Numina

Numina are the spirits of nature, native to the Etheric region called the Numenor. In ancient times, many were worshipped as animistic deities by mortals. Numina take many forms, but mostly represent aspects of the natural world. They might be spirits of the elements, such as spirits of storms or fire, or perhaps spirits of animals, such as wolves, crocodiles, or spiders. Of all spirits of the Ether, Numina tend to be the least directly influenced by mortal beliefs, though even they cannot escape the all encompassing force of human imagination.

## Classifications

Numina can generally be split into two broad categorizations: Worldborn and Wildborn. The Worldborn are spirits of the elements. Creatures of fire, darkness, storms, or trees. They embody the natural environment, and take on forms which reflect that, appearing as sentient masses of plant matter, living waves of water, or other such forms. While some tend to be rather amorphous, the focus of mortals on living beasts is still felt in the Numenor, and as such, Worldborn still tend to appear in bestial or even humanoid shape, though with a more elemental composition.

Wildborn, on the other hand, are spirits of flesh. They can be found in shapes that account for every beast that walks the earth, and many that exist only in mortal dreams or the depths of the Ether. Tiger spirits, shark spirits, falcon spirits and more are found among the ranks of the Wildborn. They embody the living beings who share the world with humanity, who walk and swim and fly beside them.

## Material Existence

Of all the spirits of the Ether, Numina are perhaps the most easily able to journey to and manifest upon the Tellurian. As spiritual beings, they are mostly oneiric, but their demicorporeal nature makes the act of materialization far easier for them than most other spirits. As a result, most Numina who venture to the Tellurian prefer to materialize for whatever business they have to conduct. Those who wish to remain for longer than a few minutes or hours, however, must inhabit a corporeal vessel.

Numina are extremely well suited to existing within inanimate objects, though few of them seek out such an existence. Though many have been persuaded to inhabit physical objects, most of those who occupy them have been forcibly bound.

Numina are also able to possess living beings as well. Standard Numinous possession is far more drastic than those forms conducted by other spirits. Their hosts are always physically transformed by the spirit inhabiting them, altering their body to a form more suited to the Numina, an act known simply as the Fleshchange. Numina also tend to bond more thoroughly to their hosts over time, making them extremely difficult to exorcise. Once a Numinous spirit has possessed a host for a particular period, they enter a state known as Fleshbound, where killing the host is the only way to banish them, with the exceptions of extremely rare and potent magic.

However, Numinous possession does have one massive disadvantage over the variants performed by other spirits: They struggle to control the minds of their hosts. While over time, Numina may gradually alter their hosts mind and subvert their will, they cannot simply dominate them like many other spirits are capable of doing. It is for this reason that most Numina prefer to use materialization when coming to earth, as they may remain in control of their faculties, conduct their business, and depart.

Of course, actually initiating a possession of a mortal is a trial in itself. Unlike other spirits, Numina cannot simply choose a host and enter their bodies. Instead, they must find a host who has perpetrated some sort of action which creates a crack in their psyche that will allow a Numina to slip in, which they refer to simply as "the Opening". Openings are usually associated somehow with the spirit's nature.

Numina are capable of possessing animals, and many, especially animal spirits do so, as they do not require an Opening for a Numina to enter. Animal Fleshchanges typically occur within hours or days, and the possessed, known as Feralhosts, rapidly have their minds subverted to the spirit's will. However, animal hosts lack the spiritual vigor of human hosts, and as a result, Numina are not able to utilize their powers as effectively whilst inhabiting them. Human hosts can take anywhere from weeks to years to subvert and Fleshchange, depending on the force of the human's will. Any Numina who possesses a human is in for a long, drawn out affair, but are compensated by gaining a more powerful host and a long term vessel within the Tellurian.

### Stages of Possession

As mentioned above, the Numina steadily alter the minds and bodies of their hosts. Roughly, Numinous possession can be classified into three stages, with each having greater effects on the mind, a more progressive Fleshchange, and more difficulty in separating them from their host.

* First Stage: In the first stage of the possession, the Fleshchange has not progressed far. The host still looks recognizably human, though they likely have developed some abnormal features, such as hair loss or gain, skin discoloration, patches of scaled skin, etc. The host's aging slows slightly, ensuring that they keep their vitality for longer periods than a normal mortal. While the possessed is likely experiencing powerful Urges from the Numina, their mind remains largely intact in almost every case. If a Numina is exorcised at this stage of possession, their body will slowly return to its normal state on its own, and the Numina's influence will fade from their mind.
* Second Stage: In the second stage of possession, the Fleshchange is well underway, and the host can be recognized as fully inhuman at a glance. Claws, thick fur, horns or a tail might have appeared. Still, enough human features remain that their origins can still be discerned; the possessed will certainly have a mostly humanoid body structure, and it is possible that large patches of skin, facial features, or other parts might remain fully human. The hosts aging will have slowed massively by this point, and if the Numina requires it, they will live many decades beyond their mortal span, giving them the time to complete the possession if need be. By this stage, the personality will likely be heavily warped in most cases, and the host will frequently fulfill their Urges, though resistance remains possible. The spirit may still be exorcised, but unless further magic is used, remnants of their presence will linger in the hosts mind, and many are never the same afterwards. While the body will largely revert to its original state, many small remnants of the Fleshchange remain, such as strange eyes, sharp nails, elongated ears, etc.
* Third Stage: At the third stage of possession, the Fleshchange is complete, and the host's body has been completely altered to a new and inhuman state. By this time, the spirit has bonded sufficiently that they may halt the aging of their host utterly, allowing them to remain active until destroyed. The host is utterly enthralled to their Urges, fulfilling them constantly, with only rare specimens being able to summon the will to temporarily resist. Exorcism at this stage is largely impossible, and for the most part, the only way to separate spirit and host is for the host to die.

## Powers and Abilities

The magic of the Numinous spirits comes in the form of abilities called Charms. Charms are as varied as the Numina themselves, with some being unique to certain spirits, whilst others are extremely commonplace or even ubiquitous among the Numina. Due to their diversity, Charms are generally classified based on their general purpose and function, rather than the specifics of what they do.

Charms are also ranked based upon their rarity and potency. The tiers are as follows, from least to most potent:

1. Minor Charms
2. Lesser Charms
3. Major Charms
4. Higher Charms
5. Greater Charms
6. Legendary Charms

### Bane Charms

Bane Charms are made for the purpose of inflicting harm and inciting destruction whenever they are used. Bane Charms might involve inflicting a target with a disease, unleashing a powerful storm, sending out a stunning psychic blast, or causing a bone to shatter.

### Cunning Charms

Cunning Charms focus on concealment, trickery, and deception. They might allow those who use them to speak in a false voice, to move silently, hide an object from sight or to create a false sensation in a target's mind.

### Insight Charms

Insight Charms focus on discerning information, be it in the form of sensory stimuli or the thoughts within a target's mind. Examples of Insight Charms might include the ability to sense the presence of a supernatural being, to enhance one's sense of hearing, or allow for an individual to peer into a target's dreams.

### Roaming Charms

Roaming Charms are used for the purpose of travelling and movement from one location to another. Roaming Charms might allow for realmwalking, short range teleportation, or the ability to walk up a wall or climb a ceiling unaided.

### Urge Charms

Urge Charms allow those who use them to influence the actions and moods of other beings, and even reshape the very landscape around them. Among the powers of Urge Charms might be the power to make a target follow an order, incite desire, transmute one metal to another, or cause a fire to twist into fantastical shapes.

### Warding Charms

Warding Charms are usually devoted towards healing or protection. Their powers might include the ability to grow armor made of stone, to soothe pain, cure disease, purify befouled water, or bar a hostile creature from passing an area.