Spirit is Physic
September 4, 2007 in Articles
I read Etruscans by Morgan Llewellyn, and heard a comment by my mother. Mom wanted to get the Cuteasaurus to smile so she told him that what he showed on the outside was what he on the inside. And in Etruscans, the world used to be a mix of physical and spirit with no boundary line–and the hero is like that–he shapeshifts in the midst of a battle as he gains wisdom from the spirits attending him. He goes from a young kid to a young adult in the space of a battle because the spirits that are attached to him give him wisdom.
So…. a world in which lying is practically non-existent because anyone who lies shows this in their body. Traitorous snakes really look treacherous and cunning and self-serving, and the noble heart is reflected in the bright face. While there is a general view of a being, there are also considerable temporary slips as rage darkens a face,a nd gives muscles, or fear shrinks the man several inches in height.
It is possible to shapeshift so that one can fly, but one has to have an imagination that soars, or a deep love of the upper airs or some such in order to get wings.
I might have a bit of the Oriental seeker of wisdom bit in this world because as you grow wiser and stronger in mind and heart so you grow physically. And there are serious compettions of which I haven’t decided the nature of yet between various groups in this Realm. I could have Good vs. Evil, or Truth vs. Madness (with madness getting much of their strength from eating the virtuous), or have various houses representing basic ideas, and they compete against each other.
When a verser arrives in such a place his body shifts accordingly to the local laws.
This is a high magic, high psionic universe.
I’m thinking this might be one of the attached sub-universes that cluster around the Tower of Rhodes setting.
M. J. Young said on September 5, 2007
I’ve a lot of trouble with this one:
The verser’s body cannot shift unless the verser has skill in some appropriate morphing or shapeshifting skill, or some other creature is using such a skill against him.
If the latter, then he gets a resistance check against it every time it is used, and he has the chance of identifying his “attacker” and of using defensive skills against this.
If the former, even if it is an uncontrolled skill, once he has it you cannot take it from him, and it will continue with him in future worlds in which it is within the bias. This is standard procedure for “abilities” which are gained in a world, particularly game worlds and similar worlds in which such “rules” apply. A verser who listens at doors in a D&D world does so under the ordinary D&D rules for listening at doors, but thereafter has a specific skill for doing that in any world. Thus you can give him the skill automatically, but you cannot take it from him once it has been given.
You could zygote the verser in as one of the indigs, and so he would have all the indig skills; but again, he would take them with him.
–M. J. Young
Tadeusz said on September 6, 2007
Well, I could do this two ways…one have the verser be the only person immune to this effect.
Or, my preferred technique….I’d have the Land Herself do it to him. The Land Herself would be a major archon with a vast and diffuse attention. She would infuse this power into the reality by her will.
She’s not the reigning deity, but she works for that Power. She would be Alliance.
Her skill at doing this would be 3@10, and her willpower would be 3@8.
Verser gets resistance checks whenever he tries to resist. But resisting is tiring, and the Land Herself is pretty close to tireless.
Verser leaves the world and he probably has a new skill Resist Physical Morphing by other to Match Emotional/Intellectual State. I could say it cruder and simpler as plain jane Resist Physical Morphing by Other.
M. J. Young said on September 6, 2007
Yeah, that works.
–M. J. Young