Most living things have souls. From the beasts in the fields to the fish swimming in the ocean, as well as in people of nearly all kinds, the soul within the flesh defines the essential essence of the individual’s character and nature.

Souls also bear a record of one’s mortal life—pristine and unsullied for those who walk in light and goodness, but blackened and filthy in those who embrace the darkness.

A mortal creature’s soul survives death, descending into the Underworld or Hell for souls burdened by corruption, and in time returns to the world to inhabit a new body. For an immortal creature, death marks the end of existence. The soul lingers inside the flesh, dissipating as the body decays until that essence passes from the world altogether.

Within the essential essence of souls lies power that few ever realize, let alone harness. By calling upon this force, one can surpass the limits of the body and perform astonishing acts that any would deem impossible. Before scholars codified the various ways one can use magic to harness the soul’s power, mastery of Soul magic was confined to the few mystics, madmen, and wisdoms who had, by one means or another, taken the first steps on the road to becoming something more. Now, the tradition encompasses those discoveries made by pioneers of the art and offers various ways its students might follow in their steps.

Any magic capable of harvesting energy from one’s soul can put that soul into peril—and the destruction of even a single soul diminishes the world in an irreparable way, since all the souls currently in existence are all that will ever be. For this reason, masters of Soul magic never impart their knowledge of the tradition lightly.

Souls or No Souls: Many Soul spells affect only creatures that have souls. Creatures that lack souls include demons, elementals, genies, some constructs, and some undead such as animated corpses, but not sentient undead such as barrow wights, boneguards, and the like.

Transcendent Mind: Mastering Soul magic requires an ordered mind, one free from self-doubt, anxiety, or delusion. The more a student learns to call upon its power, the greater his or her ability to withstand the horrors of the world. Each time you learn a Soul spell, increase the maximum amount of Insanity you can gain by 1. For example, if you have a Will of 11 and you learn two Soul spells, your maximum Insanity becomes 13.