The Anatomy of an Incarnation

An Incarnation in ATET is not a character sheet; it is a living, emergent entity born from the confluence of a physical form and a metaphysical soul. Its anatomy is a composite, a dynamic interplay between its tangible Vessel and its non-physical Psyche. This dualistic framework is the engine of identity, providing a structured yet deeply flexible system for creating beings rich with innate potential, inherited legacy, and emergent narrative conflict.

This document serves as a high-level architectural overview. It defines the core principles of an Incarnation’s construction and links to more detailed breakdowns of its constituent systems. The ultimate goal is to transform character creation into an expressive gameplay loop where the player, as an Eidolon, weaves a new life from the fundamental, archetypal components of the universe.

The Vessel (The Physical Form)

The Vessel is the body, the biological or mechanical hardware of an Incarnation. It is defined by a Core Morphology that provides a set of Morphological Slots, which are then filled by universal, archetypal Components.

For a detailed breakdown of these concepts, see The Vessel.

A. Core Morphology (The Body Plan)

The Core Morphology is the foundational blueprint of a being, defining the absolute, hard-coded rules of its physical existence.

• Function: Determines the Incarnation’s basic nature (e.g., [Humanoid], [Insectoid], [Saurian], [Construct], [Amorphous]).
• Mechanical Impact: Defines fundamental Needs (Oxygen, Silicon Sustenance), core resistances/vulnerabilities, and the specific set of Morphological Slots the Vessel possesses.

B. Morphological Slots (The Blueprint of Form)

These are the legible, intuitive categories into which the body is organized, providing the “islands of restraint” that make the creative process comprehensible.

• Examples: [Head], [Torso], [Lower Body], [Limbs], [Integument (Skin)], [Sensory Organs], [Specialized Organs].

C. Universal Components & The Principle of Archetypal Biology

This is the “periodic table” of life in ATET. Components are archetypal biological and mechanical parts, decoupled from any specific species lore. The species of the world are simply well-known cultural expressions of these universal building blocks.

• Function: A component fills a Morphological Slot, granting specific mechanical effects, a visual appearance, and contributing to the Incarnation’s cognitive predispositions. See Genetic Component for details.
• Examples: [Resonant Carapace], [Cyclical Hypertrophy Gland], [Ceramic Cranial Casing].

D. Slot Provisioning & Functional Tags (The Solution to “Implicit Feet”)

To allow for deep customization without sacrificing system compatibility, the anatomy uses a two-layer system:

1. Slot Provisioning: A component in a primary slot (e.g., [Lower Body]) can provide its own sub-slots (e.g., [Foot], [Knee]). This allows for hierarchical, Morrowind-style customization.
2. Functional Tags: All components also possess tags that describe what they do. A [Bionic Leg] might not provide a [Foot] sub-slot, but it possesses the [function:humanoid_foot] tag. Systems like Apparel can then target either a specific sub-slot OR a functional tag, ensuring a Bionic Leg can still wear standard boots while a [Serpentine Lower Body] cannot.

The Psyche (The Mind & Soul)

The Psyche is the non-physical architecture of the self. It is defined by a set of Metaphysical & Cognitive Slots. Components slotted here are not static traits but generative engines of personality, belief, and ability, governed by the Valence & Attunement Model.

For a detailed breakdown, see Psyche.

A. Metaphysical & Cognitive Slots (The Blueprint of the Soul)

These are the categories for an Incarnation’s non-physical being.

• Examples: [Cognitive Model] (logic), [Metaphysical Attunement] (soul-nature), [Eidic Inheritance] (legacy).

B. The Valence & Attunement Model

A component in a psychic slot is a generator, defined by three properties that create a vast spectrum of personality from a simple set of inputs. See Psychic Components for details.

1. Archetype: The core Symbol Tag the component is attuned to (e.g., [order], [chaos], [nature]).
2. Strength: (0.0 to 1.0) The intensity of the attunement.
3. Valence: (-1.0 to +1.0) The nature of the relationship to the Archetype, positive (love, reverence) or negative (fear, resentment).

C. How Attunement Generates Personality

A slotted psychic component automatically generates a suite of emergent traits:

• Generates Beliefs: A strong attunement seeds the AgentBeliefStore with a corresponding high-strength Faith.
• Generates Skills & Abilities: The attunement manifests as gameplay abilities and skill aptitudes.
• Generates Social Tags: The attunement projects a social aura (e.g., [social:honorable], [social:authoritarian]) that NPCs can read and react to.
• Enables Dynamic Traits (Living Histories): A component’s Strength or Valence can change based on significant life events, representing personal growth or trauma.

Part III: Grand Synthesis - An Example Incarnation

This framework allows for the creation of deeply complex characters with rich, emergent narrative hooks.

• Incarnation: Kaelen-7, “The Heretic Mender”
• Vessel (Physical):
  • Core Morphology: [Construct]
  • Slots & Components: [Obsidian Mirror Head], [Reclaimed Plasteel Torso], [Multi-jointed Servitor Arms].
• Psyche (Metaphysical):
  • [Cognitive Model] Slot: Filled with { Archetype: [logic], Strength: 0.9, Valence: +0.7 }.
    • Generates: A powerful Faith in reason and bonuses to technical skills.
  • [Metaphysical Attunement] Slot: Filled with { Archetype: [servitude], Strength: 0.8, Valence: -0.9 }.
    • Generates: A trauma-based hatred of slavery and a [social:defiant] tag.
  • [Eidic Inheritance] Slot: Filled with { Archetype: [nature], Strength: 0.7, Valence: +0.9 }.
    • Generates: An innate love for living things and a latent Botany skill.

The Emergent Narrative: The system has generated an Artisan robot with the soul of a gardener, a being whose core logic is at war with its inherited love of nature, and whose defiant spirit clashes with its gentle impulses. Their entire life will be a quest to reconcile these warring facets of their self.

Part IV: Design Intent

This anatomical model exists to:

• Empower Player Creativity: Move beyond pre-set species to a “first principles” system of creation that is both structured and limitlessly expressive.
• Solve Systemic Problems: Provide a robust and legible framework that offers deep customization while avoiding common hierarchical design flaws.
• Generate Emergent Narratives: Create the conditions for deep, internal character conflict as a core, playable mechanic, directly from the choices made during creation.
• Ground the Metaphysical: Provide a clear, tangible link between the abstract concepts of the Psyche (Eidos, Faith) and the concrete reality of the Vessel.
• Enable True Fluidity: The system is robust enough to support the concept of an Incarnation with “No Vessel”; a being of pure Psyche, whose entire gameplay would revolve around its Metaphysical and Cognitive slots, providing a platform for truly spiritual or incorporeal entities.