Beads of Spiritual Return

Beads of Spiritual Return refer to a beaded necklace found among Pandaren that involves the use of four blessed beads, each one imprinted with a print representing an August Celestial: a tiger paw for Xuen, an ox hoof for Niuzao, a crane print for Chi-Ji, and a dragon claw for Yu'lon. At the center of the necklace is an empty glass sphere meant to contain a soul.

History
The Beads of Spiritual Return originally began as an individual means of protecting the soul of a loved one from being used by Mogu spiritbinders. Though it was seen as disrespectful to the deceased by forcing the spirit to remain enclosed within a receptacle, the beads saw use all the same when threatened by the Mogu.

As years went by, many Pandaren ceased to use their beads as a tool for preserving the souls of the dead, and instead as a tool for prayers.

Properties
When a soul is housed within the sphere and is willing, it may be able to take physical form as a Pandaren spirit. It is not a perfect manifestation of the soul, and it will not retain its former identity.

The purpose of the beads is not to cheat death or bring back a loved one, but to protect the soul against misuse or damage. The physical manifestation as a Pandaren spirit with no recollection of its past life serves to detach from the original identity that soul had in life. Oftentimes the spirit manifests solely to serve as a guide in helping the individual to move on from feelings of loss or overcome turbulent feelings, and thus their companionship is never meant to be permanent.

The spirit is capable of manifesting or dispersing as it sees fit. An unwillingly bound soul may never manifest, or it may form as a hostile entity towards the wearer.