Category:Hex

Overview

Hex is one of the most dangerous powers a ghost can use, allowing them to sacrifice their own memories in order to influence the mortal world. This is incredibly dangerous for ghosts and mortals alike. Once a memory is sacrificed in order to create a hex, recovering it is difficult. And as a ghost loses more and more memories, their psyche unravels, they lose their hold on the emotions that keep them stable, and the ghost spirals out of control. It is essentially guaranteed that a ghost that practices hex will find itself transforming into the more dangerous classes of ghosts, with little to no memory of who or what they were in life. Each memory sacrificed will give a temporary boost to the emotionally charged ectoplasm of which they are made, but the long term price is enormous.

Types of Hexes

Hexes come in two classes. Hexmarks and phantasms. Both types of hexes are a ghost exerting their own influence onto mortal beings or objects.

The hexmark is when a hex has been placed on a being that has life force within them. This ranges from people to animals to plants. Undead, other ghosts, and emean beings lack this life force. Hexmarks are not visible to normal mortals. These marks are only visible to those able to see ghosts, as well being visible to all ghosts. However, for those who can see hexmarks, they will see a mark that appears like a scar in coloring and texture, but often in a complex design that is unique from ghost to ghost. An individual ghost maintains the same design on their hexmark unless they have changed to a different tier of ghost. If transitioning to a higher class, the hexmark will be more detailed and dramatic, representative of the ghost's current state of mind. If transitioning to a lower tier, the hexmark will be less detailed, appearing more dull and vague.

Hexmarks can be curses or boons upon the hexed, and they are always exhibit an effect that the ghost themselves experienced in life. A ghost that nearly drowned once can use that memory to apply a hex to a being that will not just mimic the effects but genuinely recreate them. It is not always malevolent, a ghost that used to frequent the same bar in life, drinking the same beer, because they enjoyed it, can make it so that a hexed would find their mugs filling with that same beer.

The second class are phantasms and can be applied to anything that lacks a soul, including objects, places, plants, animals, and select undead. Phantasms are illusions that ghosts can craft and apply to change the mortal world. These illusions are always something the ghost has experienced with their own senses from when they were alive. This could be as simple as how a lover's face looked to how the sea air felt and smelled from the ghost's childhood village.

Hexcores and Evocation

At the basis of both phantasms and hexmarks are the hexcores. This is the building block of all hexes. And all hexcores are built the same way, though the experience is personalized based on the individual ghost.

Evocation

In order to build a hexcore, a ghost must first evoke a specific memory. The ghost must pull the memory to the forefront of their mind, focusing heavily on it. This must be done in the presence of an anchor for all but tier 3 ghosts. Once the memory is in place, the ghost must begin creating the memory with their own ectoplasm. This is where the personalization from each ghost comes into play.

Evocation is most commonly expressed as an artform to a ghost, often similar to an art or craft the ghost practiced in life, if applicable. If the ghost was a sculptor in life, they'll often exude ectoplasm from their hands and begin molding the memory into the space around them. If they were a painter, they'll find a brush in their hands, and will paint the memory on the air.

Crafting these memories is incredibly time consuming and strenuous on a ghost, often taking a full trial or longer. Using up their ectoplasm often makes it so they are unable to use other ghost skills during this process. While this is going on, those who are able to see ghosts or have access to the Beneath, can watch the memory being built. Additionally they are able to disrupt the process, thus causing the ectoplasm to be lost, though the memory itself still survives within the ghost.

Once the memory is crafted, it will begin playing, allowing the ghost to watch their own memory. It can be as long or as short as the ghost desires in order to get the aspects of the memory needed. The memory will play indefinitely, on a loop, and many a ghost has spent long periods of time watching them, sometimes attempting to participate in them as their living selves, finding comfort. They cannot change the memories, but they certainly may relive them. The ghost is able to reabsorb the ectoplasm using the syphon skill, and at this stage, the memory will return to the ghost's mind if anything happens to it.

OOC NOTE: All memories used by PCs must have been roleplayed out In Character in a completed and reviewed thread. This thread should be linked within the Ghost Thread Review Request.

Hexcores

Now the ghost may begin crafting the hexcore, and this is when they risk losing a memory forever. If the memory or hexcore is destroyed at any point during or after this stage, the memory is lost. Ghosts are protective of their hexcores for they are prime targets for other ghosts, as they can syphon them to grow stronger and acquire the memory for themselves.

During the crafting of the hexcore, the ghost must decide if they wish to make a hexmark or a phantasm from it. The ghost enters the memory they crafted, and pull out the ectoplasm from those parts of the memory.

For hexmarks, they must pull out the entire portion of the scene for the effect they wish to achieve. Then, just as they created the physical memory, they begin to form a ball or other similar shape from the desired effect(s) they pull out, sculpting it or painting it, the method unique to each ghost.

Phantasms often require a bit more finesse, for the ghost must pull out the source of the senses they wish to deceive with their illusion, and nothing more. This might mean pulling a favorite song out of a memory of a rowdy tavern, without pulling out the sounds of talking and singing and such. If there are too many details out of place, beings might see through the illusions easily. These details are then crafted into the center of the hexcore, just as was done in the hexmarks method.

Once the phantasm or hexmarked hexcore is prepared, the remaining ectoplasm from the memory must be applied around them, through the standard creative process the ghost has been using. This process is simpler for the ghost, but helps to protect the hexcore and gives it much of the power needed to generate the effects of the hexmarks and phantasms.

At the end of this long, tiring process for the ghost, the hexcore is completed. Hexcores can be stored within the ghost's body for later, or stored in mortal world or Beneath as an item. Ghosts tend to be extremely protective of hexcores, as their memories are still in there. They can be syphoned out to extract the memories, but they will not be in a perfect state as they were prior, for they deteriorate during the extraction.

Using Hexmarks

Hexcores are incredible malleable objects, and can not be destroyed easily. They stretch, flatten, and adjust as needed to survive, but always bounce back to the original shape. However, for a ghost, or any person who knows how to manipulate their ectoplasm, a hexcore tuned with a hexmark can be inserted into a being that has life force. For those that have little direct experience with ghosts or the Beneath, this will go unnoticed by a careful ghost. The body will shudder, a "cold chill", until the hexcore is fully inserted. Resistance does not help unless the individual being Hexed has a fair amount of direct experience with ghosts ( Zuuda, shamans, victims of multiple hauntings and possessions, etc).

The actual effects are incredibly varied based on the experiences of the ghost, but it is only as powerful as what the ghost experienced in life, in their memory. Hex users are unable to amplify the effects. Hexmarks can cause pain and injury that last for the entire duration of the hexmark. Hexmarks cannot kill any being they are applied to.

The size of the being that can be affected by a hexmark can be equal to roughly twice the size or lesser of the largest person anchor a ghost maintains, or lacking that, the size of the ghost itself.

Hexmark Removal

Hexmarks can be removed through a wide variety of ways. The easiest is negotiating with the ghost that placed it. Those that wear a hexmark are able to feel a tug to the ghost's current location, regardless of whether or not they are in the Beneath or mortal world.

If the ghost is defeated, passes on, or downgrades to a Whisper, the hexmark will wear off.

Individuals that are able to manipulate their ectoplasm (Zuuda or ghosts that managed to return to life and are of appropriate skill level) can remove hexmarks. This varies greatly from individual on how this actually done, but the use of their own ectoplasm is key. These individuals can acquire the hexcore through this method.

Other ghosts can use their syphon ability to remove a hex, however, this also drains the being's life force, causing many negative side effects.

There are many other ways to remove a hexmark. The important thing to note is that it should be heavily plot-centric. For these methods, get approval from a local moderator (or from the PSF if one is unavailable) first.

Once a hexmark is removed, all effects from it disappear, including everlasting injuries and pain.

Hexmarks cannot be inserted into beings that are that specific ghost's anchor UNLESS they consent to it.

Using Phantasms

The malleable hexcores that have been tuned with a phantasm can be applied to anything that lacks a soul. The targets for these are a lot trickier, based on the details the ghost stored within the phantasm. The hexcore can be inserted into the object, being, or place.

Once the hexcore is completely inserted, the illusion immediately readies. However, it only activates when a being with a soul is in range for their senses to pick up on the illusion OR on the being/object/place being covered by the illusion. Phantasms can be extremely complex if made by higher skilled hex users, can look, feel, smell, taste, and sound entirely real.

The size of the object that can be affected is twice the size of the largest person or object anchor the ghost has, or lacking those, the size of the ghost itself. The size of a place that can be affected is twice the size of the largest location anchor, or lacking that, twice the size of the ghost itself.

Detecting and Defeating Phantasms

Phantasms are never perfect. They can be exquisitely detailed, they can hide dangerous or even lethal things, but they are never perfect. If a person is paying enough attention to the details, one can always find a flaw in the illusion. One weakness a ghost has is that they are never able to hide their own object or living anchors with a phantasm. Location anchors can be hidden, but the phantasm in a location anchor cannot extend beyond the borders of the anchor.

Those without a fair amount of direct ghost influence may struggle greatly to break a phantasm. In the best case scenarios, they are often only able to escape the phantasm if they are able to realize they are in one.

If the ghost is defeated, passes on, or downgrades to a Whisper, the phantasm will wear off.

Those with a moderate amount of direct ghost influence, and especially those that can manipulate ectoplasm, can often locate the hexcore and retrieve it, thus breaking the phantasm.

Destruction of the being, object, or location affected by a phantasm will break it.

Other ghosts can sense the hexcore and syphon it. Once depleted, the phantasm breaks.

There are many other ways to remove a phantasm. The important thing to note is that it should be heavily plot-centric. For these methods, get approval from a local moderator (or from the PSF if one is unavailable) first.

Returning to Life

Should a ghost manage to return to life, they can use hex but only if they've brought it to the master level. There are no restrictions to using hex after returning to life.

Quick Notes and Numbers

Novice

3 hexcores at any given time maximum.

Hexmarks may only have 1 effect maximum.

Phantasms may only affect 1 senses maximum and have 1 effect maximum.

Competent

6 Hexcores at any given time maximum.

Hexmarks may only have 3 effects maximum.

Phantasms may only affect 2 senses maximum and have 3 effects maximum.

Expert

9 hexcores at any given time maximum.

Hexmarks may only have 6 effects maximum.

Phantasms may only affect 3 senses maximum and have 6 effects maximum.

Master

15 hexcores at any given time maximum.

Hexmarks may only have 9 effects maximum.

Phantasms may affect all senses and have 9 effects maximum.