Absence of Soul

The Absence of Soul is the condition every player character carries. It is permanent, and it can never be removed, cured, dispelled, suppressed, or transferred by any means.

It shapes two of the game's core rules:

• No spellcasting. You cannot cast magic or perform supernatural feats on your own, and an attempt comes to nothing unless another source powers it, such as an ally's spell, a shared ritual, or a divine being. See Magic for what still works and how the game handles a casting attempt.
• Return from death. The player alone can come back after dying. Every NPC's death is final, with no exception by item, ritual, prayer, or divine power. See Revival for how returning works.