Possessed¶
A dwarf whose soul lives in a doll, walking in a body sewn from other people's skin. The renegades are the ones whose strings have been cut.
The Possessed are dwarves bewitched by the gruesome magicians of Mid-Nor, led by the Despot — originally a dwarf of Tir-Nâ-Bor who turned his gaze on his fellow creatures.
The Ritual¶
During a dreadful ritual, the dwarf's soul is imprisoned, and their internal organs are collected in a canopic doll. The body is then skinned. The Possessed body is sewn together from the skin of victims and additional cloth — a macabre parody of a body.
The canopic doll comes to life simultaneously, with features that vaguely resemble the Possessed it's bound to. These doll-idols must be fed by plunging them in blood; without feeding they sink into lethargy and look like simple rag dolls.
The bond is empathic and lethal. If the canopic doll is destroyed, the Possessed dies.
The skin and organs of the Possessed decompose at variable rates. They must be renewed to avoid destruction. Heat, sunlight, and water are all dangers — even minutes of exposure cause dreadful pain.
Hydra culture, Meanders of Darkness. Life expectancy can stretch to several centuries with proper maintenance.
The Renegades¶
A Possessed whose link to the Despot has been broken — usually by a demon from the depths — is a renegade. They live free of the Despot's compulsion, but are hunted by their unbroken kin. Some make their way to Cadwallon. Their reasons for coming are their own.
In Cadwallon¶
Possessed who appear in Cadwallon are renegades by default. The city does not permit them officially, but does not aggressively hunt them either — they tend to keep low profiles and avoid sunlight, which limits where and when they appear. They are most often encountered at night, in the lower city's covered districts, or underground.
The unbroken kin
A Possessed in Cadwallon means their pursuers are coming, eventually. What did they take? Who do they trust to hide it? And what happens if their canopic doll surfaces in the city?