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View Full Version : WoD: what is the soul?



JeenLeen
2009-09-11, 08:13 AM
I've heard that, through reading various World of Darkness books, one can find 9 pieces that the soul is made of. The books are unclear, perhaps intentionally, about if these are all the pieces, or if some of them are the same or not.
I think, but am not certain, that they are primarily mentioned as the Avatar from Mage: The Ascension, whatever makes up a Wraith, and the many things used to make a Mummy. I don't know if the other books are used.

If anyone knows the story about these parts, I'd like to know. Psychology, in an old sense of the world (science of the soul), is a hobby of mine, so even made-up psychologies are interesting to me.

Edit: Old World of Darkness, in case it differs.

Zeta Kai
2009-09-11, 08:21 AM
Oh, those WW guys. They're always hiding things in their books. In the old WoD, they had hints & clues for the identities of the Antideluvians/First Generation, the location of the Second City, the fates of the Clan founders, etc. And that was just for Vampire: The Masquerade. The mysteries of the other supernaturals were just as well-hidden & compelling. It seems that those guys are still up to their old tricks.

Indon
2009-09-11, 08:24 AM
New world of darkness, or old world of darkness?

Edit: I've been ninja'ed!

So we're trying to identify spiritual components that all beings in WoD have, eh?

Hmm...

Well, not all beings have the Avatar, to my knowledge: Vampires, for instance, can't access it (thus why blood magic is different than standard magic).

So we talking about mortal souls, here? Including or excluding latent forces?

JeenLeen
2009-09-11, 11:38 AM
So we talking about mortal souls, here? Including or excluding latent forces?

I suppose mortal souls, including latent forces. So I know one for sure is the Avatar, awakened or not.

I realize not all creatures have 'complete' souls; from what I've heard, becoming a vampire kills the Avatar, as final as Gilgul. But I assume a mortal has all the parts.

comicshorse
2009-09-11, 02:08 PM
from what I've heard, becoming a vampire kills the Avatar,

Yep, it mentions this directly in the Euthanatos book.
On the other hand it infers very strongly in the various Vampire Dark Ages books that Demons will bargain with Kindred for their souls which indicates that vampires have something to sell

Krrth
2009-09-11, 02:42 PM
I've heard that, through reading various World of Darkness books, one can find 9 pieces that the soul is made of. The books are unclear, perhaps intentionally, about if these are all the pieces, or if some of them are the same or not.
I think, but am not certain, that they are primarily mentioned as the Avatar from Mage: The Ascension, whatever makes up a Wraith, and the many things used to make a Mummy. I don't know if the other books are used.

If anyone knows the story about these parts, I'd like to know. Psychology, in an old sense of the world (science of the soul), is a hobby of mine, so even made-up psychologies are interesting to me.

Edit: Old World of Darkness, in case it differs.

From what I can tell, most of that is the pieces of soul that the Egyptians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_soul) believed in.

Wraiths are one entity, but the dark part of the soul comes out to play. It's not an actual separate piece.

Indon
2009-09-11, 02:48 PM
One major 'soul'-related stat you see in World of Darkness is the "Humanity" attribute. Demons also possess it in the form of Torment, and I'm sure there are others.

Another aspect relates to how you react with fae - I forget the name of the stat, but the more agreeable to fantasy you are, the lower it is - mages tend to have very low stats, and technocrats tend to have 10's. A high score in this stat tends to shut fae down to the point where it causes them physical pain.

comicshorse
2009-09-11, 05:06 PM
Another aspect relates to how you react with fae - I forget the name of the stat,

That was BANALITY

ScreamingDoom
2009-09-11, 05:50 PM
Yep, it mentions this directly in the Euthanatos book.

If I recall correctly, Vampire Avatars are not "killed" but "shredded". As in, damaged beyond repair (and completely unusable), but still there attached spiritually to the bloodsucker. It is effectively the same thing as Gigul.

Eldan
2009-09-11, 06:30 PM
I don't really know anything about nWod, but the eight part things sounds a little like the egyptian idea of a soul. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_soul)

Edit: just noticed that this was already mentioned earlier.