Spirit Realm

The Spirit Realm is the source of all Souls in the multiverse, as well as being where Souls go to when they die. It is not the current location of the Soul IsoMatrix.

Also Called

• Soul Plane
• Otherworld
• Afterlife
• Heaven/Hell
• Elysian Fields
• Underworld

Or any other name for the Afterlife.

A snapshot of a realm within the greater Spirit Realm, gravity is optional.

Description

The Spirit Realm is nexus of all Souls in the multiverse, and is where the vast majority of anima is location. As a non-physical place, the usual rules of space-time do not apply to it. Thanks to this, it can essentially be accessed from anywhere in the multiverse due to the fact that it does not reside in any one physical location. Despite this, however, it is not an effective way of travelling the multiverse for most individuals due to the difficulty of leaving the realm.

The Spirit Realm is composed of an unknown number of sub-realms, all of varying size, with some being seemingly infinite in size. Realms associated with the afterlives of mortal beings typically tend to be easier to access, and follow more conventional rules, while other realms require more knowledge and skill to reach and navigate.

When within the Astral Plane, whether that is due to death or a simple visit, an individual will find that the majority of realms are primarily static and immutable, with events always transpiring to return to the typical status quo of a given realm, even if that status quo appears to be in flux. This is due to the fact that realms within the Spirit Realm can be described as having "Souls" of their own, which they will always tend to.

Afterlives

When an individual dies and does not reincarnate, they are sent on to the Spirit Realm permanently, where they are sorted according to the experiences within their Soul. The experiences accumulated during a Soul's lifetime are used to pick the Afterlife that is best suited to provide them with the most appropriate "second life" for that individual, with the individuals beliefs forming the primary core of this decision.

While this means that individuals will typically be sorted into an Afterlife that matches their religious beliefs, although this is not guaranteed. This process also means that individuals are not sorted into Afterlifes based on how well they followed a religious doctrine, but rather their individual belief of whether they are worthy of going to a given Afterlife - this is a point of annoyance for some individuals. If there is no pre-determined afterlife for an individual (and the most appropriate solution is not simply void), then the Spirit Realm will endeavour to create a realm that suits them most.

Once an individual is within their Afterlife, travelling between different Afterlifes is fairly trivial for them, simply requiring them to know of their destination and of the fact that they can travel between these realms.

Inhabitants

The Spirit Realm is home to numerous inhabitants, including any individual that has died and moved on from the cycle of rebirth. Besides these souls, however, the primary inhabitants of the Spirit Realm are Demons, creatures of Anima that exist primarily to ensure the proper working of the Spirit Realm and the cycle of death. Being both made up of and fueled by Anima, Demons exist in a symbiotic relationship with the cycle of death, and receive the majority of the Anima that is removed from a Soul when an individual dies. This relationship with Anima means that Demons will often compete, both violently and non-violently, with each other to ensure that they are receiving as much Anima as they possibly can over time. This competition can sometimes spill into what demons call "the Mortal Realms" (any area of reality that is not present with the Spirit Realm), with Demons often being willing to use small portions of their powers to give individuals what they want in return for receiving exclusive access to their Anima after death.

Other inhabitants of the Spirit Realm include Chi Beasts and Gods of the Dead/Underworld, but this is by no means a comprehensive list.

Intersections

As a non-material realm, the Spirit Realm is capable of intersecting with other more abstract planes of existence. The main intersection for these is with the Astral Plane, where the union between the two creates an odd doman of memories and dreams. Within this domain, the rules of each realm ebb and flow, mixing and matching in unpredictable ways. This intersection represents the easiest way for a being to escape from the Spirit Realm, but is also incredibly dangerous due to the confusing and mutable nature of the pseudo-realm.

The Spirit Realm also intersects with Godspace.