The Architecture of the Physical Form

The Vessel is the tangible half of an Incarnation’s being; the body, the hardware, the physical story. It is not a mere cosmetic shell, but a complex system of potentials, limitations, and predispositions that fundamentally shapes how an Incarnation experiences and interacts with a Tapestry. As outlined in The Anatomy of an Incarnation, the Vessel’s construction is a primary act of creation for the Eidolon, setting the physical stage for the drama of the Psyche.

This document details the layered architecture of the Vessel, from its foundational body plan to the intricate functionality of its smallest parts.

Core Morphology: The Foundational Body Plan

The Core Morphology is the most fundamental choice in a Vessel’s design. It is the architectural style, the template that defines the absolute, hard-coded rules of its physical existence and provides the primary set of Morphological Slots available for customization.

• Function: Determines the Vessel’s basic biological or mechanical nature.
• Mechanical Impact: Defines core Needs (e.g., Oxygen vs. Methane), innate resistances and vulnerabilities (e.g., Immune to Poison), and the available slots for components.

Example Core Morphologies

Morphological Slots & The Principle of Slot Provisioning

To allow for deep, granular customization without creating systemic chaos, the Vessel uses a hierarchical slot system. A Component slotted into a primary Morphological Slot can, in turn, provide its own set of Sub-Slots. This principle allows for rich detail where it is needed, while maintaining simplicity where it is not.

Detailed Slot Examples

The specific slots provided by a Core Morphology and its subsequent components create a detailed blueprint of the body.

• Example: [Humanoid] Breakdown

  1. The [Humanoid] Core Morphology provides a primary [Lower Body] slot.
  2. Slotting a [Standard Bipedal Leg Assembly] component into [Lower Body] then provides new Sub-Slots: [Left Thigh], [Right Thigh], [Left Knee], [Right Knee], [Left Foot], [Right Foot].
  3. The player can then slot more specific components, like [Reinforced Patella] into the [Left Knee] slot for extra durability.

• Example: [Insectoid] Breakdown

  1. The [Insectoid] Core Morphology provides a primary [Head] slot and a [Thorax] slot with [Limbs (x6)].
  2. Slotting a [Mantis-like Head] component provides Sub-Slots like [Mandibles], [Compound Eyes], and [Antennae Socket].
  3. Slotting [Raptorial Forelimbs] into two of the [Limbs] slots grants the [function:grasp] tag, while the other four might be [Standard Walking Legs].

• Example: [Construct] Breakdown

  1. The [Construct] Core Morphology provides a [Chassis] slot.
  2. Slotting a [Heavy Industrial Chassis] provides internal Sub-Slots like [Primary Power Core] and [Heat Sink Array].
  3. Slotting [Multi-jointed Servitor Arms] into the [Upper Manipulators] slots could provide its own Sub-Slots for [Integrated Welding Torch] or [Fine-Motor Servos].

Functional Tags: The Universal Language of “How it Works”

The greatest risk of a hierarchical slot system is incompatibility; the “bionic leg problem.” To solve this, every component possesses Functional Tags that describe what it does, separate from its name or the slot it fills. This ensures that all other game systems, from Apparel to environmental interactions, can interact with a Vessel based on its capabilities, not just its parts list.

Example of Functional Tags in Action:

• The Goal: A character wants to wear a standard pair of boots. The [Boot] apparel item is designed to be equipped by a character who has a foot.
• The ATET Way: The boot requires a component that possesses the [function:humanoid_foot] tag.

A Catalog of Functional Tags

This catalog serves as a library for other systems, defining the language of physical capability.

Reproductive Systems

The biological sex of a Vessel is an emergent property, not a core attribute. It is determined by the specific reproductive capabilities granted by the Components slotted into its anatomy. These capabilities are defined by a universal library of Functional Tags that describe a being’s role in the process of creation, from gamete production to gestation.

This modular, component-based approach decouples the physical facts of reproduction from the complex social and psychological realities of gender and identity, allowing for a vast diversity of life forms and family structures.

For a detailed breakdown of the mechanics and the universal language of reproductive tags, see Reproduction.

Design Intent: A Foundation for Emergence

The architecture of the Vessel is designed to be more than a character creator. It is a foundational system with several key goals:

• To Empower Creativity: By providing a clear, structured, and universal set of biological archetypes, the system gives the Eidolon a powerful toolkit for designing truly unique life forms from first principles.
• To Generate Narrative: The physical form of an Incarnation is not just cosmetic. Its components create innate cognitive predispositions and social cues, generating a rich source of internal and external conflict that drives the story.
• To Be a Stable Platform: The robust nature of the Slot Provisioning and Functional Tag systems ensures that the Vessel can serve as a reliable and extensible foundation for all other gameplay systems, from Crafting and Apparel to Social Simulation.
• To Make the Body a Story: Through future integrations like Dynamic Components and Eidic Mutagenesis, the Vessel itself will become a living chronicle of an Incarnation’s Thread, its form evolving and changing to reflect the choices and traumas of a life lived.