Difference between revisions of "Shadow Possession"

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Shadows are a person's id, speaking in Freudian terms. They are the part of one's personality that is suppressed as unacceptable: whether because it's personally repellent, or because it's detrimental to their role in society, or because it's a part of themselves that simply runs counter to societal rules. Often, this part of the personality can be buried so deep that people remain unaware of what they have rejected and locked away. For more detailed discussion, see [[Shadows|Personal Shadows]].
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<center>''I am a Shadow, the true self...''</center><br>
  
As mentioned in the [[Persona]] file, while it is not considered IC information, Personas and Shadows are two sides of the same coin. A Persona is a controlled Shadow, and a Shadow is an uncontrolled Persona. Thus, when an individual loses control of their Persona, it reverts into a Shadow: a thing of primal desires, unconstrained emotions, and runaway passions, unchecked by the higher and more rational desires of the user in the way a Persona would be. Should the individual then surrender control to this Shadow, it will gain dominance. The result is the condition known as 'Shadow-Possession.'
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Shadows are a person's id. They are the part of one's personality that is suppressed as unacceptable: whether because it's personally repellent, or because it's detrimental to their role in society, or because it's a part of themselves that simply runs counter to societal rules. Often, this part of the personality is buried so deep that people remain unaware of what they have rejected and locked away. For more detailed discussion, see [[Shadows#Personal Shadows|Personal Shadows]].
  
Yielding to one's Shadow is thus, in essence, giving in to one's base urges. The clarity of simply giving in in this way gives the Shadow-Possessed power beyond that of most Persona Users (as detailed in [[Upgrades#Shadow_Possession|Upgrades]]). However, this is at the price of loss of control, and the deterioration of a healthy and developed sense of self. If left unchecked, the Shadow will gradually erode the user's sense of self completely, until they are no longer human but a Shadow.
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While it is not considered IC information, Personas and Shadows are two sides of the same coin. A Persona is a controlled Shadow, and a Shadow is an uncontrolled Persona. When an individual loses control of their Persona, it reverts into a Shadow: a thing of primal desires, unconstrained emotions, and runaway passions, unchecked by the higher and more rational desires of the user. Should the individual then surrender control to this Shadow, it will gain dominance. The result is the condition known as 'Shadow-Possession.'
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Yielding to one's Shadow is essentially giving in to one's base urges. The clarity of simply giving in affords the Shadow-Possessed power beyond that of most Persona Users (as detailed in [[Upgrades#Shadow_Possession|Upgrades]]). However, this is at the price of loss of control, and the deterioration of a healthy and developed sense of self. If left unchecked, the Shadow will gradually erode the user's sense of self completely, until they are no longer human but a mere wandering Shadow.
  
 
==Becoming Shadow-Possessed==
 
==Becoming Shadow-Possessed==
  
Most often, yielding to one's Shadow is the result of person with a weak self-image manifesting a Persona and being unable to own and control it. There are a number of reasons why a person might have such a weak self-image to begin with:
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Being Shadow-Possessed does not mean one is 'bad' or 'evil.' Most often, yielding to one's Shadow is simply the result of person with a weak self-image manifesting a Persona and being unable to control it. There are a number of reasons why a person might have such a weak self-image to begin with:
  
 
===Psychological Trauma===
 
===Psychological Trauma===
  
The world is a stressful place. Over time, the troubles of life can take their toll on the hardiest of souls. The most common method for someone’s self-image to become so weak they cannot control their Persona, is for them to become so repressed and beaten down from extended psychological trauma that their basic personality is simply unable to bear the strain anymore. Not just any normal stress would cause Shadow-Possession, however. It generally requires the active malevolent influence of others to cause a breakdown of the main personality without harming the Shadow too much to be useful.
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The most common method to become Shadow-Possessed is to become so repressed and beaten down from extended psychological trauma that the basic personality is simply unable to bear the strain anymore. Not just any normal stress would cause Shadow-Possession, however. It generally requires the active malevolent influence of others to cause a breakdown of the main personality without harming the Shadow too much to be useful.
  
 
===Yielding===
 
===Yielding===
  
In the strange world of the [[Midnight Channel]], to misunderstand the nature of the trial can have dangerous consequences. One must face their Shadow eventually if they remain within the TV World. If they immediately accept and yield to their Shadow, the unopposed Shadow will gain dominance and possess them. Shortcuts to power do not exist; simply accepting one's Shadow does not grant the understanding and self-control necessary to maintain and control a Persona properly.
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Those who fall into Inaba's [[Midnight Channel]] must eventually face their own Shadow. If they immediately accept and yield to this Shadow, the unopposed Shadow will gain dominance and possess them. Shortcuts to power do not exist; simply accepting one's Shadow wholesale does not grant the understanding and self-control necessary to maintain and control a Persona properly.
  
Accepting a previously rejected aspect of one's psyche without reason and reservation is dangerous. Doing so allows the Shadow an easy pathway to take over the individual entirely; a dangerous prospect, as Shadows are meant to be an integrated part of the psyche rather than the whole of it.
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===Abuse of Power===
 
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===Power for a Price===
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When one uses supernatural power, one must always be careful. To abuse it too much for one's own selfish gratification-- especially when one lacks the strength of will and concrete self-identity to keep themselves from spiraling out of control-- may hasten a Persona's reversion into a Shadow.
 
When one uses supernatural power, one must always be careful. To abuse it too much for one's own selfish gratification-- especially when one lacks the strength of will and concrete self-identity to keep themselves from spiraling out of control-- may hasten a Persona's reversion into a Shadow.
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==Being Possessed==
 
==Being Possessed==
  
Someone who is Shadow-Possessed does not necessarily immediately stand out as such. Usually, there are subtle changes to the personality of the Possessed. They are less restrained, more likely to take immediate, impulsive actions. Not all of these actions are even necessarily evil, but they can often be inappropriate or disruptive.
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Someone who is Shadow-Possessed does not necessarily immediately stand out as such. Usually, there are subtle changes to the personality of the Possessed. They are less restrained and more likely to take immediate, impulsive actions. Not all of these actions are even necessarily evil, but they can often be inappropriate or disruptive.
  
Instead of summoning their Shadow, as a Persona-user might summon their Persona, a Shadow-Possessed literally transforms into it. When a Shadow takes full control of the Possessed, they undergo a dramatic physical change, drawing shadows to themselves and melding them into a new form. This form reflects the nature of the Shadow: someone with the Shadow Fafnir, for example, would literally assume the form of a dragon.
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Instead of summoning their Shadow, as a Persona-user might summon their Persona, a Shadow-Possessed literally transforms into it. When a Shadow takes full control of the Possessed, they undergo a dramatic physical change, drawing shadows to themselves and melding them into a new body. This form reflects the nature of the Shadow: someone with the Shadow Fafnir, for example, would literally assume the form of a dragon.
  
Shadow-Possessed share a number of traits with the wandering Shadows of the [[Dark Hour]] and the [[Midnight Channel]]. These Shadows will perceive Shadow-Possessed as just another Shadow, giving the Possessed a degree of immunity to them, even in an untransformed state. Weaker Shadows will flee or ignore the Shadow-Possessed, while stronger ones will generally attack others before the Shadow-Possessed.
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===Abilities===
  
Should the Possessed actually transform, they gain a limited ability to command weak wandering Shadows around them (e.g. Mayas from Persona 3). If a Shadow is caught between two Shadow-Possessed trying to exert control, the Shadow will generally decide to just get the hell out of there unless one is significantly more powerful than the other.
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In general, a Shadow-Possessed possesses the same suite of capabilities as a Persona-User, expressed through whatever monstrous shape they wear. This shape-- constructed of loose 'Shadow material'-- is unliving and malleable, and freakish things can be done with Shadowforms within the limits of its basic size and form. It's an all-or-nothing transformation, however-- there is no such thing as partial transformation-- and no powers are accessible while untransformed.
  
Shadow-Possessed, like regular Persona-users, may also summon additional generic Personas. However, their means of doing so is slightly different. Shadow-Possessed are capable of simply eating the wandering Shadows around them, and this urge to consume other Shadows is an instinct for Shadow-Possessed that eventually leads them to the discovery of their ability to summon generics. Shadow-Possessed do not see the [[Velvet Room]] (unless they are trying to recover from Possession), and cannot access it without an invitation from a Persona-user. Instead, their consumption of wandering Shadows taps them directly into the collective unconsciousness-- and thereby, into all the archetypes that produce generic Personas-- allowing them to summon and activate generics with sufficient concentration. Given the requirement of focus, this cannot be done in the heat of combat.
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Shadow-Possessed also share a number of traits with the [[Shadows|wandering Shadows]] of the [[Dark Hour]] and the [[Midnight Channel]]. A Possessed has a flanged voice and yellow eyes (similar to Persona 4 TV Shadows) when in Shadowform. They're also perceived as 'just another Shadow,' even while in an untransformed state, and will generally be either ignored or left alone.
  
When a generic is activated, their main Shadowform mutates in appearance to incorporate visual aspects of the generic. For example, a person whose Shadow form is a lion, who subsequently activates Harpy, may wind up with a Sphinx-like form as a net result.
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Transforming also gives a Shadow-Possessed a limited ability to command weak Shadows around them (e.g. Mayas from Persona 3). However, being 'just another Shadow' has a downside; should the Possessed encounter a powerful Shadow like an Arcana Shadow or TV Shadow, there is a chance they may wind up controlled by it if they are not strong enough to resist.
  
It can thus be said that eating Shadows grants power. However, eating too many Shadows-- especially very powerful ones-- will cause your character to rapidly discorporate into a true Shadow, rendering them unplayable. Too much accumulation of the collective unconsciousness into one's own self, after all, disintegrates one's own distinct identity. This problem should not be implicated in regular play, and even if you accumulate a large amount of links in your +linkstatus as a Shadow-Possessed, it does not necessarily mean you will lose your character. However, because of this danger, Shadow consumption is a concept that should be treated with care ICly.
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===Generic Personas===
  
==Details for Playing a Shadow-Possessed==
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Shadow-Possessed, like regular Persona-users, may summon additional generic Personas. However, since Shadow-Possessed do not see the [[Velvet Room]] (unless they are trying to recover from Possession), and cannot access it without an invitation from a Persona-user, Shadow-Possessed must gain generics by eating the wandering Shadows around them, thereby tapping the collective unconsciousness. This urge to consume other Shadows is an instinct while in Shadowform.
  
* Your voice flanges. Reference a TV Shadow bossfight from Persona 4 for an example.
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When a generic is activated, a Shadow-Possessed's main Shadowform mutates in appearance to incorporate visual aspects of the generic. For example, a person whose main Shadowform is a lion, who subsequently activates the generic Persona Harpy, may wind up with a Sphinx-like form as a net result.
* You can make your eyes turn yellow even in your untransformed state. In your transformed state, your eyes turn yellow by default.
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* The Shadow is not a biological entity made out of flesh or blood: it's more of an ideal sculpted into a physical form out of 'Shadow stuff.' While the Shadowform might imitate life in some aspects, it is not 'living material' and does not produce many of the usual trappings of life (blood, smell, fluids, etc.). The heat a Shadowform gives off is no more than the human at its core would give.
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** A stone-statue Shadowform, for example, may show injury by chipping or cracking rather than bleeding.
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* Shadow-Possessed may consume organic material in their Shadowform-- such material is eventually fully degraded by the Shadowstuff of which they're comprised. Eating rocks, metal, or lead chips is still not advised.
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* You cannot partially manifest your Shadow. You must be either 'untransformed' or 'fully-transformed.' You also cannot access your powers while not transformed.
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* A Shadow-Possessed is capable of consuming other Shadows while in Shadowform. The end results of this vary depending on the strength of the Shadow consumed.
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** Garden-variety Shadows, such as the generic enemies that wander in the [[Dark Hour]] and in the [[Midnight Channel|Inaba TV]], can be consumed and incorporated.
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** Stronger Shadows (such as the ‘boss Shadows’ generated in the [[Midnight Channel|Inaba TV]]), cannot be consumed until they have been substantially weakened, and even then will eventually regenerate enough strength to escape.
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** Arcana Shadows from Persona 3 are not edible. Trying to consume even one will result in loss of condeath, and-- most likely-- your character discorporating into a true Shadow.
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==Progression==
 
==Progression==
  
Shadow-Possession is not a static state. The condition can wax and wane (especially with the influence of the moon in some cases), with the Shadow having a greater or lesser amount of control than normal. However, over time it can be common for the Shadow to gain greater and greater sway over the person until they become completely and utterly dominated. At this point, the Shadow consumes the original personality, dissolving into a free Shadow form that generally roams and engages in whatever pursuits it pleases.
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Shadow-Possession is not a static state. The condition can wax and wane; the more an individual embraces his/her Possession, the more monstrous they will become, and vice versa. The stronger the will of one who is Shadow-Possessed, the more stable the possession is. A rare few can even seem to almost control their Possession completely.
  
At this point, the character is functionally dead, as there is no known method of restoring someone from this state. Some events can delay or hasten this progress, or even reverse it to a degree, but methods of manipulating this are rare. The stronger the will of one who is Shadow-Possessed (relatively speaking), the more stable the possession is. A rare few can even seem to almost control their Possession completely.
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However, in most cases, over time the Shadow will gain greater and greater sway over the person until they become completely dominated. This process can be hastened or even immediately caused by eating too many Shadows, or attempting to consume one very powerful Shadow. At this point, the Shadow consumes the original personality, dissolving the individual into a wandering Shadow. The character is functionally dead at this stage, as there is no known method of restoring someone from this state.
  
 
==Recovery==
 
==Recovery==
  
It is almost impossible for a Shadow-Possessed to recover on their own. In their state, they cannot marshal the effort and power needed to regain full control. It requires a great deal of psychological support over time to rebuild the self-image to the point where one might find a way to confront their Shadow once more on relatively even terms.
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Ultimately, to recover and transform the Shadow back into a Persona, the Shadow-Possessed must integrate and accept their Shadow as a healthy part of themselves, rather than continue to allow it to retain sole dominance.
  
There are other ways in which the Shadow can be defeated or wounded, but they are extremely dangerous, often running the risk such as the potential of destroying the Shadow completely and leaving the remaining person in a condition that resembles Apathy Syndrome.
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It is almost impossible for a Shadow-Possessed to do this on their own. In their state, they cannot marshal the effort and power needed to regain full control. It requires a great deal of psychological support over time to rebuild the self-image to the point where one might find a way to confront their Shadow once more on relatively even terms.
  
Ultimately, to recover and transform the Shadow back into a Persona, the Shadow-Possessed must integrate and accept their Shadow as a healthy part of themselves, rather than continue to allow it to retain sole dominance.
+
One means by which a Shadow-Possessed may be 'cured' of their condition is possessed by Department 4. The [[SHU|Special Handling Unit]] is a machine capable of a sort of 'surgery' upon the psyche, repairing the psychological damage that causes the Shadow-Possessed condition. For more information, refer to the [[SHU]] file.
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[[Category: Newsfiles]]
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[[Category: IC]]

Latest revision as of 01:15, 14 January 2014

Contents

I am a Shadow, the true self...

Shadows are a person's id. They are the part of one's personality that is suppressed as unacceptable: whether because it's personally repellent, or because it's detrimental to their role in society, or because it's a part of themselves that simply runs counter to societal rules. Often, this part of the personality is buried so deep that people remain unaware of what they have rejected and locked away. For more detailed discussion, see Personal Shadows.

While it is not considered IC information, Personas and Shadows are two sides of the same coin. A Persona is a controlled Shadow, and a Shadow is an uncontrolled Persona. When an individual loses control of their Persona, it reverts into a Shadow: a thing of primal desires, unconstrained emotions, and runaway passions, unchecked by the higher and more rational desires of the user. Should the individual then surrender control to this Shadow, it will gain dominance. The result is the condition known as 'Shadow-Possession.'

Yielding to one's Shadow is essentially giving in to one's base urges. The clarity of simply giving in affords the Shadow-Possessed power beyond that of most Persona Users (as detailed in Upgrades). However, this is at the price of loss of control, and the deterioration of a healthy and developed sense of self. If left unchecked, the Shadow will gradually erode the user's sense of self completely, until they are no longer human but a mere wandering Shadow.

[edit] Becoming Shadow-Possessed

Being Shadow-Possessed does not mean one is 'bad' or 'evil.' Most often, yielding to one's Shadow is simply the result of person with a weak self-image manifesting a Persona and being unable to control it. There are a number of reasons why a person might have such a weak self-image to begin with:

[edit] Psychological Trauma

The most common method to become Shadow-Possessed is to become so repressed and beaten down from extended psychological trauma that the basic personality is simply unable to bear the strain anymore. Not just any normal stress would cause Shadow-Possession, however. It generally requires the active malevolent influence of others to cause a breakdown of the main personality without harming the Shadow too much to be useful.

[edit] Yielding

Those who fall into Inaba's Midnight Channel must eventually face their own Shadow. If they immediately accept and yield to this Shadow, the unopposed Shadow will gain dominance and possess them. Shortcuts to power do not exist; simply accepting one's Shadow wholesale does not grant the understanding and self-control necessary to maintain and control a Persona properly.

[edit] Abuse of Power

When one uses supernatural power, one must always be careful. To abuse it too much for one's own selfish gratification-- especially when one lacks the strength of will and concrete self-identity to keep themselves from spiraling out of control-- may hasten a Persona's reversion into a Shadow.

[edit] Being Possessed

Someone who is Shadow-Possessed does not necessarily immediately stand out as such. Usually, there are subtle changes to the personality of the Possessed. They are less restrained and more likely to take immediate, impulsive actions. Not all of these actions are even necessarily evil, but they can often be inappropriate or disruptive.

Instead of summoning their Shadow, as a Persona-user might summon their Persona, a Shadow-Possessed literally transforms into it. When a Shadow takes full control of the Possessed, they undergo a dramatic physical change, drawing shadows to themselves and melding them into a new body. This form reflects the nature of the Shadow: someone with the Shadow Fafnir, for example, would literally assume the form of a dragon.

[edit] Abilities

In general, a Shadow-Possessed possesses the same suite of capabilities as a Persona-User, expressed through whatever monstrous shape they wear. This shape-- constructed of loose 'Shadow material'-- is unliving and malleable, and freakish things can be done with Shadowforms within the limits of its basic size and form. It's an all-or-nothing transformation, however-- there is no such thing as partial transformation-- and no powers are accessible while untransformed.

Shadow-Possessed also share a number of traits with the wandering Shadows of the Dark Hour and the Midnight Channel. A Possessed has a flanged voice and yellow eyes (similar to Persona 4 TV Shadows) when in Shadowform. They're also perceived as 'just another Shadow,' even while in an untransformed state, and will generally be either ignored or left alone.

Transforming also gives a Shadow-Possessed a limited ability to command weak Shadows around them (e.g. Mayas from Persona 3). However, being 'just another Shadow' has a downside; should the Possessed encounter a powerful Shadow like an Arcana Shadow or TV Shadow, there is a chance they may wind up controlled by it if they are not strong enough to resist.

[edit] Generic Personas

Shadow-Possessed, like regular Persona-users, may summon additional generic Personas. However, since Shadow-Possessed do not see the Velvet Room (unless they are trying to recover from Possession), and cannot access it without an invitation from a Persona-user, Shadow-Possessed must gain generics by eating the wandering Shadows around them, thereby tapping the collective unconsciousness. This urge to consume other Shadows is an instinct while in Shadowform.

When a generic is activated, a Shadow-Possessed's main Shadowform mutates in appearance to incorporate visual aspects of the generic. For example, a person whose main Shadowform is a lion, who subsequently activates the generic Persona Harpy, may wind up with a Sphinx-like form as a net result.

[edit] Progression

Shadow-Possession is not a static state. The condition can wax and wane; the more an individual embraces his/her Possession, the more monstrous they will become, and vice versa. The stronger the will of one who is Shadow-Possessed, the more stable the possession is. A rare few can even seem to almost control their Possession completely.

However, in most cases, over time the Shadow will gain greater and greater sway over the person until they become completely dominated. This process can be hastened or even immediately caused by eating too many Shadows, or attempting to consume one very powerful Shadow. At this point, the Shadow consumes the original personality, dissolving the individual into a wandering Shadow. The character is functionally dead at this stage, as there is no known method of restoring someone from this state.

[edit] Recovery

Ultimately, to recover and transform the Shadow back into a Persona, the Shadow-Possessed must integrate and accept their Shadow as a healthy part of themselves, rather than continue to allow it to retain sole dominance.

It is almost impossible for a Shadow-Possessed to do this on their own. In their state, they cannot marshal the effort and power needed to regain full control. It requires a great deal of psychological support over time to rebuild the self-image to the point where one might find a way to confront their Shadow once more on relatively even terms.

One means by which a Shadow-Possessed may be 'cured' of their condition is possessed by Department 4. The Special Handling Unit is a machine capable of a sort of 'surgery' upon the psyche, repairing the psychological damage that causes the Shadow-Possessed condition. For more information, refer to the SHU file.

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