Name: Sylphs, Bodysnatchers, Inhabitors Description: Sylphs are an organism made entirely of Cuil Flux, and appear as a moving golden "web" that grows larger throughout their life as they possess beings to consume their Flux. Behavior: The behaviors and mentality of Sylphs depend on four core factors; if they are currently possessing a being; how much Cuil Flux they've consumed while possessing beings and how many beings they've possessed; and their actions while possessing a being. Sylphs when not attached to a host are instinctual creatures, doing little more than wandering until they encounter a being they are able to posses and consume Flux from. They possess no ability to think or communicate beyond this. This changes however when they find a host and inhabit them, as they gain sapience. While Sylphs will mimic the lives of the beings they inhabit by using their memories and personality, their behavior does start to alter the longer they undergo possession. As Sylphs without a host are essentially mindless, everything is a new experience to them from emotions, to sensations, to pain. Most Sylphs will begin to chase these new experiences with increasing severity over time, which can easily make observers suspicious as they act in ways their host may not. However, upon consuming enough Flux and undergoing enough possessions, a Sylph will eventually gain sapience even when they are unattached to a host from accumulation of memory and absorbed Flux. This process typically takes at least a century, if not more, though can be accelerated if the Sylph is able to frequently possess Psions. Sylphs who have reached this stage are much more careful in their actions, able to control themselves while possessing others to allow themselves to hide longer. Tamability: Sylphs are unable to be tamed, though when they are possessing a being, or have possessed beings long enough to gain sapience, they are able to be communicated with. Where is it found?: Sylphs are primarily found in locations where there are large quantities of beings able to produce Cuil Flux. Rarity: Rare in Realspace, uncommon in Hyperspace or high Cuil areas. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: Sylphs are Fluxphages, attaching themselves via 'possession' to constantly consume the Flux of a being, and are able to detect sources of Flux in a wide area around them. While a Sylph cannot starve, they are unable to reproduce or grow in both size and intelligence without possessing a being. Products: Sylphs have no products. Reproduction: Sylphs come into existence in one of two ways. The first being a form of spontaneous manifestation in areas with a high density of beings able to form Flux, which will then wander aimlessly until it reaches a being that it can possess. The second being that after six months to a year of possessing a being, a Sylph grows large to undergo a process similar to mitosis; detaching themselves from their host and leaving a small fragment behind, which after a year of passively siphoning Flux will become a newborn Sylph. Until that point, the being is considered to be no longer possessed. Sylphs attached to a Psion can perform this process in as little as one month, and the fragment becomes a newborn Sylph in as little as three months. Size: Sylphs begin at roughly nine inches in circumference in size (roughly equivalent to an American baseball) as a newborn, and grow continuously larger as they possess beings and consume Flux with no upper limit, though it takes decades if not centuries to reach any size that could be considered gargantuan. Weight: Sylphs have no weight, being made entirely of Cuil Flux. Lifespan: Unless killed, Sylphs are seemingly immortal. Abilities: Fluxform: Sylphs are undetectable unless an individual has a way of observing Flux, such as Cuilsight, and are intangible. Possession: Sylphs are able to "possess" a being, taking control of their body entirely and gaining their memories and personality, which allow it to mimic the behaviors of the original perfectly. While a Sylph is possessing a being, the original mind is forced into an observer role and unable to control their body or interact with others. Enhancement: The beings possessed by Sylphs are altered while they remain attached to them, granting them two benefits through the use of Flux. The first is altering the area directly around their host so that they are unaffected by heightened ECF, allowing them to continue possessing them without risk of Cuil sickness. The second is enhanced healing, allowing the body to recover from most injuries or illnesses given a week of recovery. These benefits instantly cease when a being is no longer possessed by a Sylph. Fraud: While observed through Cuilsight when possessing a being, Slyphs can easily be mistaken as the Flux belonging to a Psion. If an individual can recognize what a Sylph looks like, however, this is easily circumvented. Telepathy: A Sylph can communicate with the being they are possessing through telepathy, and once a Sylph gains sapience outside of having a host, they can communicate to others this way as well. Flaws: Fraud: While able to make a normal being come off as a Psion when being possessed, if an actual Psion is possessed by a Sylph it is incredibly obvious when observed through Cuilsight, as there will be two distinct sets of Flux that do not align. Possession: Sylphs cannot possess a being instantly, requiring five uninterrupted minutes to take control. Additionally, while they are undergoing the process to possess a being, they become observable through normal vision. Exorcism: A being possessed by a Sylph can be freed by surrounding them with Flux insulating materials, or forcibly pushing Flux insulating materials into the Sylph. Doing so will make the Sylph instantly remove themselves from their host and flee. The being they possessed will then fall unconscious for one hour per month they were possessed, but suffer no other complications. Vulnerability: Like all anomalous beings, Sylphs are able to be easily killed by substances like Normantium or negative Cuils. They can also not move through Flux insulating materials with their intangibility, and are both made uncomfortable by their presence and physically harmed by coming into "contact" with them. Weapons made of Flux insulating material can be used to kill, or at minimum severely harm most Sylphs. Other: Sylphs are the origin point of stories and myths of possession in many cultures and species. For a player character to be possessed by a Sylph, a GM must acquire OOC consent.
