Andaliel Archeological Survey Brief: Common Spirits In Eden I

By Karin Apuleius

As a member of a sanctioned Andalian Archeological Survey team you are tasked with delving into the most foul and terrifying, exotic and awe-inspiring, tumultuous and sometimes even beautiful places in the world in search of things best left forgotten. You are one of the few and brave to whom this organization can entrust such a delicate task. While we would just as well enjoy that these debased ruins and their horrific artifacts be left to rot for all eternity, it is our duty, mandated by the Parliamentary “Act Concerning The Security Of Our Heritage And Magical Resources,” to secure any and all such places.

It is an unfortunate task, plagued with numerous obstacles. This guide can only advise you upon one category of such obstacles – the manifold faces of the Holy and Unholy Spirits with whom you will bargain, live alongside and do battle against in your travels.

This guide, split into many parts, will give you a brief and hopefully useful overview on the various kinds of spirits you will meet and their general demeanor. It will instruct you on identifying and interacting with these spirits and if necessary getting rid of them. Of grave note is that you are never to kill a Spirit unless you have no fear for the vile state of your soul forever after. If you are found to have killed a spirit you will be asked for a full account, which after careful review will be used to decide whether or not you will be merely expulsed, handed over to religious authorities for penance, or flogged.

No matter what the situation it is unacceptable conduct for a member of this Nation, founded under principles of the Rational, Moral Good, to dare snuff out the life of a transcendental being. All use of weaponry must be with a goal to subdue, not murder.

Part 1: Companion And Mercenary Spirits

As a member of the Andaliel Archeological Survey you are probably quite aware of how understaffed, underfunded, underequipped and undermanned our organization generally is. Whenever possible, it is very useful to attempt to recruit local populations to help secure and excavate holy and aberrant sites. But for many reasons, it is much more wise to recruit local Spirits to this task than it is to recruit mortal villagers or townspeople. There are many reasons for this, but the most important ones will be briefly outlined:

1) Spirits Don’t Need Money: Most Spirits don’t even care about Adelian currency. They’d just as soon eat a Copper Turtle than they would use it to buy a fruit. That doesn’t mean Spirits are invulnerable to greed, for many of them do enjoy currency as a collectable, and do understand its use. However, most Spirits can just as soon be paid with common things found in your Standard Archeological Survey Kit than with coin.

2) Spirits Are Predictable: Spirits can be divided into numerous, identifiable “types” or “species” and within these groupings they all act more or less in a predictable fashion. A mortal is a complex being of interwoven and sometimes irrational, highly mutable motivations, fears, loves, joys and faults. A spirit is a complex being composed of pre-set rational and irrational quirks that almost never change. Identify and exploit them.

3) Spirits Have Good Morale: Where a typical archeologist or adventurer might soil him or her self in the sight of a terrifying aberrant monument, a Spirit will continue to act under his or her typical behavior, and will surely be the most level-headed member of the crew.

4) Spirits Are Powerful: Most spirits are not using one iota of their prodigious, divine might, and they are still a match for any mortal. When pressed, a Spirit can do things no mortal can. This makes them very useful to have in highly dangerous situations.

As a general rule, you want to talk to Spirits who’s face looks the most like yours. Most agreeable spirits will be humanoid, and they will have no extravagant features such as beaks or snouts or compound eyes. The more bestial a Spirit is, the less you want to converse with it. That’s not to say mortal-like Spirits are all friendly, but they at least have a chance of being friendly, unlike Spirits the shape of animals, or dragons, or worse.

Below I will briefly describe common Spirit hirelings.

Common Spirits In this Category

Sikara: One might confuse the indigo or silver-haired, slim and svelte humanoid Sikara for elves. Sikara are more rational and agreeable than elves and much less xenophobic, so one should be able to tell the difference quite easily. Like elves, Sikara come in a variety of skin colors, and like elves, this does not change their demeanor. It is mostly a function of environment – darker-skinned Sikara are better suited to hotter climates and so on.

Sikara are a dispassionate species of Spirit that has the incredibly useful talent of true teleportation across vast regions of land – a talent not even the best mortal wizards possess. Sikara are our natural allies, as their Spirit purviews are travel, magic and secrets. Sikara delight (insofar as they show delight, which is not much) in the uncovering of secrets, like a compulsion embedded in their divine souls. However, most will still demand some form of payment in coin or prized goods, as they have been in contact with mortals for very long now and understand our economy and covet our goods. It is possible, at least, to haggle with them.

If you find yourself harboring feelings for a Sikara, it is best to forget them. While Sikara are capable of such relationships with people, their lives are an ongoing tide of adventure and danger, while your life is signed on to a contract for the next few years. Sikara, however, are rational and calm beings, so disruptions like wrath, lust and envy aren’t natural to them. If you are forced to fight a Sikara, it is likely your fault, and we offer no real advice other than to run. With their ability to teleport long and short distances, even the most skilled warriors will be hard-pressed to keep up with one in a duel. If you can somehow manage to land a blow, Sikara are frail and easily downed, however.

Einotbe: Often, these creatures will be your only recourse, and you will sigh. Einotbe can be easily told apart from common Iomadi like you and I by their orange, sometimes patterned skin, their rosy cheeks and their sprigs of wheat and other grain from grow out of their skull and fall along with the rest of their long, golden-brown hair. If you find a nude Einotbe, don’t bother to recruit it. Only the ones that have the decency to wear (likely stolen) clothing are worth talking to. Einotbe are thieving, mischievous and lazy. At best, they are cheap and present one more body to perform labor. They are fast, and their kicks and claws, when sped up with their natural agility, can break through even armor. However, they are difficult to properly motivate. Alcohol is recommended, and promise of more alcohol strongly encouraged – just see to it they don’t become inebriated. Einotbe may become rowdy when drunk, but inebriation takes away some of their speed advantage. One good blow to the head should be enough most times.

Muikara: These iconic, lovely spirits are the National Symbol of our Republic Military, so you should be able to spot them. They are lithe, pale-skinned, olive-haired humanoids with long, winged arms and clawed feet. Nude muikara are the most common, though their features tend to be muted so there is some decency to conversing with them – ironically enough, clothed Muikara who have become more mortal are the ones who should remain clothed. A clothed Muikara is the one most likely to accept your offer of recruitment. Though they hardly ever wear emotion on their face, they are passionate, loyal and helpful. They are also not too common, and some of them are wise enough to ask for repayment. It is actually okay for you to become romantically attached to one, and might even help you out in the long run. Just watch out for feelings of posessiveness on the Spirit’s part.

Muikara are all around very useful. Their natural ability for flight allows them to gracefully oversee delving areas and scout ahead, as well as overcome obstacles. Their purview of wind and birds grants them access to potent magic. They also have a knack for potent scrying-type divination, so if a member of the team becomes lost, the Muikara can help search– though these abilities can be coaxed out of the Spirit only a few times a day.

If you are fighting a Muikara, it is best to allow your crew’s archer or a soldier with a shotstaff or bombard, to fight it from afar. Crossbows are generally ineffective, so your archer is hopefully trained with a longbow. Muikara are weaker in melee combat, but it is unlikely you will get close to one with your melee weapons.

Wakuira: In underwater delves, Wakuira can be extremely useful. These blue-skinned, short-haired, fin-eared humanoids with webbed arms and feet and colorful fish fin protrusions running down their spines, are quite evidently masters of water. They get along well with Damakran, but are even more rowdy (no offense to Damakran crew), and are very immature. Wakuira behave like petulant children or sometimes (and even worse) like coquettish prima donnas. The more colorful and feminine, the more it will take the latter behavior. More masculine Wakuira are just as insufferable, and sometimes even dangerous to delicate property. However, they are very easy to cajole into work and their ability to control water and communicate with aquatic creatures is a boon.

Basari: Green-skinned humanoids with earth-colored hair and various flowers and plants blossoming around their bodies, Basari are beautiful spirits with good attitudes but limited powers. While Basari can wield weapons, it is their manipulation of plants that is most useful, helping to traverse terrain or procure food. In areas without natural plant life, Basari are not an optimal choice for a hireling. Basari behave cheerfully, loyally and are mostly peaceful, so there is no need to worry about combating one. If for some reason you must, applying fire will cause them to surrender.

Keep a lookout for these spirits, as they are generally your most agreeable company. The next few chapters will discuss dangerous spirits of different ecologies.