Chell's original bodies being replaced gradually rather than all at once made a great deal more sense than what he'd previously been imagining. Though that still wasn't saying a great deal, as the whole business sounded rather bizarre and arcane to him. Had he been a more religious man, he might even have said that some parts of it veered dangerously close to blasphemy.

"I'm aware that the soul, like many other things, is a form of aether," he said. "But one cannot simply... create life as one pleases. The nearest thing I've heard of to such a practice is Summoning, in which a beast tribe sacrifices great hordes of crystals- or occasionally less savory sources of aether- to give their Primal deities form. Such a practice brings naught but suffering and destruction, as the Primal will bleed the land dry of aether to sustain itself if allowed to remain, wreaking havoc and warping the minds of those unfortunate enough to encounter it all the while."