Praxis of Pervasion

The Praxis of Pervasion is a skill that allows ghosts to take possession of living organisms. Unlike inert objects, living beings have minds and spirits which must be subdued in order to control them, and far more complex living tissues which they must suffuse themselves into. Basic applications of the Praxis allow Pervading ghosts to insert themselves into a mortal body, merely perceiving what they do. As they grow more skilled, they may come to take command of the bodies they possess, and with a bit more skill, come to focus their ghostly powers through them. Masters of the power may even come to spread their essence out to such a degree that they may possess and control entire hordes of people at once.

## Mechanics

Ghostly Pervasion involves ghosts inserting their essence into a living body, suffusing themselves into every portion of it. As they do so, they become privy to the physical sensations that their Medium, their host, is feeling, as well as experience their present thoughts. Once they become skilled enough, ghosts can learn to use this essence to control their Medium, taking over their body. Traces of ghostly essence are always left behind in any body Pervaded by a ghost. The more powerful the ghost is, the stronger said traces, which can be exploited by beings with sufficient magical knowledge.

Any time a ghost enters a body occupied by another spirit, be it a fellow ghost or other entity, such as a demon, they will be able to wrestle with them for control of it, or attempt to force them out.

Ghosts are able to attempt to Pervade supernatural beings, but such entities have an extreme resistance to being Pervaded, which increases the more powerful they are. Furthermore, if a ghost Pervades a supernatural creature, they will not be able to wield any powers their Medium has unless they are completely innate.

Lastly, if a ghost's host is harmed while the ghost is Pervading them, the ghost will experience the same physical pain, though unless they were damaged with a specific form of magic, the ghost themselves will not be truly damaged.

## Powers

### Skinriding

The most basic use of Pervasion allows ghosts to enter into the body of a living human being, taking them as a Medium. Shades usually cannot exert any control over their Medium, but as they grow more powerful, it becomes possible to forcibly control their actions to a greater degree.

Since Mediums will notice under most circumstances that their bodies are acting outside their direction, they are able to contest the ghost's will with their own, though this is harder the more skilled the ghost is in Pervasion. As a result, weaker ghosts may sometimes attempt to make more subtle body movements, so their intrusions are not noticed. Strong willed Mediums can sometimes even force a ghost entirely out of their body through sheer willpower alone.

Along with being able to interact with the Brightlands while Skinriding, another advantage long as they remain inside their Medium, ghosts can travel beyond the range of their Tethers. The instant they leave, they will be pulled back into range.

### Wraith (Levels 3-5)

* **Beastride (Level 3):** This power allows ghosts to employ any other Pervasion related ability upon animals. The more closely related to humans they are, the easier it is to employ Pervasion powers upon them.
* **Corpseride (Level 3):** Identical to Beastride, but this ability allows for a ghost to Pervade corpses, and utilize the powers of the Praxis upon them.
* **Skillsteal (Level 5):** When ghosts learn to forge more potent connections to the minds of their Mediums, they become able to draw upon their skills. With this power, ghosts become able to employ any skill their host is proficient in, appropriating their talent as sharpshooters, forging their handwriting, or utilizing their driving skills.
* **Volatilize (Level 5):** Through the use of this ability, ghosts are able to influence their Medium's biological systems. This allows the ghosts to slow or speed up heartbeats or breathing, induce vomiting, distort the vestibular system to disrupt balance, and induce vomiting or defecation. Luckily for any unfortunate Medium, this power does not allow ghosts to shut down such systems completely. However, it does allow ghosts to punish Mediums who make resist Pervasion.

### Specter (Levels 6-7)

* **Inoculation (Level 6):** Using this power, a ghost binds themselves tightly to their Medium, body and spirit. Firstly, this makes removing them from their Medium vastly more difficult. Additionally, however, it makes it so the act of forcing them out causes tremendous damage to the Medium, both mentally and physically. The victim will experience tremendous pain, as blood vessels burst and their nervous system overloads, while their psyches are rent, causing them to fall unconscious and oftentimes damaging their memories and mental functions. Damage incurred by a sufficiently power ghost may require extensive telepathic repair.
* **Fog Mind (Level 6):** This power enables ghosts to suppress the consciousnesses of their victims, making them easier to control whilst Pervading them. Additionally, any Medium who has their mind fogged also has memories of being Pervaded suppressed.
* **Eviction (Level 7):** The skill known as Eviction allows ghosts to temporarily force out the spirit out of any Medium they are Pervading. Their unfortunate victim will experience life as a ghost for the duration of time that their body is used, and upon the ghost exiting, the Evicted victim will instantly snap back to their body. The use of this ability requires a tremendous expenditure of energy, so can typically be used only for short periods.
* **Extinguish (Level 7):** Specters are able to improve upon the powers of Volatilization. Now, they can completely shut down any biological system they wish to, stopping hearts or halting breathing. This enables them to cow particularly strong willed Medium's by directly threatening their lives.
* **Mystic Ride (Level 7):** This potent ability allows ghosts Pervading supernatural beings to access the mystical powers that they have trained to use. This enables them, for instance, to wield the Blood Gifts of a vampire that they possess.

### Revenant (Levels 8-9)

* **Legion (Level 8):** Revenants are able to capitalize on the traces of their own Plasm left behind in every Medium they Pervade. With this power, they may form a Legion of previous Mediums, bending several of them to the Revenant's will at a time while only needing to Pervade one.

### Reshape Medium

With the potent egos that such beings possess, Revenants tend to be quite focused on the self. This power causes any Medium they Pervade to reshape itself to match their current Plasmic form. For the unfortunate Medium subjected to this power, such changes, however far along they are, are permanent, unless their flesh is reshaped by alternate magic. This power is automatic once gained, but it can be deactivated at the Revenant's convenience. Sadly, few of those vain enough to develop this ability choose not to employ it.

* **Supplant (Level 9):** Oftentimes, the ultimate dream of ghosts is to restore themselves to life. This ability, which combines and advances on the powers of Eviction and Inoculation, enables them to do so. When Pervading a Medium, a ghost may unleash a devastating burst of power, which completely severs the local soul's connection to their body, killing the Medium instantly. The ghost becomes completely rooted into the Medium, and will be bound to it until it expires of old age. Any attempt at expelling them from the body will be nigh impossible, and even if one has the tremendous magical power to do so, the body will instantly die without their presence sustaining it. Elsewise, the only way for a ghost to leave their Supplanted Medium is for their body to die.