spirit loas
Spirit Loas, also called "spirit horses" are rare mortals gifted with the ability to not only sense ghosts, but they can channel ghosts and the honored dead into their bodies and minds to gain temporary access to the knowledge and ability of the deceased.
They are sometimes called "spirit horses" because loas can open themselves up to possession and borrow the skills of the spirit “riding” them. The spirit in question is usually a ghost from the material plane, or one of the honored dead from the Aethereal Plane. This usually invites a friendly spirit with similar goals, and the spirit and Loa usually work in tandem, but there is always a risk that the "rider" may try to fully dominate the "horse."
Ghosts are attracted to Spirit Loas and may drop by just to chat. Spirit Loas with high skill in this ability often have more dead friends than living friends. There is a kernel of truth to the stereotype that Spirit Loas are asocial loners with poor hygiene who crazily whisper to their invisible friends in the corner.
Most Spirit Loas are born that way and begin manifesting the rudiments of their powers as children. In theory, Spirit Loas can pop up anywhere, but most Spirit Loas show up in cultures that regularly practice filial piety and ancestor worship. A lot of Loas have a near-brush with death early in life which triggers their nascent powers.
It is possible that a Spirit Loa with limited ability is not even aware that she is a Spirit Loa, attributing her occasional ability boosts to sudden inspiration or dumb luck. Even Spirit Loas with limited skills usually have basic skills as a medium and can sense ghosts nearby even when they try to hide. This is often how Spirit Loas discover what they are..
by Me with Hero Forge
Causes
There are some late bloomers, but most spirit loas develop their abilities at a young age.
A very weak loa might not even know that she is a spirit loa. She may gain flashes of insight in various skills and see the occasional apparition but they don't realize what is happening, so they chalk up loa phenomenon to odd coincidences or bits of half-remembered dreams.
Initially, a new loa's abilities active unconsciously when the loa is experiencing a stressful situation but over time the loa will gain an improve ability to call on their abilities at will or repress them.
Practice helps, but some develop a huge talent in spirit channeling with very little effort and others find learning to control their powers as uphill power.
Symptoms
Loas are normally the primary ones in control (see sidebar), but loas often manifest aspects of their dead person they are merged with without meaning to. Many manifest new verbal accents and mannerisms from their spirit riders. Spirit Loas can also manifest cravings and urges as their spirit riders yearn to enjoy food and other simple pleasures of the living. A "horse" may follow these urges or he or she may try to repress them.
There is a small but ever present risk that their dead rider will take full control and make the loa do things against their will. The more a loa uses his powers in a single day, the higher risk of the dead rider taking full control.
Treatment
Since a spirit loas abilities are personal and innate, most loas are self-taught.
But it helps a loa develop a sense of control if their families or communities are able to recognize the symptoms of a budding loa and provide assistance and guidance, possibly putting them in touch with an older loa. At the very least it helps to hear "No, you are not going crazy, let me me explain what you are going through."
Prognosis
A majority of spirit loas live more or less ordinary lives. They live their lives as farmers, hunters, blacksmiths, herbalists, priests, nobles, or whatever else. They just happen to also be loas, but they don't build their lives around it.
These loas are a slim majority. Many loas base their entire lives around being a loa. Many loas are more comfortable around the dead than around the living. A few become asocial hermits and wandering beggars. Others channel their connection with the dead towards careers such undertakers or cemetery gardeners.
Many spirit loas opt to become adventurers. Since spirit loas can intermittently gain new skills in a wide variety of things, this makes spirit loas a natural jack-of-all trades.
For whatever reason, it is quite rare for spirit loas to come back as ghost after they die.
The few ghosts that used to be spirit loas tend to powerful and wield their Ghost powers with a high level of finesse. They have a very steep learning curve and they don't go through the awkward confused period that most newly deceased ghosts experience.
Hosts & Carriers
Loas are born not made. A person is either born a loa or they are not though loa powers can sit dormant and unseen for many years.
Almost any mortal can potentially born as a loa, it is is extremely rare for non-humanoid mortals to become loas.
Loas are equally likely to be male or female. A commoner or noble is equally likely to be a loa. Most loas are commoners, but that is because of simple math. If roughly 1% of an area's population are nobles, than roughly 1% of an area's loas are likely to be highborn.
by me with Midjourney
by me with Midjourney
It is worth noting that a surprising number of orphans are loas. Some believe that orphans are so lonely that they will will themselves to become loas simply so they can have more people to talk to. More cynical people that young spirit loas are more likely than normal children to be abandoned by their parents or that poltergeists arrange accidents to make a young loa into an orphan.
History
No one knows for sure why some mortals are born as spirit loas. As far as anyone knows, spirit loas have existed as long as mortals have existed.
Cultural Reception
Spirit loas are often treated with great respect or great fear. Sometimes both at once.
Most Scarterrans have at least heard stories about loas though there are so many tall tales and superstitions around spirit loas that not everyone is accurately informed about what spirits can and can't do and ignorance can lead to spirit loas being mistreated.
There are exceptions, but in general, societies that place a lot of cultural weight on reverence for the dead treat their spirit loas with more respect and kindness than societies that are more focused on the here and now.
The direct downside of being a loa
by me with Midjourney
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