is the very Source of everything, and the part with the purest "water". And this "water" - which is the essence from which souls are born from - spills over the edge and into the other "bowls", and from there it keeps flowing until it finally reaches the bottom where there is a vast lake. Most souls are all born of that lake, but not all of them, as some souls are born from the various "bowls" in the fountain. Souls that are born from the same "bowl" has the same signature to their essence, and are most commonly what is seen as "soulmates".

The soul itself, when hosted within a body, can be described as a flaming ball of some sorts, known as the Soulflame, and it is most commonly of a lighter blue colour depending on the type of soul. If the soul is specifically strong and independent, it can have a strong and unusual flame colour, and even be multicoloured as well. Being a flame, the soul can be divided and added to, and still burn just as bright, but a part that has been taken from the main soul will always be connected to the soul it was taken from and try to seek it out to merge with it again. The soul itself doesn't have a set element, as it contains a fragment of every one of the 15 elements, unless the soul has been specifically created using parts from one or more specific elements.

Exactly when a soul takes place within a living creature is something that has been widely debated, and the "experts" rarely seem to agree. Some say that the soul enters at birth, while others say that it is with you from the moment you are conceived. The truth is that this varies greatly, depending on the type of soul and the person or being the soul will merge with. It also depends on if the soul is newly created, or if it is a person being reborn. It is almost impossible to determine exactly when the soul and the being is merged together as one, although most commonly this happens in the middle of the pregnancy. It is also when the soul merges with the body that the element a person is born under is decided upon.

To define a person, you combine the persons name, appearance and personality. Separated, these things aren't too unique. There might be others out there with that persons name, or appearance, or even personality, but there is only one person that has that specific combination. And just like we all have names, appearances and personality to define us as people, to describe us and tell who and what we are, the soul too has it's name, appearance and personality that makes a unique combination that tells of who and what that soul truly is.

Soulnames

A soul's name is unique, the only one of its kind so no soul have the same name, though there can be found similar variants of certain names that are either pronounced in a similar way or written in a similar way. This name is the most important part of the soul and its being, as it is the name that can be used to control the soul itself. Just like how you use someone's name to call out to them and communicate with them, one can use the name of someone's soul to call out to the soul itself and communicate directly with it. Doing so, one can bring either harm or good upon it, depending on ones intentions. If you mean harm while speaking the name, you can bring harm to the soul itself, and some can even use this as a way to kill the soul and thus the person the soul belongs. But, you can also use that name to strengthen the soul if you only wish good things upon it when calling to it, putting only kindness and love in speaking the name. And in some cases, even a thought can be enough to make the soul react. A soul will always feel its name, wether it is spoken out loud or simply thought of, even if the person owning the soul doesn't notice. If a soul without a body is called upon by its name, it will seek out whomever is calling it, without exception. Its name holds such power of it, that one can actually control a soul by simply knowing its name.

Most commonly, people keep their soul's name a secret from the world, only sharing it with those closest to them that are loved and trusted, for obvious reasons. By sharing your soul's name, you share yourself and your entire being, letting yourself be completely open and unprotected. If an enemy knows this name, it can be used to harm you, but it can also be used to give strength so sharing your soul's name with someone who loves you, either as a friend or as a lover, can make you stronger. For this, one must always be wise about whom one choose to share this unique and sacred name with, and sharing your soul's name with someone is looked upon as the deepest way of showing complete trust.

A soulname is not something that can be chosen for oneself, as it was already formed the moment the soul itself was created and can only be "found" by communicating with the soul itself. There are many cases of people never being aware of their soul's name, because being able to "listen" to your inner being, your true self, and find that one name that is all that you are, is not something that comes natural to all beings. Some know their name from birth, while others go their entire lives not even being aware of their soul having a name.

Types of Soulnames
Most commonly, a soul's name is just a simple word, and the length of this word varies greatly. Some of the most usual names contain anything from 3 to 11 letters, whereof 5 or 7 are the most common ones, but there are both names made up from as little as only 1 letter, and some that are so long that it'll take you forever to pronounce them.

The way the name is written is something to take into consideration. Sometimes there may be used things such as spaces, hyphens (-) or apostrophes (') when writing the name, and these have specific meanings. Though spaces (ex: Soul Name) are the least common to see, the meaning behind it isn't too significant. It simply means that the soul in itself is divided, and that there is room for development and evolution. The hyphen, however, means that the soul consists of several souls tied together (ex: Soul-name would mean that the soul consists of two different souls tied together as one, while Sou-lna-me would mean that there are three souls tied together), and in some cases that means that the soul, consisting of more than one, is a lot more powerful than any other common soul. The apostrophe (ex: Soul'name, Sou'lname, Souln'ame, or S'oulname) means that the soul has somehow evolved and changed, and thus have also the name changed.

This is, of course, just the way the soulname is written, and it is important to remember that the important part is the pronunciation of the name. The actual pronunciation of a soul's name is what defines it, and is where all the power over it lies, and in truth it is highly difficult to exactly copy someone's way of pronouncing their own name.

Soul symbols

The symbol of the soul is referred to as its "appearance", and it can be anything from something as simple as an object such as a star or a fruit, or a complicated pattern that is completely unique. By using this symbol, people can strengthen themselves almost in the same way that people might use enchanted symbols to bring strength or protection by either getting them tattooed or carving them on items or painting them on walls. If used correctly, this symbol can bring strength, good fortune, riches, happiness and even love to the person the symbol belongs to.

Sharing this symbol is not as dangerous as sharing the name of the soul, as the symbol itself cannot be used to control the soul. It can, however, be used to trap a soul that is not within a body by either carving it on walls and thus trapping the soul within a room, or writing it on an object and trapping the soul within that object by calling the soul by its name. This is, of course, only possible if the person doing so has the magical abilities to use Soul Magic to do so. All in all, the symbol of the soul is something that one can share without any fear of people using it against them, and because of this the soul's symbol is something people can be found to share quite openly, as if proudly displaying that this is what their soul looks like.

Just like a soulname, the symbol of the soul is not something that can be chosen for oneself, as this symbol has existed since the soul was merged with your body. But, "finding" this symbol is a lot easier than "finding" your soul's name, as it is a symbol that you will always find yourself to be attracted to somehow. You'll keep returning to this symbol, your entire life, either finding a strange fascination for it or even becoming completely obsessed with it.

Soul forms

When a soul is not hosted within a body, it takes on a specific form that is often referred to as the "personality" of the soul, and this form is the true shape of the soul itself. The most common forms are that of animal-like beings, but it can have the form of any living creature there is, even humans. This form is most commonly something your soul only takes on when it has left your body, usually because you are dead, but those who are truly connected to themselves and are powerful enough can learn to take on this form when still alive and "shapeshift" into it. Some can even learn how to summon their own souls to have them come stand by their side as a type of "companions" that they can communicate with or gain strength from.

Sharing the form of your soul with others is completely harmless, as the form itself on its own is impossible to take advantage of. Many people quite openly displays that this is what their soul is, and often see the shape of their soul as their Guardian Animal or Spirit or as their Totem. Letting people know the form of your soul might also help them to better understand what kind of person you truly are, and it will allow them to know you on a deeper level, so it is quite common that people take great pride in their soul's form and happily shares it with the world.

Like the name and the symbol of the soul, the form is not something one can choose for oneself, as it was already decided upon the moment the soul was merged with your body. But "finding" this form is said to be even more difficult than "finding" your soul's name and symbol, because seeing your inner self for what you truly are is not something that is easy to do. Most commonly, people go entire lives without even being aware of this form at all.

Soulkeepers and Soul Magic

There is a certain type of people that are known as Soulkeepers, and these are rare people that has the ability to know your soulname from just looking upon you. A Soulkeeper's only purpose is to give strength and protection to the people around them by sheltering the souls with the help of their abilities. Of course, there are those who choose to abuse this power and instead bring harm upon others, but luckily those are few in numbers and rarely seen. Most Soulkeepers take great pride in their title, and will always do whatever they can to protect the souls of those they know the name of.

The reason for why Soulkeepers have this ability is because they are born with a hint of Soul Magic within them. Soul Magic is a rare type of magic, its source of origin within the Element of Water and with deep connections to the Element of Spirit, and those with the full abilities to use this kind of magic is capable of seeing people's soulnames, symbols and forms, and they can make use of souls as they see fit themselves. There are a lot of different types of Soul Magic, and the type that Soulkeepers have within them is the type that only allows them to see people's soulnames, and nothing more.

There are, in basic, 10 main types of Soul Magic.
Name - the ability to see soulnames
Symbolic - the ability to see soul symbols
Shape - the ability to see soul forms
Tool - the ability to use your own soul as a tool or a weapon
Manipulation - the ability to manipulate and control the souls of others
Soulslayer - the ability to harm or kill other souls without the use of names, symbols or forms
Soulhealer - the ability to use other souls to heal without the use of names, symbols or forms
Morph - the ability to take on the form of your own soul
Summon - the ability to summon your own soul as a type of companion
Enchantment - the ability to use spells or curses on souls, or with the help of souls

Common Worries and Questions

- How can I find my soulname, symbol and/or form?
- This is difficult to answer, as this varies a lot from soul to soul and person to person. The easiest to find would be the symbol, as it is something you will always be attracted to somehow. It's either a strange fascination, or a massive obsession, but either way you will always find yourself returning to that same symbol for some reason. And this is, naturally, because it is your soul seeking out that one thing that shares its appearance.
Your soulname, however, is not as easily obtained. Though some may know it from birth, others may go their entire lives never being aware of it. Finding it means that you need to get your soul to "speak" to you somehow, and you have to be able to "listen" when it does. Some people may need to make use of special tools, such as alcohol or things that slows your ordinary senses, to properly "hear" it, while others simply use a form of meditation. Some people may even be as lucky as to suddenly "hear" their soul's name while doing something completely different, as if someone just walked past them and said the name before disappearing.
Finding your soul's form, on the other hand, is usually extremely difficult, and few people manage to do so. But those who do, find that this specific form is something they feel highly connected to. Either it has been an animal that they feel always have followed them and that they identify with, or it is some other being that they have always known are a part of them somehow. Some call it their Totem, and state that it is that specific being that gives them strength, while others just generally feel that it is the one being that describes them better than anything else.
All in all, the best way to try and find these things within yourself, be it your soulname, symbol or form, is to connect with yourself. So, do the things you usually do to completely be as one with yourself, and surely somehow you will find the answers you seek.

- What is the colour of my soul's flame?
I don't know, it depends on your soul. Most common souls are, as mentioned, of a lighter blue colour, but reborn souls and specifically stronger souls tends to have a different colour to them. Some souls can even be multi-coloured. But figuring out what colour your soul has isn't as easy as one would think. Unlike your form or your symbol, you can't really look to your interests (or favourite colours) to find it. Although, of course, there are those whom is strongly bonded with their souls and thus is generally attracted to the colour that their soul has, in which case their favourite colour would be the same colour of their soul. In general, the colour of your soul's flame is the energy that seeps out of you and colours your aura, among other things.

- What if someone shares the same soulname that I have, what does that mean?
- It simply means that you each have a fragment from the same soul. This doesn't necessarily mean that you share the same symbol or form, since those were decided upon the moment the soul merged with your body, but it means that the original soul was divided and shared between you for some reason.

- Can someone have the same symbol and form as I have?
- Of course. There are others out there that may have the same symbol that you have, and people that may have the same form, but chances are that these are slightly altered. If your soul's symbol is that of a white cross, then someone else's symbol might be a black cross, or a blue cross, or even a white cross with a slightly different style. The same goes for your soul's form, as yours might be that of a large pink mouse while others might have a smaller mouse of a different colour. It all varies greatly, from both soul to soul and from person to person. Though, naturally, someone having both the same symbol and the same form is quite rare.

- When speaking to someone, I suddenly got a name on my mind and I am certain that this is their soul's name. How can that be, and does that mean that others can know my name?
- Every now and then, you meet someone that has a soul that your own soul reacts to, and when that happens your soul will call out to it and willingly share its name. These connections often happen between those that people refer to as "soulmates" and it simply means that your souls have some sort of connection between them that ties them together. Friends can be soulmates, lovers can be soulmates, family members can be soulmates, and even enemies can be soulmates.
People tend to believe that if someone knows your soulname without you telling them, then you are destined to be together. In some cases, this is true, but mostly it just means that something connects you somehow. Some choose to treasure this, others ignore it. It all depends from person to person.

- Can my soul change, or evolve itself?
- Yes, it can. Naturally, as we as people evolve and change ourselves as we grow, so does the soul. However, a soul takes a lot more than just one lifetime to grow and evolve itself, so it is quite rare that it will happen during its first "life". When you die, if you are reborn and your soul is allowed to live another life, chances are that the soul will grow from it and can eventually learn to develop and change itself.

- Is my soul's colour, symbol and form the same if I die and get reborn?
Very rarely. Your soulflame and its colour usually stays the same, unless the soul itself evolves and its name changes as well, but your symbol and your form is decided on as a result of your soul and body merging. Naturally, when your soul is reborn into another body, the combination will be different, giving you a different symbol and form. Of course, certain people with immensely strong souls that have been around for a while will often find that their symbol and/or form is very similar from life to life. They may not be exactly the same, but close to it.  

[KeyJester]

Souls, Essence and Spirits

 

[KeyJester]

Death

 

[KeyJester]

❋

 

[KeyJester]

Ability Stats

In SoA, there are 7 different ability stats that are used to determine the skills of each character. These stats are highly important when doing pen&paper roleplaying, as they pretty much set the ground stones for everything about the character. I'm gonna give you a more proper explanation of the different ability stats, and what they stand for.

Strength (STR)
Physical power
Strength measures your character's muscle and physical power, and is highly important for those of warrior classes.

Agility
Speed and movement
Agility measures reflexes, speed, balance and ability to move, and is the most important ability for thieves and assassins.

Element
Magical abilities
Element measures the character's connection to his/her element and therefore the magical abilities the character is able to obtain. It's important for mage classes.

Intelligence
Ability to learn
Intelligence determines how well the character learns and reasons, and obtains skills and knowledge, and it is important for those of scholar classes.

Wisdom
Senses and awareness
Wisdom measures the characters perception and intuition, and determines how much the character is in tuned with its surroundings. It is an important ability for cleric classes, and those with keen senses.

Charisma
Charm and attraction
Charisma measures the character's force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead and physical attractiveness. It represents actual personal strength, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting, and it is important to those of the charmer classes.

Constitution
Health and stamina
Constitution determines the character's general health and stamina, and its general life force and endurance. It is an ability important to those of the endurer classes.

Ability Scores

5 or less = Extremely Bad
6 - 7 = Very Bad
8 - 9 = Bad
10 - 11 = Average
12 - 13 = Good
14 - 15 = Very Good
16 - 17 = Extremely Good
18 - 19 = Amazing
20 or more = Insanely Great
25 or more = Beyond Insanely Powerful - a.k.a. yipes!

The scores you have on each ability determines how good your character is. A character with a 16 in strength and 9 in agility is extremely strong, but clumsy. Someone with 7 in strength and 14 in agility is very weak, but also very agile. An "absent-minded professor" will most likely have a high intelligence score and a low wisdom score, while someone with a low intelligence can still have excellent senses and wisdom.

The common stats for a human commoner is 10 or 11 in all stats, which would make the person extremely average in every way. An elven commoner, however, will most likely have slightly higher wisdom and agility stats, ranging at around 12 or 13, but with lower strength and constitution stats, at around 8 or 9. A trained and experienced character, however, will have entirely different stats altogether, depending on what kind of experience he or she has.


Modifiers

1 = -5
2 - 3 = -4
4 - 5 = -3
6 - 7 = -2
8 - 9 = -1
10 - 11 = 0
12 - 13 = +1
14 - 15 = +2
16 - 17 = +3
18 - 19 = +4
20 - 21 = +5
22 - 23 = +6
24 - 25 = +7
30 - 31 = +10
40 - 41 = +15
50 - 51 = +20

Each ability will have a modifier to it, and it is that modifier that is added to or subtracted from your dice roll when attempting to do something related to the abilities. If attacking with a melee weapon or grappling someone is attempted, then the strength modifier is added. If there is an attempt to learn something or use a knowledge skill, then the intelligence modifier is added.

A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
If a character has a score of 12 to it's Strength stat, then it's bonus is +1.


Average Ability Scores

-1 or lower = An inexperienced commoner of no skill
0 = An average commoner with no experience, neither for good nor bad
+1 - +5 = An experienced commoner
+6 - +10 = An average adventurer
+11 - +15 = An experienced adventurer
+16 - +20 = A highly experienced and skilled adventurer
+21 or more = An extremely experienced, skilled and powerful person

To determine the average ability score of your character, you add together all the modifiers to get the final number. This number determines the general skill level of your character, and how experienced he or she is. The most common ability score for most adventuring characters would be around +10, with a +15 ranging as a high-level adventurer.  

[KeyJester]

Time

Time is a complex thing, and hard to explain, as we ordinary mortals only see it as a straight line that is moving forward at a steady pace. Some argue that time is a circle, or a huge ball of wibbily wobbly time-y wimey stuff, but in truth; time is a web. An ever-weaving web that is far beyond what anyone can comprehend, nor control. It may sound too huge for you, and make you feel like you are insignificant in the large scheme of things, but you are anything but insignificant. You are an important thread, weaving its way through the large web, entagled with billions and billions of other threads, and together you all make our existence what it is. Every single one of you matter, so don't ever think otherwise.

Your timeline starts as a single dot, somewhere in the middle of that vast web, and then it starts weaving its way onwards. Every choice you make create knots where your thread might split into various different futures - though you never see it. Your course is constantly changing, influenced by the things you say and do, and every person that you ever come in contact with - things you may think are small and unimportant can create large splits in your own timeline. Every knot you come across, you take a path and your thread keeps weaving, and so your own time appears as a single line - for you. But then there are the other paths - the ones you did not take - that becomes alternate timelines that mingle with other people's various timelines, helping the web expand and grow even larger and more complex. Just by existing, you make a difference - you affect the web as a whole.