Possession
Possession occurs when an immortal spirit of some kind, most commonly a demon, enters into the soul of a mortal creature.
When historians and doctors first recorded cases of possession, they thought of it as a spiritual disease. The immortal spirit typically took control of the mortal's body, to a more or less obvious degree. The sheer pressure of an immortal spirit in a mortal soul also erodes the soul, leaving the victim in a coma (at best) once the spirit was exorcised. Rhetorical and clinical battles raged over whether the mortal was "to blame" for the possession or not. Ink and blood alike spilled with abandon. Nevertheless, the prescribed cure was always the same: Exorcism.
Everything changed when Beau Abbot made a crucial discovery: if a demonic soul was weakened before possession took hold, not only could the mortal host easily retain control, but they could then command (some) of the demon's powers. Liquor was already a big business; this made it one of the driving forces of the modern age, particularly when combined by Vault Hunters with raids into the resource-rich Vault dimension.
Transmission & Vectors
Possession is initiated when a mortal invites (for a very, very, very loose sense of the term) a demonic spirit into their soul. In cases of traditional possession, this commonly occurred via making a so-called "deal with the devil" or by using an object into which a demonic soul had been bound, ie wearing a necklace. In the modern age, possession overwhelmingly occurs via drinking alcohol infused with a demonic spirit. The key factors appear to be physical contact and some form of consent. (though those unhappy pre-modern mortals who were burnt at the stake, drowned, or stoned to death simply for putting on a ring or playing an instrument might object to the term) In the modern era, by far the most common vector of infection is imbibing The Demon Drink.
Symptoms
In the modern age, symptoms of possession vary depending on the type of demonic spirit imbibed. Bars, cafes, and liquor stores offer up a menu of options but generally:
Beyond these basic classifications, there are a number of demonic family forms, or "sub-species" (if you want to be rude about it), who offer specific powers. This is a much wider field, which is still being analyzed, but some of the more well known types are:
These are, of course, all generally regarded as positive symptoms. Temperance campaigners associate possession with any number of negative conditions, notably Hunter's Paralysis and Runny Skin, and some religious sects still maintain that any possession is a spiritual blight that negatively impacts personal morality and place in the afterlife. There is also the risk that mistakes in the brewing process could result in a demonic spirit that is still too strong for the mortal soul, resulting in a pre-modern style possession in which the mortal loses control of their body. This is perhaps even more dangerous in the modern era as the diffused demonic spirits are themselves not whole or entirely sane, tending to send the possessed individual on a crazed rampage. The liquor industry strongly recommends only imbibing The Demon Drink made by alchemist bartenders carrying their special license certification.
| Luciferian | Luck |
| Beelzebite | Enhanced charm and understanding of other people |
| Seitanic | Enhanced physical capabilities, particularly speed and strength |
| Abbadonic | Sense of relaxation and zen, the ability to set your troubles down |
| Mammonite | Enhanced calculation and analysis abilities |
| Belphagorian | Enhanced senses, particularly of smell and taste |
| Asmodean | Enhanced senses, particularly of touch, as well as a charismatic aura |
| Incubus | Handsome, athletic form |
| Succubus | Beautiful, slight form |
| Drude | Powers of illusion and the ability to send opponents to sleep |
| Fury | Increased intensity of attack magic and a "scream" ability that shocks those nearby |
| Judge | Doom ability |
| Calamity | Increased intensity of attack and defense magic, particularly of the elemental variety |
| Fairy | Flight, charm, and illusion abilities, often diminutive form |
| Leviathan | Increased size and strength, tentatively associated with power over water |
Treatment
In the short term (or the premodern era) the only treatment for possession is exorcism. There are a number of different methods for accomplishing this across the various religious orders, which suggests that it is not the specific divinity or scriptures invoked that truly matter, rather the crucial factor is the strength and nature of intent behind the ritual. Death was also, historically, a common "treatment" for possession and one lamentably still carried out in cases where a possessed individual on a rampage cannot be contained.
Sequela
The liquor industry assures us that there are no proven long-term effects to possession contracted via The Demon Drink. Truly, we may rest assured.
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