Hosting and Harbingerism

*The practice of being a vessel for more powerful beings.*

# **Hosting**

Allowing a Spirit to enter inside you and assume your form, either as symbiosis or temporary possession. This magic is somewhat similar to summoning, but is usually more potent.

* The powers of the inhabiting Spirit are now channelled through the Host’s body, and the Spirit’s entire self dwells inside the Host. Either the Host and Spirit are in complete sync, acting as one, or the Spirit assumes temporary control over the Host’s body. The latter is easier and requires less coordination/unity, but puts the Host at risk of being subsumed.

## Zook’s Optional Hosting Rules

This optional ruleset is intended to help add some structure to Host characters. *On Practices* has some details on how a Host would work in freeform, but for those looking for structured rules, this is the place to look. These are, as with all my rulesets, *optional*. It comes with upsides and downsides and those who prefer freeform may wish to stick with the basic rules.

*Zook’s Hosting Rules* are based on *Pact Dice: Hosts*, a Pactdice supplement by Wildbow.

### Basics

So what *is* a Host, really? A Host is a magician who binds spirits not to objects or to their service, but to *themselves* - they take a spirit into their body and channel their abilities directly.

This has its advantages: first and foremost, you don’t need an Implement to directly use a hosted spirit’s abilities, because it’s always present. Additionally, unlike an artefact, a hosted spirit cannot be stolen (outside of unusual circumstances). In a pinch, a hosted spirit can also be loosed on an attacker as a last-resort move.

However, hosting spirits carries risks too. Bringing a spirit into oneself is potentially quite dangerous, and if not done correctly, they may suffer damage to their very *soul*. Additionally, other spirits may not be happy with you bringing spirits straight to them - such as a fire djinn being wary of a Host carrying a water djinn.

Basic Hosts can carry a single spirit because they bind the spirit directly to themselves; this optional ruleset, however, introduces *hallows*, which allow a Host to carry multiple spirits.

### Hallows

A *hallow* is a part of a Host that has been metaphysically ‘cordoned off’, so to speak. This hallow is then inhabited by a spirit instead of allowing the spirit to simply possess *all* of the Host.

Producing a hallow involves a simple ritual. The character must draw a chalk circle large enough for them to sit cross-legged inside, as close to perfectly circular as they can manage (important in-character but not out-of-character). While sat inside, they must recite the following incantation:

*Incantation incantation incantation blah blah*

*By these words I hallow [site]*

‘[Site]’ should be replaced with whatever you’re turning into a hallow.

Hallows can be any part of the magician’s body, but some sites are more useful than others:

* The heart is, symbolically, the ‘core’ of an individual. Hosting a spirit in one’s heart gives it the broadest of influences and is generally useful for full-body buffs, like hosting a predator mundus to improve a magician’s strength, speed, and instincts. The heart *is*, however, divided in two - and so you *could* make two hallows out of it, with distinct buffs for each half of your body, or with two modes that can be switched between.
* The eyes and ears are the main sensory organs of a human being. Hosting spirits in them is useful for providing sensory powers or awareness-based effects, like hosting a basilisk to render a magician’s gaze paralysing.
* The arms and legs are the most directly useful parts of the body for direct channelling. Hosting a spirit in one arm would allow you to gesture with that arm to channel its abilities, like throwing fireballs using a djinn in your right arm. Note also that because hallows are abstract, you can turn both arms into a single hallow, though that means you can’t host separate spirits in each.
* The skin and bones tend to be often utilised for protective effects. Hosting spirits in them is useful for providing things like hardened flesh from an earth djinn or lighter bones from an air djinn.

These are merely suggestions and examples. One could host a basilisk in one’s hand to make viewing the palm paralysing, rather than the gaze, for example. Any part of the body could be turned into a hallow, but you should be careful with sizing - turning individual fingers into separate hallows may have diminishing returns compared to just turning the whole hand into a hallow.

### Closing Hallows

A hallow, once created, is very difficult to ‘close’. While possible (most often through bargains with anima) it carries the risk of closing up *incompletely*, leaving the once-hallowed part forever diminished. Expect things like reduced function or increased fragility.

It is therefore suggested that players playing a Host character be careful when deciding what to hallow.

### Rider Spirits

Spirits that are hosted are referred to as riders. The most common spirit to become a rider is a djinn; many novice Hosts are drawn to the relatively ‘cheap’ pacts and the elemental effects associated with them. More powerful spirits are often bargained with once previous hosting agreements have been made, as a foundation that a Host can point to and say ‘look, I am an experienced Host who knows what they’re doing’. It’s possible to try and Host a stronger spirit without such a foundation, but such spirits are not likely to do so willingly.

Other spirits often used as riders include mundi and ghosts. Those willing to deal with the less pleasant side of things may also Host goblins, which come with their own problems and benefits. Certain Hosts may work towards bargaining with very powerful spirits, such as phoenixes or wraiths, who can provide very useful benefits if a Host can prove themselves.

### Risks

There are four main risks associated with Hosting.

First, the presence of a rider spirit of a certain type may influence the response of other spirits to the Host. As mentioned in *Basics*, a water djinn may be wary of a Host of a fire djinn, and less willing to bargain with them. Such a spirit is liable to be completely *un*willing to accept being Hosted themselves, if that would put them ‘adjacent’ to their opposite. A fire djinn in one arm and a water djinn in the other is possible, but likely pricey.

Second, taking a spirit into oneself may begin influencing the magician themselves. Hosting an aggressive predator mundus and giving it too much control may lead to the magician growing more aggressive too. Your character should be careful to balance such aspects and avoid losing themselves.

Third, Hosting an unwilling spirit brings problems. A spirit bound to a hallow by force will push out against the ‘walls’ of that hallow. This can manifest in one of two ways: first, the hallowed part itself grows more fragile as the body and spirit come into conflict, rendering it more susceptible to harm; second, the channelled abilities are less controlled and the magician is not shielded from their own effects, as the hallow is less stable, causing things like burns on a magician’s arm when channelling the powers of a fire djinn.

Either of these drawbacks may be in effect, depending on the nature of the spirit. A more abstract, formless spirit (like a djinn or basilisk) is likely to be the latter, whereas a material, physical spirit (like a goblin or hare) is more likely to be the former.

Specific riders may provide those drawbacks in specific ways, too. An unwilling hare bound to an arm may create a cycle of weakness, wherein the Host’s arm progressively weakens from the moment they wake up all the way to midday, before slowly returning to normal in the second half of the day.

Fourth, hallows are extremely inviting to hostile possessing forces. Particularly insidious spirits may find success in invading an empty hallow and using it to gain a permanent foothold in a Host, requiring the assistance of other spirits to push back against its influence, or powerful spirits to eject it fully. Measures may be taken to avoid such spirits - if you don’t want your character to face such risks, best for your Host to avoid gremlins, hostile immaterial spirits like wraiths, and hellion spirits of all kinds.

Fifth, and finally, Hosts are not *fully* human anymore. That’s not to say the Host themselves isn’t human, but when a Host is carrying a rider, they take on certain properties of spirits. Namely, a magician Hosting a spirit can be bound by the same like/unlike elements as the spirit. It also makes them somewhat susceptible to symbolic bindings. If a magician has been caught by such a barrier they may have to eject the Hosted spirit to escape - if that isn’t possible (either due to a pact or because the rider is hostile), they will be subject to the whims of the magician who set up the circle.

### Playing a Host

To play a Host character, you should choose a starting pact with an appropriate spirit residing in your choice of hallow or bound to your entire body. You can freely start with hallows, since it’s a very simple ritual to perform, but be wary of the risks that come with open hallows if you do choose to start with unoccupied ones.

### Character Elements to Consider as a Host

There are some questions you should ask yourself when writing a Host:

What is the relationship between the magician and the rider? Are they on good terms, or was it a forced binding? Is the spirit a possessing force, or a symbiotic one?

Where is the rider Hosted? Have you hallowed your heart? Maybe your chakras? There is something to be said about the spiritual significance of Hosting a spirit in one’s centre of being.

How obvious is your Hosting to outside observers? Does the rider’s power leak out of the hallow? If it’s a forced Hosting, does that show, in the form of self-inflicted injuries or weakened form?

What type of spirit is being Hosted, and how does that impact your relationship with other spirits? Maybe your magician is the type to force riders to get along, or perhaps your magician specialises in a specific type and avoids such conflicts.

### Hellborn and Seraph Hosting

As with Harbingers, Hosts of hellborn or seraphs may run into issues when channelling the power of such destructive or vindictive entities. Attempting to Host a hellborn without the proper protections may lead to it subsuming you. Conversely, attempting to Host a seraph without being Pure at Heart may lead to the magician suffering adverse effects like limbs or eyes turned to salt. It’s possible, and it comes with significant benefits, but it’s risky.

# **Harbinger**

Allowing oneself to become the tool of a powerful Spirit, often going forth to warn of their arrival.

* Giving up your body, soul, and mind to a more powerful Spirit in exchange for protection, power, or purpose. As an extension of the Master Spirit, the Harbinger is at the complete mercy of the Master and can be taken control of at any instance. A Master Spirit’s network of Harbingers acts as a semi-hivemind.

## Zook’s Optional Harbinger Rules

Really more like guidelines but I want the title to match *Zook’s Goblin Rules* so there you go.

These guidelines are intended to help players run Harbinger characters in a slightly more structured fashion compared to the standard freeform content available under *On Practices*.

These are *optional* rules and if you want to completely wing it go ahead and ignore this document entirely. If you like the idea of Harbinger guidelines, though, read on.

My Harbinger, Jonathan Reeves, is based on these guidelines (or an early version of them, anyway).

*Zook’s Harbinger Rules* are based on *Pact Dice: Harbinger*, a Pactdice supplement by Wildbow.

### Greater Powers

As a Harbinger you are beholden to a greater power (hereafter referred to as a Power); this Power is what grants you your Harbinger abilities and though they vary wildly in nature, there are a few common threads.

* First, the Power effectively *owns* its Harbinger. You have obligations to the Power, and failing to fulfil those obligations may have terminal consequences.
* Second, Harbingers of the same Power may be capable of telepathic communication of some kind, though this may be limited by range. Some Powers do not want their Harbingers communicating; it varies.
* Third, Harbingers are commonly restricted in what they can do to grow in power. Powers don’t often like the idea of a Harbinger gaining enough strength to fight for independence, so many limit their Harbingers’ ability to make pacts with other spirits or manufacture artefacts. Additionally, claiming a demesne may be difficult if your Power expects you to be mobile.

That third point is particularly important because it means most Harbingers don’t gain power the usual way - unlike other magicians who can freely bargain with more spirits to gain additional powers, Harbingers must instead gain access to more of their masters’ abilities. Before we can talk about that, though, we need to look at what Harbingers *start* with.

### Basic Bargains

To play a Harbinger, you should choose a starting pact with a particularly powerful spirit (such as a Wraith, a Ventus, or a very powerful Goblin). This spirit is your higher power and the one you’re taking orders from. If you’re not starting as a Harbinger but plan to become one, you’ll need to encounter and bargain with a similarly powerful entity.

Your starting pact will grant your basic abilities in exchange for noting that you’re obligated to follow your Power’s orders and complete any tasks it gives you. There is not usually an expiration date on Harbinger pacts. Note that because Harbingers’ access to certain other areas of magic is often restricted, their starting pact can be stronger than those of other characters.

Your basic abilities depend on your Power and will vary between Harbingers.

I will be using my Harbinger character, Jonathan Reeves, as an example Harbinger.

Jonathan has two fundamental abilities key to his character: the *Storm*, and the *Rider*. His patron is the Pale Steed, the horse ridden by Death upon the world’s ending - whether or not it’s *actually* the Pale Steed or simply a wraith that has taken that form is up to interpretation.

The Storm represents the Steed’s constant low-level attention on Jonathan and his surroundings. When Jonathan is involved in a scene, that channel (and the two channels adjacent to it, above and below) are affected by the Storm. It has two key properties: one, entities in range are rendered more aggressive, looking to solve their problems more violently instead of peacefully; and two, the Steed’s attention agitates undead, with ghosts and other Afterlife spirits beginning to act up and becoming uncooperative. This is **always on**, which is a major part of Jonathan’s character.

The Rider represents the Pale Steed focusing most of its attention directly on Jonathan. By digging his fingers into his Mark of Cain and *tearing*, flesh and tissues fall away and he transforms into an avatar of Death, the rider of the Pale Steed. In this state his appearance changes and he gains a unique form of passive esoteric defence: as he’s halfway between alive and dead, magic that affects living things is less effective against him, but magic that usually only affects the dead can affect him. Additionally, he gains three actions that he can use on his turn:

* The *Strike*, which is his basic attack. He channels the Steed’s power through a target, fatiguing them and inflicting a form of delirium that causes concerns about oaths and lies to fall away.
* The *Onslaught*, which is a ‘heavy’ attack. He channels the Steed’s power outwards in a cone, which hammers bindings, seals, and defensive wards, as well as any spirits or people caught within the effect. It’s most effective against the undead, who may be outright forced out of bound items or blown away entirely, and against people it can knock them down and leave them winded.
* The *Downfall*, which is a last-resort attack. The entire Storm is briefly channelled through a single target or obstruction, removing them from the fight. This entails either dropping them unconscious or, if the target is undead or already vulnerable, killing them instantly. However, using this attack causes Jonathan to exit his Rider state immediately.

Jonathan made his bargain as he lay dying in an alleyway. He called out for someone, *anyone* to save him, and the Pale Steed answered. Exiting his Rider state puts him on the brink of death in much the same fashion as he was when he made his deal, so if he exits the state near opponents they can capitalise on it relatively easily. However, he will recover within a few minutes if he’s left unattended.

### Re-Negotiation

Renegotiation is how Harbingers most often gain more power. After keeping their patron happy for a while and carrying out the tasks asked of them, they can commune with their Power and demand, to put it simply, a better deal.

Once you have a starting pact, it should be pretty clear how it can be expanded. There are three primary improvements that can be made:

* A new option can be provided. This might be a new state, a new action available *in* a state, or something similar. For Jonathan, this might be a new Storm he can choose to have active instead of the regular Storm, with different advantages and disadvantages.
* An existing option can be improved. This might entail a buff to an action’s potency, an improvement to a passive effect, or greater control over an always-on ability. For Jonathan, this might entail making *Strike* available outside the Rider state, with a longer cooldown, or allowing him to corral the Storm and select one person that isn’t affected by it.
* A price or disadvantage can be lessened or removed. This might entail a reduction in cooldowns or the removal of a debuff applied in a transformation. For Jonathan, this might entail making him completely immune to magic that only affects the living while in his Rider state, or it might mean shortening his vulnerability window from a few minutes to one minute (or even shorter!).

You might devise other ways to improve your pact; that’s fine, these are only guidelines.

### Character Elements

When writing a Harbinger, there are some questions you should consider.

What is their relationship with the higher power? Are they a willing servant, or looking for an exit clause?

How did they strike their bargain? Was the Harbinger rescued, like Jonathan was? Were they tricked into subservience? Maybe they sought out the Power, or maybe the Power sought out *them*.

What is the nature of the power being granted? Jonathan’s patron, as a representation of death, grants several abilities that are more effective when used on undead. Perhaps a Phoenix may grant flame abilities that grow stronger as you approach death. Make things interesting!

What kind of tasks does your patron ask of you? This is most likely determined by the nature of the Power in question - a Wraith may issue orders involving combat, whereas a Hare might require them to maintain cycles that are beginning to unravel.

### Harbinger Ability Guidelines

Obviously you can write whatever abilities you want for your Harbinger, but this section will list some examples and maybe some more structured ideas on how to handle Harbinger spells, first and foremost the idea that Harbinger abilities could be sorted into categories.

Jonathan’s Storm and Rider abilities are the fundamental, basic abilities available to Harbingers in Pactdice. Wisteria is not Pactdice, so alternatives are possible, some of which are listed below:

* The *Storm* is a manifestation of your patron’s power over a wide area. It is typically always-on, and the extent to which it is broad- or narrow-radius may impact the potency of the effect itself.
* The *Transformation* is a direct channelling of your patron’s power through yourself. It typically grants additional options only available while transformed, but often comes with costs that limit the Harbinger’s access to the form.
* The *Thrash* is a direct, close range release of your patron’s power. It typically provides acute, short-term effects that are impactful but over quickly.
* The *Infusion* is a brief channelling of the patron’s power through yourself. It typically provides temporary personal benefits, like a burst of speed.
* The *Totem* is a long-term application of the patron’s power to an object. It typically allows the object to act as a loci around which effects determined by the nature of the patron can be exerted.

Again: these are only guidelines.

### Hellborn and Seraph Harbingers

You may be wondering if playing a Harbinger of a Seraph or Hellborn is possible. Yes, in theory, it is - but hellborn are extremely destructive to those channelling their powers directly, and seraphs are liable to turn your body to salt if you’re not Pure of Heart. I would advise against trying to run such a Harbinger given the nature of the Powers involved, though this is, as always, just advice and not a rule.

### Example Harbingers that aren’t Jonathan

This last section will list some examples of Harbingers that aren’t Jonathan, so you may get a broader context for some ideas.

**Agatha** is a Harbinger of a powerful zeitgeist. By channelling its powers, she creates a zone of sorts around herself within which time is altered. When she started out, this might be something simple like time within the bubble passing twice as fast as outside it, or being able to briefly ‘skip’ time to reach something in the bubble instantaneously. However, as her powers grew, she gained broader abilities - like the ability to split her own timestream and create a very power-intensive copy of herself. Agatha formed her pact after she and some friends visited a ‘haunted house’ at which supposedly spooky happenings occurred at midnight. Though her friends bottled out, Agatha persisted, and was the sole inhabitant of the house when a zeitgeist manifested at midnight. There, she struck a deal with it in exchange for magic, and it provided her Mark of Cain in the form of a clock face. Now she’s tasked with locating temporal errors left behind by inexperienced cardinals and, very occasionally, interrupting diabolists messing with time.
**Forrest** is a Harbinger of an extremely dangerous goblin. He encountered the goblin after school one day, when he decided to cut through an alleyway, and he encountered a pack of child-like monsters. After spending about ten minutes getting brutally beaten down by these not-quite-children, a larger one emerged from the dark. It introduced itself as Ribcleaver. By now, even Forrest, an uninitiated, had realised that the things in the alley with him weren’t human. Scared and alone, Forrest became the Harbinger of Ribcleaver, a goblin who had
long surpassed its compatriots and controlled the numerous goblin packs that roamed the town - now Forrest roams the town too, spreading the same violence that led to his bargain. He wields abilities suited to a goblin, primarily a transformation that turns him into a hybrid creature, midway between goblin and human.

**Tony** is a Harbinger of a phoenix. After being inducted into magic by his family, he became the next in a long line of Harbingers; every time the phoenix rebirths, the mantle of Harbinger is passed down to the eldest child of the newest generation of the family. With his family expecting great things from him, he stepped out into the magical world with the power of the phoenix at his back. At its most simple, his Power allows him to generate flames in streams and bursts - but the phoenix is much more than a simple *firebird*. If Tony is overcome by an opponent and falls to their attacks, he will rise again in a brief inferno. This, the family’s most precious ability, is costly and cannot be used often, but when necessary it can turn the tide of a battle.