Possession

Possession is a power available to those capable of Apparation, such as Spirits, some Galsterei, and so on. Possession requires 25 XP in Apparation and a Minor Merit to pursue.

Possession

History

As old as the very first spirits, Possession has been used since the dawn of time to influence and manipulate the living in myriad directions both pernicious and positive.

Acquisition

The ability to acquire Possession is generally tied to one’s state of being– namely, it is most often wielded by Spirits. There is, however, another circumstance that confers the ability for other individuals to learn Possession, and that is to wield Apparation.

An Apparator who wishes to learn to possess others need only thin their frequency to incorporeal and then attempt to Shadow another living creature. Should they succeed, they will then be able to start imparting Suggestions and nurture their newfound skills from there.

Mageburn Symptoms

Possession expends Spell Reserves from the Metaphor it is derived from; those who push this discipline experience the same Mageburn Symptoms relevant to the Metaphor used to cast, and being damaged or shattered whilst possessing others will cause tremendous damage to one's essence - and thus their own Spell Reserves. The act of Possession puts one at the same risks involved with Apparating at a high frequency and thus those who practice this craft risk becoming a Trace without much of a soul left to experience the afterlife with if vanquished mid act.

Spells

Like all Poetics, Possession uses the Metaphor it is derived from to cast. For Ghosts, this is Miasmata. For Galsterei who have achieved Apparation, they use Aether and might attempt Possession through an invasion of fire, sand, water, air, or bodily chill depending on the discipline. A Summoner could have someone to swallow their Familiar and possess them that way.

Suggestion

A Possessor’s Suggestion is the ability to impart intrusive thoughts into their targets, facilitated by any of their other spells– Shadowing, Symbiosis, Takeover, or Puppeteering. It doesn’t work on its own. Due note that thoughts that are very contrary to a host’s nature might tip them off to the presence of a spirit, should that host have the requisite knowledge to draw such a conclusion.

This spell is very flexible, and as such, it can be used for a variety of things depending on the Possessor’s intent. For example, they may Shadow a public speaker and then introduce an intrusive thought to distract them, thereby causing them to lose face in front of their audience; they may Suggest it's a good idea to jump off a cliff as a way to dodge an incoming attack; they might introduce strange suggestions to make somebody paranoid, and much more.

Some more patient Possessors may play a longer game, imparting Suggestions over a period of time to guide or shape another entity’s life or circumstances, for good or ill. They might try and lead somebody away from destructive habits just as easily as they might try and lead somebody into them.

Shadowing

Shadowing is a precursor to proper possession. A Possessor may inlay themselves within another creature, attaching themselves in the process. Through this, they can start imparting Suggestions.

Most of the time, a target of Shadowing will not notice. However, things like extremely acute awareness (Meditation), extrasensory abilities, Ensorcelling, spirit blood and so on would all serve to allow a target awareness and even force the Possessor away.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis is how a Possessor may establish complete control and verisimilitude over and with a willing target. Depending on that target’s strength of will and personality, they may still be able to communicate by thought with the Possessor, or even share control. Symbiosis’ duration lasts indefinitely; either party may cut the spell at will.

Do note that an unwilling host may be turned ‘willing’ by subjugation. A Possessor may break the mind of the target through Takeover or by any other means at their disposal over time, thereby allowing them to take control with Symbiosis instead.

Takeover

Takeover is how a Possessor may establish complete control and verisimilitude over and with an unwilling target. Depending on that target’s strength of will and personality, they may still be able to communicate by thought with the Possessor, or even wrest back control if their Meditation meets or exceeds the intruding entity’s.

Puppeteering

Puppeteering is how a Possessor may control multiple entities at once, though lacking the finer points of control found with Takeover or Symbiosis. This is done by extending outward Tendrils of Apparation and establishing a connection between themselves and their intended targets.

Tiers of Mastery

Novice

Possession’s skillset unfolds slowly– at novice, the scope of a Possessor's power is very slim.

• Suggestion:
  • As a novice, the Possessor’s suggestions are like whispers at the back of the mind. While easy to ignore, the right words, thoughts, or feelings, good enough timing, or a gullible enough victim would still find such suggestions believable.
  • Suggestions too contrary to the host’s nature will be ignored without fail and may tip off the host to the Possessor’s presence.
• Shadowing:
  • Apprentice or higher Meditation (or equivalent mechanism) would resist novice Shadowing.
• Symbiosis:
  • Unavailable at this tier.
• Takeover:
  • Unavailable at this tier.
• Puppeteering:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Apprentice

As a Possessor advances to apprentice, they have a better grasp on the finer points of overlaying oneself onto another.

• Suggestion:
  • At apprentice, the Possessor’s suggestions are more than a whisper but still not very compelling on their own– they work best on more easily swayed targets, such as those under the influence of any myriad substances or magic.
  • Suggestions too contrary to the host’s nature will be ignored without fail and may tip off the host to the Possessor’s presence.
• Shadowing:
  • Journeyman or higher Meditation (or equivalent mechanism) would resist apprentice Shadowing.
• Symbiosis:
  • Unavailable at this tier.
• Takeover:
  • Unavailable at this tier.
• Puppeteering:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Journeyman

At journeyman is where a Possessor is finally able to exercise the art of control over another properly, albeit only through Symbiosis– getting used to controlling the faculties of other living things takes time.

• Suggestion:
  • At journeyman, the Possessor’s suggestions more easily integrate into the thought patterns of their host, granting them far greater influence.
  • Suggestions that are too contrary to a host’s nature will still be jarring and easy to pass off as intrusive, but ignorable, thoughts and may still tip off the host to the Possessor’s presence.
• Shadowing:
  • Expert or higher Meditation (or equivalent mechanism) would resist journeyman Shadowing.
• Symbiosis:
  • Achieving Symbiosis is a slow, taxing process on both the Possessor and the host at this stage– it takes approximately 15 minutes and leaves both in a vulnerable, meditative state until completion.
  • Symbiosis is imperfect at this tier; if the host and Possessor attempt to move the shared body at the same time, these conflicting inputs may produce a myriad of unpleasant results ranging from strange, erratic movements, to seizures, to the Possessor being booted out from the host. Thus, it is recommended that only the Possessor attempts to control the body at this stage.
• Takeover:
  • Unavailable at this tier.
• Puppeteering:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Expert

Finally, at expert level, the hostile Takeover is possible, as well as more fluid execution of previous skills.

• Suggestion:
  • At expert, the Possessor’s suggestions are almost seamless with the thought patterns of their host– though steeled minds may still notice the oddities thereof; scholars, monks, or those skilled with meditation, for example.
  • Expert is where it becomes properly viable to weave suggestions which starkly contradict a target’s nature and still manage to pass them off as the host’s own thoughts; at this stage, they are unlikely to tip off the host to the Possessor’s presence.
• Shadowing:
  • Master or higher Meditation (or equivalent mechanism) would resist expert Shadowing.
• Symbiosis:
  • At expert, achieving Symbiosis is much faster, taking only 5 minutes for the Possessor and host to synchronize.
  • Symbiosis is still volatile at this point, and the same precautions as at journeyman apply.
• Takeover:
  • One expert cast of Takeover lasts 12 hours.
  • A successful Takeover grants the Possessor full control over the host’s physical faculties.
  • The host’s memories are not accessible.
  • If applicable, both the host and Possessor’s other magics are suppressed for the duration of the Takeover.
• Puppeteering:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Master

A master may extend their Takeover to the more expansive Puppeteering, thereby giving the Possessor a lot more flexibility with whom they may control.

• Suggestion:
  • At master, the Possessor’s suggestions are seamless with the thought patterns of their host, regardless of how contrary the suggestion is to the host’s nature.
• Shadowing:
  • Ascended or higher Meditation (or equivalent mechanism) would resist master Shadowing.
• Symbiosis:
  • Achieving Symbiosis is instantaneous.
  • The host and Possessor may both seamlessly control the shared body, though if conflicting inputs are given, the Possessor is prioritized.
• Takeover:
  • One master cast of Takeover lasts 24 hours.
  • A successful Takeover grants the Possessor full control over the host’s physical faculties.
  • At master, the Possessor now has access to their host’s memories.
  • If desired, the Possessor may access their own magics at this stage.
  • The Possessor may wield their host’s personal magics, but only up to expert tier.
  • When wielding their host’s personal arcana, they may only use the host’s spell reserves, not their own.
  • When wielding their own personal arcana, they may only use their own spell reserves, not the host’s.
• Puppeteering:
  • A master may puppeteer up to 5 people at once.
  • The same rules for Takeover apply to Puppeteering.

Eisvoleus

The Eisvoleus is a pernicious entity capable of blending seamlessly with up to twelve hosts at once. Further, their ability to wield both their own personal arcana on top of whatever their victims themselves possess gives each of these rare few the ability to have untold influence or release unknown devastation upon any given Plane.

• Suggestion:
  • As an Eisvoleus, their suggestions are seamless with the thought patterns of their host, regardless of how contrary the suggestion is to the host’s nature.
• Shadowing:
  • Ascended Meditation (or equivalent mechanism) would resist an Eisvoleus’ Shadowing.
• Symbiosis:
  • Achieving Symbiosis is instantaneous.
  • The host and Possessor may both seamlessly control the shared body, though if conflicting inputs are given, the Possessor is prioritized.
• Takeover:
  • An Eisvoleus’ Takeover can last up to a week before needing to be recast.
  • A successful Takeover grants the Possessor full control over the host’s physical faculties.
  • The Possessor has access to their host’s memories.
  • The Possessor may wield their own personal magics.
  • The Possessor may intuitively wield any of their host’s personal magics regardless of skill.
  • The Possessor may wield both their own and their host’s spell reserves regardless of whose arcana they are using.
• Puppeteering:
  • An Eisvoleus may puppeteer up to 12 people at once.
  • The same rules for Takeover apply to Puppeteering.

Contrivances

Ensorcelled charms, specially designed Automata, and Mysticism's Spirit Blood may protect one from being possessed. Otherwise, Contrivances may be crafted from the Possessor's Sundered Alkahest directly.

”To watch yourself commit acts you'd normally never do is an experience I'd rather die than relive. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but as the day went by and the evening’s soiree began, more and more crass words sprang from my lips– sullying my reputation. I realized I was, tragically, not asleep. Rather, I was a silent observer, a prisoner in my own skin. My only solace is that the cursed Rakshasa emerged from me in front of everyone before the night ended, but my peers still giggle about the sordid deeds it got up to wearing my skin to this day." - a nobleman 

Articles on Welkin

Main Page