Editing Spirit world (section)

= Spirits in the Spirit World =


All followers of the ‘way of the spirits’ tend to speak to the spirits with deep respect, as if they were their relatives. Minor spirits are referred to as sisters or brothers, major spirits as mothers or fathers, and greater spirits as grandmothers or grandfathers. 
 
For the templars who worship their ancestors, this is natural. The Gaesati believe that all humanoids and animals are related. So they also talk to, and about, the spirits as if they were talking to their relatives.


== Animal Spirits (Gaesati)  ==


Some of the more important animal spirits of the Gaesati are listed here. 


=== The Spirit of the Bear ===
'''Strength:''' Body<br>
'''Weakness:''' Vigilance<br>
'''Abilities:''' Feet, Rising standing on Two feet, Honey lust<br>
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Spirit Bears are big and furry, and furious when irritated. They are neither stupid nor slow, but they are usually interested in their own things and do not pay attention to the world around them. (Being the biggest beast in the forest means they don't have to!)
 
Spirit bears come in many colors. Minor spirit bears usually have the same color as the bears of the physical world, but major and great spirits may be white or even red in color.
 
Spirit Bears love berries, meat and honey in particular. Like their mortal counterparts, they want to sleep in the winter and hate being disturbed. It protects its territory, and its cubs when needed.
 
=== The Spirit Owl ===
'''Strength:''' Mind<br>
'''Weakness:''' The body<br>
'''Abilities:''' Wise, Silent Dive, Strange screeching<br>
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Spirit Owls dwell in trees, high above the land, and they observe the events in the spirit world with their sharp gaze. Their wisdom seeks peer and sharp gaze permeates darkness as well as lies. 
 
Many travellers seek out the spirit owls for advice; it is said there is nothing the owls do not know. But the owls do not always reveal their knowledge, and the traveler does not always understand their strange wisdom. Spirit owls are difficult to reach because their nesting areas are both high and hidden. Powerful and large spirit owls may carry people on their backs (or with their claws) wherever they wish, but they rarely do so.
 
The spirit owl likes to eat, preferring small, tasty rodents. They like humble and wise travelers - those with whom they can play guessing games, or enter into a battle of wits.  They do not like loud or big creatures.
 
=== The Spirit of the Wolf ===
'''Strength:''' Toughness<br>
'''Weakness:''' Mind<br>
'''Abilities:''' Precise senses, Sharp teeth, Howl<br>
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Spirit Wolves always move in large herds and they never stay in the same place for long. They are loyal to each other and especially to the leader of their pack. Like their counterparts in the mortal realms, spirit wolves are night creatures that blend into the dark and their howl sends chills running along the traveler's back. Spirit wolves can travel long distances without resting, they have been known to drive their prey for days. The larger, more powerful spirit wolves can carry travelers on their backs and will protect them from the worst of the cold by the heat of their own fur.
 
The spirit wolf cherishes its pack, the sense of belonging, and the chase. It values loyalty and courage. It has no sympathy for those who betray the pack (even if it is somehow ‘justified’), and  makes no room for the weak or the cowards.
 
=== The Spirit of the Hare ===
'''Strength:''' Vigilance<br>
'''Weakness:''' Toughness<br>
'''Abilities:''' Vigilant, Agile, Escape Artist<br>
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Spirit Hares spend most of their lives in fear and in constant alertness. Like their mortal selves, the spirit hare survives because he notices the approaching beast and jumps quickly into escape; he has become a master of escape. They live in underground tunnel networks, but finding a spirit hare is not easy as they do their best to hide from all their enemies. 
 
Minor spirit hares are similar size and appearance to those of Icesus. The major and greater spirit hares are not larger than the minor spirit hares, but they are generally of a different color (e.g., entirely black). They also have special powers of escape, including the ability to disappear completely into the shadows or to leap over the widest abyss. The greater spirit hares are able to move deeply underground, through which they can guide their followers across the land of the spirits.
 
The spirit hare  likes to be with safe and peaceful travelers who bring with them something good and green to eat. They also like deep (but not too deep) cavities and sheltered places. Hares do not like travelers who are in union with the animal spirits that prey on hares.  If they smell the odor of the predator on a mortal, the spirit hare will quickly disappear.

 
== Ancestral Pre-Mothers (Templars) ==


Some of the more important ancestral pre-mothers of the Templars are listed here. 

=== Gyokko ===
'''Strength:''' Toughness<br>
'''Weakness:''' The body<br>
'''Abilities:''' Khatun essence, negotiation, fertile<br>
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Gyokko is among the first of the strong tribal chiefs of Templars. She was crippled in her legs, but her mind was said to be as sharp as a polished spear, and in negotiations she showed unparalleled cunning. Gyokko succeeded in bringing together a large covenant of controversial tribes and ruled over them wisely and majestically until her death.  Gyokko was an exceptionally fertile woman, having large numbers of children with her husbands and lovers. After her death, her daughters formed the core of the leadership of the forthcoming empire that was born. 

The spirit of the pre-mother Gyokko usually appears as slightly stooping older woman, limping through the Halls of the Dead. However, the voice and gaze of her spirit are filled with cold iron; she requires respect and absolute loyalty of others.
 
The pre-mother Gyokko likes allies and vassals. She prefers polite and peaceful people who do not raise their voice unnecessarily or threaten, unless necessary. In particular, she appreciates patience and patience, as well as her willingness to speak out before grasping the lance, the sword, or the bow.

=== Teiken ===
'''Strength:''' Body<br>
'''Weakness:''' Mind<br>
'''Abilities:''' Lightning Fast, Templar Sword, Killing Arrow adorned with an eagle's feather<br>
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Teiken gained her reputation for her hunting and war skills. In her youth, she armed herself with the Templar's sword to defeat a stark black bear. However the battle left her face forever scarred by the claws of the bear. Teiken was a brilliant warrior and a duelist who never refused any challenge and became famous for her deadly sword blows. She owned an arrow with an eagle's feather that never missed her target; when she used it to kill a large dragon of the plains with a single shot, she became known as ‘dragon slayer’. Teiken had numerous husbands and lovers of both sexes, but she never bore children. She eventually died of venom, murdered by her enemies, who, despite her high age, did not have the courage to face her face to face. 
 
The spirit of the pre-mother Teiken is tall in appearance, tense and muscular.The mark of the long-ago bear’s claws remain on her face today. She appreciates total fearlessness and courageous deeds without unnecessary judgment. Physical acts and the encounter of enemies in a fair fight against a woman are pleasing to her, as is warfare and looting in general. She does not tolerate lying or any other deception.
 
=== Kumogakure ===
'''Strength:''' Vigilance<br>
'''Weakness:''' The body<br>
'''Abilities:''' Beautiful and pleasant, a small drop of poison, great taste in arts and music<br>
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Kumogakure was a famous spy and possibly the leader of a rumoured secret society that has now disappeared into history. She is said to have been naturally kind and gentle, yet skilled in acquiring what she wanted. When her  skills of persuasion were not sufficient, she used the assassin's knife or poison to achieve her desired purpose. 
 
In her life, Kumogakure became a mighty khatun and had three daughters. She is said to have been interested in men only because of the need to have offspring; certainly she had numerous female concubines in her court. Kumogakure never used her power directly, only from the shadows.  She suppressed any threats to her power mercilessly using assassins before her challengers had time to gather the power needed to subvert her seat. At the same time, she preached the importance of honor and mercy and was loved by her people. 
 
The spirit of the pre-mother Kumogakure is a beautiful woman, she moves softly and speaks with sweet honey.  She likes sensuality and beautiful things. She appreciates stealth and implicit solutions to problems rather than straightforward approaches. Kumogakure also likes secret societies and their secret disputes.
 
=== Gekkan ===
'''Strength:''' Mind<br>
'''Weakness:''' Vigilance<br>
'''Abilities:''' Intelligent, Extensive General Education, Interpretation of Signs, Beautiful Handwriting<br>
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Gekkan was a learned, wise woman serving under a powerful khatun. She was not interested in power or wealth and she never married or bore children. Instead, she devoted her entire life to collecting and absorbing knowledge, she is said to have read the scrolls with a lead ball in her other hand, so that when she fell asleep, the ball fell from her hand and she woke up to continue reading. Gekkan is said to have developed the basics of the written language and laid the foundation for the laws that her khatun enacted. In her later years, she secluded herself in the cave where she is now buried.  In Templar lore Gekkan is considered to be the wisest woman of all time. 
 
The spirit of the pre-mother Gekkan show her as a spindly old woman, stooping and clad in heavy, thick robes. Her eyes are often watery, but they always have an intelligent, calm look. She likes knowledge and learning new things. Gekkan also loves puzzles, writing scrolls, and ancient artifacts that she can explore and experiment with to determine their purpose.