Ship Spirits

Within the Sunfire Archipelago are strange magics not encountered elsewhere in the world. Ship Spirits are a type of Nature Spirit not widely known outside of the Archipelago and its neighbors. The Spirits are the living embodiement of the ship they are tied to. They can appear as normal people, blending into the crew and going unnoticed, or they may appear as humanoids with wooden skin and take on aspects of their ship, such as clothes that resemble the pattern of their hull, or they may simply not appear at all and simply care for their crew in more subtle ways.
While there are rituals to force a spirit to manifest, they have been lost to time. The most common way a ship gains a spirit is that the crew show genuine care and love for their ship. This emotional connection can affect how the spirit behaves, if the crew are kind then the spirit will be kind as well, if they are unruly and violent then the spirit will be. Often Spirits will first manifest in front of the ships captain but occasionally will simply appear in battle or dangerous situations to aid the crew.
Another way Spirits may awaken is for an existing Spirit to board an unawakened ship and "pull" the spirit out. This usually literally involves the elder spirit reaching into the wood of the deck or hull and physically pulling the spirit out and onto the deck. This is unadvised however, as this can make the Spirit erratic or dangerous to both the crew and themselves.
Spirits are highly beneficial to crews that have them as they have great sway over the ships they represent. They can cause damage to their hulls to be repaired more quickly, fire and load weapons with no crews or teams or even steer themsleves at will. Though a spirit can only do so much before they become overwhelmed. The Spirit can also cause ships to "grow" if they are provided with materials. A growing ship can mean anything from improving construction of the ship to the ship quite literally making itself entirely different. With time and materials a Spirit of a small sloop could become a Galleon. This process takes time and the spirit must be up to the task of inhabiting a larger vessel before growth can begin.
As a ship grows and a spirit ages they become more and more powerful. The Oldest ships have their names carved into history as they have become nigh indestructible. For these Legendary Ships it may take a whole fleet to bring one down. These Legendary ships are often hidden away by their captains when the captain becomes unable to continue sailing, either because of age or ailment. When a ship is hidden the spirit is put into a deep sleep, awaiting a new captain and crew.
While Spirits can leave their vessels, they do this only rarely such as when docked in Port or when the crew sets up a camp on a beach they may join them. They do not leave their ships unattended as a spirit feels any damage suffered to their ship self and this damage appears on their spirit form. For instance if a ship is hit with a cannonball then the spirit may have a hole appear in their form or if a ship is set aflame it's spirit will immolate. The notable exception to this rule is The Red Royal, who's ship is often hidden away around the Archipelago but the spirit herself can often be found in Queens Port, drinking with young crews and admiring the newer ships in port.
When a Ship with a spirit is destroyed it can take its toll on the crew. The neccesitation of an emotional bond can drive some sailors to suicide as if they had let a child or loved one die. Other times the ship is the one who bears the weight. Some legendary ships hold grudges against those who sank them, and they will not allow themselves to rest until they drag their enemies down with them. These ships will dredge themselves up from the depths and their crew with them, creating ghost ships that haunt the seas looking for their destroyers. These ghost ships can sometimes have their spirits saved, through a process that involves moving the spirit from its afflicted husk to a ship that has not yet sailed, though this has been done only a few times successfully.