Okus

Illustration by Qissus

Sparks of a Multiverse

27 Shades of Hats

Motley Oak Vista

**Okus** is a planeswalking hat from Rhak. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult for a hat to move among the many, many non-Hat-based planes the Multiverse has to offer. Okus has solved this problem by making itself the Multiverse's most fabulous hat, so that people everywhere would fight one another to wear such a hat.

Once worn, Okus can use the host to move about the plane to learn how to become more fabulous and eventually find its way home. It prefers planeswalker hosts, as it is able to planeswalk and bring the host with it, but generally stays with the safer non-walker hosts.

Okus is highly skilled at illusions, and uses them to maximum effect to protect itself and its host.

## Stages of Okus Possession

During Okus's travels, it has gained a good understanding of just how its mind possessing powers work, and how the hosts react during the process. The stages are perhaps best compared to sleeping. Note that these are typical observations, extraordinary individuals or circumstances may give different results.

Okus requires two things to keep control of a host: Direct contact, and a low power but constant enchantment. Magically disrupting the mental connection or physically separating the two will break the control, although botched attempts to do so can lead to more damage done to the host than simply letting it be by "waking them up" faster.

### Stage One: Daydreaming

Duration: 1 - 3 Days of Hosting

The host has no awareness of what is occurring. Hosts that are left during this time are not even aware time has passed, as if they were just lost in thought for a moment.

### Stage Two: Asleep

Duration: 1 - 3 Weeks of Hosting

The host has minimal awareness during this time, largely just simple instinct. Okus sees little difference in the first two stages but has noticed this is when hosts become aware that some time has passed, as though they had accidentally fallen asleep.

### Stage Three: Tossing in their sleep

Duration: 1 - 3 Months of Hosting, or a Temporary Loss of Control

The host's thoughts start showing up on the mind unrequested. Okus may imprint on the memories or mannerisms of the host, but they can be controlled. Hosts will have vague memories of this time, like a half-remembered dream.

### Stage Four: Having a bad dream

Duration: 3 - 6 Months of Hosting, or Multiple Losses of Control

The host's thoughts become more common and coherent. Okus will have largely learned to counteract the specifics of their imprinting, so mistakes will be made far less frequently, but will be more obvious when they do occur. Memories from this stage are broken and still don't feel real, leaving them unsure if they are memories or dreams.

### Stage Five: Night terrors

Duration: 6 - 12 Months of Hosting

The host starts attempting interactions with Okus. It has refused to acknowledge them as of late. The host feels as though they are living in a dream and will be left with memories and even knowledge obtained during this stage. When Okus leaves during this stage, hosts often become mentally unstable, though Okus had rarely stayed to watch the results.

### Stage Six: Sleep paralysis

Duration: Over 1 Year of Hosting

The host is now fully conscious, but Okus had established full control of the body. The thoughts are fully formed but little more than annoyance to Okus. Losing contact with Okus at this stage is invariably fatal.

Okus had yet to stay with a host for much longer than a year, and does not know if there may be further levels beyond these, but is not in a hurry to find them out.

## The Arena

Okus's most well known possession is that of Karina Oblay, due largely in part to her being the first to manage to break free of the control during the Night Terrors stage. While initially seeking a high-power Festenian noble, Okus kept the orphan due to her knowledge and experience with the Festenian streets, and her usefulness as a sympathetic host with no one looking for her.

Okus and Karina joined the Seventh Circle Initiative while on the Arena, at first to obtain a safe base of operations away from Kirino Oblay and others that were growing wise to the hat, but eventually with the goal of possessing Interim Director Rettai Ba'alzur for his reach and power. When Karina was given Kirino's spark, it decided to go with the safer plan of keeping Karina, until she managed to trick it into knocking itself off her head.

Okus remained on the Arena, however. Shortly afterwards it took possession of Reyhsia, with the intent of learning where its home was by force. It was again unsuccessful, and fled the Arena for Usona, where, unfortunately for the hat, it was recovered by Mei Liva, and later, Saia Evigal.

## Known Hosts

* Several nonplaneswalkers seen in 27 Shades of Hats
* Egil of Glacia
* Karina Oblay
* Reyhsia
* Mei Liva
* Several aristocrats of Feanav during The Empty Throne of Feanav