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— 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
CANON POWERS + DARKBLOOD
Peter himself has no "powers", though he is possessed by a demon king of Hell (information here) and therefore comes with inhuman capabilities / effects of demonic possession. The demon is not a playable character on its own, due to canonically having no communicable form outside of a host (he can't exist longterm on a plane that isn't Hell, unless he is within a vessel), and not being able to be removed from Peter without a very specific ritual that involves Peter permanently dying. Therefore, he is very much a part of Peter's existence (and metaphorical for inherited mental illness / trauma / abuse / ~personal demons~), rather than his own thing.
Given that Paimon's abilities fall under the umbrella of "reality-warping", my plan for Trench is to align / compliment those canon demon king powers with Peter's new Darkblood, merging demonology / grimoire / occult themes and functioning with the blood's capacity. The Darkblood itself will be what now gives Peter access to those reality-warping powers over time, as I plan for it to be a very slow process.
Given that Paimon's abilities fall under the umbrella of "reality-warping", my plan for Trench is to align / compliment those canon demon king powers with Peter's new Darkblood, merging demonology / grimoire / occult themes and functioning with the blood's capacity. The Darkblood itself will be what now gives Peter access to those reality-warping powers over time, as I plan for it to be a very slow process.
NATURAL "NERFING" OF KNOWLEDGE CAPABILITY
Paimon is an extremely powerful entity, one of the top tier demon kings and teachers (in his universe). While nerfing is no longer a thing here, I plan to (at least initially) keep him from accessing his true potential in the realm of knowledge, as he would be essentially omniscient to some pretty intense stuff (given that he has Knowledge of All Arts, Sciences, and "Secret Things" including hidden truths, philosophies, knowledge of the past and future....) He is then able to "warp reality" to grant wishes to the people who are pursuing any of these knowledge-based things. Instead of having to keep him in line by the Pthumerians all the time (and to avoid constantly having to check with people on what's cool for him to know or not), it makes more sense to me to lean into the "natural" reasons for him to not reach full potential when it comes to his knowledge capability.
In Hereditary, he has been mishandled and forced from host to host in a cult's pursuit of placing him in the "correct" vessel, and in that process lost his memories of himself and gained a heaping dose of identity confusion. These are elements I plan to continue exploring in my portrayal of him even as he grows stronger and remembers more of himself, and as Peter slowly leans more into his demon king fate. This version of Paimon has been extremely messed up, essentially traumatised and maimed by human hands over time, and so I'm more interested in exploring the process of him trying to regain himself. The focus will be on him pursuing the arcane knowledges provided in Trench, exploring and reconnecting with himself, etc. There may be specific circumstances or events in which I might be able to more intensely explore that knowledge capability, but I likely will never have him reach that "all-knowing" state that the true Paimon would be in, or at least not touch too intently upon it for a very long time. Technically, it's not really that he'll be "nerfed" down; it's that he's still unable to reach his truest potential, even if it is there in him somewhere. I feel that this is a suiting way to keep him from being Too Much, and it feels more correct for Hereditary-verse Paimon — and therefore Peter.
Lastly, there is the fact that Peter (though having been reborn into Trench and therefore no longer Just A Weak Human) is still very new when it comes to being able to adequately house this immense power within himself. It is actually wrong for demons of Paimon's high standing to permanently possess a host body; they are meant to exist in Hell, temporarily making contact with summoners and then returning home to their respective kingdoms / areas of Hell (yes, King Paimon has his own House in Hell......He just wants to go home, y'all). Paimon's forced, permanent presence in Peter means that they are both Wrong in one another. Therefore, some of Paimon's capabilities will simply be tempered down a bit by Peter's inability to handle them just yet.
In Hereditary, he has been mishandled and forced from host to host in a cult's pursuit of placing him in the "correct" vessel, and in that process lost his memories of himself and gained a heaping dose of identity confusion. These are elements I plan to continue exploring in my portrayal of him even as he grows stronger and remembers more of himself, and as Peter slowly leans more into his demon king fate. This version of Paimon has been extremely messed up, essentially traumatised and maimed by human hands over time, and so I'm more interested in exploring the process of him trying to regain himself. The focus will be on him pursuing the arcane knowledges provided in Trench, exploring and reconnecting with himself, etc. There may be specific circumstances or events in which I might be able to more intensely explore that knowledge capability, but I likely will never have him reach that "all-knowing" state that the true Paimon would be in, or at least not touch too intently upon it for a very long time. Technically, it's not really that he'll be "nerfed" down; it's that he's still unable to reach his truest potential, even if it is there in him somewhere. I feel that this is a suiting way to keep him from being Too Much, and it feels more correct for Hereditary-verse Paimon — and therefore Peter.
Lastly, there is the fact that Peter (though having been reborn into Trench and therefore no longer Just A Weak Human) is still very new when it comes to being able to adequately house this immense power within himself. It is actually wrong for demons of Paimon's high standing to permanently possess a host body; they are meant to exist in Hell, temporarily making contact with summoners and then returning home to their respective kingdoms / areas of Hell (yes, King Paimon has his own House in Hell......He just wants to go home, y'all). Paimon's forced, permanent presence in Peter means that they are both Wrong in one another. Therefore, some of Paimon's capabilities will simply be tempered down a bit by Peter's inability to handle them just yet.
DEMON KING ABILITIES
wish-granting. As mentioned, Paimon has the ability to grant wishes and desires of those who have correctly summoned him and provided him with an offering / sacrifice in exchange, functioning as a sort of djinn / genie entity. While the extremely powerful knowledge-based wishes will be ""nerfed"" under the condition that Paimon doesn't currently remember / have access to All That Knowledge......... he / Peter will still be able to grant wishes. This will have conditions of its own and I fully plan to use Wise Discretion, here. Nothing could be granted that would be considered fourth-walling or game-breaking, and if anything were to tip towards that level of Too Much, the Pthumerians would certainly step in to put a stop to it. This is also something I plan to take extremely slowly, having to be explored and developed over time, and it's also meant to be flexible — very possibly being affected by the world itself at times, or other factors.
In terms of what can be granted, it depends on the intention of the request, Paimon and/or Peter's degree of connection to the requester, and various other factors. The process will also not be simple or quick, and Peter can't just go around fulfilling desires willy-nilly. There are ancient ceremonial rules that must be followed; a ritual will be required, consisting of the person "summoning" King Paimon's energy through a certain procedure. Though he can no longer be summoned from Hell as he's meant to be, he will still have to be called forth in a specific manner, and presented with an offering. This may fail depending on the requester's degree of intention and connection with Peter and/or the demon, their offering not being accepted, or on Peter's mind or body not being able to handle it, as will often happen. The bigger or more intense the request, the more energy he would have to spend, so only very small things will be the extent of his prowess for a good while.
Typically, King Paimon is most commonly associated with granting weapons, armour, treasures, and wealth, though this is a wide spectrum. "Treasures" may be physical treasures — while ancient texts often describe literal gold and whatnot, this can also involve things that are simply important to or greatly desired by a person, especially with the Darkblood reality warp factor involved. This can also mean emotional treasures, as in clarity, lucidity, guidance in emotional endeavours or decision-makings, etc. Paimon is said to be especially sensitive and in-tuned to his summoners' energies and emotional states of mind; he is meant to teach, guide, and provide in these ways as well. (Also worth mentioning is that since Trench has no monetary currency, he wouldn't be able to make anyone more "wealthy" if that were their request; gold would be for decorative purposes.) Other knowledge-based grants would also absolutely still be a thing he can do, such as granting books, maps, tools, and other types of things that fall under a "knowledge" spectrum but aren't straight up "omniscient knowledge".
object conjuring. Tied in with the above (and directly linked to Darkblood's reality warp factor), Paimon can conjure physical items into reality — generally as "rewards" for people, but also for his own purposes. Therefore, this will be an ability that Peter will gain access to over time. However, as mentioned, given his inexperience and the fact that he and the demon are still so Wrong, conjuring will often take too much of a toll on him to be fulfilled, or be imperfect. Items may be warped, failed, or horrific fusions of things... possibly blends of organic and inorganic materials.... perhaps mixtures of what he was given as an offering and what he was trying to conjure. This will be something that will have to be developed over time.
physical manipulation. Along the spectrum of object conjuring / reality warping, Paimon can physically influence, move, and alter things. Given Darkblood's propensity towards telekinesis, this ability will come more "naturally" to Peter; however, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be easier for him to control and use, and will be highly dangerous at times. The demonic power inside of him that he is so new to having access to may uncontrollably cause items to move around, be drawn towards or away from him, be altered, etc. without his consent.
psychological manipulation. Paimon can also manipulate things on a psychological / emotional / mental level. He is capable of inducing visions and hallucinations in people. This can be used in a helpful manner (such as clearing doubts, giving peaceful visions, dreams, etc.) However, it can also be used in the opposite way (causing doubts, giving horrific visions and hallucinations, nightmares, etc.)
flight-related abilities. Paimon can levitate, float, fly, traverse walls and ceilings... Given the Darkblood tendency towards gravity manipulation, this ability will come a bit more effortlessly to Peter — though often out of his control. Aka he might sometimes wake up on the ceiling or..... do an abundance of spooky demon levitating. He's fine, it's fine.
water-related abilities. Paimon's associated element is water, and therefore he has a strong connection with it, as well as certain powers that reflect this. He can breathe underwater... indefinitely. He can also command fish. My thought-process is that he / Peter would be able to command any type of "natural" fish, but not species that are exclusive to the Trench setting / the game's world.
spirit-summoning / reanimation. Paimon can not only reanimate the dead, but cause them to do his bidding, as well as the bidding of whomever he is working with. Since Sleepers reincarnate, this ability will not be able to affect them at all.
granting familiars. Among the demon kings, Paimon is said to grant especially good and worthy familiars. Familiars are low-ranking supernatural entities in the form of an animal, meant to assist witches / magicians / whomever has summoned him / etc. Paimon's particular familiars can also teach the Arts (occult knowledge / magic practice, etc.), further spreading his guidance and teachings.
In terms of what can be granted, it depends on the intention of the request, Paimon and/or Peter's degree of connection to the requester, and various other factors. The process will also not be simple or quick, and Peter can't just go around fulfilling desires willy-nilly. There are ancient ceremonial rules that must be followed; a ritual will be required, consisting of the person "summoning" King Paimon's energy through a certain procedure. Though he can no longer be summoned from Hell as he's meant to be, he will still have to be called forth in a specific manner, and presented with an offering. This may fail depending on the requester's degree of intention and connection with Peter and/or the demon, their offering not being accepted, or on Peter's mind or body not being able to handle it, as will often happen. The bigger or more intense the request, the more energy he would have to spend, so only very small things will be the extent of his prowess for a good while.
Typically, King Paimon is most commonly associated with granting weapons, armour, treasures, and wealth, though this is a wide spectrum. "Treasures" may be physical treasures — while ancient texts often describe literal gold and whatnot, this can also involve things that are simply important to or greatly desired by a person, especially with the Darkblood reality warp factor involved. This can also mean emotional treasures, as in clarity, lucidity, guidance in emotional endeavours or decision-makings, etc. Paimon is said to be especially sensitive and in-tuned to his summoners' energies and emotional states of mind; he is meant to teach, guide, and provide in these ways as well. (Also worth mentioning is that since Trench has no monetary currency, he wouldn't be able to make anyone more "wealthy" if that were their request; gold would be for decorative purposes.) Other knowledge-based grants would also absolutely still be a thing he can do, such as granting books, maps, tools, and other types of things that fall under a "knowledge" spectrum but aren't straight up "omniscient knowledge".
object conjuring. Tied in with the above (and directly linked to Darkblood's reality warp factor), Paimon can conjure physical items into reality — generally as "rewards" for people, but also for his own purposes. Therefore, this will be an ability that Peter will gain access to over time. However, as mentioned, given his inexperience and the fact that he and the demon are still so Wrong, conjuring will often take too much of a toll on him to be fulfilled, or be imperfect. Items may be warped, failed, or horrific fusions of things... possibly blends of organic and inorganic materials.... perhaps mixtures of what he was given as an offering and what he was trying to conjure. This will be something that will have to be developed over time.
physical manipulation. Along the spectrum of object conjuring / reality warping, Paimon can physically influence, move, and alter things. Given Darkblood's propensity towards telekinesis, this ability will come more "naturally" to Peter; however, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be easier for him to control and use, and will be highly dangerous at times. The demonic power inside of him that he is so new to having access to may uncontrollably cause items to move around, be drawn towards or away from him, be altered, etc. without his consent.
psychological manipulation. Paimon can also manipulate things on a psychological / emotional / mental level. He is capable of inducing visions and hallucinations in people. This can be used in a helpful manner (such as clearing doubts, giving peaceful visions, dreams, etc.) However, it can also be used in the opposite way (causing doubts, giving horrific visions and hallucinations, nightmares, etc.)
flight-related abilities. Paimon can levitate, float, fly, traverse walls and ceilings... Given the Darkblood tendency towards gravity manipulation, this ability will come a bit more effortlessly to Peter — though often out of his control. Aka he might sometimes wake up on the ceiling or..... do an abundance of spooky demon levitating. He's fine, it's fine.
water-related abilities. Paimon's associated element is water, and therefore he has a strong connection with it, as well as certain powers that reflect this. He can breathe underwater... indefinitely. He can also command fish. My thought-process is that he / Peter would be able to command any type of "natural" fish, but not species that are exclusive to the Trench setting / the game's world.
spirit-summoning / reanimation. Paimon can not only reanimate the dead, but cause them to do his bidding, as well as the bidding of whomever he is working with. Since Sleepers reincarnate, this ability will not be able to affect them at all.
granting familiars. Among the demon kings, Paimon is said to grant especially good and worthy familiars. Familiars are low-ranking supernatural entities in the form of an animal, meant to assist witches / magicians / whomever has summoned him / etc. Paimon's particular familiars can also teach the Arts (occult knowledge / magic practice, etc.), further spreading his guidance and teachings.
POSSESSION HORROR
This has been a huge part of Peter's character through his journey in Deerington, and I plan to utilise his Darkblood for this, as well. His rebirth into his "true form" in Trench aligns with the fact that his Darkblood gives him access to the powers of his "true fate" of being reborn as Paimon. Aka, Peter's "true form" also involves being "filled up with" / taken over by the demon king, and essentially every part of his existence here will be rooted in that concept. I fully plan to incorporate the various horror themes of his canon through his Darkblood manifestation.
The presence of his Darkblood powers will increase the adverse effects and symptoms of demonic possession in Peter, as he and Paimon are no longer in the nebulous dreamscape of Deerington, which at times padded certain aspects of their forced co-existence. The effects of Peter's possession will be even more "literal" within him as there will now be no "dreamscape allowance" of separation between him and Paimon at all, and with Peter's Darkblood serving as a bridge to now connect his spirit to the demon's. They aren't mentally fully merged, but their spirits are permanently directly touching now, and were "reborn" into this place together. I plan to play heavily into how there will be more severe effects as a result, both emotionally / psychologically and physically. There will be a lot more of his "unwarranted demon shit" going on, and more of a blend over time between what's "Peter" and what's "the demon." Basically, I plan to take what's already there and amp it all up. The reality warp factor may also cause physical manifestations of the demon's presence within him over time (such as horns, fangs, claws, etc.), potentially especially if coupled with / influenced by Corruption.
The themes of "severe mental illness interwoven with possession horror" in Peter's canon are also something I plan to dig more intricately to. This involves a lot of identity confusion, as Paimon has existed in a few hosts of Peter's bloodline prior to being put inside of Peter: his uncle Charles, his sister Charlie, and his mother Annie. Given that he spent thirteen years within Charlie since her birth, this identity is the more prevalent one that may emerge; however, there will be times that a "Charles" and "Annie" persona might surface, simply because of Paimon's confusion. There will still be times that identity is a highly, horrifically, ambiguous concept (aka it isn't clear who is in the driver's seat, or perhaps too many people are), but I also want to dig more into those separate "personas" to show the differences in Paimon's behaviour while he was inside each of them (and the themes of various mental illnesses of each). In particular, I want to pay more focus to the "spirit" of Charlie, who is technically possessing Peter too.
I also plan to have his powers be a source of possession horror in themselves, at times manifesting completely outside of Peter's control / will, and being quite physically and mentally harrowing for him (and others) in the process. For example, Paimon's sensitivity to people's energies / emotions may cause Peter to inadvertently conjure related things into reality. This could be someone's fear or other source of upset (have a fear of spiders? It would be very unfortunate if one, or several, were to suddenly manifest and something horrific were to happen, there!) This could be true for his vision / hallucination inducement, as well. There's a vast spectrum of reality-warping, demonic horror that could be played around with here — though things like this would of course only be done as planned / with mun permission.
The presence of his Darkblood powers will increase the adverse effects and symptoms of demonic possession in Peter, as he and Paimon are no longer in the nebulous dreamscape of Deerington, which at times padded certain aspects of their forced co-existence. The effects of Peter's possession will be even more "literal" within him as there will now be no "dreamscape allowance" of separation between him and Paimon at all, and with Peter's Darkblood serving as a bridge to now connect his spirit to the demon's. They aren't mentally fully merged, but their spirits are permanently directly touching now, and were "reborn" into this place together. I plan to play heavily into how there will be more severe effects as a result, both emotionally / psychologically and physically. There will be a lot more of his "unwarranted demon shit" going on, and more of a blend over time between what's "Peter" and what's "the demon." Basically, I plan to take what's already there and amp it all up. The reality warp factor may also cause physical manifestations of the demon's presence within him over time (such as horns, fangs, claws, etc.), potentially especially if coupled with / influenced by Corruption.
The themes of "severe mental illness interwoven with possession horror" in Peter's canon are also something I plan to dig more intricately to. This involves a lot of identity confusion, as Paimon has existed in a few hosts of Peter's bloodline prior to being put inside of Peter: his uncle Charles, his sister Charlie, and his mother Annie. Given that he spent thirteen years within Charlie since her birth, this identity is the more prevalent one that may emerge; however, there will be times that a "Charles" and "Annie" persona might surface, simply because of Paimon's confusion. There will still be times that identity is a highly, horrifically, ambiguous concept (aka it isn't clear who is in the driver's seat, or perhaps too many people are), but I also want to dig more into those separate "personas" to show the differences in Paimon's behaviour while he was inside each of them (and the themes of various mental illnesses of each). In particular, I want to pay more focus to the "spirit" of Charlie, who is technically possessing Peter too.
I also plan to have his powers be a source of possession horror in themselves, at times manifesting completely outside of Peter's control / will, and being quite physically and mentally harrowing for him (and others) in the process. For example, Paimon's sensitivity to people's energies / emotions may cause Peter to inadvertently conjure related things into reality. This could be someone's fear or other source of upset (have a fear of spiders? It would be very unfortunate if one, or several, were to suddenly manifest and something horrific were to happen, there!) This could be true for his vision / hallucination inducement, as well. There's a vast spectrum of reality-warping, demonic horror that could be played around with here — though things like this would of course only be done as planned / with mun permission.
ELDRITCH CONNECTION
While 'connection to the godlike beings of this world' is a central theme, I definitely have plans to dig in hard with that concept, as Peter is literally inhabited by a godlike being of his own. Though Paimon isn't the same type of otherworldly being / isn't as powerful as the beings of this universe, I feel he will feel a specific, very spiritual connection to the Pthumerians, as a Fellow Ethereal Eldritch Thing. He (and therefore potentially Peter) will be very sensitive to and especially respective of them, being drawn hard in to the familiar concepts of ritual and offering.
I also plan to pay attention to a connection with the Eldritch Feminine Energy / power / influence of this world. Among the goetic demons, Paimon is the only one associated with gender ambiguity. In various texts, he is described as he, she, or they; depending on region or grimoire he is worshiped as a man, woman, god, or goddess. The version I play is said to "covet the body of a male host" and have the body / sex of a man, but have the face of a "beautiful" / very "feminine" woman. He also spent thirteen years in a female host's body, and she very much dealt with gender confusion as a result. Paimon's name itself (which means a very ambiguous "tinkling" sound) was also originally derived from a Middle Eastern goddess. All of this to say, I feel there are pieces of the highly equivocal demon king (and Peter as a result) that will be touched upon in this particular world, unlocked by Peter's Darkblood allowing Paimon to have further access to his spirit, and vice-versa.
I also plan to pay attention to a connection with the Eldritch Feminine Energy / power / influence of this world. Among the goetic demons, Paimon is the only one associated with gender ambiguity. In various texts, he is described as he, she, or they; depending on region or grimoire he is worshiped as a man, woman, god, or goddess. The version I play is said to "covet the body of a male host" and have the body / sex of a man, but have the face of a "beautiful" / very "feminine" woman. He also spent thirteen years in a female host's body, and she very much dealt with gender confusion as a result. Paimon's name itself (which means a very ambiguous "tinkling" sound) was also originally derived from a Middle Eastern goddess. All of this to say, I feel there are pieces of the highly equivocal demon king (and Peter as a result) that will be touched upon in this particular world, unlocked by Peter's Darkblood allowing Paimon to have further access to his spirit, and vice-versa.
☆ code by kimmiserate ☆