#split-souls

Souls possess a third form, called a Super-Ego, which is a syntheses of the first two forms. For more information on this form, see the powers section.

Life-Cycle: Split-souls age and grow to maturity as humans, save that their Id halves grow in tune with human growth-rates, not animal. The Id half remains in the same shape throughout the individual's life, which has contributed some suspicions that an element of predestination is involved in the lives of every split-soul. This theory is not entirely unfounded, as the Id's form always gives away the soul's personality. There is no element of being mentally forced into these behaviors, but someone with a fox for their Id will always "act like a fox", while someone with a butterfly will always “act like a butterfly”. What that means is entirely subjective.

Reproductive Cycle: Split-souls would have an identical reproductive pattern to humans, were it not for the involvement of their Id. This does complicate things somewhat. Suffice it to say that reproduction always involves both partners, and strangely cannot take place while both mates are in their Super-Ego form. They /are/ compatible with similar tauric races while in this form, though. In split-soul reproduction, both partners end up carrying part of the child, as someone's Id is /always/ the opposite sex from themselves. While the female Ego in the pair carries the human half of the child, the female Id carries the animal half of the child. This means that for the nine months of pregnancy, mates must remain physically close, or else kill both halves of their unborn child. Fortunately, both mothers feel this pain as though it were their own, so it is impossible for them to accidentally kill a child this way. This also provides a very easy system for any split-soul to know when they are pregnant, even without technology or magic. The phrase "we're pregnant" becomes particularly applicable in Super-Ego form, as both partners will have a pregnant half.

Powers: Souls can and do awaken as mages and learn magic no different from any race, though only the Id half can actually perform the magic. The human halves act as automatic familiars, which provides a bizarre reversal to the usually human-dominated relationship. From a young age, all split-souls can form effortlessly into their Super-Ego form, which is a literal synthesis of their bodies /and/ their minds into a single being. This being is a literal, human-sized tauric combination of both halves. Both halves retain their original sexual traits, though since the human half begins only just below the naval, souls with a male Ego are female while in their Super-Ego form, even if their lack breasts or any other female sexual trait on their still-apparently-male human-halves. The reverse is true for females. If pregnant, either half remains pregnant when combined. As in all other parts of the soul's life, the human half is the one actually "conscious", though the animal half contributes memories and personality traits that the conscious human can't entirely ignore, and usually embraces. Souls in this form can mate with similarly-sized tauric races, though usually don't, since their genders don't work the same way, and this is usually awkward for everyone involved.

Culture: Split-souls are a fairly modern people that live freely within human society, and are well-respected by the same. They make nor take any claims of separation, and are given all the same rights and privileges as any human would be. This does not mean they are usually in the same financial position as humans, since they do not have human's innate magical gift in a magically-dominated society. They do usually form friendships with others of their own kind, with no respect to the species of their Id. Due to the comparative high numbers of their minority, many cities and towns among humans have a quarter where souls live, not in poverty but usually not in wealth either. The human half is seen always as dominant, though the soul is viewed (incorrectly) as possessed entirely by the Id. It is their role to advise the human half, to care for them. and to ensure their success. They are used to express emotions and feelings of the human, and for that reason most souls are very easy to read by anyone who can read animal emotions. In other ways they are the same as humans, save that they do not possess the same focus on magic that humans do. Magic is typically avoided by most split-souls, though not in nearly the same way as it is with many naga.