4 – An Overview of Hybrids

• Defining Hybrids
• Defining Anivores
• A Comment on Phantoms
• Online and Offline Status
• Survivor-Spectator Pairs
• Physical and Ethereal Planes

See also, Chapter 2 – “The Digital World”

Parrot hybrid (scarlet variant) in their waxing crescent moon state

1 patch of feather coverage behind neck + 1 to 2 body traits (wings and dexterous feet)

Defining Hybrids

The creatures that populate this world are not flesh and bone as they were in mine. They have shape, but lack true bones. Rather, they are pixels, light, and strings of code. Modifying (i.e. “modding”) the code is possible, but requires many years of study and faces limitations.

• A hybrid is a humanoid who walks upright and shares physiology, instinctual behavior, and possibly culture with the dragon who laid their spawn egg. A hybrid always has an opaque soul, which is blue for natives of this universe (regardless of whether the hybrid is a survivor or a spectator).
• Speaking for myself, a foreigner can arrive in this universe with a soul of a different color. My own is purple, but appears to function in line with typical hybrid biology for this world.
• The soul is considered the true form of the hybrid. By this, I mean it is possible to remove skins as easily as one removes clothing. Hybrids are made of light and do not have blood or bones. Instead, the skin can be easily peeled from the soul’s chalaza layer (described in more detail in Chapter 3)

As creatures of light, hybrids lack consistent collision with one another’s bodies. Touch is possible, but firm or prolonged contact will cause their pixels to “bleed” together, pushing them into a scattered state. By this, I mean one or both individuals will become unstable as the colliding sections of their body fail to stay solid. Minor glitching may occur.

Widely, this is perceived as frustrating, as it makes many interactions difficult (such as carrying the young or injured, cuddling a partner, or lifting someone up difficult terrain). Wearing armor or handmade clothes is only a temporary solution, as the hybrid’s code will soon accept such things as part of the body. There is one way to strengthen the collision barrier, which is known as carroting as it requires the consumption of golden carrots in bulk.

• See also, Chapter 9 – “Carrots, Co-Spawning, and Flares”

The physiology of the residents of this world allows them to heal from exposure to a specific type of light. Those who eat physical food (such as meat or plants) obtain this light by dissolving their food into light particles. The mouth produces an aura that turns foreign particles into light once they’re behind the teeth. These light particles are swallowed and immediately absorbed by the body, which heals within seconds or minutes depending on the food and type of injury. Once food is converted into light, the energy cannot easily be stored for later. Moving around the world creates a steady, continuous drain on energy. Hybrids tend to eat when they’re hungry and not at set meal times. Only items the body recognizes as food are dissolved and converted into energy. It’s not uncommon to eat with utensils; however, many utensils are made from wood, which some hybrids can convert to food. 

Hybrids can also heal from exposure to a beacon aura. A beacon is a type of structure crafted from a nether star. The light it creates can grant several effects on a hybrid’s body (much like wizard magic in my old world). This energy appears to be emitted from the beacon on a specialized wavelength that allows hybrids to absorb the healing energy through their skin rather than the mouth. Soul spawners offer the same healing aura and are not limited by the species they produce.

Some hybrids fill their hunger meters by consuming code in its raw form (For example, by eating the code of a cow instead of the more processed code of a steak). These are called anivores; they absorb the energy of their target by dissolving them into consumable light.

Newborn anivores should be given especially close supervision. Because they’re capable of eating stray strings of code that fall from the body, they often explore this ability by sucking their thumbs, biting their nails, chewing on their hair, or scratching their skin to loosen the strings. It’s not unheard of for anivores to chew on their own skin or clothes when bored or hungry. Many anivores learn limits by nipping other people, who may respond by pushing them away, scolding, or lashing out with a slap or punch.

It can take time to develop a sense of boundaries. I don’t recommend leaving a young anivore unattended for long, as their experimental nips can quickly dissolve into a full-on hunt.

Defining Anivores

There are no carnivorous hybrids in the Between dimension. Instead, there are anivores: mob or hybrid species that can only refill their hunger meter by consuming live code (For instance, the code of a cow instead of the stagnant code of a steak). Mob and hybrid souls both contain an abundance of live code. Thus, souls are the primary food source of anivores. The process of consuming code is called “logging someone out.” This term is synonymous to “knocking people AFK” or “forcing a logout” (also known as a force-log).

• The soul is defined further in Chapter 7 – “The Soul”

Anivores play a curious role in the ecosystem. Their bodies clean and refresh whatever code they consume, allowing hybrids to respawn with strong, active code. I might describe refreshed code as healthier, or at least cleaner. For example, a hybrid who spent the day caving and biting their fingernails will respawn freshly groomed, with any dirt and scratches removed from their hands while their fingernails have been returned to their full default form. My theory is that anivores are corrupting or deleting code from the world, which prompts the universe to restore the consumed individual to a previously saved version of their data. Memories do not appear to be lost during this process, implying they are stored in another part of the file that does not receive this reboot.

• The version the hybrid respawns as seems to be whichever version of them is saved at the coding table. The coding table allows hybrids to manipulate their code, even changing the outward appearance of their species (and the appearance of their variant)
• See also, Chapter 10 – “XP, Magic, and Tables”

Logging someone out is not considered a death, which would result in respawn at the soul spawner. Rather, a logged-out hybrid will wake on their AFK server: the server their data is tied to (Usually the server they were first created in, though the destination can be altered at the coding table). The hybrid is generally unable to leave the AFK server again until they receive a fresh flow of energy from the outside world, although there are exceptions. This energy flow is usually said to come from a person outside the world engaging with the account; however, a hybrid can also receive energy flow from their creator and/or primary player thinking strongly about Minecraft or their plans to build, explore, and play.

In other words, energy flow is often (though not always) a sign that a player will soon log into Minecraft. Some hybrids can cross from their AFK server into Between even when energy flow is low; these are hybrids who have invested Between dimension XP in this ability at the skill table (Also discussed in Chapter 10). By default, a hybrid requires high energy flow to make this jump.

• I’ve heard rumor of one hybrid who invested so much XP in this ability, they gained the ability to leave a singleplayer server and enter Between even while their player is still engaging with the game. In a sense, this player left a “ghost” of themselves behind, separating their consciousness enough to make the jump and wander freely

Archivist’s Note – [Minor Series Spoilers]
It’s Etho; he first mentions this ability in Dog’s Life Chapter 9 when asked to mute his communicator and he says he can’t. The comm is constantly pinging him with everything he’s missing out on- He is still, on some level, connected to the version of himself that he left in his singleplayer world. Basically, Etho’s comm is recording all the memories he’s supposed to be creating while on-server. Etho can’t access any of that info until he returns to the singleplayer server and gets that information added to his brain.

In Chapter 30, Etho confirms he found a secret menu in the skill tree and that’s why he’s allowed to leave the singleplayer. Etho pouring his XP in this skill is also the reason for all the following: It’s why he has the longest wander time out of anybody in New Star Station (8 hours), it’s why he’s allowed to have an opal button on his portal despite the fact that opal is banned in New Star, and it’s why he was able to leave his server in One and a Half Birds Chapter 6 (where it was implied he was sleeping on his server, probably not playing).

Related: In Dog’s Life Chapter 24, Scott | Smajor1995 reveals his threshold to cross into Between is very low; he implies that IRL Scott Major is so tied to Minecraft-related work, he “couldn’t give [Pixels Scott] a curfew if he tried.” This is a nod to Scott’s work with MCC and the fact that he was once roommates with and/or lived near a lot of his Minecraft YouTuber friends. Also, Scott is part of many, many SMPs; Minecraft is (presumably) often in his mind at least once most days. Pixels Scott has a very low energy threshold he needs to cross to exit his AFK.

Frequent playtime and/or low requirements to cross the threshold are necessary for nice personal housing in New Star Station. These are the main characters in the Pixels Imperfect series, so we see them with their own rooms and apartments. However, most people live in dorm buildings that are filled with portals and don’t have things like private bathrooms or kitchens (as space is limited in New Star). If you’re only showing up on rare occasion, you can use the public restrooms and cafeteria. Typically, my work implies that 3 people tend to share an apartment (for example, known roommate combos include Etho, PauseUnpause, and VintageBeef + Grian, DomRao, and Taurtis + MumboJumbo, Iskall85, and Stressmonster + Jimmy | Solidarity, Martyn | InTheLittleWood, and NettyPlays). Sometimes there are additional people also sharing those rooms- Like the partners of these people.

A crossroads portal can access any server you set it to (within the local options), so I like to think more than 3 people and their partners do use these rooms. For example, a player exits their portal in the morning and flips a switch so the portal is now connected to the AFK server of their assigned buddy (who exists in a much different time zone). Then if the buddy comes online, they’ll exit directly in the nice room (instead of getting redirected to the bulk room). In my mind, that’s how room assignments work to fit more people in the limited underground space. Their paths rarely cross, but they’ll find each other’s leftovers in the ice chest or loose papers on the table.

Continuing our discussion of anivores, most hybrids have stomachs to digest physical food with (and eliminate the waste). Obligate anivores lack both a stomach and bladder while in Between or high-trait servers, though the code for both these organs is present in partial anivores.

• Live Code – Code that comprises the energy and data of mobs and hybrids and actively flows through their bodies. Trace amounts of live code may be left behind on objects that were heavily touched by mobs or hybrids for a long time, such as clothing or tree branches; an anivore may be able to lick or chew live code off these handled objects
• Stagnant Code – Live code that has begun to stiffen and cease flowing, which clogs the bodies of mobs and hybrids. Sleeping or allowing your code to be consumed and cycled by an anivore will allow it to flow more freely again; a handheld tool called an activator whisk can also be shaken against an exposed soul (i.e. no skin) to temporarily loosen stagnant patches
• Lifeless Code – Non-flowing code that comprises non-living entities, such as most building blocks; meat from mob drops immediately snaps from live code to lifeless code
• Obligate Anivores – Anivores that can only digest live or stagnant code; the body will reject lifeless code and the anivore may become ill
• Partial Anivores – Capable of digesting lifeless code (provided the object is considered edible by the game), but can only refill their hunger meter by consuming live code
• Omnivores – Capable of refilling the hunger meter by consuming live code or lifeless code, provided the object is considered edible by the game

The colloquial term force-log is a shortened form of the phrase “forced logout.” This term is often used to indicate an anivore hunted and preyed upon an individual who was not expecting it, as in the sentence “My brother force-logged our sister yesterday.”

Anivores may use sight, sound, or smell to track a source of live code. Some hybrids may also use technology or mods. An anivore’s mouth contains enzymes that dissolve the souls they eat into energy. Consumed food products leave the body through the bladder (once the bladder meter is full). However, nonconsumable parts of a soul leave an anivore’s body through the pores of their skin (in the form of white sparkles that float upwards). 

• Enzymes – Lines of code produced in a hybrid’s mouth, allowing them to dissolve food into light particles (which the body can use for energy). All hybrids have some amount of enzymes, but anivores have a highly concentrated amount that can dissolve a bite of live code in under a second

Recall the creation story I shared in Chapter 1 of my report, which described endermites as the earliest species. Endermites (mobs and hybrids alike) are anivores that possess unique enzymes which allow them to chew through the lines of code that make up the surrounding world. This structural code is called ecto code– a thin, sticky, somewhat damp substance somewhere between the composition of a soul and the composition of skin. It appears to stick the pixels of a mob or hybrid together. In my old body of flesh, I would compare its purpose to mucus (as in, a lubricant that keeps the body from drying out and also filters particles from the nose and throat).

• Hybrids naturally shed pixels as their ecto code fades (with those who’ve been awake and active for long periods of time losing their ecto code more frequently than those freshly respawned)
• I often lie awake at night wondering if the sky will fall on my head due to endermite neighbors enjoying a late-night snack

Archivist’s Note – [Minor Series Spoilers]
In Dog’s Life Chapter 29, GoodTimesWithScar showed SnifferMyFeet his cane, which is also a sword. Sniff was born an endermite. Although he lacked the vocabulary, he recognized that Scar’s cane was made from ecto code.

Scar is a vex: a mob that is spawned in holding a sword. Scar has customized the design of his cane/sword (and he owns multiple canes), but the cane/sword has been adopted into his code as an extension of his body. It heals when he heals, though damaging the cane doesn’t hurt him. Also, when he switches into seravex (guardian vex) form, as he did in Chapter 35, his weapon converted automatically from a sword to the spiked mace ball that seravex use, without him shuffling a new item into his hand. It reverted to a cane when he regained control of his emotion. Most items cannot change like this and the fact that Scar is a vex wielding an item made from ecto code is what allows it to.

The flowers ZombieCleo wears in her hair are also ecto code. She’s able to remove them from her body and give them to other people and they will retain their flower-like appearance; she added some flowers to Martyn’s hair in Dog’s Life Chapter 25. Cleo described her flowers as “a visual overlay of her pixels.”

She pointed out that Martyn also has a visual overlay on his pixels. In his case, Martyn’s code turns all shoes he wears into crocs (including the diamond boots Lizzie gave him in Chapter 6); the technical reason for what’s happening is that Martyn’s body is programmed to display crocs on his feet, so excess pixels are immediately stripped away and added to his internal “mucus supply” (ecto code supply). High ecto supply means fewer pixels lost when exhibiting strong emotions. For example, many hybrids glitch when startled or upset. High ecto code supply holds the pixels together, making glitches less likely.

Another good example of ecto code is in “Canadian Idiot.” In that story, Etho chewed Joel’s fingers off. Etho allowed Joel to cut his hair, using those pixels to rebuild his fingers. First, Etho had to press his hands to the pixels, absorbing the data that made them function like hair (color and texture, for example) so that Joel was left with raw pixels he could merge to his skin. Etho reabsorbed the ecto code. It’s kind of like giving someone the spoon you were eating with, but rinsing it off first. Pixels will adapt to other bodies if you’re in physical contact with another person for a while. Joel could have accepted the pixels while they still had ecto code on them, but then two fingers on his hand would have been white with the texture of hair.

All anivores (and some omnivores) have a gular pouch: an expanding sac in the throat that stores live code without dissolving and consuming it. Tiny brush-like parts attached to the inside of the pouch ensure the code is rotated so it does not become stagnant. This was the inspiration behind the handheld tool called an activator whisk, which can be used on a soul outside the pouch to the same effect.

Many mobs bring food to their offspring, but souls are particularly difficult to carry. A gular pouch makes transporting a soul much easier. The code can later be pushed from the pouch and into the mouth, where the anivore can either consume it (by holding it until the mouth enzymes dissolve it) or it can be passed to the mouth of another anivore, such as a mate or child. The act of passing undigested food (including souls) from one mouth to another is called allofeeding.

• See also, Chapter 8 – “Hybrid Behavior”

Souls can be held in the pouch for weeks, allowing anivores to rest for long periods between their hunting sessions (which may be needed while recovering from injury after attacking live prey or while raising young). Vex and great hunger hybrids are two species famous for their infrequent eating- Even one soul can keep them fed for a month (provided the code was mostly live instead of stagnant).

Most anivores (mobs and hybrids alike) favor fresh, recently respawned live code (which presumably provides the most nutrients). Many anivores are drawn to dragon nests and server hubs where this type of code is common. However, scavengers are notably attracted to stagnant code, or other forms of weakened code; reports suggest decaying code produces a scent scavengers find attractive.

Code weakens when the body underproduces ecto code. This causes pixels to become loose. It’s common for pixels to leap, snap, and spark against the body when a hybrid is startled, stress, or experiencing heightened emotions; however, loose pixels will leap and snap even when the hybrid is resting. The crackling of weakened code produces a sound that many scavengers pick up on in combination with the decaying scent. The more frequent the sparking and pixel shedding, the easier it becomes for scavengers to trace the individual’s location. An individual whose code is weak should rest in a bed every two or three days to refresh their code, lest they attract hungry phantoms.

• Spectators, who walk the ethereal plane, protect their code from a large amount of strain and damage. They lack physical forms while in spectator mode and cannot be hunted. If they leave spectator mode, they’re often hunted by anivores for their clean, fresh code. Scavengers tend to ignore them unless the supply of stagnant code is limited

Phantom hybrids, both blue variants in their first quarter moon state

Multiple patches of fur/feather coverage (beneath clothing) and 2 to 4 body traits (Wings, tails, talons, fangs)

A Comment on Phantoms

As I’m writing a guide to the Between dimension, I find it crucial to highlight phantoms in particular. Phantoms are facultative scavengers, meaning they actively hunt prey in addition to scavenging if opportunity presents itself. Phantoms are obligate anivores and one of the fastest mobs in Between. They are unique for their ability to detect weakening code sooner and with greater accuracy than any other species. Wings and speed allow a flock to cover a wide territory. Their shrieks carry a long distance and attract others to attack prey. A flock can be difficult to defend against, especially if the player is tired and afflicted with weakened code. Phantom mobs will even attack fully armored hybrids.

Of course, any hostile mob can make travel difficult. Many hybrid communities spawn-proof against hostile mobs by building with half-slabs or placing buttons, carpets, and other small blocks on the ground (since hostile mobs can spawn in Between regardless of light level). A hybrid can disrupt soul phantoms from spawning by staying under solid blocks, but this won’t prevent anivores who’ve already taken up residence in the area from detecting weakened code. To avoid a logout by phantoms, consider the following:

• Disconnect your player file from the local server hub. While this won’t make you undetectable to anivores, disconnected players are more difficult to detect
• Pay attention to your body’s needs. If you feel you need rest, don’t procrastinate
• Observe the day/night cycle and carry a clock to keep track of how long it’s been since you last slept
• Use code-cleaning tools (such as activator whisks, exfoliators, and shears) to remove loose strings from your body and stir your stagnant code back into live code (But prepare yourself for a large time commitment)
• Stay in the sunlight. Although Between’s sun is weaker than the Overworld sun, phantoms will still burn during part of the day. It’s not uncommon for phantom hybrids to protect themselves with armor or magma cream when hunting during daylight hours
• Stay underground or within a private room. While phantoms are weak diggers, some creatures (such as zombies, foxes, and breeze) are known for digging up prey
• Retreat to your AFK server of your own will and sleep to repair your weakened code (an ability unique to the Overworld dimension and impossible in Between)
• Upgrade your diamond armor to full magmamarine, which prevents anivores from detecting weakened code by containing the noise and scent (provided you wear all pieces of the armor)
• Carry a strong weapon and be prepared for a fight. Use any tricks available, such as forcing a flock to enter a small space one individual at a time or throwing Potions of Healing at them, which cause damage to undead mobs. Arrows of Healing are especially effective if your aim is good, as you can attack even if they keep their distance in the hopes that you’ll grow sleepy and weak
• Consider a truce. Phantom mobs are much less likely to attack you if they can safely scavenge from freshly killed livestock. Phantom hybrids may be willing to negotiate if you ask, though it’s worth noting that they are obligate anivores and can’t digest alternate foods while in Between; they’ll need to eat eventually

While phantoms are not the only anivores, they can be a particular nuisance in Between. Phantoms may detect weakened code before the hybrid does themself. Hybrids cannot sleep in Between, phantoms can fly at great speeds, and phantoms prefer to attack in groups. In modern times, the scarcity of quality ore for armor and weapons can certainly inconvenience weary travelers, and the Phantom Dragon’s preference for distributing her phantoms across Between has led to wider distribution than most other anivores

• Provided there’s enough food, phantoms can dominate a settlement unless kept in check by their main predator, vex

Cultural Impact

While a logout is not a death (and should be painless if performed properly), the existence of anivores and their hunting habits has shaped Between’s culture in several ways, from one’s appearance to one’s travel habits.

Anivores prefer clean code, meaning code that has not been heavily modified. Mods are made from lifeless code. This is difficult for anivores to digest (in fact, they mostly eat around it, leaving the non-digestible scraps behind), so heavily modded players are not targeted as frequently as unmodded ones. This has led to a culture of purposely wearing lots of mods before roaming Between in order to deflect the attention of anivores. This in turn can disrupt food availability for many species; this in combination with their weakness to sun and heat means it should be no surprise that phantom mobs rarely travel far from the phantom soul spawner, and hybrids (who are more resistant) are the dominant anivore in the sky.

• See also, Chapter 6 – “Server Hubs”

If a player is logged out by an anivore or omnivore while their soul crystal is connected to a server hub, they will wake on their AFK server. However, if a player is logged out while their soul crystal is not connected to a server hub, they are considered to have no AFK server. They will instead wake at their soul spawner, presumably near their mother dragon’s nest.

• Wandering trader hybrids tend to keep their soul crystals with them when they travel. This allows them to connect to each server hub they come across, meaning they can step from Between to the Overworld and sleep when the need arises (which repairs the stagnant sections of their code).

Wandering traders are often robbed or killed because of the goods they carry. This has led to a culture of hiring escorts: individuals who work as guides and bodyguards, often in exchange for a fee. An escort can be an individual of any species (including a fellow wandering trader). Anivores commonly work as escorts as they can log out attackers- once a wandering trader (or any other individual in need of escorting) has connected their soul crystal to their destination hub, the anivore can log them out to feed on their code. Vex hybrids (who eat infrequently, can fly, do not burn in the sun, and are considered powerful apex predators capable of logging out all other species) are common escorts for short-distance travels.

Phantom hybrids are also common escorts, especially for journeys with long gaps between hubs. Phantoms only need to eat once every three days, can fly, and can log out most species. Because phantoms favor stagnant code, they often take escort opportunities that vex avoid. However, phantom hybrids are at risk of burning in unobstructed sunlight unless layered with magma cream and/or unless they’ve poured a large amount of XP into their sun resistance abilities.

Many other payment methods, such as physical resources, are frequently exchanged between travelers and escorts as well.

• See also, Chapter 13 – “Between’s Culture”

Archivist’s Note – [Minor Series Spoilers]
The story Criminal Experience follows wandering trader Mumbo Jumbo and his phantom hybrid escort, impulseSV. In Chapter 4, another phantom hybrid takes an interest in hunting Mumbo; Impulse intervenes.

In One and a Half Birds Chapter 9, Mumbo and Martyn engaged in flirty roleplay as if Mumbo was a weary traveler and Martyn was an escort. In Chapter 10, Mumbo shared stories of times his escorts ate his soul as payment. I’ve been itching to write a more specific story about that.

Online and Offline Status

I struggle to wrap my mind around terms such as “online,” “offline,” “login,” “logout,” and “AFK,” but I will do my best to convey what I understand. To be online is to feel energy in you, which gives you the strength to move and play for many days with little rest (sometimes months at a time). It’s as if a game is opened from its box and fully laid out on the table, actively being played by someone truly focused on it.

• A login is like the process of setting up a game. A logout is the equivalent of cleaning up.

To be offline is to be put away for another time. Engagement with the game may end here for those outside this world, but the impact of their energy has not yet faded from the player they controlled. Between is a world where those who are offline continue to function as though they are people with mind and thought: when the game is shelved, the pieces exist within the walls of the box, and they entertain themselves using what’s around them. This is the dimension we call “the world of souls.”

The offline state is not one of sleep or paralysis, but one of existing unwatched, left alone to uncover who you are when you are not guided by outside hands. If given sentience, perhaps the king and queen of hearts in a deck of cards exist in marital bliss because they’ve been told that this is the way of things. But perhaps they will explore and befriend other cards, and the life of outside expectations becomes a separate one from the world that exists within the box.

I define online specifically as “the outside player being in a state of mind that allows the avatar player to draw on their energy.” The energy does not snap away the moment the outside player puts the game away. The avatar can continue feeding on the energy for a bit longer until the outside player’s mind has mostly moved to other things, such as food or sleep. Energy may linger longer if post-play conversation is had, or plans are made to play again soon, or if the game box is left in a visible area.

Eventually, however, the energy will dissipate (as surely those outside still need to sleep, as we do), and this will shut down the mind no matter how much they wish to play. This shutdown state is called being AFK (an acronym for “away from keys”- I assume in reference to doors now being locked, as the AFK player cannot leave their assigned AFK server in this state).

• While in spectator mode, a spectator account will not experience the AFK state

Players who are either AFK or slipping towards the AFK state will be ignored by many anivores. Anivores require energy to feed on, meaning that the gain they would receive from attacking and consuming an AFK player is not generally worth the effort (i.e. the risk of taking damage or possibly dying outweighs the reward of energy gain). Some species, such as great hunger hybrids, will still eat AFK players as their hunting method requires lying in wait for someone to walk nearby (i.e. they expend very little energy as they do not pursue their prey, so may not consider it a loss to snap their jaws at an AFK person).

AFK players are the primary food source of scavengers like phantoms, who gain more energy from stagnant code than active code.

• I feel there’s a threshold that determines when energy is accessible to the hybrid. I’ve heard some say they feel “tingly” or “aware of what’s about to happen” in the moments before gameplay begins again, bringing a hybrid back to the online state

Survivor-Spectator Pairs

There are two subspecies of hybrid, which can be further broken down into anatomy differences that vary with the moon cycle. These two subspecies are officially called survivor and spectator, though are colloquially known as player and camera. A survivor and spectator always hatch from their spawn egg(s) within minutes of each other, but whether the second is mob or hybrid is entirely dependent on the first to hatch.

In other words, a survivor-spectator pair will always be born hybrids. If the first egg hatches into a mob, the second remains dormant and will hatch into either a mob or hybrid according to its surroundings; the soul is not present within the egg until moments before hatching (although the egg carries nutrients in preparation).

It is fully possible for the second-born to hatch from a spawn egg of a different gender or species than the first. In the case of species differences, a pair may be separated across the Between dimension. This appears to be due to outside influence, giving weight to the theory that Minecraft is a game and not beholden to the rules of evolution and biology.

• Survivor – An opaque, physical hybrid. Affected by gravity and physical barriers. Generally incapable of passing through solid blocks, even in soul form (although they may glitch and “clip the edges”). Survivors are grounded, meaning they are unable to adopt the spectator state. Some parallels do exist, such as free-camming, but even these are not true spectator mode. A survivor possesses the ability to create worlds and become admins of their servers. While admins, they are able to use commands. A spectator can never use commands while on a server
• Spectator – A transparent, ethereal hybrid. Unaffected by gravity and physical walls. Capable of passing through solid blocks. While in spectator mode, they lack the vocal structure that allows for speech. However, they possess the ability to push their thoughts into their surroundings and their thoughts appear as words, which can be read. They can temporarily adopt a physical state, but may struggle to interact with items and may fall through solid blocks if not attentive to their surroundings. A spectator will never hunger or tire, but may require rest after an extensive time in the physical state
  • Further reading: Camera
    • Minecraft Wiki

It is not possible for a survivor-born to convert themselves to the biology of a spectator, nor a spectator-born to adopt the true biology of a survivor-born. However, elements of each other’s lifestyle can be replicated. It is acceptable to live casually as the other side, but extremely taboo in social settings (and medically dangerous) to claim you were born as the opposite type. I have witnessed snappy responses and even social ostracization towards those who have feigned being born the other side of the coin.

The connection between soul-twins is ethereal and sometimes difficult to observe. However, there is no question that their lives are intertwined from birth. When one dies in the Between dimension, so does the other, and both will respawn at their respective soul spawner (should it be available). I have not yet met anyone who claims to be twin of a cluckshroom or allay (the two species whose soul spawners were destroyed), so I cannot speak on whether it’s possible for one twin to respawn while the other is lost. I suspect that since their souls are linked, what happens to one will happen to the other. I feel it would be morally indecent to prove this by my hand.

• If one soul-twin dies in the Between dimension while the other is on a server, only one soul-twin will die and respawn

The twin bond is looser than the soulmate bond from my world, which formed during puberty and allowed one to feel every touch against the other’s body. The link between survivor-spectator pairs forms at birth, and the dynamic is defined between each survivor-spectator pair as a form of “roleplay titles.” There are no genetics in this world, and arguably the term “biology” is not apt to describe their bodies. The decision to view each other as friends, long-lost relatives, close siblings, twins, or even step-siblings and half-siblings is defined solely by the pair. I was quite surprised to hear a pair describe themselves as half-siblings, seeing as they were of different species and did not share even one parent (having only a dragon for a mother). Nonetheless, they felt the title suited them. It is socially taboo to nitpick or disrespect these chosen titles (and to title a pair without their input).

Survivor-spectator pairs are frequently, though not always, considered siblings (even if separated during hatching time). I have met some who do say they have a romantic connection with the other in their pair, seeing them not as a twin but as a soulmate, similar to my old world. However, this appears to be uncommon.

Again, these roleplay titles are decided purely by the pair. It certainly seems as though the use of the word “twin” in “soul-twin” sets many up to view the person connected to their soul as a sibling instead of a romantic partner despite living in a world where genetics do not exist, but this is not always the case. That said, I have noticed it takes great probing for a pair to admit to me when they consider each other romantic partners. Considering the widespread use of the term “twin” over “pair,” I understand the hesitation and infrequency.

• I believe the term “player” was once used to refer exclusively to those of the outside world who engage with Minecraft as a game. Unfortunately, colloquialism has led to confusion, leading to the vague term “Outside players” instead. Some people call these individuals Outsiders, though this is easily misunderstood and is not as widely used a term as I wish it was
• The use of “player” over “survivor” is widely favored due to the End Poem addressing those who complete the game as such; I have my suspicions that the poem was never meant for our eyes, yet many of us assume we are the one being addressed (and perhaps we are). “Player” is the most common term and I will use it frequently in upcoming chapters

Physical and Ethereal Planes

There exist two planes that seem to have their own consistencies across dimensions. The first is the physical plane. On this plane, bodies experience a wide range of senses: not just visual, but also smell, sound, taste, and touch. A survivor in the physical world can pick up items and feel textures in their hands. They may have verbal conversations by speaking words aloud, which are heard and responded to in the same fashion. They eat food for energy, drink water, and can detect a variety of smells.

The second is the ethereal plane. On this plane, visual experiences are turned up extremely, to the point they overwrite other senses. Colors are more vibrant. There also exist colors that cannot be seen with a survivor’s eye, such as ultraviolet, infrared, and several other wavelengths. Areas that appear dark on the physical plane are brightened in the ethereal one. Harsh lights are toned down, so this is a world with a wide range of colors that are easy to admire.

Smells, sounds, taste, and touch do exist in some fashion in the ethereal plane, but the body interprets these things as though they are visual. For example, textures do not register to the brain as rough or soft, but as a range of colors that fall under the umbrella terms orange and purple. Spectators who grow up tend to use a wider range of color words in their vocabulary to convey their experiences.

• The color that represents the touch of paper in my mind is what I would call powder. Condensation on a glass is frost, regardless of whether there is actual frost present. If speaking to my spectating friends, I might describe sand (which has a gritty texture) as a combination of amber, sunlight, and coral. The bark of a tree may feel rust and ginger, and a warm blanket may feel azure, sage, and mud
• I would describe my wife’s voice as oyster and heather

Spectators are not bound to gravity and physical collision. They can pass through solid rock, swim through lava without being burnt, and will not drown. However, very bright lights shone directly at them can disrupt their focus and ability to move, as will very bright lights moving at a rapid pace around them. Mirrored surfaces can also disrupt their ability to maintain their form. Spectators are a step outside of the physical reality and in a reality of their own.

Individuals on separate planes can speak aloud, but their voices will not carry into the other plane. Instead, their thoughts are translated into words. In the physical world, survivors can read the words of spectators on a screen called a communicator. On the ethereal plane, words are absorbed and understood as though they are colors and visual patterns, essentially conveying thoughts through images instead of words. If one member of the conversation lacks a communicator, or if their communicator is offline, communication can be greatly reduced.

To a degree, I do intend to maintain a shroud of privacy, but in my decision to pen my name to my writings, I imagine my status is known: I am the spectator of my survivor-spectator pair, with my elder brother (Steve) taking his role as survivor. My brother and I have our share of animosity, but we are a pair at our core.

Perhaps to watch and record is simply in my nature.

Further reading: Chapter 5 – “Hybrid Biology” & Chapter 8 – “Hybrid Behavior”