On the nature of the Nephilim's soul, part 2: elementals

What follows is how disembodied and incarnated Immortals work in my campaigns, how they’re born, their ecology, sentience, etc. 

Nephilim

What is a Nephilim? A Nephilim is a fusion of a human being and an elemental spirit of the five fields, creating a microcosm of the Solar system that allows the Super-Ego to emerge and pursue Agartha. 

What is that elemental? Every proto-Nephilim is born from a Nexus during a Grand Enthronement when the stars are right. The element of the Enthronement determines its Dominant Ka. The conditions are so precise that this is impossible to predict more than a week in advance. 

By itself, the proto-Nephilim is a beast little different than others born from the magic fields. The key difference is that it is composed of the five elements at once, when other elementals rarely exceed one. It looks like its metamorphosis fully manifest in Khaiba, but may display a few curiously human features and a seemingly higher intelligence than most other elementals. It may possess a human being and merge their souls to create a Nephilim, which no other elementals can do. Even the daemons invoked and banished by Theurgists can only hijack mortal bodies, not truly bond with them.

A proto-Nephilim cannot survive outside of a Nexus for very long. It’s fivefold nature means that it cannot sustain itself by seeking out sources of Ka like singular or twofold elementals. However, by binding to a Stasis item (which bonds trace amounts of the Solar-Ka from every incarnation) it can remain stable for a millennium or so before ultimately dissolving back into the magic fields.

How does a Nephilim come to exist? A Nephilim is created when a suitable mortal enters a Nexus where a proto-Nephilim is present. By "suitable", it means this mortal is dissatisfied with mundane life and desires something more. Their are cracks in their Ego that yearn to be filled or released by the emergence of a Super-Ego. When that mortal encounters the proto-Nephilim, then it instinctively draws towards and merges with them.

Some see this as a weakness of their soul providing an opportunity for the spirit to possess them, but in truth this is a sign strength. Recognizing that one's Ego is incomplete is a sign of spiritual maturity, not weakness of the mind or soul.

What is their psychic apparatus? The Nephilim are composed of the elemental Id, mortal Ego, and immortal Super-Ego. When the proto-Nephilim and human merge, both are spiritually completed and this creates the conditions necessary for the Super-Ego to emerge and assume control of the Self. However, the Nephilim may suffer relapses in which the Id or Ego takes control: Khaiba or Shouit, respectively. Even without such an episode, both the Id and Ego bleed over into the Super-Ego and affect the Nephilim's behavior constantly.

The Ego itself is merely a psychological construct formed in early childhood, not the totality of the Self. The Id is simply pure instinct, devoid of any sense of Self.

In addition to Khaiba and Shouit, Nephilim may suffer from Sekhat fugues. In these fugues, one of the ego-memories of a Nephilim's past life comes to the fore and takes control. Initially episodes are demented fugues where the ego-memory reinterprets current events as though they are taking place during its former life: e.g. a WWII nurse treating a companion thinks she's treating a soldier in the trenches. As the Sekhat syndrome grows stronger and persistent, the ego-memory bleeds into the psyche. It becomes aware of its nature and seek to settle old scores or pursue forgotten quests or vendettas. 

Although the Nephilim believe these three psychological syndromes are rare or mostly inconvenient, the truth is that they're far more pervasive than anyone realizes. The historical atrocities perpetuated by the Major Arcana, despite their personal experiences on the receiving end, are the result of unchecked progression in these syndromes. Many Nephilim are, quite frankly, insane from failing to properly manage their immortality and keep sight of their true goals. These degenerations distract them from the path to Agartha and only serve to ruin the world for everyone.

What is the Nephilim's relationship with their mundane life? It varies by the individual Nephilim. The mortal self was already dissatisfied with mundane life before the fusion, and the fusion will only increase that. The newly incarnated Nephilim will grow increasingly distant from their friends, family, and mundane affairs, both to protect their mortal relationships from occult dangers and because mundane life grows increasingly less interesting compared to the occult world. The notable exception is The Hanged Man, whose initiates deliberately subsume themselves in mundane life.

However, threatening a Nephilim's mundane friends and family is a great way to earn their wrath. The wrath of an Immortal is not something anyone wants. An Immortal has eternity in which to seek revenge and won't hesitate to take it out on the descendants of the one who hurt him.

A Nephilim may watch over the mortal descendants of their past lives and protect them from harm, though this is quite difficult and few Nephilim may afford to do it consistently. Stories of things like familiar curses and luck may be the secret work of a Nephilim who was their ancestor in a past life.

What are some other speculations? Some Nephilim speculate that other elemental beasts are merely incomplete proto-Nephilim. Since elemental beasts have been known to be reborn from the magic fields even after apparent death (from means other than Orichalc, of course), this raises questions about whether proto-Nephilim really cease to exist after dissolution… 

The only other elementals known to possess five elements at once are the Dragons, and what few records exist suggest they generally cannot survive on the earthly plane for long and have no way to bind themselves to an enduring substrate. However, they seem to persistent inside of the magic fields, on other planes of existence: the Dragon Realms, accessible via Dragon Gates. Only Strength and The Devil study them in enough detail to know where to find these Gates.

Selenim 

What is a Selenim? A Selenim is fusion of a human being and an elemental spirit of the Black Moon, creating a microcosm of the solar eclipse. The Selenim are usually former Nephilim, with a minority born "naturally" from the magic fields. 

What is this elemental? For former Nephilim, their proto-Selenim was transformed from their proto-Nephilim via circumstantial contamination or deliberate sacrifice. The proto-Selenim itself has never been seen disembodied, as it dissolves the moment its Simulacrum dies or Entropy consumes it. This is curious, as the black summons demonstrate no such limitation. Thus, it's nature bereft of Simulacrum remains unknown...

The Black Moon fields are too weak to spawn and sustain proto-Selenim on the earthly plane, but they are born in droves within the Black Moon's astral realms. These are the lower planes: not the Hell of religious preaching, but the collected fears and nightmares of humanity... which neatly render them indistinguishable from the Hells of fiction. The proto-Selenim of every natural Selenim is born in these wretched planes, born knowing only knowing fear and hunger, struggling to survive… They cannot escape and cannot survive on the earthly plane even for a moment, but even within the astral plane they are subject to accelerated Entropy from predators or hungrier lower planes. Stories of shadow people seen in nightmares or near-death experiences may actually be sightings of proto-Selenim in the lower planes.

Whether they were once Nephilim or not, their nature is likewise fundamentally different from other black elementals. The proto-Selenim have five Emotional Traits and can truly bond with Solar-Ka to create a bloc of both Black Moon and Solar-Ka, which other black elementals lack.

How does a Selenim come to exist? In two ways, broadly speaking: either a Nephilim transforms into a Selenim, or a proto-Selenim incarnates within a dreamer who passes through the lower plane of their birth. 

For a former Nephilim, the process is traumatic. A slow contamination erodes their Ka-elements one by one until only Moon remains and eclipses into Black Moon, the contamination itself constantly whispering to them and influencing their behavior not unlike mild Khaiba or Shouit. A sudden sacrifice immediately strips away all their Ka-elements at once, leaving their psyche unstable. Their sudden agelessness pales in comparison, at least for a time before they realize what a relief it was for their elemental half to reside in Stasis for centuries at a time...

Human beings may project into the lower planes during a nightmare or near-death experience. When they enter an astral realm where proto-Selenim were born, the elementals will be instinctively drawn to the dreamer and compete for the opportunity to ride him to freedom. For a natural Selenim, the process initially feels like a relief. The elemental Id no longer experiences the terror of the lower planes, while the human Ego suddenly gains access to an entire world it never knew existed. The two blend together and slowly give rise to a Super-Ego that informs their Immortal life in the occult scene. Then, as time passes, they realize the true emotional harm of facing eternity...

What is their psychic apparatus? The Selenim are much more individualistic and egotistical on average than Nephilim. Their lack of the Pentacle's stability means that their Id, Ego and Super-Ego are weaker and bleed into one another even more than the Nephilim. This leads to the mistaken belief that they don't suffer Khaiba or Shouit, but the truth is that episodes are less obvious than their Nephilim brethren. In the face of eternity, they suffer from a rollercoaster of existential angst that they call "Hells", "Limbos" and "The Abyss."

Their mortal Ego atrophies as they live without aging and outgrow a human lifespan, eventually operating on auto-pilot in a fugue state for decades at a time whenever it provokes Shouit. The Selenim call this “Ahasverus syndrome” instead of Shouit. These are similar to, and may be a manifestation of, the Sekhat fugues experienced by Nephilim. Former Nephilim still remember their past lives to a degree, but their weakened link to their Stasis item means the ego-memories become much weaker too. Although Selenim may fall into an emotional Abyss, outright dementia or possession seems unheard of.

In the throws of Entropy, a Selenim feels agony and spiritual hunger, but their weaker Id doesn’t necessarily wrest control from them like Khaiba. They are constantly aware of their suffering and must consciously choose to rectify it, but some choose to let Entropy take them rather than continue suffering through eternity. Often, the remnants of Ego and Id unite to plunge the Selenim into a fugue to recover psychologically.

This changes when they create their Imago. Its consciousness is a reflection of the proto-Selenim, what the proto-Selenim could’ve been if it wasn’t incomplete. A sufficiently developed Imago may possess the body of its creator through their link, causing a state not unlike Shouit or Khaiba. This almost only ever happens when the Selenim does something to trigger the Imago’s self-preservation instinct, such as being too slow to arrest Entropy. Rumors circulate of Imagoes permanently incarnating in their creator's Simulacrum, though so far only the Loa Baron Saturday is known to have achieved this miracle.

What is the Selenim's relationship with their mundane life? Unlike Nephilim, Selenim incarnate eternally in one ageless body. While they will still care about their mundane ties initially, the wonders and dangers of the occult world and their ageless face will steadily disconnect them from these ties. They may still love individual mortals and watch over their mortal descendants, but their physical immortality will perpetually alienate them. The only "mundane" ties they can truly maintain are those with the ghosts of the dead.

What are some other speculations? It may be possible to resurrect a Selenim who dissolved into the magic fields from physical death or Entropy, but this would require the Third Circles of their Obscure Sciences. Black Summoning could be used to call the elemental from beyond, while a Sovereign's Realm could insulate the spirit to give it time to recover and reincarnate. 

Ar-Kaïm

What is an Ar-Kaïm? The Ar-Kaïm are a fusion of a human being and an elemental spirit of all the magic fields of the Earth. 

What is this elemental? Unlike the proto-Nephilim or proto-Selenim, the proto-Ar-Kaïm never existed before the moment of incarnation. Like the proto-Selenim, the proto-Ar-Kaïm cannot survive disembodiment even for a moment. Some wonder whether it is really an elemental at all, with only Khaiba proving it has any sentience at all. As such, its nature remains a mystery...

Another oddity that sets the proto-Ar-Kaïm apart is that it cannot reincarnate except in the blood descendants of its first simulacrum. Such occult dynasties have apparently existed for centuries prior to Crowley's disruptions, but the Nephilim and Selenim know little about them.

How does an Ar-Kaïm come to exist? When a human being of suitable disposition enters a Nexus under a Grand Enthronement when the stars are right then the proto-Ar-Kaïm incarnates within their body, binding with their soul from the moment it existed. Some Ar-Kaïm reported being irresistibly drawn to the site of their awakening beforehand, suggesting that the Nexus itself or the embryonic proto-Ar-Kaïm displayed some manner of sentience.

Their Dominant Ka and Astrological House is determined by the Grand Enthronement. This raises the question of how the Ophiuchus incarnates, as there is no Grand Enthronement of the Black Moon...

What is their psychic apparatus? The Ar-Kaïm don't seem to display a clear distinction between Ego and Super-Ego, though whether that's due to their relative youth or their Immortal nature is unknown. They freely use magic, but don't suffer episodes of Shouit where they retreat into mundane life or fugue states. How this works is a mystery to Immortal psychologists.

When Ar-Kaïm incarnate or reincarnate, they may or may not experience varying degrees of memory loss as their Solar-Ka is incorporated into a Heart. They usually retain some degree of skills and impressions from past lives upon reincarnation, but they don't retain the personality or ego-memories of past lives like Nephilim do.

What is the Ar-Kaïm's relationship with their mundane life? The Ar-Kaïm are often heavily focused on their mundane life compared to the other Immortals, often to their detriment. That said, it is common for others to run away from their mundane lives to go on occult adventures and quests for Agartha.

What are some other speculations? Jesus Christ was unique in that, since he became Nephilim at the very moment of his mortal body's conception and his elemental spirit's emergence, he never developed either an Id nor an Ego. He was purely Super-Ego, and thus easily capable of great feats other Immortals spend centuries struggling to master. Although the Major Arcana claim credit for his birth to inflate their Egos, in truth his birth was a random accident, a true miracle of the magic fields.

Some suspect that Jesus was an Ar-Kaïm. Others suspect that the Ar-Kaïm are flawed recreations of his awakening, unable to shed their Ego due to the imperfect circumstances of their births.

Elemental companions

The Immortals may suffer from various magical maladies as a result of fumbling the occult sciences or suffering magical injuries. One of these is the detachment of Ka (most commonly during Narcosis), which forms into an elemental beast linked to the Immortal from whom it spawned. The Immortal's relationship to their "spawn" is quite variable: it might attack them immediately after birth for more Ka, it might wander off but retain a dangerous sympathetic link to the immortal, it might try to possess the Immortal and cause a state not unlike Khaiba or Shouit...

Some Immortals have turned these beasts into familiars, or others did so and use it against its parent. A former Nephilim turned Selenim will retain its sympathetic link to spawn created from Elemental Ka, but lacking Elemental Ka themselves will thus have difficulty dealing with it.

Other times, an Immortal might form a permanent bond of companionship with a wild elemental beast that survives across their various incarnations. In their own way, elemental beasts have an awareness that transcends dissolution by any means other than Orichalc. In this instance an Immortal was able to take advantage of that. While its utility is limited and it will be difficult to control, there are always situations in which its help might come in very handy...

Conclusion...

I'll probably refine this in the future, but that's the gist of it.