Your frostbitten fingers struggle to turn the pages of the journal. You flip past hand-drawn schematics and diagrams, each paired with words that slither and writhe as if trying to pull themselves off the page. You spend several minutes admiring the intricacies of the author's figures before you finally meet a page willing to let you read it.
It is the belief of Sir Heironymous Blaise that the living body may be imbued with a soul initially bestowed to another, just as a wand, staff, or weapon. It is believed that this concept was originally proposed by early adopters of Vampirism. (However, it may be noted that Vampirification itself is a form of necromancy, as it returns a soul to its original vessel, and therefore is NOT a form of soul transfer.) There are also claims that Ancient Ceresians used soul transfers to ritualistically reanimate the bodies of their deceased. (These are likely exaggerations of Ceresian customs put forth by certain religious scholars who wish to portray contemporary Ceresi as primitive beast-people.)
The most common form of soul transfer is that which uses a mana conduit as a step between the bodies. If an individual is captured by a mana conduit, they may retain a high enough level of consciousness to force their way out of the conduit and into another body (usually one which is elderly, sick, or too young to hold its own consciousness). It has been reported that a soul may theoretically force its way out of conduction entirely, becoming a standalone ghost made entirely of energy-mana (notably not true mana, which is known to exist as both matter and energy). This theory has not been proven in an academic setting.
The less common form of soul transfer is that which happens directly between two bodies. In the Blaisian studies, forcing the combination of humanoid and beast souls, there are three methods by which this is possible:
1. Combination - Method in which two souls are combined. This is the method by which the Blaisefolk were created, resulting in a race which constantly bares the traits of both humanoids and animals.
2. Duality - Method in which two souls exist within the same body. This is the method by which the Demiblaisefolk (or simply Demiblaise) were created, resulting in a race which is capable of shifting between humanoid and animal appearances.
3. Elimination - Method in which one soul is replaced with another. This method is often fatal. Even successful experiments have yielded specimens which exhibit a sense of loneliness, discomfort, and anxiety.
You turn the page to continue, but find nothing legible. You gently set it down on your lap, tracing your hands down the soft leather cover. If you're nice to it, maybe it'll let you read more later.
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