Basic idea, subject to change:
Origin: Incandelons are departed souls given a new chance to live. In order for a soul to become an Incandelon, they must craft their mask and their lantern. The quest to get the materials for these, and the process to put them together, may take a long time. But sometimes it comes easily. How they get their physical bodies is up to interpretation.
Purpose: Incandelons are psychopomps, spirit creatures who guide lost souls to the afterlife. Incandelons must do this at least some of the time, or they will lose their form, becoming a soul again, and guided to the afterlife themselves.
World:
Incandelons come from a plane between life and death called the Spirit Realm. They are the only creatures who can freely travel between the spirit realm and the mortal realm, and often do for their jobs.
Most ghosts aren’t meant to stay in the spirit realm long, and are guided to the gate to the afterlife. Incandelons don’t know what lies beyond that gate, but nothing that goes in ever comes out. Most Incandelons chose to be spirit guides to avoid this fate themselves, maybe out of fear, but usually because they don’t want to give up who they are.
The Spirit Realm is always dark. Glittery particles drift through the air, and they can be mistaken for stars, but it’s actually not known what they are. The landscape is surreal and doesn’t make total sense. Locations are pretty much up to interpretation, be creative! You can make floating islands or trees with eyes or upside down waterfalls or uh.. anything else!
Incandelons are not the only inhabitants of this realm. Some souls evade the Incandelons and refuse to go to the afterlife. If a mortal soul stays in the spirit realm for too long, it will eventually lose its memory and identity, just becoming a wisp.
The mortal realm is set on Earth, but it does not have to be 100% realistic. Vampires and dragons and other closed species can exist
While the Spirit Realm is infinite and largely up to interpretation, I am likely going to make specific locations in the future.
Society: Incandelons are usually social like humans, living with families or other groups. Incandelon cities in the Spirit Realm are common. Some of them are modern or even futuristic in design, while others may be more like villages or kingdoms. There is no set universal government for incandelons, though royalty or mayors may exist in some communities.
While most Incandelons live in the Spirit Realm, there are some who dislike it and choose to remain on Earth among the living, and only return to the Spirit Realm for their job.