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Burr · 07-19-2002, 01:02 PM

Funnily enough, that's just the type of thing I was thinking about before I started considering possession. I've been reading The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, in which there is a type of animal called an alzabo. When the alzabo eats its victim, some gland in its body gives it the ability to imitate the victim for a time, speaking with its voice and memories and such, using them to draw out its next victim.

Give it the ability to change shape as well, and you will have created a kind of vampiric doppleganger. At day time they could walk about in their disguise, getting chummy with their next victim. Night would be the best time to absorb their victim's energy/form in whatever way. This could potentially kill the victim if the doppleganger is of high level/ability and very "hungry," but not usually (except indirectly, such as if the victim gets into a fight the next morning).

Because we'd want to give the doppleganger time to roleplay something other than "eating" and planning to eat, the form they choose could last several days. But because we want there to be incentive to eat, without their victim's form they would be very, very weak.

07-19-2002, 01:02 PM	#11
Burr Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 123	Funnily enough, that's just the type of thing I was thinking about before I started considering possession. I've been reading The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, in which there is a type of animal called an alzabo. When the alzabo eats its victim, some gland in its body gives it the ability to imitate the victim for a time, speaking with its voice and memories and such, using them to draw out its next victim. Give it the ability to change shape as well, and you will have created a kind of vampiric doppleganger. At day time they could walk about in their disguise, getting chummy with their next victim. Night would be the best time to absorb their victim's energy/form in whatever way. This could potentially kill the victim if the doppleganger is of high level/ability and very "hungry," but not usually (except indirectly, such as if the victim gets into a fight the next morning). Because we'd want to give the doppleganger time to roleplay something other than "eating" and planning to eat, the form they choose could last several days. But because we want there to be incentive to eat, without their victim's form they would be very, very weak.