Insidious Realm
From Mizahar Lore
 |
Out of character note: Insids are not Player Characters nor is the Insidious Realm a place Player Characters can travel too. Knowledge of the Insids and Insidious Realm is by Help Desk Permission or Magic Item only. |
The Insidious Realm is a realm of excesses that houses the Insids.
Description
The Insidious Realm is a place that exists much like The Void - outside of Mizahar's Mortal Realm, Chavena, and Ukalas. Neither the Gods nor the Mortals of Mizahar know exactly what the Insidious Realm exactly is. What is known about the Insidious Realm is that it is a place of excesses... excess emotion, excess lifeforms, and a place of no real substance in terms of form or structure. The Insidious Realm is the home of The Insids. Insids have no true form, but are masses of sentient energy that when free from the Insidious Realm tend to find hosts to infest and slowly take control of. Each Insid has its own personality, often being insatiable for These creatures are crafty treacherous beings that constantly seek a way out of their realm because they covet what the Mortal Realm has (form/substance/food/structure). They also covet the Chavena and Ukalaks, though those realms are far harder for the Insids to break into.
Insids only rarely get free of their realm.
Highly emotional events, wars, wild djed, mass tragedy and a whole assortment of other happenings in Mizahar can either allow an Insid into the Mortal Realm or let one partially into the Mortal Realm. This usually occurs by the Insid finding a weak point or working itself out of the Insidious Realm a tiny piece at a time, a bit of its energy little by little until it frees itself completely. Once free, they are incredibly hard to banish back to their home realm if they have found a host (either a living sentient creature to possess or a structure or item to attach too). Loose well-hosted Insids can cause a great deal of havok when loose upon Mizahar. Insids are NEVER willing to return to the Insidious Realm.
More Information On Insids
Insids who are only partially escaped from the Insidious Realm can often be mistaken for ghosts inhabiting structures or becoming attached to items. They act in a very similar manner... making themselves known to people who visit the structures or come into possession of the items through whisperings or unusual events in and around the Insid that is attached. This can lead to an Insid getting completely free of their realm by acquiring a host and being set loose upon the Mortal Realm.
Insids almost immediately seek a host for they will not survive in the Mortal Realm alone without one. They need a host to feed them energy and keep them in the Mortal Realm. If attached to a building or item they need individual to dwell within or own said items to feed siphon energy from. They often try to seduce victims into letting them infest their bodies in a type of energetic possession. Greedy, power hungry, lonely and emotionally weak or damaged people are especially susceptible. A willing host will allow an Insid within their minds and bodies easily. Some Insids don't appreciate or want willing hosts. They find it more challenging and have more sport at trying to take over a host's body forcefully. Insids have the ability to control the thoughts of a host it has fully possessed and eventually - if the possession is willing the faster the better - the entire hosts' body.
Insids come in a variety of levels, from a tiny annoying energetic creature to something on par to one of Mizahar's deities. An Insid loose on the mortal realm who has found a host can grow its power and become a far more threatening thing over time. They tend to burn through hosts, causing the host to waste away and grow weaker physically and emotionally over time - sometimes even killing a host much like a parasite. Hosts that die due to Insid possession to not join the reincarnation cycle of Lex, but instead are banished to the Insidious Realm where they must fight for survival, often consumed.
Similarly, spirits of the Mortal Realm that are dusted by Spiritists have their souls banished to the Insidious Realm as well where they can become an Insid, are tortured, or be consumed by them. Mixing a dusted ghost with fresh Soulmist will return it to its normal state instantly and pluck the spirit off the Insidious Realm if they have not been consumed. They will, however, not return the same ghost they were before. Instead, they will usually be a fully manifested Insid able to seek victims in order to survive and remain on the Mortal Realm. Only rarely do they survive to return still ghosts. If they do return as ghosts, they have been through an ordeal and will be damaged by the torturous conditions in the Insidious Realm.
Accidents in Summoning - either interrupted Summonings or Summonings crafted by Mages far above their level, might result in the appearance of an Insid.
Banishing Insids
Occasionally magical items or ancient texts can provide ways to banish souls to the Insidious Realm that are not Insids. These items can equally banish full Insids back to their realm. Holy Symbols and deep faith can often add a significant layer of protection against Insid infestation.
There is currently no known absolute means of banishing or summoning Insids on a routine basis. There is no known Divine or World Magic that deals with Insids' either. If this knowledge was known by the Gods or Mortals, it is currently 'lost'.