7 – The Soul

• Overview
• Species
• Soul Wounds
• Soul Temperature
• Player Files
• Coding and Mods
• Species Modding
• Soul Slot (Inventory)
• Sharing Souls

Overview

I now wish to speak on the soul, which I mentioned earlier but largely brushed over. The soul glows bright blue, is wrapped in a vessel membrane, dresses in a skin, and makes up the essence of a hybrid. It carries the memories and personality which give the body life. This is the player, as they have woken up.

• Related: Tower Avatar [Outside reading]

Species

There is some debate as to how a soul finds its species. The predominant theory is that souls link up to whichever dragon egg has been present in the world the longest. Sometimes, this means both sides of a player-spectator pair will be born the same species. Other times, they may be born across the dimension from each other (and may pass years or centuries without ever meeting). It’s next to impossible for both halves to be adopted as eggs and hatched in the same foster home, as there is no outside indication that they’re linked.

• However, traders and facilities do exist to arrange meet-ups and potential adoptions once both halves are identified and hatched

Some have proposed souls do not hatch purely in the order the eggs were laid. Rather, the soul seeks an available egg that fits its mental image of itself (as influenced by the one who breathed life into their account via gameplay). This mental image may be derived from address (i.e. username), creator bleed (i.e. a depiction of the player character in the creator’s mind), or a personal association with the traits of a certain mob. For example, a player who rushes to attack every mob they see may connect closely with pillagers. One who loves flowers may favor bees, one who swims with fish, and one who loves to fly with elytra may envision themself as a bird.

• If this creator bleed influence is true, it must be determined by the end of the first one or two play sessions, as the hybrid will be coaxed from the server and into the Between dimension by the song of their mother dragon if left on their own

Some dragons produce many more eggs than their sisters; the fish and livestock mobs are among them. Others reproduce less frequently, which may be an intentional part of the game’s code to maintain the idea they are lesser known (such as ravens, toucans, and soul wizards). It is no surprise to me that the species which receive the most attention and care from their mother are those born in very small clutches, while you see more emotional distance in very large clutches.

Soul Wounds

You should not assume something as mystifying as a soul, its code written in a language that falls like magic off the tongue, is held to physical rules and worldly expectations. The soul functions in part, I think, as what you believe it to be. I feel this is why altering the self with mods comes easier to some than others: commitment, confidence, and belief may play a part in how easily the new modded code adapts to your body.

The same is true, I think, for those who are unthreaded: should they embrace their new vex nature, the transition will be easy; the code will settle quickly and there will not be many glitches or sore limbs in the process. Resisting, however, will cause the body to reject the code, fighting against itself as it cannot remove what has become a part of it. I myself have made the choice to have my code unthreaded, which has affected me in many ways (removing my original species’ nature). I have spoken with and observed many unthreaded individuals across the years, so I speak with confidence when I declare my personal belief: the best thing you can do for your body if you find yourself unthreaded is to embrace your new vex nature. It isn’t going away and the sooner you embrace it, the better off you’ll be.

Why do I make such a claim? I draw my thoughts from the nature of soul wounds: damage that was so devastating to the mind (not the body) that it leaves a lasting impact, which follows between servers and even respawns. Soul wounds may be visible things, such as scars from a particularly upsetting death that the player struggles to let go of. Perhaps they were backstabbed by a trusted comrade, or found themselves caught in a horrific death loop that left them overwhelmed. Perhaps they fell in lava and lost a lot of gear.

Death is not even necessary. Perhaps a ravager stomped upon a freshly grown field of wheat or carrots. A hoof mark may find its way onto the farmer’s skin. Soul wounds are tricky things – emotional things – that we wear like hearts upon our sleeves. These wounds linger because they have claimed a place in memory and mind. They may haunt the player, but there is no amount of food, rest, bandages, or mods that can erase the marks of a soul wound. The one and only way to wipe the slate clean is to let go of the anger and wish no harm.

Soul Temperature

Souls can be born as one of four temperature classifications. I spoke earlier about souls and the correspondent system, which works as follows:

• A cool soul seeks a warm soul
• A chilly soul seeks a hot soul
• A warm soul seeks a cool soul
• A hot soul seeks a cold soul

Souls may be described as “lightly chilly” as opposed to “very chilly,” but such attention to detail would only be necessary in serious medical situations.

In my old world, this system determined the soulmates we were born with. In this world, it determines one’s soul-twin; the other half of their player-spectator pair. Perhaps instead of “seeks,” a better word would be “attracts,” as magnets do. Exposed soul energy (as in, that which is not covered by a skin) will gravitate naturally towards its pair on the correspondent system. This is useful to know for social settings  (i.e. If you are lounging with friends, perhaps you should not sit in the lap of your correspondent match lest your pixels blend you together) as well as medical ones (Ex: Bandage adhesion and mod applications).

Here, bodies are made from light and pixels. They lack consistent collision and will ooze through each other during moments of extended touch. This process will be much slower for two individuals of the same temperature, whose soul energy resists until the barrier breaks. Those who mirror each other in the correspondent system will melt quickly into one another’s touch.

When applying patches or mods to the soul, one should always keep soul temperature in mind. Opposites attract and like repels like. A bandage of a matching temperature will be much easier to remove, making it ideal for a one-day solution or a body modification that you only intend to play with for a matter of hours. Serious injuries should be treated with longer-lasting bandages. For them to stick, you must identify the temperature of your own soul and dress the wound in the code that will stick best.

• My brother believes mods are unnecessary and that moleskin is the superior bandage. I cannot believe I have the worse reputation between us when I have never wished to kill a mole

Player Files

A player file is a digital packet of player-centric information condensed into solid form; it’s also called a soul crystal. Creatures in this universe are built from code, so the data within the crystal gives them life and structure (similar to the bones and skin cells of a body in my old world).

When a hybrid weans, their soul crystal is pushed from their chest and can be picked up as a physical object. The crystal closely resembles an end crystal. In its movable state, it is delicate, but can survive minor bumps (such as the fall from a chest to the ground). Too much jostling and collision will cause it to explode. If a soul crystal explodes, so does the hybrid connected to it; both will reform at their soul spawner.

Player files naturally gain new lines of data while a hybrid is out and about exploring the world. Sometimes this data needs to be trimmed in order to maintain maximum health. I would compare it to bathing to rid one’s body of dirt or shearing a sheep to remove heavy wool. It is not possible to live as a hybrid without naturally putting on additional code, although the frequency with which it’s trimmed will vary between individuals.

A soul crystal can be placed on a block of crying obsidian. In this state, its information can be studied and altered through a nearby coding desk workstation. This desk can be used to check one’s personal data for damage or alter the data therein (i.e. modding). Damage done to the crystal (including infections and viruses) may be severe, as it may weave itself into the crystal’s data and become very difficult to extract unless you are excessively familiar with a crystal’s inner workings. Even then, damaged or infected code must be removed entirely, as it will likely reform unless every trace is completely removed.

Hybrids are digital creatures that live in a world most believe to be a game. They speak of “system updates,” which may be small or significant updates to their online worlds. A hybrid who stalls out the updating process is at increased risk of infection as the world around them sprouts new viruses their body may not be prepared to fight off.

Different types of anti-virus protections can be used as preventative measures as well as treatments. Additional treatments and relevant terminology include:

Debugging – Scanning data for potential concerns (similar to the way a heat map can indicate where the hottest and coldest areas of the body are). This can be performed at a coding desk (with the soul crystal) or by an anivore willing to bite the patient and relay the information that is transferred into their brain (no crystal required)

Refresh and Logouts – Allowing an anivore (a species that digests code) to consume your energy. If plugged into a hub, the one consumed will reform nearby. If not plugged in, the one consumed will respawn at their soul spawner. This does not require a hybrid to have access to their soul crystal

Data Expansions – With soul crystal on hand, a hybrid can use the coding desk to add additional lines of code into their data. These can include simple mods (such as shaders), complicated mods (such as the addition of new limbs like wings), or aesthetic tweaks (such as the inclusion of a scar or wedding ring that will carry across all skins)

Data Trimming – With soul crystal on hand, a hybrid can use the coding desk to adjust, tidy, or delete lines of code from their data. Clean-up trimming includes deleting looping code or adjusting letters and numbers that have slipped out of place, similar to cutting one’s hair if its grown too long. Trimming can also be used to remove a sign of commitment (such as a wedding ring) after a separation

Pruning – Using teeth or coding shears to trim or remove loose code strings. This is similar to data trimming, but does not require access to a crystal or coding desk. Pruning may also be included under the preening umbrella as a hybrid cleans their body with fingers, tongue, teeth, brushes, or the help of another

Anti-Viruses – Topical medications; these are rubbed on the soul’s exterior (i.e. on the vessel membrane) to provide an additional barrier against infection

System Flush – Draining and/or scraping as much unwanted material as possible from the body or player data. This process involves using coding shears to cut through the vessel membrane and drain unwanted sections of the soul’s code. Extreme cases may leave the patient taking repeated damage for a significant amount of time, so it’s very rare to perform this operation away from a soul spawner (which provides a healing aura to hybrids)

Coding shears and combs can be crafted from the teeth of any anivore (mob or hybrid). Omnivore teeth can function, but must be pressed in deeply and are not recommended. The teeth of endermite mobs are often preferred for precision work, such as snipping an infected section of code from the soul. Larger teeth (such as phantom fangs) are preferred for scrapers that catch larger chunks of data.

Bats and phantoms have saliva that can heal cuts made in the soul. A gash can also be folded over and pressed shut for several seconds at a time or sutured shut with a special red thread. I’ve heard this thread that binds souls called “the red string of fate,” although the origin of this title alludes me.

Dragon tongues boast spines which are roughly scraped across hybrids (not only spawnlings, but older hybrids who may be undressed in their vicinity as well). This is also an effective way of trimming unwanted data from the body, provided the hybrid understands that the dragon is likely to scrape them to their core form (removing some or all mods in the process). Brushes and towels are sometimes designed in mimicry of such tongues, especially when working with new players.

It is possible to use a soul crystal to examine a soul’s physical shape even if the body (which normally contains the soul) is not present. This can be done by fading a point of contact on the body (such as fingers or teeth), passing them through the soul crystal, then pulling the soul through the crystal as if it were a portal. This version of the soul is highly unstable, weak, and vulnerable. It is recommended that a soul should only be drawn from the online world for brief periods of time- for example, for critical medical treatment.

• This forced process requires immediate action after the fading of an online presence. It should not be confused with unthreading: a process of removing a completely AFK individual from a server and bringing them into Between (Detailed in Chapter 6)

Archivist’s Note – [Minor Series Spoilers]
– Pulling souls through crystals for the purpose of medical work was depicted in these scenes: Dog’s Life Chapter 8, Chapter 9 and One and a Half Birds Chapter 6.

Coding and Mods

Coding is the process of changing one’s code, which can alter one’s appearance or behavior. The term mods is short for “modified code.” I haven’t modded my own code, as I worry my purple soul is not built like a blue one and may be damaged.

Changing code requires attaching a soul crystal to the roots of a server core, but the roots are separated from the flower. This allows the energy to pass into another device (usually a type of workstation block or communicator known as a coding desk, or a coding panel). The programmer then manipulates the code in a method that’s both like typing (i.e. in the Java language) and sewing. Code is made from strings, which can be pulled or rearranged.

• Coding shears made from endermite teeth can be used to make some adjustments to a soul, such as trimming hair or pulling it to become longer. They are frequently used to clip strings of code that have come loose, as clipping prevents them from snagging or coming in contact with infectious material. A hybrid will regain these strings during their next respawn, so long as the information remains in their player file

Mods allow a greater range of customization to a hybrid than the exterior design of their skin. You can use mods to adjust your wing size, posture, height, and more. My understanding is that some changes are surface-level tweaks while others require a significant amount of modding. It may take years for one programmer to customize code for one individual, as the wide range of species and individual variation prevents immediate changes even with templates and models available. Some mods can only be threaded into the skin in small doses.

• Modding works on the correspondent system, in that “native rejects native” in the long-term, but attracts to its opposite. Warm code accepts a donation of cool, but would reject a donation of warm. Modders must take this into account when designing custom mods for the individual

A client waiting for an appropriate mod must be patient. Remember, not even code is an infinite material in this world. Finding the appropriate length, texturing it to your needs, and cutting it down to size is difficult enough, but it also must match your temperature. On top of that, multiple lines of code sometimes need to be made, or a mod may need to be applied multiple times until the body stops rejecting it. Large-scale modding is a long-term process.

This world has its own standards of beauty (especially where mob traits are concerned), but they’re much more amusing when I feel removed for them instead of pressured to comply. I admire those who dedicate themselves to helping others modify their bodies the way they’d like. Had I been born in this world, I know I would’ve been a patron regardless of the time or cost.

Species Modding

Lastly, I find it important to note that even if one seeks to change their species, modding completely into something else, this transition will never be 100% perfect. This is a grueling process that may take dozens or even hundreds of years before it is deemed complete. Additionally, there are several important things to note when it comes to species:

• You will always respawn at your soul spawner even if you change species
• When extreme stress or a respawn occurs, be prepared for the reality that some of your mods may unravel and need replacement
• Native on native rejects. If your body identifies incoming code as that of a species that already exists in Between (as in, a species that has its own dragon and soul spawner), the body will reject the code. A soul will only adopt code that does not register as similar to an existing hybrid species (Dragons included on that list as hybrids themselves apparently register too close)

Additionally, a player can never mod themselves fully into a spectator or a spectator into a player. They are separate soul types, two sides of a coin.

Soul Slot (Inventory)

Minecraft is a game, and it is appropriate to have an inventory for one to keep items. I assume a meta exists that allows the outside observer engaging with the game to view the inventory. Items are compressed when tucked away, but can expand to a more appropriate size when moved to the active hand (or the off hand).

A player can draw an item by grabbing at its location on their body, with the many inventory slots corresponding with certain areas. These can be adjusted to the player’s preference- for example, a sword may swing from a slot at the hip or hang against the back. I’ve even known some to wear items like swords on necklaces and bracelets, only drawing them to their full size when the time comes to fight.

An individual can have many inventory slots when they are on-world. In Between, however, a player may only have one. Some may balk at the thought, but I feel it makes sense- a hybrid in Between is not visible to an outsider engaging with Minecraft as a game. Instead, they are on their own and must rely more on their wits than an inventory stuffed with everything they need. Perhaps there’s narrative significance in this, as Between’s gimmick is that its a dimension that emphasizes souls.

The soul slot is positioned in the chest, directly where the soul crystal sat when the player was newly spawned. Now that the soul crystal has been forced out like a tooth, the player is free to equip a single item to their soul slot. The item they choose will not leave their side for long. In fact, it will return to the hand if the player walks more than two chunks away from it. The item can be switched out at will, but I do advise finding a practical option and sticking with it. It’s pleasant to have a book to read or a sword to grasp, and analysis paralysis gets you nowhere.

Sharing Souls

To wrap up the discussion on souls, I think it’s crucial to note that it is possible for souls to be linked together. Soul sharing is the process of binding your soul to another individual. In this manner, you are sharing your health bars, hunger, saturation, and even deaths. These elements of sharing can be turned off while on-world (fortunately there are admin abilities that allow this), but they remain permanent in Between.

• Player and spectator twins will die together if one of them drops to zero health. However, they are considered separate beings with separate souls. Soul-sharing involves merging two souls into one

Soul sharing is not particularly common. It’s a form of intimacy that few choose to go through with due to the inconvenience in daily life. After all, when your loved one takes damage or dies, so will you, and few people are prepared for the mental toll that takes on them. Player souls can only share with other players, and spectators with other spectators. Soul-sharing will only stick if it adheres to the correspondent system. For example, a hot and chilly soul will stick tightly, but a warm and chilly soul pair will need regular touch-ups to ensure the bond stays in place. A chilly soul will not stick to a cool or fellow chilly at all.

Once soul sharing begins, the two hybrids will gradually adapt to each other’s traits. Their souls are now merged, so both may experience similar instincts and body parts. A cod hybrid sharing souls with a parrot would gain feathered wings while the parrot would gain the ability to breathe underwater. This is a viable alternative to modding for those who wish to adopt the traits of an existing hybrid species. However, it should not be done lightly. Sharing souls is permanent, and lifespans can last thousands of years in this dimension. One should not rush into such a large commitment unless they are absolutely sure they wish to commit themselves to the person they have in mind.

Archivist’s Note – [Minor Series Spoilers]
– One and a Half Birds follows Mumbo and Grian’s decision to share souls (prior roleplaying it on the Hermitcraft server).