WIP Qinanima

Overview

Qinanima (Kin-an-eema) is one of the oldest Disciplines on Idalos, stretching as far back as history can recall, and beyond. As long as there have been mortals, be it the Shay or Humans, Qinanima has existed. It was named by the Shay, and is one of the few words to have survived into the languages of Idalos. Qinanima is the communing and interaction with Ghosts through rituals. It is a practice whose inception is free from the touch of Immortals, predating them as it does.

Qinanima has never been a Discipline that has been standardized, and many of its practitioners (Qina for singular, Qin for plural) throughout time have said to do so is both impossible and dangerous. This is contributed to a few factors. The first of which is that every Qina has their own perspective of the discipline, has their own personal rituals and practices, and it requires a personal bond of Qina to the discipline. The second of which is that the Qin are divided into two types, the Pure and the Touched. The final factor is that the Pure and the Touched are opposite ends of the spectrum from one another, often at odds with other in belief and in practice.

At Qinanima’s core, it is the practice used to affect Ghosts in ways beyond what non-practitioners can achieve. While the mundane might be able to use salt, copper, and funerary bells to combat or placate Ghosts, Qinanima use their entire world and being to affect them. Through personalized rituals, the Qinanima can alter the senses of themselves, of others, of the Ghosts themselves.

These rituals involve the binding of the Ghost and the Qin, the Beneath and the mortal world, the binding of life and death itself. While every ritual has many differing techniques and materials involved, in most instances, the blood of the Qin is incredibly prevalent. The Qin often open up their own skin to use their blood in rituals, and because of this, it has received an ire from many cultures throughout history. Many people simply cannot understand the mutilation of the body in order to work with another’s soul.

Pure vs Touched

Every individual on Idalos falls into one of three categories; the Neutral, the Touched, and the Pure. The majority of people fall into the category of Neutral, unaware of their condition or that there even are other states. Those that are not Neutral fall into the other two extreme minorities, often dictated by events in their lives, or the lives of their parents.

Often a person will find themselves experiencing the supernatural. This occurs in many ways, from being haunted by the ghost of a brother to being lost within the Beneath.

Older Qin, Zuuda, spiritualists and historians alike are split on that particular debate. Some tend to believe that it is a remnant of a Soul’s time in the beneath, brought into the body as that soul reenters the living cycle. The others tend to think that it is more of a corruption from the Beneath, so similar to the mortal realm, and so close, that its proximity causes the Fred to form in mortals. 

What is known is that nearly everyone has some, and that it is typically to small of an amount to ever be noticed, let alone utilized. Some think this miniscule Ectoplasm is what attracts ghosts to mortals in the first place. It is not normally visible to anyone, for they are tiny, but should those with the ability to see ghosts be able to see smaller details, they’d be able to see the glowing bits of ectoplasm in the blood.

However, there are those with a high amount of this Ectoplasm in their blood, and among the Qin, they are referred to as the Touched. This higher concentration comes from many reasons, though the most common are those who have experienced a Ghost’s possession far more often than the average person. It is believed each time a Ghost possesses an individual, it leaves pieces of itself behind, further corrupting the person with Fred. Other methods include inheriting it from a parent Qin, spending time in the Beneath for a prolonged period, and so on, though there are many other reasons as well. This higher concentration tends to attract Ghosts to the Touched Qin, often mistaking them for other Ghosts.

And yet, on the opposite end of the spectrum are the Pure Qin. These individuals have no Ectoplasm within them. An anomaly, seemingly a trait that is passed on through the bloodlines, some believe that certain individuals can consume the naturally existing Ectoplasm, thus purifying their body. Others believe it is the soul’s desire to protect itself from that which comes from the Beneath. This lack of Ectoplasm tends to make these individuals invisible to Ghosts unless the Pure Qin goes out of their way to make their presence known. Once the presence is known, many Ghosts find a strange curiosity or even fear of this undetectable being.

Only the Touched and the Pure have access to Qinanima. All of the people that fall between the spectrums, even if they attempt the same rituals, will find them failing to do anything. And even among the Touched and the Pure, the effects they have on Ghosts and others vary extremely. The Touched Qin’s powers tend to be more beneficial and helpful to Ghosts, whereas the Pure Qin’s powers are protective of the mortal, and other mortals, defending against Ghosts. Because of this, opposing ideologies tend to form, often centered around protection of either Ghosts or Mortals, at the expense of the other. That said, neither the Pure or the Touched are beholden to such beliefs, and may carve their own path in the world.

The 5 Point Creation

In order to use the abilities, the Qina must follow one of very few rules in Qinanima. The discipline of Qinanima requires five points to creation of an Homage. The theme of five runs through the whole process and this has been the cause of a lot of speculation among historians as to the importance or symbology of the number five for the Shay. .

The five point creation requires each of the following.

=An Element

To bind to the mortal world (Qinanima recognises five elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Life)

The Elements used in Qinanima are the elements of old and are broad, and open to interpretation. But they must be physical and real and present in the ritual. Earth is of the land, of the soil, of rocks and minerals. Air is of the wind, of the breeze, the storm, of the voice, of the sky. Fire is of the blaze, of the heat, of the lava, of the sun. Water is of the rain, of the stream and river, of the lake and pond, the seas and oceans, the sweat on one’s brow, the ice of the tundras and mountains. Life is of the plants, the animals, the insects, the people.

A Connection to the Ghost

To bind to the Beneath (choose between the following: Anchors, Ectoplasm, Memory of the Ghost, Aspects of their life or blood from someone of importance to the ghost)

The connection to the Ghost is pivotal in the ritual to create the Homage. It personalizes the Homage, allows the Homage to be targeted toward the desired Ghost. Without this, the Homage will call any and all Ghosts to the Qina’s location, turning the Qina into a buffet.

An Emotion

To connect the souls (A song of happiness, a dance of wrath, words written of lust, the choices here are endless and the emotion may be expressed in any way appropriate to the Qina.) 

The emotion giving off serves to connect the Qina’s soul to that of the Ghost’s. Ghost’s feed on emotions, and the stronger the better. Emotions affect Ghosts in drastic ways, often swinging heavily based on how their obsession translates the emotions.

Death

To bridge the divide (Death is highly personal thing and thus, there are as many ways to represent death as there recipients of it. Some examples include: sacrificing a chicken, performing the ritual in a graveyard, using a loved one’s ashes)

Blood

To connect it all together and bind it to life (blood from the Qina, blood from those the Qina is helping to protect, or helping to find the spirit)

The Connection to the Senses

The 5-point creation builds up the energy or force of Qinanima, but it must now be focused. It is focused in one of the five senses, again though, this is done symbolically. The Effects will be focused through this step and so it is vital that the Qina consider it carefully.

What we wrote was: Novice: Taste (sensing) Competent: Smell (emotions control / them or you) Expert - sight - see em - they see you - or invisible to. Master Hearing… Hmm. Converse with / talk to. GM --- touch - physical manifestation / armor / whatever

Do we want to have more than one sense open at each level or more like this:

Focusing happens in a hierarchy, with individual senses becoming available to the Qina as they progress in competency of the skill. The hierarchy is as follows:

Taste: The sense of taste allows the Qina to sense Ghosts or for them to sense / not sense mortals. This is about detecting subtle changes, often leaving a metallic taste in the mouth. Note that, this is not about seeing or being seen, but it is more like that sensation one gets when sensing that the door is about to be knocked, that someone is staring at you etc.

Smell: Taste and smell are inexorably linked and, as the Qina sense of smell develops, so too does their sense of taste increase. With these two senses available as foci, the Qina is able to sense presences but also to note nuances of emotions and so on. With both senses unlocked, the Qina becomes either a bloodhound who can sense and hunt ghosts or, ironically, a ghost to them - foiling their usual ability to seek out mortals.

The Desired Effects

Competency