What is a Soul Essence?

[Pimple]

Since Avernus happened we can now loot "Soul Essences" which are supposedly used as currency there, and you can get paid for them with a bank NPC. It obviously is supposed to represent a soul, but it has happened a few times that I got one IC whilst not in Avernus, and that makes me wonder what exactly my character should think about it!

What is the form of a Soul Essence? From the icon it appears to be just swirling light but if you can bring it with you it must have some substance.

Can it be communicated with somehow?

Is it a soul in full?

If so, can it in RP be released or maybe used to power spells? Or is it merely a used-to-be-a-soul kind of residue?

If it can be released, how do you go about that?

And what in the first place keeps it in the form it is in?

[NegInfinity]

Since Avernus happened we can now loot "Soul Essences" which are supposedly used as currency there, and you can get paid for them with a bank NPC. It obviously is supposed to represent a soul, but it has happened a few times that I got one IC whilst not in Avernus, and that makes me wonder what exactly my character should think about it!

What is the form of a Soul Essence? From the icon it appears to be just swirling light but if you can bring it with you it must have some substance.

Can it be communicated with somehow?

Is it a soul in full?

If so, can it in RP be released or maybe used to power spells? Or is it merely a used-to-be-a-soul kind of residue?

If it can be released, how do you go about that?

And what in the first place keeps it in the form it is in?

If you check fiendish codex II for DND 3.5, you'll learn that soul essence is a magical energy devils extract from mortal souls by torturing them.

Basically, when a mortal soul ends up in avernus, devils torture it, extracting magical soul energy. Devils use it as currency and to make more devils (aside from erinyes, they can't normally reproduce). Soul energy is consumed during promotion ritual, and IIRC it is released during demotion punishment. Interestingly, the FFII does not ever use "soul essence" anywhere in it. So I suppose this is similar to sigil's soul prisms.

What's left of the mortal soul is thrown into Avernus Maggot Pit, and if the mortal was especially evil, it may rise up as a lemure - a mindless creatures, lowest in the devil hierarchy. Said creature can be promoted to a more powerful devil, in time.

Regarding releasing soul, Fiendish Codex II explicitly states that any attempt to release the soul will be met with a retaliation. Also, individuals signed that soul to the devils themselves.

In short, I believe this might actually be a soul prism. See, for example, here:
https://mimir.net/barmy/coins.html

So, the way I see it, this is the kind of item a good aligned character wouldn't even touch, if he or she knows how it has been created.

P.S. Of course, anything a DM says overrules anything I said.

[BlueAce417]

Wait so I happened to pick up a Soul Essence with my good warlock and was thinking he could use it to lure the fiend who he made a contract with and kill him. Would that not be possible? If not, I could prolly think of some other use in time. :/