Spirits
First, there are three stages of "life," which is how the first part of this topic is split up. Each stage deals with a different type of body or location. The stages, as I have named them, are �Mortal Life,� �Ghostly Life,� and �Afterworld Life.�
Stage 1: Mortal Life
This stage is the life of corporeal beings, with physical bodies. Basically, it is the original life of creatures.
How I view this stage of life is that there is a physical body that traps (for lack of a better word) the soul and keeps it in the physical world. While it traps the soul, it also protects the soul, preventing any damage to it. The reason why I say "trap" is because the soul cannot freely leave the physical body, not like many would want it to. The �Mortal Life� can take place on any plane of existence, whether it is Tyria, or somewhere within the Rift where the spirits seem to go.
As evidence by Shiro, it is possible to return to this stage, through use of powerful magic. Because Shiro was able to return to his mortal body, something I now wonder is "Will we meet others who will return from the later stages to the 'Mortal Life?'"
That is, other then the undead and constructs, which are souls who were forced into inanimate bodies and inanimate objects (respectively), unlike Shiro, who took on flesh and bone from his spirit form. But these are for later discussions.
Stage 2: Ghostly Life
In this stage, souls wonder the world, waiting to be taken to their afterlife destination (usually the Underworld, sometimes other realm of the gods). It is this stage that all of the spirits in the world are in (i.e. the spirits in the Crystal Desert, Desolation, Ascalon, etc.).
This stage can also be considered the stage for "spirits who cannot find rest," as this is the same idea. Spirits here are simply waiting to move on, or unable to move on due to some regret or mistake regarding their "Mortal Life." For instance, the spirits in the Crystal Desert and the Desolation are unable to move on due to one of two things: First, wanting to finish the journey/be reunited with their loved ones. Second, wishing to see Turai Ossa go through Ascension (which is implied to happen when the heroes Ascend, by Turai�s dialogue in Amnoon Oasis):
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What do you know of the Flameseeker Prophecies?
I know that those who are proven worthy will help me open the way into the Rift. I know that those who Ascend are destined for greatness. And I know that it will be I who leads them through the treacherous afterlife to the top of the Hall of Heroes. But if you wish to know more, then you should ask the one who had the premonitions, the Prophet.
When under the order of the gods, it seems that spirits are allowed to travel between this stage and the next stage freely. This is most evident by the Avatar of the gods (most of which look like spirits, Lyssa being the exception) � who grant special people access to their god�s realm and in some cases guide a spirit themselves � and the Envoys (as they are the spirits of past criminals) � who have to shepherd the dead.
Stage 3: Afterworld Life
First, I will start off by saying that there seems to be two ways into this stage. The first being obvious, an Envoy takes the spirit to the Underworld � or a spirit is taken by an Avatar to the respective Realm. The second is that when a ghost is killed, it is sent to the Mists, supposedly the Rift (see my theory on the Rift here).
The evidence I have for this is the quest Refuse the King, mainly the reward dialogue:
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Perhaps there is some good left in this world, for you turned down Jahnus at great risk to your life. That vile beast deserves whatever awaits him in the depths of the Underworld. I only wish it could have been I who cast down his spirit. The dead are grateful, my friend, and hope you will accept this token.
Seeing how those who take this quest has to kill the spirit of King Jahnus, and his spirit is sent to the Underworld, then that means that killing a spirit that is in the "Ghostly Stage" just sends it to the next life.
The biggest mystery in all of this is what happens to the spirit if it is killed in the Rift. Vizier Khilbron and Shiro Tagachi are perfect examples for this. After the heroes killed them in the Gate of Madness, as they were spirits, what happens to them?
Well, as it seems, what happens to the spirit depends on how the spirit �died.�
Outcome 1
When a spirit is killed in the Rift, it disappears forever. This currently has little to no support, and is just a common belief of what happens to a spirit. The most common background for this belief would be an �exorcism.� If this outcome ever happens, it would be a rare outcome and would only happen in unusual times (as this happening a lot would throw the universe out of balance � see below for why � that is, if this ever occurs).
Outcome 2
The second possibility would be when the spirit dies in the Rift, the "spirit energy," as one can call it, is sent back to the Mist. This would be the case for most of the deaths of spirits, as the Mist cannot create something out of nothing (despite it being �just a game� as many who are not interested in lore would say, even the universe of Guild Wars must rely on physics most of the time), and energy cannot be created or destroyed.
Because energy cannot be created or destroyed, a soul cannot be created out of nothing, and therefore the Mists must gain something or else all new life will eventually stop. The best source of this �something� would be the energy from spirits when they get killed. This would mean there is reincarnation � to a degree � however, it is possible that the �spirit energy� can mix, therefore the next spirit (and, in effect, living being), would not be the same being.
Outcome 3
The final outcome is to be eaten by a demon, or something demonic, such as a Margonite. Along with what happens to a spirit when they die normally, we do not know what actually happens to a spirit when they are eaten.
According to the quests Vanishing Spirits, A Tasty Morsel, and The Growing Threat, it is known that Margonites and Torment Demons eat spirits as food.
What I see as the most likely thing to happen would be the same as the above Outcome 1, the complete destruction of the soul. However, the difference between here and Outcome 1 is that, while Outcome 1 has no export for the energy of the soul, being eaten does have an export of energy.
This Outcome would support why Dhuum�s and Menzies� forces attacked the Hall of Heroes, to gain a food supply for the upcoming attempt to release Abaddon (which would also be why the Fury attacked Shing Jea during the Dragon Festival, to gather the Celestial Essences as a food supply � as Celestial Essences appear to be the same substance as a spirit.
River of Souls
A lovely topic with the Rift and spirits is the River of Souls. There are many thoughts about this going all over, most dominant seems to be that many people believe that it is the River of Souls that decides where people go. This is far from correct, and we have but to thank the incorrect person who put this idea on the wiki for this. The River of Souls� purpose is unknown.
However, I have a theory of its purpose. One belief is that it goes through all the Realms of the Gods, I would agree to this. But I will expand on this idea. I believe that the River of Souls goes in a circular path, never ending, never beginning. Some spirits are stuck in this River, as punishment, similar to that of the Envoys, but this is a lesser punishment.
From death, the spirit is taken to Grenth to be judged by the Envoys, except in rare cases. After being judged by Grenth, they are put in the River of Souls and the River takes the spirit to its correct resting place, as such, it passes through all the Realms, and nearby the Hall of Heroes, until it comes back to the Underworld.
The River of Souls never �dries up� because there are the spirits who are meant to be the �inter-Realm guides� for other spirits. These punished spirits could very well be the ones that help break the dam in the Gate of Pain mission.
Formless Spirits
While most Spirits have a shape and look like normal creatures, there are some Spirits that are seen that have no form. These are rare encounters, but everyone has seen them.
�Normal� Formless Spirits
These Formless Spirits are seen during Halloween, in Lion�s Arch (and possibly other towns) and in the River of Souls. These look like your typical depictions of a ghost, a white creature with a head, hands, torso, and looks like it�s wearing a sheet over it. At first, I thought that these spirits are the spirits of those who had little power (i.e., did not have a profession) in life. However, the Ghosts in the Crystal Desert, Desolation, and the Realm of Torment and Underworld disprove that.
�Demonic� Formless Spirits
These Formless Spirits are seen during Halloween, above the cauldron in Lion�s Arch and Tombs of the Primeval Kings (possibly other towns as well), are seen in Abaddon�s Mouth (the bridge prior to the Bloodstone), it�s counter-part bridge in the Gate of Abaddon, and coming out of the Door of Komali (along with being on the other side of the Door of Komali). These Spirits are similar to the Normal Formless Spirits, however, they have horns on their heads, and seem to be a little slimmer.
My current theory about these two Formless Spirits is that the �Demonic� Formless Spirits are the spirits of those who were evil in life and the �Normal� Formless Spirits were good in life.
I believe that their form is the true form of spirits. Seeing how denial and disoritentation are �common among the newly dead� (stated by the Envoys), those who don�t subconsciously take on their �real form� when they die are in denial of the fact that they died and subconsciously took a form, while those who know themselves to be dead could choose to take on their true form.
This is supported by the Ascalonian Spirits in the Desolation (Ruras, Chessa, Larano, and Kane) who have no idea that they are dead (even when looking at each other) and therefore would never have been able to take on this shapeless form. Unfortunately, there is no dialogue of or from these formless spirits and thus cannot support (or deny for that matter) this theory from the formless spirits� point of view.
Another possibility is that these formless spirits are just simply �another model� of spirits � that is, a model used by the developers to avoid the boundaries of the lack of a Z-axis (thus no lore value to them aside from the fact that the common model is just a non-lore related �limited form�).
Envoys
The Envoys were, in the past, great villains. After death, they were punished with the task of guiding the newly dead spirits to the Rift. Usually, the Envoys would take the spirits to the Underworld, but on rare occasions � such as Shiro Tagachi�s second death � would take spirits to the Realm of Torment.
While punished into a forced �community service� by Grenth, they are also given very strong powers. Such as controlling spirits, and the ability to resurrect people easily.
Spirits of the Wild
These �Spirits of the Wild� are an interesting thing to look at, as we know very little about them. What we know of them can be summarized with Egil Fireteller�s dialogue in Jaga Moraine:
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The Norn do not know gods, at least not in the way humans do. But we do revere the spirits of the animals upon whom we depend for food and shelter. There are many such spirits. Bear is the mightiest of course, but Raven, Owl, Wolf, Wurm, and Ox all have their place in the world and in our hearts. While we hunt and slay these creatures, we also praise their spirit, and thank them for their sacrifice. The animals are our brethren; their spirits guide us as we live and hunt.
There are more hostile, even malicious, spirits in the world... spirits of the mountains, seasons, fire, and darkness. The animal spirits are our allies against these foes, and we thank them for their aid, singing the praises of all beasts as we hunt. This is the Norn way.
There are at least seven �good� spirits among the Norn folklore, these all take the aspect of an animal (Bear, Wolf, Raven, Snow Leopard, Owl, Wurm, and Ox). Along with these, there are at least four �evil� spirits, which take on aspect of nature (Mountains, Seasons, Fire, and Darkness).
Animal Spirits
There are several traits that each spirit has, and (at least for the animal spirits) each seems to have its own personality. For instance, the Raven Spirit is a trickster, cunning, wise and is connected to the Underworld, while the Wolf Spirit is a tracker, savage, and represents the thrill of battle. These spirits are much like avatars of the gods, in terms of power and some representation. However, overall, the connections fail due to far too much cress-crossing of representations. Due to this, for the time being, it is too hard to tell of the origin or nature of these spirits.
Hostile Spirits
As for the �nature spirits�, it seems that the Norn just link an aspect of nature to have a hostile spirit because these parts of nature prove as challenges to the Norn, that they might not be interested in (they are more interested in fighting then trying to survive blizzards and the like). Each of the Nature Spirits that we know of can be related to something in the Far Shiverpeaks that prove troublesome for the Norn, without giving a challenging fight.
It has been brought to me that these spirits could be hostile spirits which hide or affiliate themselves to aspects of nature � such as the Vaettir.
Summoned Spirits
Nature Spirits
This is a short and simple thing. Although they have the name "spirit" in them, they are not the same type of spirit as a soul. As their own name says, they are Nature Spirits, which are, technically, aspects of Nature, from Winter to Favored Winds, they all bring about a different natural affect.
Interesting thing to note, is that none of these Nature Spirits share a name with a known Norn Nature Spirit, while some ideas can be seen to be similar between what we know of the Norn Nature Spirits and these Nature Spirits.
Binding Ritual Spirits
The quest Haunted helps explain where the spirits that Ritualists summon come from. Although not directly explained, it has spirits summoned with the names Anguish, Sorrow, and Regret, and those spirits are suffering from such things. It seems to me, that the spirits that are summoned are regular spirits, that are filled with a certain type of emotion (e.g. Pain, Anguish, etc). It also seems that the more the emotion is stuck in them, the stronger it is.
Now of course not all of the spirits have the emotion of the name, as Empowerment and the like are not emotions. But they have the intent to do what the spirit does, such as the intent to help, so it�s not jut emotions, but personality and intentions as well.
In other words, the spirits that Ritualists summon are regular spirits that just take the form of those aspects, as they are bound to where they are summoned (other spirits are not bound, so they have the shape of their physical form). When a summed spirit "dies" - whether by damage or time � it simply returns to the afterlife which it came.
Undeath
As we all know, undead are dead bodies that have been animated. And of course, only a Necromancer can make an undead. True undead, not minions like what those of the *barely mentioned* "Order" of the Necromancers create, are created by attaching a soul to a dead body, creating an *usually* obedient servant.
This means that the spirit is trapped within the body, forcing a second Mortal life on the spirit. When that body is killed *again*, the spirit would be released and move to the next stage, a Ghostly Life, until the spirit is taken to the Rift or is put into yet another dead body to create a new undead.
Difference between Minions and Undead
There are two differences between minions and true undead, but these two things make the two completely different as well.
The first difference is the physical difference. Minions are formed of shambles of bone and flesh, while undead are formed of the entire body *or what is left of it*. This means that an undead�s body is much more stable then that of a minion, which is why a minion will die over time, while an Undead will not.
The second difference is how they are made. Minions are created from just a portion of the Necromancer�s energy, while undead are created from the use of an entire spirit, and probably the creator�s energy as well (and a lot more of it to add). This means that it is more difficult to make an undead compared to making a minion.
Afflicted
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The Afflicted are simply living creatures-animal, human, plant-that have had the misfortune to get too close to Shiro�s malevolent spirit. Those left unharmed refer to this �disease� as the Affliction and fear that, if left unchecked, it could become an epidemic. The Affliction is not contagious in this way, but considering the other more obvious dangers the creatures present, steering clear of the Afflicted is wise in most any case.
Anyone or anything could become Afflicted, which lends this so-called plague an even more terrifying aspect than any single, normal disease. The resulting mutations are unpredictable monstrosities with all of the combat strengths the original person or creature possessed, but altered and augmented in terrifying ways by the Affliction.
Once someone or something becomes Afflicted, there is no cure. Killing the Afflicted is the only way to give the tortured soul peace; hesitation or pity will only result in death�yours.
Afflicted, despite their origins, are very much like undead, and can even be considered a sub-species of undead. They are created by Shiro when he does not move spirits to their destination. However, their appearance seems to be caused by the plague, not a cause of them being undead.
In the Minister Cho�s Estate mission, Cho dies, then he becomes an afflicted. Likewise, in the Vizunah Square mission, those affected by the plague (those that are maddened, and hostile) and those just in the nearby area become afflicted after they die.
Also, there are the quests Drink from the Chalice of Corruption and Chasing Zenmai. These two quests show the ability to �imbue� the affliction without the help of Shiro, and well after he is sent into the Realm of Torment. This then goes against the initial idea that the Afflicted are a form of undead.
Through those two quests and two missions, there is a way to suggest the Afflicted being Undead even without Shiro. The Chalice can cause the �disease� part of the affliction, then a Necromancer, or both a Necromancer and Ritualist chain the soul to the body. The most likely people for this job among the Am Fah would be:
Chan the Dragon's Blood (Necromancer) � Said to do �anything what so ever to get what he wants.� By the Most Wanted Am Fah # 2 sign in the P.O.X. mission.
Brother Tosai (Profession Unknown) � Involved with the quest
Cho, Spirit Empath (Ritualist)
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Wherever Shiro walks, the Afflicted appear. The disease, though not contagious, is greatly (and justifiably) feared by the people of Cantha, who have no idea where it comes from or how it spreads. Shiro�s frequently appearing guild emblem has led to rumors that have spread more quickly than the Jade Wind itself, many of which are close to the mark. Most Afflicted were once clearly human and those that were heroes in life � for the Affliction does not discriminate � retain their abilities even after the plague has mutated their bodies into unrecognizable monstrosities. The Afflicted are almost always encountered in groups, and are never to be underestimated.
Liches
Liches are powerful magicians that casted a spell before they died that would preserve their spirit in their body.
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In modern fantasy fiction, a lich (IPA: /ˈlɪtʃ/) (sometimes spelled liche, cognate to German Leiche"corpse") is a type of undead creature, usually formerly a powerful magician or king, who has used evil rituals to bind his intellect to his animated corpse and thereby achieve a perverse form of immortality.
There are three known liches - Vizier Khilbron, aka Undead Lich, Palawa Joko, and Zoldark - and of these liches, only one's origin is known. That being Khilbron, an Orrian Vizier who was corrupted by Abaddon and used an ancient scroll to destroy Orr, which in turn, transformed him into a lich. Palawa Joko's and Zoldark's origins are unknown as of now, and it seems that Zoldark will not be mentioned again in the future as he was just a side-boss that we killed *supposedly, it is unknown if he, like Joko and Khilbron, can reanimate himself*.
As I just stated, Palawa Joko and Vizier Khilbron can both reanimate themselves upon death. That is, their souls do not leave their bodies. This is the main thing that separates a "True Lich" from the powerful Undead that lead others. It is because of this, that Zoldark may not be a "True Lich," but just a powerful undead. It is also known that "True Liches" have to be killed in a very specific way, such as how we kill Khilbron.
Vizier Khilbron
How Khilbron became a lich by reading the words on the Forbidden Scroll. This would mean that the making of a lich would require powerful magic � possibly requiring magic from pre-Bloodstone times, as the Forbidden Scroll held the magic of all four schools.
Nature of the Cataclysm and How it made Khilbron a Lich
As the Forbidden Scroll contains magic of all four schools, that means that it may take all four schools of magic � or at least more then one � to make a Lich. The four schools are: Preservation (Linked to Monk), Aggression (Linked to Necromancer), Denial (Linked to Mesmer), and Destruction (Linked to Elementalist). The Destruction school of magic is what would have caused the blast. Denial could have prevented the souls of the Orrians to go to the Rift � which means that very few were unaffected by the Denial part. Aggression would have made the Orrians, primarily Khilbron, into Undead. Preservation, which would have only affected Khilbron in this case, resurrected him � and made it so that he could not die a true permanent resurrection.
Khilbron�s Appearance
As many can tell, Khilbron�s appearance in his true form after the Cataclysm is very much draconic. This could easily be because of his proximity to Zhaitan, seeing how Arah was built over Zhaitan.
Palawa Joko
By going off of the idea that it was the Cataclysm that caused Khilbron to become a lich, then a powerful magic would have been needed to turn Palawa Joko into a lLich. At least two schools of magic seems to be needed to make a �True Lich� � Aggression and Preservation. As only two schools of magic can be wielded by a single person, it is possible to make a �True Lich� after the Bloodstone�s creation � however, it would either be easier with at least two powerful mages (a Monk and a Necromancer) or magic prior to the Bloodstones. Aggression would have no range in what it affects, but Preservation would only affect the one who becomes a �True Lich.� The event that best fits the time for Palawa Joko�s becoming of a Lich would be the Scarab Plague.
Nature of the Scarab Plague and How it is connected to Palawa Joko
As stated, only Aggression and Preservation would be needed to make a Lich. The Scarab Plague would only see the affects of Aggression, as Palawa Joko is the only Lich � that we know of � in Elona (therefore only Lich possibly created at this time). The Scarab Plague is believed to be caused by scarabs coming out of people�s skin after the ingestion of scarab eggs. But what would cause the eggs to not get dissolved by stomach acid? Well, the most likely Bloodstone to be Aggression is in Bloodstone Caves, and that gives health upon the death of others, so the scarab eggs � and the scarabs in those eggs � became aggravated, hatching prior to proper ingestion, allowing the scarab babies to live and burrow out of the victims� skin.
Zoldark the Unholy
While Zoldark is a lich, I do not call him a �True Lich� as he dies. His origins are completely unknown as there is no major event on Tyria � that we know about � that could be Zoldark�s source. He may in fact be the oldest Undead in all of Tyria. All that is known is that he is ancient and was sealed away � meaning that he could not be killed when he was last loose. This may mean that his �death� was just a fake when he gets killed. Knowing he could not win the fight, instead of constantly suffering, he just plays dead � similar to The Hunter in the Realm of Torment � and waits for us to leave. His power over his minions may simply fade away while �faking� his death, which would further convince his enemies that he is dead.
This may mean that we could very well see Zoldark in GW2.
Zhaitan
Sadly, even with the name, very little is known about Zhaitan, who resides under Orr. But what is known is that it is able to change at least the dead into draconic undead servants � possibly the living as well. This implies that Zhaitan acts very similar to that of a lich. Also, it�s possible that Zhaitan has the ability to create �True Liches� himself, as such he could be a combination of both Zoldark�s power and a �True Liches� power. In that, the �True Liches� he makes are in fact just simply very power Undead (like Zoldark) who are bound to be eternal servants (like Zoldark�s servants) until Zhaitan�s own death.|||Constructs
What are Constructs?
Constructs are, in simplest terms, spirits that have been put, whether by force or by self-will, into materialistic bodies. Constructs are very similar to undead, in that a spirit is put into a formerly inanimate object.
Difference between Constructs and Elementals/Golems
Constructs and elementals and golems are seemingly commonly misinterpreted to be the same thing. This is not true. While elementals and golems can be considered the same � which they are technically are not � constructs on the other hand cannot. There are three main differences between constructs and elementals and golems.
The first difference is the source of animation. This is also the main difference. Constructs are animated by souls of the dead � much like undead � which is the reason why I add them to my research. Elementals and golems are animated by Magic. The only connection that this difference has is where magic actually comes from. There is a theory that magic is the power of the Mists themselves, and the souls are a part of the Mists. If this is the case, the difference would be reduced to the amount of the soul used to power the object.
The second difference is the Material used, although this is more of a difference for telling golems apart from elementals, this also is a difference for constructs. Constructs can be made out of any material and be called a construct � excluding full bodies, that is an Undead, however parts of a body is different. Elementals are made from nature and the elements themselves � any form of the four basic elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth (unless you go by Ancient Chinese elements there would be five, adding Metal), and can also be made from non basic elements such as Ice, Lava, Crystal, and Sand. Golems can be made from any material (usually not including any body parts, but very well could) and therefore is not limited to the elements. Asuran GOLEMs for instance use metal and plants.
The last difference is the realm of professions which would control these three things. Constructs, like undead, and would fall under the ability of Necromancers and Ritualists � mainly Necromancers. Elementals and golems would fall under the ability of Elementalists and Mesmers � mainly Elementalists.
Things Commonly Believed to be Constructs which are not:
Stone Summit golems � Elemental, created by Magic
Asuran GOLEMs � Golem, created by Magic
Graven Monoliths � Golem, Source Unknown, most likely Abaddon�s Magic, plausible but highly unlikely to be constructs
Roaring Ethers � Elemental
Enchanted Armors
The origins of the Enchanted in the Crystal Desert are unknown. Although their naming goes by what weapon they use, in order to separate them from the Enchanted Weapons in the Dungeons of Eye of the North, I am calling these Enchanted Armors � which is nothing new for their names.
Because their origins are unknown, their source of animation is also unknown; therefore they can go under the category of �golem� just as much as a �construct.� The only thing known about them is that they are animated armors that fill the two �attacker� core professions that the Forgotten do not use, thus implying that are Forgotten made � i.e., that they are golems and not constructs.
As well, the name of these imply that these are simply magic animated, therefore Golems.
Jade Armors
The Jade Armors are also confusing on whether they are actual constructs or simply golems. There are three theories about how these Jade Armors are animated and controlled. The first and longest existing is that they are constructs that are powered by the souls of the Chosen slain on the Bloodstones � just like Soul Batteries are. This I find unlikely due to the fact that after putting the soul into the Jade Armor, the Mursaat would then need to control them. There are not that many Soul Batteries to control and they are all stationary, so comparing Soul Batteries to Jade Armors, which are much more numerous and mobile � therefore a bigger threat if they were not allied with the Mursaat or constantly controlled � is like comparing a group of ten to a group of a hundred. In short, there are too many Jade Armors for the Mursaat to control along side the Soul Batteries.
Another theory that is out and about is that it is in fact Mursaat souls that are controlling these things. This would be done the same way Lazarus split himself into many aspects to survive the Titan onslaught. This I find to be much more reasonable.
The third theory is that the Jade Armors are in fact golems, therefore animated and controlled by magic. Also reasonable but has the same downside as the first theory � the amount of Jade Armors that exist would make it hard to control them all.
Titans
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Inside the Foundry is the Door of Komalie...a passage to the realm of the living. Countless Titans wander these halls. They are sick, twisted creatures formed by tormented souls.
The Titans are constructs that are formed by tormented spirits. Their physical appearance resembles the area in which they are currently in. Due to such, they have no true �form.� The way in which they are exactly formed is unknown, but it is known that The Fury was in charge of making the Titans. Once killed, they spawn other � smaller � titans, which almost always have different profession than the originals. Also, most of their leaders� names are Latin � and those that are not Latin sound like Latin. There is no known singular leader of the Titans that is a Titan itself.
Juggernaut
Juggernauts are constructs of nature and plants. Formed by the Forever Trees and powered by a volunteer Kurzick�s soul. Juggernauts are immortal constructs as long as the Forever Trees remain � which make these fighters powerful due to their own strength, and fearlessness. Many see the creation of the Juggernauts as �barbaric� by �sacrificing� � something that is not true, as sacrificing means death and Juggernauts still hold their own free will and their own personality, they just give up their bodies � others to guard the Kurzick leaders, while these volunteers are, by the term, wishing to do this � for various reasons. This can be seen as barbaric to outsiders but is far from it from insiders, just as Aztecs may seem barbaric to others, but not to themselves.
Stone Guardians
There are two types of Stone Guardians, Temple Guardians and Kurzick Guardians. Temple Guardians are unknown in their source of animation. Could be that they are golems just as well as being constructs. These constructs seem to have a single goal: Guard the area in which they are in. Usually they seem to bend to the will of those with Royal Blood (as when Kisu is present, they are all docile, but after Shiro past � who has the blood of the first emperor � they are hostile). Only problem with this is that they attack Togo as well � but that could be that they are following Shiro�s will, which would include killing Togo.
The Kurzick Guardians are empowered and animated by the House zu Heltzer. Originally made along with wards to protect the Kurzicks from danger, their wards can fail and the constructs � or golems � could turn against the Kurzicks until a Stone Singer goes to control them again. As mentioned, the Kurzick Guardians are also unknown whether they are true constructs or simple golems. It would seem to be the later though.
Shiro'Ken
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Shiro�s powers of sorcery have grown even stronger since his death, and he long ago learned the secrets of soul transfer. He applied these disciplines to the creation of his Shiro�ken, a construct army of artificial champions possessed by the enslaved souls of his most hated enemies. Only the destruction of the construct�s shell can free the soul within � which is sometimes coherent enough to take on a ghostly form through sheer will.
Like the Afflicted, the souls that Shiro enslaves in his constructs retain their magical abilities and professional knowledge, which they will turn against any threat. If he wishes to, Shiro can himself possess the Shiro�ken, shifting his consciousness from construct to construct with ease.
In order to create Shiro'ken, Shiro must take spirits and bind them to Soul Stones, which then control armor and other objects, such as bone, flesh, and scraps of metal. These constructs are the more like undead then any other construct, because Shiro�ken are all fleshy creatures, but are not living things in any ways. Excluding some special Titans, they are the only fleshy constructs.
The Spirits that inhabit Shiro�ken can be Human, Naga, Mantids, or anything. As they are all controlled by Shiro, what spirits he uses does not matter as long as, in life, they had magical powers.
It is very possible that Shiro took the spirits of all the enemies we killed on our quest to kill him and turned them into Shiro�ken, including those of Afflicted. This would explain how he got such a big army so fast � as what we see in Raisu Palace is not even half of his Shiro�ken army.
Shiro�ken in the Realm of Torment
These Shiro�ken are of a slightly different class than the Shiro�ken. Although still spirits trapped by armor and other materials, they are inhabited by the spirits of those in the Realm of Torment, giving him a much wider range of army �material.� Most of the spirits in the Realm of Torment are Humans, so most of the Shiro�ken must then be Human too.
What is interesting to note is the lack of Shiro�ken in the Realm of Torment. They are only encountered in two quest chains (the one dealing with "The Hunter" and Fortune Teller) and one mission (Gate of Madness). There should be even more Shiro�ken, seeing how material is not an issue, and spirits are in very big supply.
Enchanted Weapons
Just as with Enchanted Armors, their name implies being animated by magic, and therefore being golems. However, the creatures in the places they are placed with may say otherwise. Enchanted Weapons are always seen with either Forge Masters � in Catacombs of Kathandrax and Bloodstone Caves � and with undead. The Forge Masters in the Bloodstone Caves are believed to be controlled with aspects of surviving Mursaat (implied through quest dialogue for the dungeon). Undead are animated by spirits not magic. Due to this, it can be surmised that the Enchanted Weapons are constructs.
However, those with Forge Masters are also tied to their life. If the Forge Master dies, then the Enchanted Shields around them die. This implies that at least the shields are magically powered � therefore I come to this conclusion:
Enchanted Weapons are a combination of constructs and golems.
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