Shinkryo Spirits

“Once attached, the Shinkryo will graven itself into its hosts memories. Before long, there will not have a single memory they do not know, and they will not be able to recall a life without it...”  

- Monsters and Myths of Tordronnen, by Leopold Der Vitner

Overview

A Shinkryo Spirit is born of a being that is so tortured in the moment of its death that it splits the Soul itself. In its state of separation the Soul is unable to be gathered by Thallo and therefore wanders, forever seeking a way to be whole enough to truly pass on. A Shinkryo does this by attaching onto a susceptible mind, slowly filtering through the person's thoughts and memories. Little by little it will alter the memories it accesses, adding itself into the background of them, to the point that when they then manifest in front of their targeted host, they will greet them as an old friend. Unknowingly in this welcoming the Shinkryo uses this as permission, taking hold and possession of their host's body. It is not unheard of for them to try to live as this person for a time, using what they have learned to mimic the host’s habits and mannerisms. However this will not return to them what they have lost and after a time they will seek out a new target, hoping that this time it will work. 

Appearance

A Shinkryo Spirit at its weakest will be a barely visible form of their former self, with all the damage present at their death visible to see. Most Shinkyro have the ability to mask this more macabre image to a degree, but they are still clearly an undead spirit when in search of a new host. 

Once within the host, those who are sensitive to the presence of the undead will be able to note an unusual aura around the person, and in some cases see the lingering face of the Shinkryo behind them. As they insert themselves into the memories of their host they will look as they did in life, before the trauma of their death.

As time goes by and a Shinkryo goes from host to host, they grow in strength. This allows them to be able to infiltrate into beings that would normally have had the fortitude to resist, and the rate at which they gain full possession is also accelerated.

Post-posession

When the time comes that a Shinkryo leaves the body of a host that it has been in full possession of, the host is often left in a state of catatonia. The length of time this lasts for will vary depending on the amount of time spent under possession. It is also common for an abandoned host to be tormented by the suppression of their own Soul within their body. Many former hosts have been driven into madness following a possession; unable to reconcile truth from false memories, nor to trust those around them.  So decimated are the psyches of some that they themselves risk becoming a Shinkryo too upon their death.

Purification

Attempts to damage a Shinkryo will simply result in it retreating to the Plane of Dusk to avoid harm. This is not something it will do lightly as a Wraith encountering a Shinkryo in the Plane of Dusk will destroy it with much the same fervour as if it were a damned Soul. Due to this Shinkryo spend nearly all their time in the Material Plane. 

To truly lay a Shinkryo Spirit to rest the remaining portion of their Soul must be found. This splintered Soul will have stayed tethered to their mortal remains, and so the final resting place of the Shinkryo’s original body must be found in order to reunite the pieces of its Soul.