Affecting the Material Realm

The most common questions from players revolve around how their elohim characters interact with humans and the material realm. While elohim are not part of the material creation, they are indeed still created beings. The spiritual is a part of everything material. The Breath of the Most High (ruach = breath, wind, or Spirit) sustains the entire creation, spiritual and material. Nothing exists without the Most High continuing to will it to exist. To exist is to be an orderly creation with a function as opposed to disordered chaos, like the abyssal deep over which the Spirit of the Most High hovered to create from. Elohim, while not material, are a part of creation. Being only of the spiritual leaves them inherently "unseen" to material eyes. 

Elohim and the Senses

Elohim are by default undetected by all physical senses for those of the material realm. Material objects obstruct their sight and can hinder the projection of spiritual sound. Elohim can freely pass through material objects or even living beings while not being seen, heard, touched, etc. except by those who are sensitive to spiritual things.

Some humans or animals will occasionally feel a spiritual presence or catch a glimpse of an elohim. Some humans are what are traditionally called 'seers' and can sense and sometimes even interact with the spiritual. Seers aside, most occurrences of an elohim being sensed in the material realm are by the elohim's choosing.

Manifesting into the Material Realm

Elohim may choose to manifest their presence into the material realm in a variety of ways. Elohim can manifest audibly, visibly, or tangibly and in any combination. They can manifest selectively to any of the material senses. They can also manifest selectively to only certain material beings.

Audibly Manifesting

Elohim can manifest an audible voice, that can be heard by material ears. Elohim can also speak directly to the spirits of humans while in close proximity to the human. The human hears this in a manner similar to a thought, but can usually distinguish that the thought was not their own. Minstrels can use Situational Songs to speak to human spirits from a greater distance.

Visually Manifesting

When manifesting visually, elohim can appear in their full glory, but this is usually frightening and overpowering to flesh and blood creatures. For this reason, elohim will often alter their appearance to seem more human or even Conceal their Glory so as not to be recognized as an elohim. When appearing visibly, elohim are limited to appearing as human or animal, as large as an elephant or as small as a small breed of dog. They can appear dressed or groomed however they desire and can carry items. Almost never is it seen as acceptable for an elohim to appear as a specific human or animal. Unclean Spirits are the most egregious violators of this protocol impersonating deceased figures of significance from a human's life to manipulate them.

Tangibly Manifesting

Elohim can present themselves in a tangible form, be it to manifest the warmth of a touch, a fearful chill, or present an invisible barrier to physical passage. When manifesting visually, they can also manifest clothing and items. They can maintain these items while in proximity to the item, but without the Most High's cooperation these items will not last long once removed from the elohim's presence.

Embodiment and Incarnation

Elohim, can create a tangible embodiment when appearing to humans. This is not flesh and blood, but simply an appearance of these things. This embodiment cannot be wounded and is not vulnerable to material concerns or any threat in the physical realm.

Different than such an embodiment is incarnation in flesh. While elohim have been able to manifest themselves in a flesh body, this is discouraged among after the first watchers manifested flesh for themselves and were drawn into fleshly temptation, defiling themselves with human women who bore to them unnatural children.

Holy elohim will almost never manifest flesh and unholy elohim are wary of doing so after the extreme punishment being suffered by the first watchers. Unclean Spirits, the end state of those unnatural children, are cursed and can barely hold together an embodiment even in the spiritual realm.

Inhabitation

Elohim can inhabit the bodies of material creatures in a variety of ways. They can simply occupy the same space as the material being, similar to a passenger in a vehicle. While inside, they are carried along, hidden from the sight of other elohim and can speak to the creature's spirit as described earlier. The elohim can also take control of the creature's body, similar to a vehicle's passenger taking the steering wheel or operating the pedals. Some humans, knowingly or unknowingly, surrender more and more of their will to unholy elohim. This can be a willing invitation or acceptance, or it could happen through the human repeatedly obeying the promptings of the elohim. Either way, the human falls more and more under the dominion and domination of the elohim.

Almost never will a holy elohim inhabit a material creature's body. Most unholy elohim do not prefer to inhabit a 'lesser' human unless it serves their goals in a significant enough way to offset the indignity. Bestial elohim will sometimes inhabit a human who engages in their specific brand of sin, so they can indulge their own appetites vicariously. Unclean Spirits are the most common culprits of inhabitation of any kind. 

Manifesting in Dreams

Elohim can suggest mental images or dreams to a human by speaking to the human’s spirit, but cannot directly induce true dreams or visions without either permission from the Most High or the human forcing the overlapping of the two realms through practices like fasting, asceticism, transcendental meditation, or psychoactive drug use. Unholy elohim use such means to reach humans at a much deeper level once they have knowingly or unknowingly opened themselves to the spiritual realm.

Manifesting Spiritual Effects and Songs

How Spiritual Effects affect the material realm are not as limited and predictable in result as they are when used in the spiritual realm. Spiritual Effects may also be used more broadly and creatively. For example, Refresh might be used to make spoiled food pure and safe for consumption.

The same can be said about Songs' effects on the material realm. Songs that are sung intending to affect the material realm are not directly heard, but more so felt by material beings. Affecting Songs could be sung this way to broadly affect the mood or tone of a setting. Manifesting Songs might be sung this way to produce a result related to their imagery or effect. For example, Winds of Heaven could be manifested to cause a favorable wind for a sailing ship. Songs that would normally affect all holy or unholy elohim can be made to also affect the material realm or only affect the material realm and not affect nearby elohim.