A compilation of the lore ESO has added on spirits/souls and it's potential implications.

As ESO has added a great amount of lore on souls, I thought i'd make a compilation of the information and look into some potential implications. Composition The term "soul" refers to the "Anuic animus" held by mortals, distinct from something like the Vestige of a Daedra. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Chaotic\_Creatia:\_The\_Azure\_Plasm Rather than being uniform it is a complex "construct" (to quote the Skeleton Man interview) with distinct facets. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Skeleton\_Man%27s\_Interview\_with\_Denizens\_of\_Tamriel The spirit itself is seemingly innately an arcane source Per the novels Colin describes the use of magic as making the little "star" or "piece of Aetherius" that is at one's core briefly flare into a sun, suggesting the spirit to be Aetheric in nature and indeed a "piece of Aetherius" itself. “Feeling oddly detached, Colin closed his eyes against the \[Daedra he is fighting\] and reached into the middle of himself, where his little star was, the tiny piece of him that had come from beyond the world and even Oblivion, from Aetherius, the realm of pure light and magic. As pain and then cold gripped him, he made the star a sun. The force and light of it blew his eyelids and mouth open, and radiance shredded through the specter like a high wind through smoke.” https://www.imperial-library.info/content/lord-souls-lore-notes One's spiritual essence can be separated into their aspects of magic, lifeforce and vitality. All three serve as arcane sources ( the overseers of Coldharbour believed the full essence of Galerion could accelerate Planemeld from months to hours and it's shards could still fuel their armies and war machines) and all three retain the originator's personhood (even if separated it's not raw magic or what have you it's still Galerion). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Galerion%27s\_Magicka https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Galerion%27s\_Health https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Galerion%27s\_Stamina https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Source\_of\_Power One's shadow is a "vital part" of their "animus" and another arcane source, with potent magic like that employed by Nocturnal it can be brought to life as a distinct creature (albeit one the originator can reabsorb if given the chance) or even destroyed (though in that case the soul will sustain injury that is lasting, if not permanent). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lilatha https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Divayth\_Fyr Harming the shadow while it is attached to it's originator is equated to harming the soul ( the aspect of the soul that is the "darkness that belongs to all Men and Mer"). Doing this requires potent magic but it is possible, artifacts like the Shadowcutter Blade of Syrabane can cut shadows to fatal results (the shadow is cut so the soul is cut). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Shadowcutter\_Blade Mortals, like Daedra, possess Nymics of some sort. For Daedra Nymics are defined as a series of "incantatory true names" each Daedra has that wholly define the being they pertain to and it's various aspects being the "pattern or formula" that first "cleaves itself" from the chaos of Aurbis and defines the spirit which is to form to it's specifications after. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:On\_the\_Nature\_of\_Nymics For mortals it's less clear how the Nymics function, but we do know the magic of Bosmeri Spinners can influence one's Nymic to enact changes to their physical form. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Loremaster%27s\_Episode\_of\_ESO-RP\_ZOS\_Interview One conjurer does claim to invoke and compel a ghost by his "true name spoken", which the spirit does not dispute. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Caluurion Souls appear to have a distinct arcane "signature" the wards used in facilities like the Dread Cellar are attuned to regognise the souls of the Battlemages, even if they're ghosts. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vitellia\_Laenius Traits There are elements in mortal souls which are said to be distinct, not present in other types of spirits such as Daedra (and presumably Et'Ada in general) or nature spirits. The Mages Guild and the Druids maintain that true change in spiritual nature is the purview of mortals alone, whereas Daedra/nature spirits/so on are exempt from such true change, because of this it is said mortals that have seemingly been turned into Daedric beings are actually still mortal in terms of nature (they're not actually Daedra, just emulating their visage and power). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Loremaster%27s\_Archive\_-\_Tamriel%27s\_Dungeons https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Druid\_Laurel https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Aelif https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:High\_Kinlord\_Rilis\_(Banished\_Cells\_II) https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Galthis An exception to the general rule regarding these false "Daedra" is seemingly made for the Khajiit, it is said that due to a dichotomy innate to Khajiiti souls, their transformation into Dro-m'Athra does indeed result in them becoming a sort of Daedric entity (though called "bizzare mutants" of that nature). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vastarie https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Loremaster%27s\_Archive\_-\_Mehrunes\_Dagon\_%26\_Daedra\_in\_the\_Second\_Era According to the Dremora Uldazaan the souls of mortals, unlike those of Daedra, are not "fettered to creation", which means that with the proper rites they can be "decoupled from their body" and so made to exist as immortal "living spirits" which feed on metaphysical essences like knowledge or memory to survive (this is different than the soul of a mortal becoming disembodied after death since at that point the body has dragged the spirit into death with it, it's not a "living spirit" but a ghost). Achieving such a state is said to make one immortal, the magic through which it can be done comes from a text called the Numinous Grimoire which describes the composition of the mortal spirit specifically (suggesting the elements needed for the change are already there, innate, rather than one needing to seek external elements). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Uldazaan\_the\_Heresy-Keeper https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Cipher\_Plautis https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Cipher\_Akacirn Such views are echoed by Divayth Fyr, who describes mortal souls as capable of things like true change and moving between different vessels through "rudimentary magic" whereas describing Daedric nature and Nymics as comparatively rigid and unchanging (Fyr also speaks of it being possible for mortals to entirely dismiss their bodies or consciousness with the proper magic though doesn't elaborate) . https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:On\_the\_Nature\_of\_Nymics We see souls change vessels a number of times. The mage Rectavius transferred his spirit into a Voriplasm (retaining the original's ability to have his consciousness persist in it's parts), Merithren displaced the nature spirit of a tree and took it's place, Orryn the Black entered the skeleton of the dragon Thurvokun and took control of it and Vorm accidentally possessed a Daedric Tomeshell because he was thinking of the book while attempting to teleport and accidentally projected his spirit into it. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sorcerer\_Rectavius https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Strange\_Sapling https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Tree\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Orryn\_the\_Black https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vorm Due to such differences nature spirits like Frii (who is said "aren't and were never mortal" but rather simply emulate them) claim to be incapable of experiencing and comprehending the memories/mind of a mortal, even when magic that makes one experience them is involved. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Frii https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Spirits\_of\_Skyrim According to Vastarie the soul itself places certain "checks on mortal will" which can be removed should the soul be briefly separated from the body through the lichdom rite, which can open up the previously dormant arcane potential of said spirit, a "practically unlimited magical horizon". https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vastarie As a source In addition to the function of the soul as an arcane source, as seen most commonly in enchanting and other ritual magics that draw upon the soul as a source (for example rites which can use souls to create junctions to Oblivion), the thoughts and emotions of mortals appear to produce certain arcane substances which play their own part in planar affairs be it in Mundus or elsewhere. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Dust-On-Scales The memories of the dead become Nirn's waters, that being what water actually is. Furthermore water/the oceans/so on have been described as extending into more dimensions than perceivable (indeed fatal to perceive) and forming metaphysical "rivers of memory" that connect Nirn to other realms. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vistha-Li https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Herald\_Kixathi https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Augur\_of\_the\_Obscure The Madness Ore of the Shivering Isles is said to originate from the thoughts of fallen souls imprisoned within the earth after previous iterations of the Greymarch (the aspect of danger by these produced substances to the mind repeats as prolonged direct contact with Madness Ore is suggested to be able to drive one insane). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Shivering:Cutter https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Evethra%27s\_Journal Spirits like the Daedra Lord Hollowjack can "feed" on emotions like the fear of mortals and derive metaphysical power from it. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Lord\_Hollowjack%27s\_Dread\_Realm According to Orcish faith the grudges of dead orcs that journey to the Ashpit are thrust into the flames of the Ashen Forge to incarnate as a new generation of Orcs, the new grudges the Orcish spirit in Ashpit might have arise can be extracted to be forged into weapons and armor of "legendary stature". https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:On\_Orcs\_and\_the\_Afterlife Mortal suffering and death produces necromantic energies that "stain" the area of said events This miasma is something the souls of the dead can get stuck in and be prevented from moving to the afterlife, turning such places into a haunted "mire" (battlefields are said to often be filled with ghosts because of this, souls that got caught in the necromantic miasma produced by their own deaths). A great battle produces a "marsh" that "stains" the area for "decades", but if a place is the site of suffering for longer than it can become "stained" permanently by a "fathomless pool of raw necromantic energy", a botomless well that will ensnare the souls of those who die there (while also being a source of immense power for necromancers who can tap into this reserve to fuel and empower their magic). The Dread Cellar overseen by the Imperial Battlemages was one such place, permanently cursed by centuries of torture and death. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Great\_Stain Such energies are normally necromantic in nature and can "stir up the undead", but they also have other uses. The energies in the Dread Cellar are also harvested by the Waking Flame and the Daedra and used to fuel the Antecedent Cataclyst the prototype of the device that, alongside use of Dagon's "blessing creates Incarnate Daedra, embodiments of natural disasters. Tullius mentions that there are theories that Daedra "feed off" mortal emotions more broadly, "fear, desire, hatred. Some more compelling than others". Speaking of which, memories can also be extracted via magic, as was practiced in said facility. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Martus\_Tullius Lastly the emotions of the mortals of Fargrave are harvested by Votive Runes the Waking Flame placed throughout Fargrave in order to unleash a wave of destruction that would turn all of the realm's Daedra to dust (while also destroying the minds of the mortals). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sister\_Celdina https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lyranth Ghosts If a soul is "unwilling or unable" to move on to the afterlife it can linger in Mundus and become a ghost, the reasons for this can range from the magical to the mundane: A necromantic binding or curse, being bound to a relic, unfinished business such as a duty one failed to see through, vengeance, wishing to say goodbye to a loved one or simple unwillingness to leave. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Unhallowed\_Legions https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Cynric\_Ginise https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sir\_Nathain\_Galien https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Forlorn\_One https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ansei\_Maja https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sir\_Edain%27s\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Theyo\_Prevette A spirit that remains in the mortal world retains a connection to it's body, a "spiritual umbilicus" which is stronger the more recent the death. This is the reason why necromancers prefer to use older bodies for reanimation, because the spirits of the recently dead are still connected to theirs and can fight the necromancer for control seeking to stop them or even to return to the world through undeath. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:On\_Necromancy Spirits can sense which bones are theirs. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Jonne\_Surille Regarding ghosts, while they can manifest in a physical form, them doing so is the exception rather than the rule. Lingering souls are normally neither tangible (objects that touch them will pass through) nor perceivable by mortals (to perceive them generally requires either magic or someone attuned to the spiritual, one of the ways to acquire such sensitivity is said to be surviving a near death experience). To manifest in a visible/corporeal sense the spirit need to forms a shell of ectoplasm, which takes energy. It is said that Tamriel is filled throughout with ghosts, but the vast majority neither manifest physically nor can be perceived at all through normal senses. But if a necromancer just concetrates their energy in any one location even at random it is said chances are a ghost will manifest. Because of this containing a ghost requires specific magic and enchantments. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Binding\_Stone https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lauriel Normally ghosts can neither touch nor feel anything (sensations like touch, pain or exhaustion are not felt by them and are suggested to eventually be forgotten entirely). Reminiscent of Dunmeri belief, that the longer a spirit remains in the ethereal state the more powerful but also the more aloof and removed from the minds of the living it becomes. An exception is when part of one's body is trapped as part of a construct like a flesh atronach. Because part of the body the spirit is tied to lives, the spirit retains feeling through said link and is in agony. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Gabrielle\_Benele\_Answers\_Your\_Questions https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Meln\_the\_Mouthless https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Arondil%27s\_Journal https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Books:Greg\_Keyes\_Novels/Colin\_Vineben https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Legend\_of\_Vastarie https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mage\_Tharlas https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vitellia\_Laenius https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Priest\_Malvari https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Cynric\_Ginise https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Generic\_Dialogue\_A When manifesting a spirit will have spectral copies of the clothes/items so on it held at death, this is why the spirit of Ysgramor encountered in Sovngarde has a copy of Wuuthrad for example. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Meln\_the\_Mouthless https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Ysgramor There are places in the world where ghosts might be drawn and hauntings are more common, locations which have been "stained" by the necromantic energies created by death and suffering, and places where the spirit world is naturally strong like Necrom or Morthal. Events like the Soulburst/Planemeld are also noted to greatly increase the frequency of spirits manifesting in Tamriel. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:History\_of\_Necrom:\_The\_City\_of\_the\_Dead https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Idgrod\_Ravencrone https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Falion Living things in general appear capable of becoming ghosts, animals like bears, wamasu, cats, chickens, wolves, bears and so on. According to the Augur of the Obscure even corals can become ghosts. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Augur\_of\_the\_Obscure https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ghostly\_Housecat https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Spectral\_Chicken https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Spectral\_Wolf Other means of manifestation include influencing the place of the haunting without manifesting a corporeal form (disembodied voices, shaking and moving objects and so on). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Master\_Shelreni https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Wake\_the\_Dead Possessing the body of another by entering it, whether it be a living person, undead , a dead body the ghost reanimates , or even inanimate objects like Dwemer Animunculi or statues (one Yokudan spirit can animate multiple statues). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Janne\_Emarie https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Calion https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Possessed\_Soldier https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ghoragham https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Spectral\_Guardian https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Haunted\_Centurion https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Yokudan\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Yokudan\_Warrior With the spirits of necromancers in particular this can take on stranger forms still, like Uldor who could possess hundreds of vessels (be it living or reanimated undead) at once or Thallik who melded his spirit with that of the giant Sinmur. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Uldor https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Thallik\_Wormfather https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Jonne\_Surille https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mayor\_Gette The forms a haunting might take vary. In the form the spiritual manifestation takes, there are cases of ghosts manifesting as: spectral forms of their living selves, more ethereal ghosts, wraiths, multiple orbs of energy (per the Prima the orbs in the barrow are Yngol, the phantoms in Yokudan tombs also break into energy motes ), spectral Draugr, Wispmothers, a Soulrazer Knight, lich-like forms, even a giant Ice Nereid and more, even shifting between these on occasion. It's even possible for a spirit to take on the appearance it had in life, putting on the guise of a living form (Ancalin). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Alanya https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lost\_Maiden https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lady\_Adreana https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Saradin\_the\_Lost\_Love https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Weeping\_Woman https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lady\_Adreana https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Praxin\_Douare https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Yngol%27s\_Barrow https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lord\_Leobert As might the behavior of the spirit. Some spirits might linger simply to see proper respects be paid to their departed loved ones, or just to see how the world has changed since their death. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ancalin https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ayleid\_Ghost Others might seek out the living to remove their souls (cursing the original soul to become a vengeful ghost bound to them) and take their bodies for themselves. Such spirits that seek out to possess the living, Body Shifters, are considered especially dangerous. Should the original soul be released and returned to it's body it is possible to suppress the Body Shifter and even gain strength from it's presence (using it to sustain a vessel that would otherwise have died). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ashu-awa https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Farwen\_Temolire https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Theyo\_Prevette https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Galgalah A benign spirit won't necessarily remain so. It is suggested that the longer a haunting lasts the more certain effects might emerge. A connection is drawn between spirits having lingered long and them being described as "hungry and hateful". A ghost that's overcome by negative emotion transforms into the "darkest expression" of itself, a wraith. Unlike most spirits (which tend to be unemotional) wraiths are governed by strong negativity and so are harder for necromancers to control. A wraith can form either by itself when the spirit is consumed by negativity or when compelled to change by a necromancer. Once the critical point is reached the transformation appears instant. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Languishing\_Remnant https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Materials\_for\_Novice\_Necromancers https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Praxin\_Douare Discorporating a manifested ghost does not end a haunting, it can put the spirit to "sleep" for some time (how long seems to vary) but if the soul is not made to move on or somehow removed via the proper magic than it will return eventually. You need to address what's keeping the spirit there or use magic to remove them. Proper rites used by priests or the use of items consescrated by them (a soul binding sword, consecrated dust or water) are shown to work. This also appears to apply to powerful reanimated undead (which is also a form of haunting since there are cases where the deceased will return in their reanimated body) as it is noted their wounds can "knit" allowing them to return. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sword-Singer\_Navid https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Lysandus%27\_Revenge https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Hunt\_for\_Undead https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Priestess\_Nyrona https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sir\_Edain%27s\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Telacar https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Domestic\_Squabble https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ashu-awa https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Curate\_Gadayn In general spirits seem fairly resilient, even being shattered by the power of one of the Four Ambitions or being unraveled in the Void has been shown to not get rid of a spirit permanently, and the soul is said to recoalesce eventually (there are exceptions like what was done to Umaril's spirit but they appear quite rare). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sombren https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Earl\_Leythen One odd phenomenon that can be encountered is that it's possible for someone to manifest as a ghost while being soul trapped/with their soul being in a different place to their spectral self. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Gasteau\_Chamrond https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lisondor Ghosts are suggested to have knowledge greater than that of the living due to their nature. Spirits speak of having arcane "sight" and being able to sense/observe things at a distance, Meln and Shelreni exhibit knowledge of everything that occurs within the grounds of their towers (Meln can even listen in on the discussion the Vestige has with Shelreni in the grounds outside), Farena Andrano exhibits oracular knowledge of Barbas' where Vivec himself lacks the answers, and Nurnhilde can sense the forces of Jorunn approaching Skuldafn or when Fildgor dies. They can see the invisible and sense the presence of necromancy and undeath, the influence and state of a curse or wether someone has a soul. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ayleid\_Spirit\_(Betnikh) https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Master\_Shelreni https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Meln\_the\_Mouthless https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Farena\_Andrano https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Arena:Ghost https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ansei\_Radan https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sir\_Edain%27s\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Quaronaldil\_Duure https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Queen\_Nurnhilde Spirits might exhibit a variety of traits and abilities. The spirits of mages retain the magical ability they had in life. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Tanval\_Indoril https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Levisii\_Gilvayn https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mavos\_Siloreth https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Arch-Mage\_Shalidor Even non-mage spirits exhibit a number of arcane abilities both the "default" ones (in ESO these would be things like making ice spikes erupt from a target's body and sending out a spectral apparition/creature to attack them for ghosts or various types of frost magic and curses for wraiths) and more distinct ones. The ghost of Praxin (a warrior in life) can create spectral copies of the creatures that marked the time leading up to his death while hallucinating their presence and cast a variety of potent magics (inlcuding the ability to bring instant death), the ghost of Calion (a child) can possess and reanimate the dead despite his age at death, the spirits of the Band of Three can steal their souls of their victims though in life they were simple bandits and only one was a mage. Other odd abilities certain spirits have shown include trapping someone in a mirror's reflection transporting them to Aetherius where they'll be beset by yet more hostile spirits, enthralling others in an illusion summoning undead or using other magic types like Coldfire, telekinesis and so on. The reason why spirits exhibit such variety in manifestation and ability isn't explained but it's potentially linked to their emotional and mental state at/after death, wraiths form when a spirit is consumed by negative emotion and Lucien Lachance how though Rufio was weak in life his spirit holds great power in death because of how angry he is, likewise Praxin's conjurations manifest when he himself is having nightmarish visions. It is said that the "lingering shade of a village peasant" can be "just as insubstantial and just as dangerous" as something like a hostile nature spirit to most people. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Wraith https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ghost https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Praxin\_Douare https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Calion https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sir\_Edain%27s\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Reflective\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Baleful\_Ghost https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Secundinus\_the\_Despoiler https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Lucien\_Lachance https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Spirits\_of\_Skyrim https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Valrendil As with what Uldazaan says regarding "living spirits", ghosts are also said to be able to somehow "feed" on more metaphysical things like the lifeforce of the living or even on other souls. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Soul\_Thirster https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Arie https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Gilbert Things like oaths of allegiance,duty, a strong association with something in life, or the demands of a cultural practice, are shown to be capable of having binding power even beyond death. So when an emperor or a king or a general rises to haunt Tamriel, the spirits of said leader's armies or even their undead bodies might return with them to fulfill said "pact". So the ghostly army of King Lysandus returns with him to avenge his death, the legions of Emperor Tarish-Zi rise from the earth to serve him in undeath as warriors of sand, the spectral army of General Malgoth rises to his side even from within the purgatory of Ooze when compelled by Bosmeri cultural obligation and the animal companions of King Torug or the Forest King or the Storm King are still present as spirits. Even something like a captain's vessel can be included in this, the ghost captain Ambre haunts the seas alongside spectral versions of her ship and crew. On occasion this idea of a link might take on a darker form since there are cases where it's suggested or outright stated that getting killed by a vengeful spirit can turn the one killed into a vengeful spirit as a sort of curse. Though Fildgor is attempting to claim the throne of Skyrim by tricking the Crown of Freydis into accepting him by siphoning Nurnhide's soul, he is still allowed entry into Sovngarde because of his claim as king of Skyrim and he can still compel the spirits there to "answer the call of the rightful king of Skyrim" and fight for him. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Captain\_Ambre\_Denile https://images.uesp.net/d/df/ON-place-Ghost\_Ship%2C\_High\_Isle.jpg https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:General\_Malgoth https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Forest\_King https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Storm\_King https://images.uesp.net/0/03/ON-creature-Wamasu\_%28Skyreach\_Catacombs%29.jpg https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Warrior%27s\_Call https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Lysandus%27\_Revenge https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Coldwind https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Fildgor\_Orcthane https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Queen\_Nurnhilde Afterlife Spirits appear to sometimes be given certain duties upon reaching the afterlife. The spirits in Sovngarde are said to prepare for the "Final Doom", a great battle they'll fight alongside Shor, they might be given tasks such as guarding the way into Sovngarde and are said to return to the world in times of need when Sovngarde "opens it's gates". https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Hero\_of\_Sovngarde https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Watcher\_at\_the\_Bridge The spirits of animals that cross into Sovngarde are transformed and given duties such as guarding the Whalebone Bridge alongside Tsun, entering Nirn to aid heroes on their quests or in times of crisis, or gathering the spirits of those who die with regrets or who were turned away from the afterlife or haunt battlefields to shelter them until they can cross into Aetherius. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sovngarde\_Crate Spirits can even serve as emissaries to deities. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Emissary\_of\_Z%27en Even in Oblivion, the spirits of Orcs that reach the Ashpit are said to be transformed by being "tempered" within the flames of the Ashen Forge and to serve as the spirit legions of Malacath, fighting alongside the Dremora of the Doomdriven Clan and other Daedra. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:On\_Dremora\_Clans https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:On\_Orcs\_and\_the\_Afterlife According to Khajiiti myth the "eternal united spirit of all Khajiit" will be summoned by Khenarthi's clarion to defend creation at the end of time, and Azurah sends the spirits of her champions into the Void to fight the Void spirits residing there and bring the souls of Khajiit back. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Sky\_Spirits https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Favored\_Daughter\_of\_Fadomai The housecats of those murdered can return to haunt the killer under Hollowjack. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Witch-Killer\_Caurdreth https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ghostly\_Housecat Spirits can leave their afterlife plane. In ESO we see Aetherial spirits know when those who have wronged them escape imprisonment and appear before them to take vengeance (the Orcthane Berserkers and the Ancestor Spirits of the Far Shores will manifest next to their target in Bal's palace itself ), the spirits of the Companions appear in Tamriel in honour of Sinmuur's defeat. The description of Call of Valor states that the "valiant of Sovngarde hear your Voice, and journey beyond space and time to lend aid.", and Kodlak seems to believe he and the spirits of other Harbingers might be able to enter the Hunting Grounds and retrieve the souls of the Harbingers there. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Orcthane\_Berserker https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ancestor\_Spirit https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ysgramor https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Yngol https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Call\_of\_Valor https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Kodlak\_Whitemane Aetherial spirits seem capable of reanimating their body or projecting a shade of themselves to defend their resting places and such. Though it's also possible this is the result of a different phenomenon as according to what is said about the state of the Undertaker lich it's possible for a soul to eventually depart it's vessel while leaving behind an "echo" to function according to instinct and some limited directives. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:King\_Olaf\_One-Eye https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Yngol%27s\_Shade https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vitellia\_Laenius Lastly there are a few stranger implications regarding Aetherial spirits. The first is that they might be able to affect time (Olaf's spirit is suggested to have cursed certain people in Solitude to experience dreams of him burning which progress to their consciousness being projected to the past where those present can perceive them before combusting to death). The other is that spirits that reach Aetherius might undergo a sort of transformation into a different kind of spirit, Spinner Girnalin claims that "Many souls of mortals become spirits of another sort in that place—and that is all I can say with any certainty". This appears reminiscent of the beliefs of the Dunmer regarding ancestor spirits (that there is no innate difference between categories of ancestor spirits like Aedra, Daedra and ghosts, the longer a spirit remains persists it grows in strength but also becomes stranger from the mortal perspective and Aedra/Daedra are simply the oldest and therefore most powerful/strange of said spirits), as well as the views of the Psijics. Though without elaboration it's unclear if such a thing is indeed what is being alluded to. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Solitude:\_A\_Charred\_Journal https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Girnalin https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Generic\_Dialogue\_A https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Old\_Ways Potential Implications This part is mostly just theorizing on my part. 1) The reason the spirit world is strong in Morthal is because an unknown group of powerful spirits reside in the Kjenstang ruins, emitting necromantic energies that draw in spirits and are sought by necromancers as a vast source for their magic. These forces are noted as so dangerous that even a skilled necromancer would have no chance to control them. When Maxten attempted it they went out of control and cursed Freiwen to spread an ever expanding field of frost and withering magic that would kill and dessicate those who entered before raising them as undead. Mjolen refuses to elaborate on the identity of these spirits and says some things are better forgotten. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Freiwen https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Old\_Mjolen https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Maxten%27s\_Research\_Journal Given what is said regarding the effect mass death and suffering can have on the spirit world, It might be that Kjenstang was the site of some great battle or prolonged death/suffering that "stained" the area and trapped the spirits there. Something to do with the Dragon Cult and it's rituals perhaps. This same mechanism could potentially help explain why Dwemeri spirits are more common in Morrowind. The last days of the Dwemer were ones of conflict, war and fear. If the suffering and death at Red Mountain produced a necromantic miasma that could help explain why their spirits lingered there specifically. Morrowind's history of conflict, slavery and ancestor rites could have also contributed to the region being spiritually affected. 2) The Skeleton Man Interview says it was considered "unfashionable" amongst the Dwemer to view their spirits as "synthetic constructs" several "gradients" below the divine. Broadly, I think there might be something to this idea. The way the spirits of mortals are described when compared to the animus of Daedra gives (I'd argue) the impression that it's less that one is a "diminished" version in comparison to the other and more that each has traits the other lacks. There's something intriguing about the idea that it's mortals who can exist as purely "decoupled" spirits as opposed to Daedra since, listening to how the Altmer speak of the state of spirit in the pre-Mundus world it seems hard to reconcile with said belief. This state of a "living spirit" which differs from a ghost and has become an immortal that can sustain itself by feeding on things like souls seems reminiscent of how Fa-Nuit-Hen describes the Ideal Masters, necromancers who abandoned their bodies to become immortal beings of "pure soul energy" and gather souls to sustain themselves. Depicted as draining the soul of whoever gets close to their conduits or to a Cairn portal unless undead. It's possible they might be a successful incarnation of what Akacirn was trying to become. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Lord\_Fa-Nuit-Hen\_and\_Tutor\_Riparius\_Answer\_Your\_Questions https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Battlespire:Ideal\_Master https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Serana 3) The idea of immortal "living spirits" being the result of a soul being "decoupled" from it's body prior to death is something to consider. A soul "decoupled" in life becomes immortal, but a soul separated through death is no longer a living spirit or immortal but dead a ghost. This would possibly suggest the spirit itself is naturally immortal but the body drags it into death when it perishes. The flesh as a death trap for the otherwise immortal spirit. Alongside what Vastarie says regarding the soul placing checks on will and so restricting arcane potential and the idea that prior to Y'ffre's imposition of shape all life comprised of shapeshifting spirits akin to Changelings it almost seems as if the gods/laws of Mundus are imposing an ongoing series of restrictions through Mundial existence https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Wild\_Hunt\_Crate 4) Despite claims that nature spirits and mortals can't overlap in terms of experience and nature, we are told of and indeed witness mortal Druids transforming into Forest Wraiths. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Druid\_Gastoc Thoughts ?