Editing Spirit world (section)

==Spirit World of Diaphane:  the Invisible World==

One does not enter the spirit world of [[Diaphane]] -- the Invisible World is already here, all around us, unnoticed and imperceptible. The spiritual enlightenment of Diaphane allows its inhabitants to perceive, somewhat, the Invisible World around them. True masters interact with the Invisible World as though it were the natural world -- and may, in time, fade away completely into the Invisible World (as their city's founder is said to have done). The inhabitants of the Invisible World are considered full citizens of Diaphane, causing much confusion and peril to outsiders to whom they do not even exist.

====Invisibles, the Neighbors====

''It is said that the poor of Diaphane leave their newborn children outside overnight, in case the Neighbors might take them off to a better life. It has never occurred so, but they remain hopeful.''

''“Why are the Neighbors perilous? Once, in the times between the Shatterings, a foolish philosopher asked a question that offended them. In a fit of pique, they tied invisible bells to the tails of every cat in Diaphane. The unceasing cacophony drove everyone – and the cats! – near mad. Eventually the foolish philosopher was able to bare his heart to the Neighbors, to demonstrate there was no malice therein. It was a gruesome enough solution, but it mollified the Neighbors. Contrite for the city’s lost cats, the Neighbors gifted Diaphane with the glass cats. Some lucky families still inherit the small and invisible bells, which fortunately do not bother the glass cats one whit.”''

The spirit inhabitants of the Invisible World in Diaphane are considered full citizens of the city. They are called the Neighbors there, and cause much confusion and peril to outsiders to whom they do not even exist. They are invisible and intangible, live in palaces that are invisible and intangible, and go about their inscrutable business without interacting or apparently noticing the material world around them. When they do notice, they occasionally give strange and wondrous gifts to people, on a whim or following their own inscrutable wisdom. Other times – particularly if offended – they punish people by plaguing them with invisible maladies.

Most people imagine the Neighbors as merely invisible people. Pellucid magic reveals the truth hidden behind outer appearance, and to those that can truly perceive beyond their outer invisibility, the Neighbors are highly variable. The perception of their appearance seems to correspond with the activities they are engaged in. One who is ignoring humans may seem human but with no face, or may seem to be made of crystal revealing pale organs within. One who is observing humans may seem humanoid but instead of a head have a giant eyeball as its face, or may seem human but with hundreds of eyes all over its body. One who is interacting with or trading with humans may have six or seven arms, or speak from mouths in its hands. It is also not easy to identify one from another, as each Neighbor may appear completely different when encountered again.

Despite the perils of dealing with the Invisibles, there are also temptations to do so. They will occasionally agree to trades, taking intangibles such as ideas or memories or dreams, and giving wonders seemingly made of glass or crystal but with magical properties. No one dares cheat the Neighbors on such deals, and it is said that they always get the best of the bargain.

Skills: Area Knowledge (invisible world), Occult (spirits), Thaumatology (reflective magic)
Advantages: Insubstantiality (affect substantial, always on, 120 pts), Invisibility (can carry objects, extended, substantial only, 40 pts), See Invisible (15 pts)
Disadvantages: Cannot Speak (mute, accessibility to See Invisible, ), Colorblindness (-10 pts), Loner (-5 pts), Magic Susceptibility -3 (only vs. pellucid magic, -5 pts), Contrary (-1 pt), Staid (-1 pt)

--Kakita Kojiro