Soul-Tether
Overview
The Soul-Tether is a mystical and psionic bond that links two individuals on a spiritual and mental level. It is created through either:
- The Binding (Valorèin) – A formal, sacred ritual used to permanently link mates.
- The Ûlèum – A primal, intimate act that can also generate a Soul-Tether if the bond is strong enough.
Once formed, the Soul-Tether allows bonded individuals to:
- Sense each other’s emotions regardless of distance.
- Share thoughts, sensations, and memories.
- Provide mental stability, preventing emotional or psychological deterioration.
- Remain connected beyond death, making it impossible for the surviving mate to leave the planet where their partner perished without both souls transcending.
Formation
The Soul-Tether can be formed in two ways:
The Binding (Valorèin)
This method involves:
- A ceremonial incantation: "Lodoerus, Lodoerun, Melidrus, Jie’ra" (meaning Bond, Bind, Meld, Join).
- Golden energy strands that physically manifest between the two mates, intertwining into a complex knot.
- Full mental and emotional synchronization, ensuring absolute harmony.
The Ûlèum
A Soul-Tether can also be formed during The Ûlèum, an ancient and now-taboo ritual. Unlike The Binding, which is formal and controlled, The Ûlèum is:
- Raw and primal, driven by intense passion and emotional vulnerability.
- Unpredictable – A Soul-Tether may or may not form, depending on the compatibility of the partners and the intensity of the act.
- Potentially dangerous, as it can force an unstable bond if the mates are not truly compatible.
Effects & Abilities
Mental & Emotional Connection
Once bonded, mates experience a heightened awareness of each other:
- Complete emotional transparency – One partner always knows the emotional state of the other.
- Telepathic-like link – While not true telepathy, the Soul-Tether allows thoughts to be conveyed without words.
- Shared pleasure & pain – If one mate experiences pleasure, pain, or strong emotions, the other feels a portion of it as well.
Physical Manifestation
The Soul-Tether is normally invisible but can physically manifest as golden strands of energy in the following circumstances:
- During The Binding Ceremony or The Ûlèum.
- When the bond is under extreme strain (such as one mate nearing death).
- If the mates are incompatible – in which case, the tether remains visible as a sign of imbalance.
Incompatibility & Risks
If two individuals undergo The Ûlèum but are not compatible as mates, the Soul-Tether:
- Remains visible, appearing as a tangled orb of light with a tendril extending to the other soul.
- Causes instability, making one or both individuals experience mental or emotional deterioration.
- Can be forcibly broken, but the process is agonizing and dangerous.
- Can result in permanent damage, causing one or both individuals to suffer from psionic backlash or enter a state of Rampancy.
Death & Afterlife
If one mate dies, the Soul-Tether prevents the surviving mate from moving on easily:
- The surviving mate cannot leave the planet where their partner died without both souls transcending.
- If a mate dies near a star, the other mate will remain spiritually bound to that star until their own death.
- The bond ensures that even after death, the two will not part, remaining connected in the afterlife.
Cultural Significance
The Soul-Tether plays a crucial role in Valorèin relationships:
- Seen as a sacred and unbreakable commitment.
- Used as a sign of true devotion and a measure of trust.
- Believed to be bestowed by the Mother and Father, the divine creators of Lethurèa and parents of all spirits within It'slémwé.
Soul-Tether vs. The Ûlèum
While The Ûlèum can create a Soul-Tether, it differs from The Binding:
- The Binding is a formalized ritual, ensuring a stable and structured bond.
- The Ûlèum is unpredictable – A tether may or may not form, and if it does, it may be unstable.
- If two partners are incompatible, a Soul-Tether formed through The Ûlèum can be damaging and even lethal.
Trivia
- Soul-Tether Removal is Rare & Dangerous – Those who undergo its removal often bear a chest scar, leading to social ostracization.
- Mates cannot generally travel far from each other - If a mate travels too far from the other, they will be compelled to find each other. Separation is agonizing and causes great fear.
- Mates sense each other's presence even across vast distances – Those mates with the strongest bonds may travel apart from each other for a short amount of time. Those who's mate has perished, but they Transcended have extremely powerful Soul-Tether. These members can travel moderate distances for short periods of time. If forcibly separated they may lose the will to live.
- The Chosen Heroine was separated from the Chosen Hero for several Weeks when he died. She was somehow able to leave Gokolok and return to Ûblai. She was able to hear and feel the Chosen Hero, from beyond the Star (Lethurèa). The Chosen Hero was eventually resurrected by the First-Flames by the Will of the Mother and Father, and their bond was made whole again.