RIP - Fantasy

Two Worlds

The world known to most creatures is simple knows as the normal world. This is the physical world where all normal animals, creatures and plants live. It's the only world known to most people.

One version of this normal world is Tanion, the lost world of the unknown history. It is detailed in the separate appendix, as it is not part of the basic fantasy game system. Althought, bestiary, magics and other parts of the RIP Fantasy are written with Tanion in mind, but they are easily adapted to any other world.

The Spirit World

Parallel to normal world exist spirit world, a mysterious land where spirits roam. This world is linked to normal physical world, but extends to infinite other directions. This place appears as a vague, dreamlike place of different shades of grey. The things in normal physical world are seen here as gray shadows, and this state is called the parallel spirit world.

However, things beyond the close vicinity become gray emptiness, and if a freely roaming spirit starts to move, the shadows of the normal world start to fade and disappear, and ultimately, there is only a vast plains of gray emptiness. Unless the traveller returns to starting point, he wanders deeper into the spirit world, finally drawn to some spirit realm. Those very experienced to walk the spirit world may enter the vast plains and then walk into another part of the spirit world which is close to another place in the normal world. This way, it is possible to 'teleport' long distances in the normal world by entering the spirit world and then moving to place near the target location, returning to normal world there. However, this usually requires some kind of beacon in the target place, in addition to high skills in travel in the spirit world.

Note that if there exist walls close to initial starting point, moving through them works like a shortcut to deeper spirit world - the roaming spirit can never peek through walls this way unless it can move through physical walls in co-existant state.

Mana

Mana, energy used to power up spells, is seen as pulsing energy or drifting currents in the spirit world. Thus those seeing the spirit world are sensitive to any mana drawing or bind enchantments. Likewise any spirits are usually glowing or colorful things in the middle of gray shadows of reality.

Note that most magic which create physical effects does not have effect in the spirit world, at least in the parallel spirit world. However, then spirits wander deeper into special spirit realms, those might have rules that make things yet again more physical.

Three States

There is three different states on which an entity can exist:

In normal world, like as there is no spirit world.
In co-existant state. The entity is still in the physical world, but sees into the spirit world and can be fought in spirit level.
In free spirit state. The entity travels the spirit world and cannot affect the normal world.

When a creature of normal world gains a sight to see into spirit world, it gains the co-existant state. This is something called "awakened" or "spirit sensitive state". It still retains its normal limitations of the physical world, so it cannot move through walls and still falls as normal. An awakened creature usually draws attention of spirits nearby, which usually ignore creatures just existing in the normal world.

A creature of normal world can attain a free spirit state in two ways: Either by entering the spirit world, or via spirit projection.

If a normal free spirit materializes, it gains co-existant state. This physical form it creates must then obey rules that apply to such a physical form. For example, a demon materializing into huge humanoid cannot move through walls.

Entering the Spirit World

With suitable magic or innate powers, a creature of normal world can be turn its existant to similar than a free spirit. The creature along with anything it carries enters the spirit world, leaving nothing behind. That creature is then no longer attached to normal world and follows typical rules of free spirits. The creature needs some specific ways to return to the normal world.

Spirit Projection

Instead of moving its body to spirit world, the creature sends just its spirit to the spirit world while the body stays behind as an empty shell. This spirit reflects the creature but does not bring any functional equipment with it.

Depending on the range between the body and the spirit, the spirit might be called back if the body is somehow interacted with, and likewise a banishment spell cast on the spirit can force it to quicky draw itself back to the body. The spirit in general feels if something is happening to the body, but is otherwise unable to do anything to it until the spirit returns.

Interaction

Those in co-existant state can interact with other anchored entities or normal non-awakened creatures in normal physical ways.

Free spirits cannot affect normal creatures (except via possession, see below), but can attack free or co-existant entities in spirit fight.

Note that in general, in the spirit world, things only in the physical world can only be usually seen to 10-20 meters as the world turns into gray fog over longer distances. However, strong entities with spirit presence can be seen from further away, but they could be deeper in the spirit world.

In addition, walls and other obstacles affect the parallel spirit world normally, blocking sight, although strong entities might glow through them.

Spirits

All living creatures have a spirit. This is their essence, their very being and is sometimes called the soul. This spirit is normally tied to the material body, and is only in the normal world. However, if the material body dies, the spirit is freed to wander the spirit world. This freed spirit is without own will and is easily drawn to Netherworld or similar spirit realm. It also loses energy and fades over time if left alone. However, some souls can get empowered upon point of death and become trapped spirits as explained in bestiary.

There also exists a list of free or trapped spirits without normal physical form and living close to normal world or in vast spirit realms. These spirits vary from weak elemental or nature spirits usually called by shamans to evil wandering spirits or even mighty god-like spirits living in their own spirit realms. These spirits usually wander alone in the spirit world, but sometimes can materialize to affect things in the material world. In addition, some of them have power to possess creatures or objects of the normal world, and most can be bind into objects to create magical items.

Spirits in co-existant state which have materialized in a form with normal eyes can see to the normal world as if they were there. This commodity does not apply to entities of normal world when they are temporally in co-existant state unless notes otherwise.

Spirit Fight

When spirits fight in the spirit world, it is usually a fight between willpower, general power of the spirit and any energy it possess. Thus, willpower, health and strength are essential powers. They can also use mana and magic to affect each other, although spells are not usually used but instead raw energy channeled against each other.

Normal world creatures that have entered the spirit world cannot usually gain help from their physical world equipment, but instead they work as projection of their will.

Spirits that take sufficient damage usually are reverted to their simple essence form and become shadows of themselves like the souls of the normal creatures when they die. However, sometimes the attacking side is able to capture that escaping essence and turn it into energy, causing instant final death.

Possession

Some roaming spirits can try to take control of other spirits (and sometimes various objects of the material world). This is called possession. To success in possession, a contest of willpower is usually called form and if the attacking spirit is successful, it then gains complete control over the target, or at least partial, forcing them to do things they want. If the control is complete, replacing all physical capablities of the target, the victim is often referred as a possessed. However, if the control is not a complete one, and the target fights the control, any movements might be clumsy or fail altogether, depending on the spirit's power. However, a possessed creature usually has unnatural strength and health and can ignore wounds unless they sever parts - pain and loss of blood does not mean anything to them. Thus it is dangerous to fight the possessed, as you harm only the material host body, unless special means are used.

A possessor can be get rid with three means: The spirit may leave the body voluntarily, it can be forced away with spells or other spirits, or it can be fight in the spirit world using spirit fight. Of course, hacking the host body to pieces usually drives the possessor away, although it may then try to possess a new victim. However, the possessing is usually a very stressing act for a spirit to do.

Avatars

A creature can voluntarily accept a possession and have the possessing spirit co-exist with own spirit. The possessing spirit then enpowers the body it is co-hosting and stays mainly in dormant state in background. The target is then called avatar for that spirit.

In this co-existence, the creature has still his own thoughts and complete control over his body, but can get extra powers from the spirit living in him. However, sometimes this spirit may take more control over avatar body and control it for a while, but this is not very common. If the spirit is somehow banished, it usually returns after a while, unless destroyed.

Spirit Realms

As a traveller wanders deeper into the spirit world, he may arrive into some spirit realm. These realms a controlled by some powerful spirit entities or of the some common theme like Abyss.

Abyss

Abyss, or Hell, is a common name for a certain deep spirit realm. This mythical place is a concentration of darkness and evil and selfish thoughts. The spirits living there are known as Demons.

Demons are concentrations of all that is usually classified as bad or evil, feeding from that emotion and gaining more power. They itself have no power to enter the normal world and rarely can wander in spirit world, but magicians with known power can open gates between the known world and spirit realms, sometimes opening them directly into Abyss.

Netherworld

As a creature dies, its spirit (soul), if any, departs the body and wanders around the spirit world for a while. Sometimes, especially if the creature died during a personal quest or in distress, the spirit can transform into a trapped spirit, restless spirit trapped between worlds (see bestiary for details). Sometimes it is called back host body for resurrection, but most of the time, it is either drawn to Netherworld by itself, or spirit manifestation of Death arrives and takes the spirit to Netherworld. This usually takes some days, but sometimes weeks.

Netherworld is the land of the dead, where these dead spirits wander until slowly fade away.