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I had an idea, and I'm still working out the details, but here's the general thing:
Artifact: Flesh Doll
This artifact was first created by Sorcerers, and remains used almost exclusively by them. Celestials have no use for them, and most Archangels and Demon Princes don't like the idea of their Soldiers having them, for different reasons. The Flesh Doll does not look like a doll at all; instead, it's a linked pair of bracelets, collars, or one of each. The first is worn by the user, and the second is slipped around a place on an empty vessel or vessel-substitute. There are two ways to get a vessel for the Flesh Doll. The guilt-free, but very difficult, way is to have it gifted by a Superior or construct your own out of Primordeal Clay. The easier way is to slip it around the wrist of a recently deceased animal or human corpse. Once in place, the bracelets allow a human to 'change vessels', or transfer their consciousness from their mortal body to the empty vessel.
There are significant restrictions compared to the vessel changes done by celestials. For one, it takes 5 Essence to activate the Flesh Doll. Second, the transfer of consciousness lasts for hours equal to the artifact's level...no more, and no less. The transfer cannot be terminated prematurely, and if either of the human's bodies die, either the possessed one, or the helpless human form left mindless, the human dies. Also, if the corpse-option is used, the body decays as normal when not possessed, and must soon be replaced. Despite these limitations, the Flesh Doll remains eagerly sought after by Sorcerers...they don't tend to have qualms about sacrificing the occassional bird or beast in order to gain the ability to spy on their enemies, or commit atrocities in animal form. Some myths of witches changing form, and werewolves, and other creatures, are surely inspired by these artifacts.
Cost: 5 points a level.
Artifact: Flesh Doll
This artifact was first created by Sorcerers, and remains used almost exclusively by them. Celestials have no use for them, and most Archangels and Demon Princes don't like the idea of their Soldiers having them, for different reasons. The Flesh Doll does not look like a doll at all; instead, it's a linked pair of bracelets, collars, or one of each. The first is worn by the user, and the second is slipped around a place on an empty vessel or vessel-substitute. There are two ways to get a vessel for the Flesh Doll. The guilt-free, but very difficult, way is to have it gifted by a Superior or construct your own out of Primordeal Clay. The easier way is to slip it around the wrist of a recently deceased animal or human corpse. Once in place, the bracelets allow a human to 'change vessels', or transfer their consciousness from their mortal body to the empty vessel.
There are significant restrictions compared to the vessel changes done by celestials. For one, it takes 5 Essence to activate the Flesh Doll. Second, the transfer of consciousness lasts for hours equal to the artifact's level...no more, and no less. The transfer cannot be terminated prematurely, and if either of the human's bodies die, either the possessed one, or the helpless human form left mindless, the human dies. Also, if the corpse-option is used, the body decays as normal when not possessed, and must soon be replaced. Despite these limitations, the Flesh Doll remains eagerly sought after by Sorcerers...they don't tend to have qualms about sacrificing the occassional bird or beast in order to gain the ability to spy on their enemies, or commit atrocities in animal form. Some myths of witches changing form, and werewolves, and other creatures, are surely inspired by these artifacts.
Cost: 5 points a level.
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From:
no subject
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
If the "vessel" is a corpse, does the user of the Flesh Doll use his own Strength, Agility, and Body hits, or the corpse's? If it's a newly-dead corpse, can celestials with the appropriate abilities tell the Flesh Doll from a normal human? Can Kyriotates and Shedim possess a Flesh Doll while it's in use? How about the original body? What happens when the duration ends?
</curious>
Flesh Servant
Flesh Dolls are all well and good, but they're so... personal. Most sorcerers are just fine with summoning demons and draining the life force of innocents, but when push comes to shove, they'd really rather have somebody else in the line of fire.
This is where Flesh Servants come in.
A Flesh Servant appears exactly like the bracelet-and-collar variety of Flesh Doll; the bracelet goes on the new "vessel", and the collar goes on the person using the vessel. It should be noted that the person using the vessel is never the sorcerer himself, if he can help it; that's what flunkies, acolytes, or garden-variety victims are for. Once the collar has gone on the sorcerer's subject, and the bracelet on the "vessel", the device acts as a Will Shackle (Liber Reliquarum, p. 80-81), at the artifact's level. However, the only command the subject is compelled to obey while in his normal body is "Activate the Flesh Doll.", which requires a roll as normal for a Will Shackle. While the subject is in the "vessel", the sorcerer can still communicate with him (and transmit orders, which are affected by the Will Shackle) through the subject's usual body.
Flesh Servants have one other advantage over Flesh Dolls: they can reanimate a corpse to serve as a "vessel" even if the corpse is nothing but a skeleton. (Using corpses that are too far decayed in public tends to draw attention, though, and so skeletal servants are typically reserved for interior guard duty and the occasional salesman.) Otherwise, the duration and effects are precisely the same as a normal Flesh Doll.
Cost: 10 points per level.
From:
no subject
Otherwise: When possessed, the Flesh Doll looks and acts like a living creature. Its heart beats, it has brain activity, and anyone who has the ability to detect corpses /won't/ pick up a possessed Flesh Doll. Shedim cannot possess animal Flesh Dolls, but otherwise, both Shedim and Kyriotates can possess the Dolls, with the appropriate number of Forces for the native form of the Flesh Doll. In the case of Shedim, they may not notice anything wrong with the Flesh Doll (unless they spot the artifact) until the duration is up and they are abruptly ejected from a corpse (This does not count as 'dying in a host'...the Symphony recognizes the difference). The Sorcerer cannot abandon the attachment prematurely, /even/ in the case of Shedite possession...they're stuck, and can be influenced as normal. Kyriotates bump the possessor to the Marches, but if they leave before the artifact's duration is up, the possessor snaps back to the Doll.
Original bodies, left empty, can be possessed as normal by Kyriotates, except that the body doesn't get a Will roll to resist. Shedim can't possess the empty body...there's no mind there to 'ride'.
Ooooooh. I /like/ the Flesh Servant idea. Very cool, and a logical extrapolation!