Simulacra (Singular: simulacrum)
Occurrence: Beings native to the Spirit Realm, simulacra are incapable of existing in any other plane than that and can consequently only be encountered there. Although the reason for their existence and the cause or means of their creation or birth is uncertain, since there exist no record of anyone observing such an event, it appears that simulacra are somehow formed as a direct consequence of the connection between the Spirit Realm and mortal souls. Due to the indeterminable dimensions and chaotic nature of the Spirit Realm it is impossible to even guess at the number of these beings that might occupy the plane. Judging by numbers previously observed and the frequency with which they are seen there, however, it appears that they are rather common. They are innumerable in a very literal sense.
Appearance: Simulacra have no one appearance, not just as defined across the entirety of the species, but even as defined by them as individuals. A simulacrum has no physical form nor even any soul of its own, but exists solely by imprinting itself on the Spirit Realm and using the fabric of the plane itself to manifest a visage. Nothing about its appearance is constant, consistent or adherent to any kind of general rule; its size, shape and nature may fundamentally change from one instant to the next. Which appearance simulacra take appears to have nothing to do with the simulacra themselves, but rather be determined by the minds of nearby mortals, as they shift to meet the expectations of their observers while at the same time shifting to fit their current objective.
Danger: Under normal circumstances simulacra are no threat, as their individuality is completely suppressed when they enter a mortal’s dream-space and become actors that follow the will of the dreamer. Even when one leaves the dream-space and enters the domain of the psyche or the raw Spirit Realm, simulacra possess no true wills of their own and will be docile or even friendly towards most travelers of the plane, as they tend to mirror the thoughts, emotions and intentions of whichever mortal they encounter. Only in cases where the traveler specifically has harmful intentions will a simulacrum become hostile, aggressively pursuing the traveler for as long as they remain in the Spirit Realm or until the intentions of the mortal change, meaning that even when hostile, they will cease to attack once their target no longer intends to attack.
The primary concern and reason for simulacra occasionally earning the label of “monsters” comes from isolated cases where travelers of the Spirit Realm entered perpetual nightmares – domains under the influence of souls trapped in the Spirit Realm, with no means of leaving – with the intention of “killing” the trapped souls to free them. In these perpetual nightmares simulacra appear to differ fundamentally from their usual behavior in that they are invariably and relentlessly aggressive towards anyone but the trapped soul. For some reason simulacra appear to accumulate in these perpetual nightmares and will attack in great numbers. In this case they are extremely dangerous, particularly since the traveler – while in the perpetual nightmare – will be very limited in their ability to manipulate the Spirit Realm.
The biggest issue with simulacra is that while they possess no energy on their own and are literally powerless, they are capable of commandeering indeterminate quantities of energy from the Spirit Realm, possibly enabling them to increase their power limitlessly. Furthermore it is uncertain whether it is even possible to kill a simulacrum at all, as it is not possible to target the simulacrum itself and that the magical construct that represents it will mend itself effortlessly from any damage.
Conclusion: Under most circumstances it may actually be beneficial to encounter simulacra in the Spirit Realm, and even when they turn hostile it is a fairly simple matter to pacify them, especially if one understands that their actions are in response to one’s own thoughts. In the exceptional case of perpetual nightmares, however, simulacra are definitely best avoided at all costs and even when encountered are better ignored, as fighting them may be practically impossible. The wiser course of action will always be to focus on finding and killing the trapped soul, thus causing the nightmare to unravel and the simulacra to revert back to their usually harmless nature.