It is whispered that the Bios Numina is one of the oldest of them all. The desire to feel what it was like to have a body, once more, is very strong amongst the dead, which led them to re-enter - and control - the flesh of the living. The deluge of stories of "demonic possession" can most likely be attributed to this.

It would be highly simplistic to say that Bios only concerns itself with manipulating the bodies of the living, though. Such is the strength of the bond the Numen creates that one can also heal, and alter, the body one lays claim to. One can also cause harm, however, which is part of what has given this otherwise-useful Numen such a bad reputation amongst certain Concords.

Paths

Bios has three recognized Paths:

Path of Control {Also known as Puppeteering} is the "signature" Path of this Numen, given its high rate of distribution. Put simply, it allows Wraiths to manipulate a living being's actions: anything from slight slips of the tongue to complete and total possession of the body, with the "owner" lost inside her own mind. Puppeteers have a reputation - perhaps ill-deserved - for being cruel, controlling monsters, but are invaluable for getting things done in the living world.

Path of Stasis {Also known as Healing} lets Wraiths heal injuries, cure diseases and keep people alive much longer than they should be. Healers are considered saints when one has living Anchors, but the Arts can be reversed to do damage, too. And serious damage, at that.

Path of Change {Also known as Mutation} teaches the Arts needed to convert the Living into more suitable forms. The Shifters are rarely considered good company, given their tendency to misuse their Arts. But if you need to send a very distinctive message to someone, they're very keen for a job. {The trouble is finding them...}

Those Who Know

As Bios is one of the so-called "Common" Numina, almost any Wraith could have it, or else learn it with little difficulty. Those who died from sickness, starvation and old age have a particular knack for it, which is why anyone who needs the services of a Puppeteer - or a Healer - often looks for their Deathmarks.

Finding Shifters is much more difficult, as - having taken the time to extensively "customize" their hosts - they tend to stay in the Liveworld as much as possible. They also suffer greatly at the hands of The Order and the Pardoners if they hang their signs out, which adds to the lure of remaining as hidden as possible.

Indeed - the Order, as a rule, tends to consider this entire Numen to be a danger, and prefers that its members not use it except when absolutely necessary. The Pardoners also consider it to be little more than an exercise in Tainted Essence accrual, and strenuously urge their charges to avoid it.

Almost conversely, Bios is one of the favored tools of the Haunters, and the Freewraiths are known to shelter many Puppeteers amongst them...

Basic Art

* Possession

The Gateway to all other Arts of Bios, this lets the Wraith perform the necessary task of bonding with the Living. It's no more difficult than climbing inside something that's alive - be it human or animal - as opposed to something that's dead, or was never alive. But by bonding one truly experiences what the living do, once more, which is why Possession is so handy to have.

System: The Wraith must be in physical contact with the living being she wants to enter. She then rolls Dexterity + Presence + Bios, and she's in. Each success on the roll takes away a die from another's roll to try and enter the body, thus kicking her out. {She may, of course, elect to let the other Wraith in.}

If the Wraith is entering someone else's Anchor, each dot in Rating the Anchor has removes two dice from her Possession pool. If she's entering a Consort she's made - either through Bios or other means - she doesn't have to roll at all, but it might be a good idea just in case another Wraith tries to jump her claim.

While possessing a body, the Wraith feels as though she is the owner, though she can do no more than observe what happens. Everything the owner sees, hears, touches, feels and tastes is felt by the Wraith, with the senses of a living person. However, all Affinities - with the exception of Ghostsense - do not work: being in the body cuts her off from the Deadlands.

This state of being also has the danger of damage. The Wraith loses Corpus every time the living being takes damage - kind for kind, level for level - and has to rely on the mortal's Defense. The Wraith can heal herself, of course, and may slip out of the body at any time to avoid further damage.