Husk

Soullessness is a term applied rare form of stillbirth in which an offspring does not acquire a soul during gestation, or when death or unusual medical circumstance causes an individuals soul to separate from their body. Though an exceedingly rare, it has been documented in all prevalent species in the galaxy, while preservation technologies have allowed mature specimens to be acquired from funerary sources for medical and other uses. Though often mourned and disposed of in the fashion of the region or prevalent culture, there exists an underworld market for such bodies primarily concerned with re-animating them using Soul Fragments. Such reanimated husks are commonly used for arcane or bio-tech experimentation or as chattel slaves. Though highly illegal and frowned upon in all respectable circles, Husk animation is among the most common endpoints of underground soul markets.

Affected Species

Due to the high fraction of offspring that never acquire souls, Shirren are by far the most common type of husk, as beyound the sheer number of specimens they provide, the commonality of soulless offspring has made their disposal relatively unceremonious, which makes the job of acquiring the bodies for vivification far easier.

As all Androids, legitimate or illicit, receive their souls through artificial processes, differing methodologies and divergent results mean that they are not considered husks. Given that Arkivesi can no longer be produced, such husks are unheard-of, as no inert Hearts have been known to survive the Silence.

Husks are uniformly rare among other species, among whom the loss of a newborn is a far more notable and observed affair, the customs of mourning and cultural significance of the event to the family making acquisition of the specimen exceedingly delicate.