Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Sourge of the Soulless

I didn't have a Nuts & Bolts ready for this week. My writing continues to come in fits and starts and often with great difficulty. But I do have this. It's the elevator pitch for a setting. A different take on something like the World of Darkness. I dunno if I'll ever have the chance to expand on it (or if I even want to, sometimes ideas like this are best when kept simple and unembellished). Either way, I present it today in lieu of a N&B so that there's at least something this week....

Image Source: https://www.deviantart.com/art/Liberty-Of-Soul-369815852

Souls.

It's all about souls.

When mankind was birthed into the world there were a finite supply of souls allocated to humankind. When a man, woman, or child died its soul was freed to return to heaven, elysium, or wherever you would believe souls to reside between lives. When a child was born a soul descended from that realm to live in the world of flesh once more.

But humankind's population exploded.

The number of souls dwelling in the beyond dwindled and the time a soul had to rejuvenate itself shortened. These tired souls were more belligerent, more callous, and less in touch with nature.

In time mankind's numbers exceeded the souls available.
That's when everything changed.

Children were born with the souls of animals.
The changing ones.

Children were born with souls from the spirit realms.
The magi.

Children were born with souls stolen from the realms of faerie.
The fey-touched.

And others ... others were brought back from death's door. Brought back to life after their soul had departed.
The soulless ones.

A scourge to the living. Enemies to all.