✘ the other side

[whip_poor_will]

SOULS

SHADE ▸

Dead souls who never made it passed Limbo. Most of the time, shades are warped into insidious, formless beings that are mere shadows of their former selves. They can take on the roles of either benevolent or malignant spirits to the living.

Some shades can even become what people call "poltergeists" but, in reality, they are all just different types of shades. Shades cannot directly kill the living, but they can terrorize them to the point of harming themselves.

Shades can generally be characterized by the Mark of the Shade.

Shades are also sometimes the result of what happens when a Psychopomp kills a person who wasn't meant to die; other times they are just very furious spirits who refuse to move on. There are several consequences to a shade's creation, which usually leads to the downfall of a Psychopomp. Many Psychopomp in the past went mad from being haunted and stalked by shades, to the point where the Dumah needed to have both parties destroyed.

Normally, shades reside in the Psychopomp's shadow, where they are unable to escape. Over time, if they are somehow able to break free of their confinement, they can become dangerous -- older shades, even more so, as they grow in strength with age. If left unchecked, shades can possess humans in the living realm, or latch onto them in a way that causes misfortune to the human and those around them. Other than gifted humans, only some immortals and the Psychopomp can see the shades.

Sometimes these beings are referred to as evil spirits or grudges, mainly by those who don't fully understand their true nature.

Although rare, some shades can be returned to their old selves and become corporeal using the abilities of a Shedim (or, on extremely rare occasions, a Psychopomp), using a process called "ameliorating". These shades are called...

REVENANT ▸

A shade brought back as an immortal through ameliorating. They are often at the mercy of the Shedim who ameliorated them, meaning that they can be reverted back into a shade or destroyed at the whim of the Shedim who controls them.

Revenants can retain their old personality and/or memories of their mortal lives, so long as the Shedim allows it.

Psychopomps are also capable of ameliorating a shade into a Revenant -- but at a high cost, which can leave a permanent soul wound.

The Mark of the Revenant usually takes the shape of a green or blue snake ouroboros somewhere on their bodies.

SHEDIM ▸

Corrupted Psychopomps, who reside within the Dead Zone.

They are normally thoughtless, incapable of the old emotions they once possessed as mortals and death spirits, simply because they don't remember what it means to be human at all. They are more monstrous than the shades are, more threatening and dangerous.

Some people of the mortal realm have taken to calling them "demons", or variations of the same malignant spirits capable of bringing death to the living, unlike the shades.


Shedim can generally be characterized by the Mark of the Shedim.

However, there are Shedim who are able to recall their old selves. Some can even assume control over themselves, rather than giving in to the corruption in their soul, capable of summoning back their old forms.

Given the nature of the Shedim, they are able to interact with Malkuth. But in order to become part of that reality again, they are able to make the choice to become a...

VISITANT ▸

Some Shedim, though rare, can become a Visitant for a short while. This allows them to assume a mortal form, taking on the shape of a baby that grows and becomes something more human.

The reason all Shedim don't choose to become Visitants is because they are vulnerable in this state, and are constantly in danger. They are weak and susceptible to madness, able to not only see the Zones but be seen right back, making them a perpetual target for the dead. They are vulnerable to mental and physical illnesses.

A Visitant who was once a gifted human in their previous life may not be able to control their powers anymore, which can be especially precarious as they are unaware of their past experience. For this reason, a Shedim becoming a Visitant is considered taboo, as there are too many risks involved with a Visitant in Malkuth.

The Mark of the Visitant usually takes the shape of a circular shaped ouroboros-esque birthmark somewhere on their bodies.

PSYCHOPOMP ▸

Also known as reapers, among many other names associated with death spirits and deities. In some circles, they are even directly worshipped by the Church of Irkalia.

Like Revenants and Visitants, Psychopomps are also tattooed. Unlike the previous two, only gifted humans can sometimes see it. Otherwise, Psychopomps can hide this symbol from most humans. It is called the Mark of the Whippoorwill, and it usually manifests in a split line from the lower lip to the chin, resembling a forked tongue.

Psychopomps do not use weapons, neither do they need to. They are armed only with bone weapons, which they use primarily on dead souls, shades, and Shedim. The bone weapons manifest from the Psychopomp's body. As bone weapons materialize out of the physical manifestation of the Psychopomp, it is not possible for anyone other than that Psychopomp to utilize it as a weapon. It especially cannot be used against the living, as the blade will only cut through a mortal body without having done any harm.

The Psychopomps are created by the Dumah, the Emanation of Death. Certain humans gifted with power in life are more likely to be chosen, where their soul undergoes a process that turns them into death spirits. This procedure occurs in an outer realm where the Emanations exist.

The responsibility of carrying out the dead is tasking and stressful; a chore that not even the Dumah is capable of carrying out. Thus, they designed the Psychopomps, as sympathetic beings capable of understanding and guiding the dead to move on. As such, they are able to exist between the world of the living and the Zones.

What the Dumah had devised was that, to truly be a guide of the dead, you had to have died yourself, and experience the same amount of pain the souls that are to be carried. Because of this, the Psychopomps pick up a heavy burden, although some can come off as aloof and cold.

Not only are they technically indomitable and ageless, but they express certain feats to an extent, such as phasing and levitation. Normally, they're also empaths, and being spirits they can make themselves seen by the living whenever they want to. Unfortunately, they have a more difficult time avoiding the dead than the living.

As a Psychopomp grows weaker and becomes more vulnerable to corruption, they lose control over their abilities and start to go insane. This is where the problem they are most concerned about:

The Psychopomps not only carry out the souls of the dead, but they also must handle vengeful ones as well. Some of these are commonly known as shades and Shedim. When they reach a certain state of weakness, the Shedim become able to control and influence the Psychopomps, even being able to possess them towards the end. And this was the true flaw in the Dumah's design -- if they cannot control the Psychopomps, and they commit damages on their own part, then they risk disturbing a balance between life and death. They do not know the outcome of what would happen should Psychopomps become corrupted, as each reaper possesses their own unique gifts.

Currently, there are only a small handful of reapers left who have not fled or become corrupted, including Ravine.

WIGHT ▸

A servant of the Emenation known as the Asbeel. As human, they become plagued by the spirit of the Wight, first haunting them in the form of reoccurring nightmares in which the spirit kills the dreamer. On their deathbed or until the day they die, that human merges with the Wight, their souls becoming one.

While Psychopomps bear their own unique bone weapons, the Wight wields a sickle, and are not bound by the laws that hold the Psychopomps back from interfering with the living. The Wight is shameless and cruel when reaping and corrupting souls, either consuming or turning them into shades. They can even possess similar reality-warping abilities as the Psychopomps. Because of their meddling, the Psychopomps are often at odds with the Wight.

The only current known Wight to exist is Grayson Ambrosi, who has maintained his role for several centuries.

EMANATIONS ▸

Also known as "angels" or "the unliving", among various other titles granted to them by different cultures, the Emanations are primordial entities that pre-date the creation of the universe. Where there was once hundreds of their kind -- most have abandoned this dying planet, seeing it as nothing more than a sinking ship -- a small handful remain.

▶ The Dumah is the Emanation of Death. They supposedly created the Dwelling, the first layer in which souls are welcome to after dying. They are responsible for the creation of the Psychopomps, who served as their Emissaries by reaping the souls of the deceased. Oftentimes the Dumah can be seen as a cruel force of nature, but a necessary one.

▶ The Rahab is the Emanation of Void. They created Scheol, and are ultimately responsible for the amelioration of Revenants and Visitants, making sure that debts are paid for the price of bringing a dead thing back to the world of the living. One can't necessarily say whether the Rahab is good or bad, as such concepts are far too simplistic for their kind. This Emanation thrives off of war and anger, and is considered to be "the inevitable" aspect of life and human nature. They have a strong association with the ocean.

Their emissaries, the Abyssals, are fishmen-like figures, inspired by Lovecraftian fishmen, though they more closely resemble squid and jellyfish. They are associated with hadal snailfish and the ocean.

Supposedly they reside in the deepest parts of the Mariana Trench, also known as the Challenger Deep.

▶ The Asbeel is the Emanation of Ruin. This Emanation was behind the Dead Cell plagues that nearly wiped out the human population, as well as the cause of the time reset to zero (figuratively, not literally). It is an insidious Emanation that infects dead souls and, on rare occasions, the living. The Asbeel are also capable of feeding off of other Emanations, as well as Psychopomps.

Their only allies are the Wights that they create, and those are rare. Currently the only existing Wight is Grayson Ambrosi.

▶ The Eth is the Emanation of Time. They are responsible for the loss of the past and memories of humanity, and why only so few can remember their old lives when they were awakened after centuries in stasis. Their Emissaries are called Memories.

▶ The Tamiel is the Emanation of the Unseen, but is also referred to as the lady of mysteries. Those who develop psychic abilities are connected to the Tamiel in some way. Their Emissaries are called Wisps.

▶ The Gevurah is the Emanation of Judgement, and is believed to be sleeping. Their Emissaries are the Se'irim, which take shape as goat-like people.

▶ The Laylah is the Emanation of Night, and a fairly unique one, too. For one, the Laylah are one of the few remaining Emanations that can be seen as "positive" in any way, serving as a guardian for the dead souls. Another, it is said that the Laylah hasn't been seen or communed with in several centuries, leaving the other Psychopomps and Emanations to question whether the Laylah still exists, given the state of the world today.

Whether they still exist or not, with every action there is still reaction. With every choice, there is consequence. It is the Laylah who oversees this, and supposedly accepts the dead souls who are reaped into the After. As the Laylah have been incognito for so long, it's unknown what becomes of the reaped souls for certain, and is perhaps a mystery better left unsolved. In some cultures, the Laylah are also known as also known as the Abathar Muzania, a being known for weighing the worthiness of a soul over a set of scales.

Their Emissaries are beings called Lilin.

The Emanations do not have faces or shapes, only genderless voices that speak within the Zones they assume control over.

THE ZONES

MALKUTH:
LIVING WORLD ▸

Supposedly the first zone, but they don't have any specific numbering or anything like that. This zone holds the world of the living. It's pretty much a reflection of our world.

While in the Malkuth, a Psychopomp can appear almost human in appearance. Outside of the living realm, however, the Psychopomp tends to take on a new form. They are a black entity with glowing gold eyes, and long shadowy hair that stretches out, almost like dark wings.

THE DWELLING:
SPECTRAL WORLD ▸

The zone where a soul goes after they die. Think of it as Limbo, or a ghostly realm that mirrors the physical world.

If a Psychopomp cannot open the door to the next life, then the soul is alone to wander here, until they deteriorate and are eventually ripped into Scheol. It is then the Psychopomp's responsibility to make sure that the dead are properly reaped.

Additionally, a Psychopomp may travel between the physical world and the Dwelling to observe the living as an unseen observer. Only those psychically inclined are capable of seeing through the Dwelling and, essentially, the spirit world itself.

Spirits trapped in the Dwelling, between life and death, are known as dwellers. For the most part, they are ghosts.

SCHEOL (POINT BLANK):
DARK WORLD ▸

The shades reside in this zone. Insidious souls turned into monstrous forms.

Only Psychopomps can open and close the rips in Scheol, occasionally caused by shades trying to escape. Shades in Scheol are capable of channeling negative energy into the realm of Malkuth, afflicting the living.

In the mortal sense, shades are often depicted as malicious spirits, or poltergeists that torment the living. Many cultures have given them names, such as the onryo of Japanese folklore, the El Cucuy of Mexican urban legends, the Krasue and Krahang of Thai mythology, and so on. Many cultures have their forms of evil spirits that harm and haunt the living, and the shades are what afflicts them.

THE GREAT DEEP:
AFTER WORLD ▸

After they have been reaped, some souls are damned to what is known as the Great Deep. This is the closest thing to a Hell that the Emanations ever created, and was said to have been designed by every one prior to the creation of the universe.

The Great Deep is a crossroads between worlds, and said to consist of six other realms that house the souls of the dead.

The Pit,

The Cistern,

The Mud,

The Gates,

Limbo,

The Below,

While the Great Deep is known to be the realm where it's possible to find other worlds in which life continues on, the Dumah used to prevent this from happening before they were weakened by one of their fellow Emanations, the Asbeel.

THE DEAD ZONE:
ANOTHER WORLD ▸

An abyss. It's unknown whether something lives here or if those that fall through the Dead Zone simply cease to be.

In truth, the Shedim -- what is left of a Psychopomp who has gone mad -- tend to reside in the Dead Zone. And a Psychopomp passing through this zone will take on the appearance of their most pure physical form as a ghostly, monstrous shadow that is impossible for the mortal mind to discern. As a result, it is said that mortals must not pass through the Dead Zone at all, or risk insanity of the wailing dead and the endless, incomprehensible darkness and the nightmares that reside within. The best way to avoid this, if needs be, is to pass through blinded in some way.

There is no such thing as gravity in the Dead Zone, as it's just a weightless space that goes on and on. It's an empty plane, distorted and sphere-like. The the Psychopomp is able to travel through the physical world by passing through the Dead Zone, but in doing so they are also in danger of being hunted by the Shedim.

In simpler terms, the Dead Zone allows a Psychopomp to teleport from place to place all over the world.

PHENOMENON

DOOR ▸

After the Collapse, the Emanation of Ruin made a deal with the desperate Psychopomps in wake of the dying world: Should they locate a spectral tear between worlds known as a Door, they may freely pass through and find peace, freeing them of their miserable fate of loneliness on a dead planet.

Entering a Door is the only way a Psychopomp can pass through without the risk of turning into a Shedim, and damned to the Dead Zone. Unfortunately for them, there are fewer Doors than there used to be, and the threat of Psychopomps turning into Shedim become more real.

In truth, the Doors are in fact human souls. Only few of these souls possess the ability to turn into a Door, presenting a moral quandary over whether sacrificing the very thing that a Psychopomp is obligated to send is the right thing to do.

WARP ▸

A warp is a phenomenon that inhabits a spot where reality is distorted, often due to a weakening in the Zones. It's possible that warps are created as a byproduct of a Door, which almost acts as a beacon of desperate Psychopomps to find that soul and use them as a mean of escaping their fate to find peace.

One example of a warp is the forbidden Hedge Maze on the Wolfgang family estate, as Alexander Wolfgang turns out to be a living Door who is sought after by other Psychopomps to put them to rest.

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