pirit World

The Spirit World is a parallel plane of existence that co-exists along with the World of the Avatar. It is the home of spirits, immortal supernatural entities which often embody different aspects of life and nature. Spirits do not create anything in the spiritual world like gods, but rather are the spiritual manifestation of things that naturally come into existence in the physical world. It was the natural occurrence in the physical world that gave the spirit life in the spiritual world. The spirit of the Earth for example came into existence when the earth did and the spirit of life came into existence when the first life-form evolved. Also, while their may be one spirit that embodies an emotion like Lust or Rage, there will also be many other weaker spirits that represent different aspects of that concept. Like Eros is the greater spirit of Lust but their are other weaker spirits of lust as well.

Known Spirits

• Specific
  Avatar Katsurik
  Avatar Zeng Ku
  Eros
  Hephaestus
  Keeper and Creator
  Kyoso
  Marcus
  Orabos
  Raava
  Vaatu
  Valseran
  Wan Shi Tong
  William

Very few mortals have ever been to the Spirit World, and as such most knowledge men have of spirits come from the evil spirits that roam the Shadowlands. The Shadowlands were created when Saarebas rulers of the Exalted Emporium abused their powers and opened a rift into the spirit world, letting loose a myriad of evil spirits. The rift was long ago closed by Avatar Fow Rung, who then created the Jagged Wall, a boundary of massive peaks and rivers of lava that keep the spirits trapped with the blighted land. Many evil spirits still roam those forbidden lands and most have been well documented when man battle against their spread. Omashu and the White Mantel, being on the boundaries border, are the most familiar with the spirits that dwell there as they must constantly ensure they remained contained.

• General
  Baku
  Doro no Oni
  Elementals
  Elemental Rift
  Fudoshi Vine
  Fushicho Phoenix
  Garegosu no Bakemono
  Guardian Statue
  Hellbeast
  Houhou Phoenix
  Ianwa no Oni
  Kiri no Oni
  Kitsune
  Mokumokuren
  Nikumizu
  Ogon no Oni
  Oni
  Onikage
  Rage Demon
  Sanshu Denki
  Shadow Beast
  Sodatsu no Oni
  Spirit Hound
  Takesasu
  Tsuchimon
  Undead
  Vampire Spawn
  Wakeru no Oni
  Werewolf Spawn
  Wrackspawn
  Yorei
  Zashiki Warashi
  Zenmensonsou

Levels of the Spirit World
There are three levels of the spirit world.

• The Veil, which separates it from the world of life
• The Fade, or the Near Spirit World, is just after the Veil and is where weaker spirits exist and the spirits of people go when they die as well as where you go when you dream. Mortals spirits go to the Fade when they die. These human spirits have little to no power in the spirit world, it is simply where their life force goes after death to be at peace.
• The Deep, the farthest realm of the spirit world is called the Deep Spirit World and it is where the more powerful and significant Spirits Exist as well as the spirits of all the past Avatars. The Avatar maintains the balance of the world, and is one of the few spirits able to bridge the different levels with ease. When the balance is threatened the Veil grows weaker making it easier for people or spirits to pass through.

Humans subconscious partially travel to the Spirit World when they sleep. This experience is called dreaming. All dreams are the minds experiences partially within the Fade.

It is difficult, and therefore rare, for a human to pass into the Spirit World; conversely only a handful of spirits are able to exist physically in the mortal world and when they do they lose their immortality. Exceptions to this are when unnatural bridges between worlds are created by the acts of humans, mostly caused by the Blood Rituals of Saarebas.

The Spirit World and the physical world are closest together during the solstices, which makes it easier for spirits to manifest in the mortal world and for humans to pass into the Spirit World. There are also certain locations in the physical world which act as bridges to the Spirit World, and often these locations are revered by cultures living near them, such as the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. The Avatar itself also acts as a spiritual bridge between both the worlds and can travel between them freely, though bending has no effect in the Spirit World.

There are few known ways for a human to pass into the Spirit World. Probably the most common way is to be carried there by a spirit as the spirit shifts between planes. Neutral spirits, such as animals, have the easiest time shifting planes, as the stronger ones moral dispositions the harder it is to pass the veil. Those who have reached enlightenment can shift planes very easily as well. The Avatar is also able to pass fully into the spirit world at times and locations where the barrier separating the two realities is unusually weak (such as, at Avatar Temples on a solstice or at the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole). One can also interact with the Spirit World through the use of Blood Rituals.

Very little is known about the Spirit World, in particular its geography. At least in some places, the Spirit World seems to conform closely to an area of the physical world, so much so that a mortal making the transition might not immediately notice the difference. In other places (such as the North Pole) the geography of the Spirit World seems to have no connection to the physical world, with completely different geography.

Realm of Koh

The realm of the spirit Koh, the Face Stealer, exists below a gigantic, twisted tree. The land surrounding his lair is barren, dark and scarcely inhabited, except for Koh’s faceless victims and at least one gargantuan Wolf Spirit. For anyone who enters his lair, it is advisable to remain emotionless, as Koh steals the face of anyone who expresses his or her emotions in front of him.

Solstices
A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice a year. During these solstices, the Spirit World and the physical world are significantly closer than during the rest of the year. So, it is easier to cross over during these solstices.

The Avatar
The Avatar is the natural ‘bridge’ between the Spirit World and the physical world. The Avatar can use meditation to enter the Spirit World. When he/she does this, the spirit of the Avatar leaves his/her body, leaving their body defenseless.

The Spirit Oasis

The Spirit Oasis is an oasis at the Northern Water Tribe, behind the chief’s temple, at the base of a waterfall. This place is the center of all the spiritual energy in the entire North Pole, and unlike the rest of the North Pole, it is noticeably warm there. In the middle of the Spirit Oasis are two koi fish. The two fish are actually the mortal forms of Tui and La, the Moon and the Ocean spirits, circling each other in eternal dance.