Post by Sparrow on Feb 25, 2019 21:10:13 GMT -5
Spirituality
Spirituality does not refer to a cat’s religious faithfulness, although this is a particular aspect associated with a cat’s spirituality. Spirituality is how in ‘tune’ a cat is with the afterlife/supernatural. Cats are naturally born with a certain level of connection with the spiritual, but this connection can be strengthened or weakened throughout their life depending on beliefs and interactions they have. If a cat has faith in spirits that really exist, a stronger connection is made between that cat and those spirits. (ex; clan cats can commune with Starclan) If a cat has no belief in an afterlife, they can cut themselves off from any spiritual communication and, in extreme cases, ghostly manifestations. (ex; Mothwing) The more regular interaction between a cat and a spirit, the more in tune the cat can become with the supernatural. (ex; visiting moonpool or its equivalent regularly, dream visitations, interacting with ghosts) After a possession, a cat’s spiritual awareness usually increases. This makes them more sensitive to noticing the supernatural, but does not necessarily increase their ability to interact with it.
Spirits
Spirits are an active part of this roleplay. All spirits can turn intangible and invisible, though, the effectiveness of the invisibility varies though (highly spiritual cats may sense or see spirits even when they are "hiding"). Spirits are separated into three categories: ghost, entity, and vision. A ghost is a cat who died and has returned as a spirit. An entity is a spirit that never took on a physical body. A vision is a dead cat’s spirit that hasn’t returned to the physical world.
Ghost
In order to return to the physical world as a ghost, a dead cat must be willing to give something up. This “something” is a very broad set of things a cat could lose. Some past examples have been: giving up the ability to say anything the cat hasn’t already said before, the ability to be in the same general vicinity as their living relatives, ability to lie, etc. Ghosts have perfect memory of their past life (unless this is what they give up). They can possess living cats, fight other spirits, glide/float slightly, and have heightened senses. They cannot fly, fight living cats, reenter silverpelt, read minds, or receive prophecies (although they can deliver them). Ghosts rely on staying connected with their past life to keep from fading. They need to remind themselves daily of how it felt when they were alive, otherwise they begin to lose their sense of identity and fade away. Heavily abusing their ghostly capabilities sometimes results in fading.
Entity
By choosing to come to the physical realm as an entity, a cat forfeits their right to a body. They cannot ever be born, although it’s still part of their spirit’s nature to desire a body. Entity have perfect memory after entering the physical realm. Their memory of the life before forfeiting their birth fades not long after their choice. They can travel to silverpelt, possess any living creature, fight other spirits (although they have a fighting disadvantage because they never have experienced a physical body), glide/float slightly, read the minds of what they are possessing, have heightened senses, and receive impressions on the character/intentions of living cats. They cannot, read minds (unless possessing that mind), receive or deliver prophecies, or fight living cats. Entity rely on possessing cats to avoid fading. Their lack of ever obtaining a body leaves them without a way to remind themselves of how to stay physical. They must possess a living cat from time to time to get this reminder. Although they can possess creatures besides cats, this results in them losing some of their identity as a cat, can harm their memory and their capability to visit silverpelt. When Entity experience too much of this damage to identity as a cat or fade too much, they can be driven insane and impulsively possess whoever or whatever happens to get close to them.
Vision
What separates vision spirits from the other two categories is that they live in the silverpelt and can only contact with living cats through dreams and visions (hence their name). They do not have perfect memory, although it is better than from when they were alive. They cannot always view what is occurring in the physical realm, receiving only snatches of what’s occurring and not always in an accurate time frame, and will thus usually have either Ghost or Entity contacts keep them up to date. They can only visit the physical realm with the combined strength of living cats’ faith and help from fellow Visions. When brought to the physical realm, they are limited to the abilities they had when they were living. Normally they can fight other spirits, glide/float slightly, have heightened senses (very in tune with the silverpelt, they can sense other spirits entering areas they’ve recently visited), receive impressions about the intentions of living cats, can visit living cats’ dreams (and attack them in dreams a la dark forest), implant temporary emotions into living cats, and can receive and deliver prophecies. Unlike Ghosts and Entities, Visions, when physically manifested, can fight living cats (a la the Great Battle). They cannot possess living cats, read minds, or remain in the physical realm for an extended time (trying to do so would ultimately fail and speed up a vision’s fading regardless of cats remembering them). The choice between becoming a vision or a ghost occurs shortly after death and they cannot change their mind after making the choice. They rely on the memories of cats (living or dead) to keep them from fading.
Fading
Fading is the ‘death’ of a spirit. It’s a controversial topic among spirits. Some believe that when they fade, they’re reincarnated. Others think they move on to a higher state. Most commonly though, they believe they cease to exist altogether. Fading is a natural part of being a spirit, but it can be delayed for an indefinite amount of time (see above sections for how each kind of spirit accomplishes this). Another way spirits can fade is if they are ‘killed’ a second time. When fading, spirits become increasingly transparent and struggle to control their form. Fading spirits don’t lose their mental capacities from fading (Entities being the occasional exception), but they become trapped by their form, unable to perform regular motor skills or remain aware of their surroundings, until they finally fade completely. There are certain physical surroundings where spirits will fade faster around. The most common of such places are running water and a spirit’s place of death. Vice versa, there are physical places that slow the fading of spirits. The most common being places of worship (ex; Moonstone, Moonpool, Ect.) and caves.
Possession
Ghost and Entity spirits can possess living cats, taking control of their physical bodies. (Before possessing any cats, you need the permission from the roleplayer that cat belongs to.) Most possessions are temporary, though there are occasionally long term possessions. When a spirit inhabits the living cat, the living cats’ own spirit/consciousness is pushed to the recesses of their own mind where they are unaware of what is occurring around them, but feel invaded, suppressed, and helpless. Cats with an unnaturally high spirituality can mingle somewhat with the invading spirit so that when they are possessed they remain aware of what is occurring around them. With proper mental preparation and well-tuned spirituality, living cats can block spirits from entering their mind. Although the ability to block a spirit from entering is difficult, removing a spirit once possessed is easier because the body naturally rejects the invading spirit. To eject an invading spirit, a cat needs to focus on taking control of their body, beginning a battle of will between the invader and the body’s host. Cats with a high spirituality will find it harder to eject a spirit once it has entered. Possession can have harmful effects on a body and resident spirit. Usually after their initial possession a cat will feel uncomfortable in their own body, a blank spot in their memory, hungry, and tired. These effects are easily remedied and not permanent. However, the effects become more severe if the invading spirit had to be forcefully removed by the host: nervous system can experience trauma, can experience migraines when they come in close proximity to any future spirits, and permanently feel woozy whenever they wake up. Cats who experience multiple possessions and fight it each time will experience even worse side effects on top of the previously listed ones: sporadic seizures, hallucinations, occasionally become disconnected with their body, and a shortened lifespan. Cats who have a high spirituality, although they aren’t able to eject an invader as easily, do not usually experience side effects from possession and when they do, they don’t experience it to the same degree.
Prophecy
Prophecies (words) and Omens (physical sign)
Spirituality does not refer to a cat’s religious faithfulness, although this is a particular aspect associated with a cat’s spirituality. Spirituality is how in ‘tune’ a cat is with the afterlife/supernatural. Cats are naturally born with a certain level of connection with the spiritual, but this connection can be strengthened or weakened throughout their life depending on beliefs and interactions they have. If a cat has faith in spirits that really exist, a stronger connection is made between that cat and those spirits. (ex; clan cats can commune with Starclan) If a cat has no belief in an afterlife, they can cut themselves off from any spiritual communication and, in extreme cases, ghostly manifestations. (ex; Mothwing) The more regular interaction between a cat and a spirit, the more in tune the cat can become with the supernatural. (ex; visiting moonpool or its equivalent regularly, dream visitations, interacting with ghosts) After a possession, a cat’s spiritual awareness usually increases. This makes them more sensitive to noticing the supernatural, but does not necessarily increase their ability to interact with it.
Spirits
Spirits are an active part of this roleplay. All spirits can turn intangible and invisible, though, the effectiveness of the invisibility varies though (highly spiritual cats may sense or see spirits even when they are "hiding"). Spirits are separated into three categories: ghost, entity, and vision. A ghost is a cat who died and has returned as a spirit. An entity is a spirit that never took on a physical body. A vision is a dead cat’s spirit that hasn’t returned to the physical world.
Ghost
In order to return to the physical world as a ghost, a dead cat must be willing to give something up. This “something” is a very broad set of things a cat could lose. Some past examples have been: giving up the ability to say anything the cat hasn’t already said before, the ability to be in the same general vicinity as their living relatives, ability to lie, etc. Ghosts have perfect memory of their past life (unless this is what they give up). They can possess living cats, fight other spirits, glide/float slightly, and have heightened senses. They cannot fly, fight living cats, reenter silverpelt, read minds, or receive prophecies (although they can deliver them). Ghosts rely on staying connected with their past life to keep from fading. They need to remind themselves daily of how it felt when they were alive, otherwise they begin to lose their sense of identity and fade away. Heavily abusing their ghostly capabilities sometimes results in fading.
Entity
By choosing to come to the physical realm as an entity, a cat forfeits their right to a body. They cannot ever be born, although it’s still part of their spirit’s nature to desire a body. Entity have perfect memory after entering the physical realm. Their memory of the life before forfeiting their birth fades not long after their choice. They can travel to silverpelt, possess any living creature, fight other spirits (although they have a fighting disadvantage because they never have experienced a physical body), glide/float slightly, read the minds of what they are possessing, have heightened senses, and receive impressions on the character/intentions of living cats. They cannot, read minds (unless possessing that mind), receive or deliver prophecies, or fight living cats. Entity rely on possessing cats to avoid fading. Their lack of ever obtaining a body leaves them without a way to remind themselves of how to stay physical. They must possess a living cat from time to time to get this reminder. Although they can possess creatures besides cats, this results in them losing some of their identity as a cat, can harm their memory and their capability to visit silverpelt. When Entity experience too much of this damage to identity as a cat or fade too much, they can be driven insane and impulsively possess whoever or whatever happens to get close to them.
Vision
What separates vision spirits from the other two categories is that they live in the silverpelt and can only contact with living cats through dreams and visions (hence their name). They do not have perfect memory, although it is better than from when they were alive. They cannot always view what is occurring in the physical realm, receiving only snatches of what’s occurring and not always in an accurate time frame, and will thus usually have either Ghost or Entity contacts keep them up to date. They can only visit the physical realm with the combined strength of living cats’ faith and help from fellow Visions. When brought to the physical realm, they are limited to the abilities they had when they were living. Normally they can fight other spirits, glide/float slightly, have heightened senses (very in tune with the silverpelt, they can sense other spirits entering areas they’ve recently visited), receive impressions about the intentions of living cats, can visit living cats’ dreams (and attack them in dreams a la dark forest), implant temporary emotions into living cats, and can receive and deliver prophecies. Unlike Ghosts and Entities, Visions, when physically manifested, can fight living cats (a la the Great Battle). They cannot possess living cats, read minds, or remain in the physical realm for an extended time (trying to do so would ultimately fail and speed up a vision’s fading regardless of cats remembering them). The choice between becoming a vision or a ghost occurs shortly after death and they cannot change their mind after making the choice. They rely on the memories of cats (living or dead) to keep them from fading.
Fading
Fading is the ‘death’ of a spirit. It’s a controversial topic among spirits. Some believe that when they fade, they’re reincarnated. Others think they move on to a higher state. Most commonly though, they believe they cease to exist altogether. Fading is a natural part of being a spirit, but it can be delayed for an indefinite amount of time (see above sections for how each kind of spirit accomplishes this). Another way spirits can fade is if they are ‘killed’ a second time. When fading, spirits become increasingly transparent and struggle to control their form. Fading spirits don’t lose their mental capacities from fading (Entities being the occasional exception), but they become trapped by their form, unable to perform regular motor skills or remain aware of their surroundings, until they finally fade completely. There are certain physical surroundings where spirits will fade faster around. The most common of such places are running water and a spirit’s place of death. Vice versa, there are physical places that slow the fading of spirits. The most common being places of worship (ex; Moonstone, Moonpool, Ect.) and caves.
Possession
Ghost and Entity spirits can possess living cats, taking control of their physical bodies. (Before possessing any cats, you need the permission from the roleplayer that cat belongs to.) Most possessions are temporary, though there are occasionally long term possessions. When a spirit inhabits the living cat, the living cats’ own spirit/consciousness is pushed to the recesses of their own mind where they are unaware of what is occurring around them, but feel invaded, suppressed, and helpless. Cats with an unnaturally high spirituality can mingle somewhat with the invading spirit so that when they are possessed they remain aware of what is occurring around them. With proper mental preparation and well-tuned spirituality, living cats can block spirits from entering their mind. Although the ability to block a spirit from entering is difficult, removing a spirit once possessed is easier because the body naturally rejects the invading spirit. To eject an invading spirit, a cat needs to focus on taking control of their body, beginning a battle of will between the invader and the body’s host. Cats with a high spirituality will find it harder to eject a spirit once it has entered. Possession can have harmful effects on a body and resident spirit. Usually after their initial possession a cat will feel uncomfortable in their own body, a blank spot in their memory, hungry, and tired. These effects are easily remedied and not permanent. However, the effects become more severe if the invading spirit had to be forcefully removed by the host: nervous system can experience trauma, can experience migraines when they come in close proximity to any future spirits, and permanently feel woozy whenever they wake up. Cats who experience multiple possessions and fight it each time will experience even worse side effects on top of the previously listed ones: sporadic seizures, hallucinations, occasionally become disconnected with their body, and a shortened lifespan. Cats who have a high spirituality, although they aren’t able to eject an invader as easily, do not usually experience side effects from possession and when they do, they don’t experience it to the same degree.
Prophecy
Prophecies (words) and Omens (physical sign)