Kinfolk lore
The following is subject to change over the development and eventual release of Kindred Fates.
This page details various aspects of Kinfolk lore.
Bonds
Main article: Bonds
As intelligent creatures, able to think and speak as humans do, Kinfolk can't be captured or tamed in the traditional sense. Instead, the player character must form Bonds with Kinfolk to convince them to join the adventure.
Souls
A Kinfolk's soul is able to persist for some time after death, the exact time of which depends on its bond with a human. The soul materializes as a glowing blue flame, and can be rescued if someone gets there in time. If the flame is allowed to burn out, only ashes remain, and the Kinfolk is permanently gone. It's uncertain exactly what differentiates Kinfolk and human souls.
The Memorial
The Memorial — found in the player's hometown — records the (nick)name, picture, bond level, date of meeting, and date of death of lost Kinfolk.
Restlessness
For anyone that's ever longed for that elusive well thought out and immersive reason to hit small, adorable creatures: this is it. A rare, illness-like condition that causes Kinfolk to lose a part of their soul, be overcome with negative emotions, and react in a wide variety of other ways, of which only unbridled aggression has been observed. Physically, this gives a restless Kinfolk glowing purple eyes and an off-color purplish soul upon death. Only mildly upsetting until paired with the thought of bloodthirsty Shovelbutts and Kodoki with literal broken souls. Luckily, it's possible to save them by dealing enough damage to down them(the state where capture/bonding is possible) without killing them. Once a soul has been successfully 'captured', it can be cleansed with the light of the shrines, as stated in the Bond section.
In regards to how a Kinfolk becomes Restless, details are scarce. While harboring grief and other negative emotions for a sustained period of time definitely plays a role, there is also the mystery of the Restless Fog. The term seems to be closely related to the recent rise of restlessness, one of the only aspects of the story currently revealed.