Possession

This is not only an Art, it is a practice of the worshippers of Orisha. Priests and initiates will invite an Orisha to enter their body through prayer and other rites, including preaching, dancing, drumming, and quiet meditation. The mortals who petition an Orisha to possess them know which kith they wish to be possessed by, and make sure to tailor the rite to attract that particular Orisha.

This Art is open only to Orisha (including Eshu), and can never be learned by any others. Possession works through the worship of Orisha, and does not function like other Arts.

There are no "levels" of this Art, and only one effect: to possess a mortal. Other preternatural beings inhabiting mortal bodies (Kinain, Changelings, Mages, Garou, Vampires, even Revenants and Zombies) can be possessed the same way humans can. Actor, Fae and Nature are the usable Realms for this Art - only animals and humans can be possessed. Even though no more than one being can be possessed at a single time, Scene does have a special use - if multiple persons are enacting a rite, by using Scene, the Orisha may Possess another person in the rite other than the intended, as if his new target were the original intended target. The Time Realm may not be used with this Art - casting must be done at the time of the Possession.

To enact a Possession, either the Orisha or the recipient must spend a WP point - that is one reason why mortals enact such rites to invite an Orisha in - to be able to focus and exert their will so. Then the Orisha makes a Cantrip casting roll as normal - no bunk is required if the target is performing a Possession rite. The difficulty on a target performing a rite is their Banality (or the Orisha's if hers is higher than the target's). The difficulty on an unwilling target is as normal.

The number of successes gained in the roll detail how many minutes the possession will last and how effective the possession is. The Orisha may use all Abilities belonging to either himself or the target, limited to a level equal to the number of successes gained in the casting of Possession. The Orisha has full use of both his and the target's Attribute pools - in fact, these are added together for the duration of the Possession (e.g., if the Orisha has a Perception of 4 and the target has a Perception of 2, during the Possession, the Orisha has a Perception of 6).

The Orisha is in control of the person possessed, but his own body is comatose during the possession. The Orisha will still perceive out of his own body (as well as the Possessed's body), but can take no actions. The Orisha's body will stay in the position taken during the casting of the Possession for the duration of the Cantrip (the body will stay standing, etc.). Anyone looking at the body will see its eyes staring off into nothing.

The benefits of possession are the combined attributes and use of abilities of both target and Orisha. The reason why worshippers wish to be possessed is to learn wisdom and help them with questions and/or desires they have. Orisha will be able to read the mind of any Possessed being. If the target is willing, the Orisha has complete access to anything in the target's mind.

The rites enacted around Possession also act as a willing Reverie for the Orisha - at the end of a successful Possession, they may roll Reverie and gain Glamour from it.

There are additional complications to possession of unwilling targets. If the casting is successful, then, every turn, the caster must make an opposed WP roll versus the target - Difficulty 6 for both parties. If the caster succeeds or ties, this is well and good - the possession continues for that turn. If the target succeeds, the number of successes subtracts from the number of successes in the original Possession casting roll - once this number drops to zero, the Possession ends immediately. Even if the target was originally willing to be possessed, she can change her mind during the possession, as she is aware what's going on. If so, and the Orisha does not leave willingly, the opposed WP rolls are made as above (and the Orisha may only make a Reverie roll if he leaves willingly).

For Possessions ending with the unwilling expulsion of the Orisha, the Orisha cannot act for two turns as he gathers his wits about him again.

An Orisha may Ravage the target he is Possessing - the connection is made by the act of Possession. But after making the Ravaging roll, successful or not, the Orisha is expelled from the Possessed's body as above. The target also takes one level of damage (soakable) for every point of Banality she gains.

If a rite of Possession is being enacted by worshippers, the nearest Orisha of the Kith being called will feel the rite, and may cast Possession even if not within "range" or "line-of-sight." The Orisha in question may even be in the Near Dreaming (though not anywhere else in the Dreaming and/or Umbra).

Possession is a Wyrd cantrip.

The Attribute for Possession is Manipulation.

The cost to learn Possession at character creation is 2 dots of Arts (or 10 Freebie Points). The cost to learn Possession through XP is 10.

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