Possession

From Mizahar Lore

This article is about a racial skill that is only available to certain races and characters.

"If the patient starts yelling in long forgotten tongues, you might want to ask a Spiritist for a consultation. Either that or try leeching some blood. You can never go wrong with leeching." - Dr. Zugzwang, medic

Possession is an ability of ghosts and possibly other ethereal undead. It allows them to enter the body of a living creature, overriding its controller and taking over for a while. With practice, ghosts can get better at possessing others; at first, they will only be able to possess willing targets or highly sensitive people such as gifted children, but as they become more experienced the duration, precision and overall success of possession increases considerably.

Possession consumes some of the ghost's soulmist over time, causing it to get tired. Moreover, the target may resist possession and try to expel the intruder, especially if the ghost tries to force an extremely unwanted behavior. The ghost does not feel pain or any other sensations of the body during possession, as it is just a puppeteer pulling the strings. This means it can do things that bring major physical harm to the host without even realizing. In some cases, there may be some emotional empathy between the ghost and its host, and either one may learn something about the other.

Through possession, ghosts can use their pre-death skills that require a body, including all personal magic. Inexperienced ghosts will not be able to use a skill to its full proficiency, but this gets better with practice.

Practitioners of Spiritism, a branch of world magic, have the highest control over possession. Such a medium can be controlled much more easily and effortlessly than any other person, though they are also much more resistant to undesirable intrusion. Spiritists can even share control with the ghost, and their symbiosis can be so perfect that the ghost may even practice and improve at its pre-death skills. This is the only way to break the general rule that ghosts cannot evolve the abilities they held in life.

Ghosts can possess anything that's alive, including animals.

Ghosts can use personal magic (their own, not the host's) while possessing. Overgiving, should it happen, affects BOTH the ghost and its host, in different ways of course. This is to prevent a ghost from just walking out and into someone else for unlimited magic batteries. Using magic drains a ghost much like using its ghostly abilities, thus yes, they tire out faster.

The length of possession depends on the ghost's skill as well as how much resistance the host is putting up. Generally, though, we are talking minutes to hours - maybe days if the ghost is good. Spiritists can keep it up for longer. A good enough ghost can take breaks and surrender control for a while while staying inside someone.

Progression

Novice (1-25)
	The ghost is rather clueless when it comes to possession; it can try to walk into someone, but it does not mean it will succeed. Usually, only sensitive (or weak-willed) people can be possessed at this stage, and only for a few minutes before the ghost's power is exhausted. Anyone who simply tries to fight back will manage to drive it out. Control is far from perfect, rendering movements somewhat sluggish. The host will typically feel sore afterwards.
Competent (26-50)
	There is a definite improvement, and the ghost can try to possess more targets and for longer. At this level, it can use his pre-death skills with only a slight penalization. It can also engage a battle of wills with those who try to resist, and at the very least keep them busy for a while, or take over if it manages to win.
Expert (51-75)
	A veteran of ghostly abilities, the apparition can possess single body parts, which is easier than controlling the full body. If it can take control, it wears the body almost like its own. The ghost does not have to leave the body once its power wanes - it can lay dormant inside, waiting for the next opportunity to haunt its victim (who has little choice but to seek a Spiritist for help).
Master (76-100)
	These ghosts are very rare and feared. They can instantly recognize, without even trying, if they would be able to possess their victim; when this happens, the process is instantaneous so that others will not even know the victim is being possessed. Combined with acting skills, these ghosts possess terrifying deception powers and all but the most strong-willed will fall prey to their manipulation.