Elani

Elani are spirits arising from individual, mortal living beings. Most elani existing in the local Real are those belonging to living beings, however some are the disembodied spirits of the dead or spirits of the dead possessing the living or embodied in another vessel specially prepared to contain the spirit, such as a corpse or magical construct.

Persistance of the Dead in the Mortal Realm

Many cultures revere elani of the departed in the form of ancestor worship and speak to them through rituals as well as make them offerings. Others view this practice as necromancy and an abomination. This negative perception usually common among cultures that worship exani, where their dead are expected to travel to the realms of their gods and are considered damned or punished if they have not. Any that persist in the mortal realm are deemed to do so because they are willful or cursed.

Disembodied Elani

Usually, disembodied elani rarely persist after death in the mortal realm. Some are believed to go on to other realms of existance or simply undergo ego death, their beings dissolving into the world around them.

Exceptions arise when the spirit of the dead have a very strong will and desire to remain. Those highly trained in the magical arts, who have spent a lifetime honing the use of their will, are especially able to persist in this fashion.

However, maintaining a disembodied form is very difficult and energy intensive. The very entropy of the world around the elan is constantly pulling it apart, requiring the entity to spend the resource of their Will on simply maintaining existence. It is for this reason that most disembodied elani can be found in places they have resided in for a long time in life, this gives them a degree of control over the environment and in effect, the location acts as a body or vessel of sorts.

This is especially true for abandoned, isolated structures without the interference of other sapient beings. Intruders are usually unwelcome for the simple fact that their psychic presence creates strong, disruptive ripples in the delicate, tenuous reality the elan is maintaining. This is known as haunting.

Ancestor spirits that persist in the world have the advantage of their descendants and relations, whose attentions in the form of communication and offerings helps share the mental load of maintaining existence. Most however persist in the mortal realm only for brief periods, existing mainly in separate realities.

The Embodied Dead

Elani of the dead may become re-embodied in two main fashions: by the possession of a living body or by possessing a specially prepared, non-living vessel, often based on a corpse.

Possession of the Living

Possession of the living is easiest when the living being is one very similar to the dead's living form. It also helps for the vessel to have a weak or disabled will, especially the unconscious. Living beings who willingly submit to the possession are the most receptive.

In all cases, the spirit of the dead can then use the energy and form of the living vessel to maintain their existence instead of relying on their Will. If the vessel is unwilling, they will need to exercise their Will to suppress, but this is often no more difficult than what is necessary to maintain a disembodied existence and with obvious advantages.

Semiotic Vessels

However the most permanent vessel is one designed specifically to hold the elan by a trained semiotic practioner. Normally the vessel is formed from a dead body, specially prepared with semiotic glyphs and rituals designed to allow the elan's Will to easily flow through it and control it. With only a fraction of the energy needed as that necessary to maintain a disembodied form, such vessels can persist for centuries if maintained.

Banishment and Exorcism

Nearly every culture has developed methods for the banishment and exorcism of the dead from the mortal realm and vessels, respectively.

Banishment

Disembodied elans are most easily banished. Having no true physical vessel, aside from a haunt, they do not need to be exorcised. Thus the focused Will of the banisher, assisted by some form of ritual, is usually sufficient, especially if multiple banishers combine their efforts.

Banishment is not always adversarial. Often the spirit is somehow stuck, confused or being held in existence against their will. In these instances, the banisher acts as a gentle guide, unraveling whatever is binding or blocking it.

Exorcism

Exorcism of elani is much more difficult than banishment. It is usually performed by specially trained exorcists. Exorcising elans from living vessels is usually assisted by the natural desire of the body's proper owner and the body itself to expel the interloper.

The most difficult elani to exorcise are those possessing non-living vessels. Only the most powerful exorcists are capable of removing a spirit from such a vessel. Usually it is more efficient to destroy or damage the vessel first.

Regardless of means or vessel, once exorcised, the disoriented, weakened elan is then easily banished from the mortal realm.

Divine Classification

Spirit