The Ancestors
The Ancestors of both the kinden and the People may be considered to be Platonic archetypes of their species. Every species that is or was has an Ancestor.
The People view their Ancestors as gods; their various tribes may have priests, and much of their culture concerns veneration of their totemic Ancestors. They feel the spirit of their Ancestor flowing through their veins every time they Step to take on their Ancestor's form.
The kinden are rather more separated from their Ancestors than the People. For the most part they do not worship them as gods - in fact some such as Beetles view the Ancestor as an abstraction, or an ideal form (despite the reality of Ancestor Art).
The Ancestors of the People live in a place some call the Godsland. This is a spirit realm that can actually be visited with the help of Shamans.
The kinden are able to commune with the idea or concept of their Ancestors through meditation, which also allows them to tap into Ancestor Art. Little else is known about the Ancestors of the kinden.
Ancestor Art, Aptitude, Stepping, and Magic
Shadows and Echoes uses Mythras Animism for Ancestors, Ancestor Art, Aptitude, and Stepping. For Magic, Mythras Sorcery and Folk Magic are used.
Ancestor Art, Aptitude, and Stepping are Animism Spirit Abilities granted by Ancestors, but they do not require active participation or e.g. posession by the Ancestors. See the relevant sections for rules.
The People of EotF also have Shamanic traditions that correspond more closely to Mythras Animism rules.
The Nature of the Ancestors in Shadows and Echoes
Ancestors are somewhat like Animism's Animal Nature Spirits, in the sense that they represent the essence of their species. However, they are almost never contacted or negotiated with - exceptions are extremely rare. They could be considered spirits of Intensity 10+, meaning a minimum POW range of 91 - 96. INT/INS and CHA vary by Ancestor, but generally this is unimportant considering that they mostly exist in the background, as the source of Ancestor Art, Aptitude, Stepping, and Magic. It is unthinkable to consider Binding or engaging in Spirit Combat with an Ancestor. The attempt would almost certainly mean death.
The Godlands of the People corresponds to Animism's Spirit World. The realm of kinden Ancestors is unknown, but presumably they also live somewhere in the Spirit World.
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