Incarnates

The following are guidelines for attitudes and characteristics particular to Unnatural Incarnates, and while we do understand and respect individuality we do expect players to adhere to the Unnatural lore as much as possible. Please note that Incarnates are fictional beings that have been part of folklore, fantasy, and horror fiction for generations, centuries in some cases, and each culture or writer has its own version of what Incarnates are or how they should be.

This is our version.

abilities

Keep in mind, always, that all abilities that affect other players must have consent

Incarnates possess the ability to detect the presence of other Incarnates within a room through the extension of telepathic tendrils that create a swirling sensation around the other Incarnates. The Incarnate would know that others are present, and the others may sense they are being sensed, but without a response (telepathic or sending tendrils in response) they may not know who.

Incarnates can confuse the senses of others by casting illusions, for up to 2 people at a time. Keep in mind that the Illusion is in the target’s mind and no one else can see it or experience it. For example, They can make someone see things like monsters or other people, or make someone think they are being attacked by bugs, etc. Also affects Supernaturals. A group of Incarnates can target multiple people at once and create a larger illusion. While other Incarnates can be affected by an illusion, they might see it for what it is.

Incarnates can enter another person’s dreams (Incarnates included. Vampires are not affected by this since their sleep is the sleep of the dead where they regenerate and there is no brain activity) and control them, plant ideas, terrorize by creating nightmares, induce erotic dreams, and gather information. Dreamwalking can be interrupted or blocked with help from a Phral. An Incarnate may do this in 2 ways:

Proximity: The Incarnate may be within 20 meters of its sleeping target (break into their house or stand near their bedroom window to do this)
Dreamstones: An Incarnate Dreamstone is made by wrapping a shard of obsidian with copper wire. The Incarnate must wear it on their person for an entire week to imprint it and connect with it, then place it near where the target sleeps, somewhere where it won’t be seen, like under the bed, or in a nightstand drawer. It will work for 1 week.

FEEDING

While the Human host body requires food and drink like any other Human, Incarnates rely on consuming energy to maintain their strength and their bond with their Human host. Without ‘feeding’ Incarnates will become weak and listless, and as they lose their bond with the Human host, the Human will deteriorate and die and the Incarnate will return to Limbo. An autopsy will find “exhaustion” as the cause of death for the Human. An Incarnate should feed to satiation at least once a week.

Feeding is a deliberate act that requires concentration, and is comparable to a human eating food. Feeding from strangers as they pass by is similar to grabbing a few appetizers from a tray as a server walks by, and an incarnate cannot feed during combat any more than a human can eat a meal while brandishing a sword.

It is believed that the term "7 Deadly Sins" was coined in history to discourage Humans from providing energy to Incarnates (believed to be demons and angels), thus avoiding the risk of "demonic possession." Incarnates can induce emotional energy in Humans through their telepathic or illusionary abilities, and through simple interactions. While all Incarnates can feed on various types of emotional energy, some find certain emotions more satisfying and nourishing. Certain Incarnates may specialize in evoking a specific "Deadly Sin" or emotion, earning labels such as "Lust Demon" or "Rage Demon," while those who inspire peace and love may be regarded as "angels."

For instance, an Incarnate that feeds off lust might engage in licentious behavior, maintain a sex slave they can feed off of or encourage them to participate in group activities considered deviant, even if the Incarnate only observes. (Merely watching pornography does not suffice, as they need to be physically present among individuals experiencing lust). Such an Incarnate may offer recreational drugs to others, which lower inhibitions. Regarding gluttony, they could telepathically convey messages related to hunger or tempting food, even if the target isn't hungry. They may also sow seeds of doubt or instigate conflicts to provoke anger, and so on.

Feeding from a Phral’s emotional energy is especially satisfying because of their daily handling of magic.

**NOTE: Incarnates are not always required to elicit emotions directly to feed on them. They can also absorb energy from situations where people are already experiencing certain emotions. However, when an Incarnate intends to induce specific emotions, any illusions or telepathic actions must be treated as attempts in role-playing (RP), or out-of-character (OOC) consent must be obtained before initiating the RP.

Effects of Feeding

Incarnates have expressed feelings of satiation, comfort, security and a sense of grounding as their bond with the human body regenerates, and some have expressed feeling physical pleasure during feeding. Incarnates feed slowly, so as not to drain their victim (no sense passing out in the middle of an orgy or a fight!)

**NOTE: Fully draining a victim can kill them. As with the starving incarnate, the cause of death will be exhaustion.

TRUE NAME

Incarnates take on the possessed’s name and identity, and keep their True Name hidden, as knowledge of an Incarnate’s True Name grants power to the person that knows it.

A True Name is magical, and only one person in the human realm may possess an Incarnate’s True Name. Think of each name as a token, one of its kind, and only one person can possess it at a time. While in Limbo Incarnates use their True Names just like Humans use their names in the Human realm, but outside of Limbo Incarnates guard their True Name as it grants others control over them.

A person, other than another Incarnate, may SAY the True Name of an Incarnate up to THREE (3) times, after which they will magically forget it and never be able to say it again, unless relearned.
Outside of Limbo the only way to learn a True Name is if it’s given by magic. The person holding the name must say “XXXXX, I give you this name, YYYYY”. The person giving it will forget it, and any record they hold of the name will disappear. Anyone hearing/eavesdropping someone else saying the True Name will only hear gibberish and will not learn the name, since it wasn’t given to them.
The person that knows the name holds the Incarnate’s will, and the Incarnate is incapable of personally killing or harming them.

A True Name may be used for:

Forced Incarnation: Phral must have an Incarnates’ True Name in order to summon an Incarnate and force an Incarnation into a willing or unwilling vessel.
Commands/Control: A person can exert influence over the Incarnate’s actions, compelling it to carry out specific tasks or obey their commands, but they must say the name with the command “Johnny, I command you to…”

***NOTE: Clear this OOC first! Do not expect someone to break their limits or do things that will bring consequences that they did not agree to. If a player refuses a command OOCly, this will be honored. CONSENT, CONSENT, CONSENT. Commands that allow someone else to command or that generate more commands are invalid.

TURNING/MATING

Incarnates exist in a state of being in Limbo, but when Human Incarnates mate, there is a chance of giving birth to an Incarnate offspring who is already possessed by another entity waiting in Limbo (as explained below). If the child is not an Incarnate they are more susceptible to Incarnation. Incarnate-possessed children may exhibit accelerated learning in certain areas, but their physical development remains in line with others. For instance, an Incarnate baby will start walking at the typical age, but they may demonstrate advanced reading or comprehension skills at a very young age. They might attempt to speak earlier, although they need to work on developing their vocal cords.

POSSESSION / INCARNATING

An Incarnate without a physical body will observe and track their target from Limbo looking for a suitable vessel to possess. Once the Incarnate has made their choice, they recite the following incantation:

"I lay claim to this Human as my vessel. May their body, soul, and mind be under my control, twisted and manipulated according to my desires. Let our bond be sealed, let the possession be absolute. So mote it be."

Once the Incarnate has made their choice and spoken the words, the process becomes irreversible. The target will hear the words but may question if they imagined them. The complete possession takes approximately one week (7 real-time days), but if all parties involved in the storyline agree, it can be expedited out of character. During this time, the Human may witness or hear manifestations as the Incarnate gains the ability to interact through their body. This can include objects being moved, hearing the Incarnate's voice, having odd or out of character thoughts, experiencing periods of blackout where the Incarnate takes control but the Human cannot recall what transpired, and so on. For Phral protection see below.

NOTE: "Speeding up" the Incarnation process out-of-character may require approval from an administrator to ensure that Incarnates do not cycle through Humans at an unrealistic and unreasonable pace. If the Incarnate's current body is destroyed, they must choose a different Human to possess, this does not mean a new account, but a complete change in the avatar’s human appearance.

LIMBO

Limbo, as the word suggests, is nothingness. Limbo and our world occupy the same space but on different planes, and do not interact with each other. Incarnates in Limbo can see our world and everyone and everything in it, but they cannot hear or interact with anything or anyone, except other Incarnates in Limbo. Please make sure all those present in the scene (and those about to enter) know that your character is in Limbo and cannot be seen or heard so that others do not react to seeing an Incarnate’s true form in public. You must wear a titler that shows you are in Limbo.

CLUB REDRUM

Club Redrum is located on Feldspar Drive and is a known hub for Incarnates. A flashy, energetic, hedonistic, everything-goes, underground club that attracts Humans and Supernaturals alike willing to indulge and party hard, which in turn provide a feeding ground for Incarnates.

CADRES

A formal group of Incarnates is called a Cadre. They don’t have to be exclusively Incarnate, but Cadres have their politics and rules and decide who can join, and admins will not interfere or dictate how private Cadres are run.

Incarnates and Phral

A Phral whose base abilitys is:

Mulengui Dori may provide protection charms to prevent possession.
Chiliko can travel to Limbo, and can interact with Incarnates.
Armaya and knows an Incarnate’s True Name, can force Incarnation but must have a waiting Human, willing or unwilling.

A Phral COVEN may summon an Incarnate via a ritual, without the use of a name. It is a summoning of a random Incarnate on the Human realm in Human form. Any Incarnate may respond and just walk up to the Phral at anytime after the ritual. The RP post of the ritual should be posted in the IC channel for a random Incarnate, unless previously arranged OOC for someone specific. OOC contact the Phral and negotiate terms what would be required and if the summons is answered.

A Phral SABBAT can banish an Incarnate without harming the Human, and the banished Incarnate’s essence can be kept in a magically sealed vessel for eternity (or until broken). The Human may not always survive, but if they do, how much they remember the Incarnation depends on how much they were suppressed. Even if they don't have a full recollection of their time as Incarnate, some flashbacks or dreams/nightmares are possible.

Return to Races Page

Characteristics

Feeding

True Name

Turning/Mating

Limbo

Redrum & Cadres

Origins

Like other Supernatural beings, the existence of Incarnates has been recorded throughout history. The ancient Greeks referred to them as Daimons, and The Bible referred to them as "angels" or "demons", depending on their appearance and disposition. Though they have no connection with any religion, they have often assumed the roles of gods or demigods depicted in ancient mythologies the world over.

For an interesting read on “Daimons” in history and mythology, check out Wikipedia’s page on Daimons, and others).

In order to walk in the “Human” realm, Incarnates take possession of a Human body, and exist in a symbiotic relationship with the Humans they possess. This relationship lasts until the Human body is destroyed or dies of natural causes, and the Incarnate returns to Limbo (see below), where they can remain for as long as they desire before possessing another body. How much of the Human remains after possession is up to the player. A voluntarily accepting Human might be an asset in some cases, whereas a resisting one might be better off completely suppressed.

OOC NOTE: Incarnates are a composite of two beings in one, with a single player portraying both aspects. Players may enter Ashmore as an Incarnate already in possession of a Human body or develop a storyline involving the possession of their Human by an Incarnate.

Incarnates are stronger, faster, and more agile than normal Humans while in Human form, though their strength is also partially influenced by the Human body’s physical condition.
They can heal instantly from most minor injuries. Severe injuries may take longer to heal, or cause death of the Human body.
They are resistant to most illnesses, but not terminal diseases. Although their True Form remains unaffected by sickness, when returning to their Human form, any preexisting illnesses or diseases persist.
Incarnates in True Form have increased agility and strength. Incarnates strength closely matches that of a Vampire, and while they lack the brute force of a Werewolf in battle form, they make up for that with agility, other body parts that other Supers lack, such as talons, wings, tails, etc., and possible body armour in their clothing. Any attachments or body parts that are used as weapons in combat (ex tails, talons, wings, etc) should be played appropriately as weapons and armour (3 hits), and follow combat rules.
Incarnates, like some other Supernaturals, have a physical aversion to silver. Cuts from silver plated weapons or silver bullet wounds take longer to heal. Silver lodged in the body needs manual removal and a silver poisoning antidote from a Phral.
Incarnates will not “turn” if bitten by a werewolf, but will suffer the illness and infection symptoms like any other Human, and may die if not treated. They will feel the effects of a Vampire feeding, but an attempt at ‘turning' will result in death and return to Limbo when drained by the Vampire. ((Consent consent consent!))
Incarnates are not susceptible to a Vampire's Glamoring or Compelling
Incarnates are immortal, though without a Human body, they are in Limbo (see below), and cannot leave their Human hosts willingly without destroying the Human body.
Incarnates must “feed” on energy to maintain their bond with their Human host. See below, “Feeding”
Incarnates without a body (in Limbo) do not need food or sleep, but when in Human form they do– though less than an average Human.
Incarnates will retain the memories of their most recent incarnation while in Limbo and waiting to reincarnate. However, once reincarnated, some memories may fade away, become patchy, or blend with new ones, except for the most impactful ones, such as a traumatic event like the Human's death or an emotionally charged experience like the birth of a child.
Skills and abilities possessed by a Human are not automatically preserved unless actively utilized. For instance, if a Human was a pilot but the Incarnate showed little interest in flying or rarely engaged in it, they would not retain that skill for their subsequent incarnation. However, if the Incarnate worked as a chef and cooked daily, those culinary skills would be retained.

Incarnates assume the physical appearance and identity of the Humans they possess, regardless of gender compatibility.
The True Forms of Incarnates often manifest as beings resembling angels or demons, incorporating features such as horns, wings, goat legs, hooves, varying skin colors, fangs, uncommonly colored eyes, and more. Please avoid overly large avatars. True Form Avatars must fit comfortably within a room without overcrowding other players.
Incarnates can shift between their True Form and Human form at will, but force-shift into their True Form during the full moon. Shifting takes 2 posts. Keep in mind that shifting to True Form does not mean they are in Limbo, and the veil must be protected. The only time an Incarnate returns to Limbo is when their human shell dies.
At times, Incarnates may show both, True Form and Human form at the same time, particularly during the initial weeks after incarnation. For instance, an Incarnate may speak with two voices simultaneously, horns might attempt to protrude as bumps on the Human head, or their eyes may briefly change color, among other manifestations.
Incarnates assume the physical appearance and identity of the Humans they possess, regardless of gender compatibility.
The True Forms of Incarnates often manifest as beings resembling angels or demons, incorporating features such as horns, wings, goat legs, hooves, varying skin colors, fangs, uncommonly colored eyes, and more. Please avoid overly large avatars. True Form Avatars must fit comfortably within a room without overcrowding other players.

Incarnates do not possess a clear moral alignment of good or evil. Though they often lack the innate moral compass found in other beings, their perspectives can be influenced by the beliefs and values of the Humans they inhabit. Being hedonistic pleasure-seekers, they are often perceived as selfish, prioritizing personal comfort and lifestyle as a Human above all else. Incarnates either adopt the existing lifestyle of the Human host or shape them into something more appealing to their preferences. Since they meticulously select the Human bodies they inhabit, most Incarnates strive to maintain and enhance their physical form, often becoming dedicated fitness and healthy-eating enthusiasts. Some go to the other extreme, seeing the Human as an expendable way to experience as many things as their hedonistic, selfish little heart desires!

"For her to abruptly quit her job, leave her husband and children, and relocate to Thailand, completely draining their joint bank account, it's so out of character. It's almost as if she's possessed by something..."

"I don't understand what's come over him. Yesterday, he was ready to quit and despised the new project, but today he's transformed into an entirely different person. He worked tirelessly throughout the night and nearly completed the entire task by himself."

Incarnates & Phral

Origins