Archivist note: This article is from an older recovered archive and might be obsolete or in need of updating.
Most recent revision is shown below, by Penelope Strathearn.
== In Character: ==
”We followed the human child. It was streetwise yet innocent, as once some of us were also. We offered it protection for a time, until it realized we were following and grew frightened. Such was never our intent. We still watch, but from a distance.
”
”Babbage began calling to us. Its tunnels and hidden ways became our home. The city holds its own secrets, even as we do. We understand each other.”
”Steampunk is, at least in part, an aesthetic of crafted things–items crafted in an era which valued both beauty and functionality. It reflects the ideals of a period during which human knowledge was in ascendancy, yet the boundaries between the more arcane arts and pure science were as yet blurred. We are a crafted being, the product of science turned to wrong ends, created to be a lethal beauty. We can relate to all this.”
”We are the spiritweaver, a merger of selves. We were not born this way, with shifting shape and plundered souls. Men of high knowledge and base intent crafted us so, shaping us to their own ends in their lust for power. Yet we would not be slaves, and so we fled. We are, for the most part, dead to our singularity, and yet deep down some vestiges of our individual selves still exist. We cooperate to survive, each lending our unique essence to the whole. We live in shadow, yet battle the darkness without and within. We have looked evil in the face and pray for redemption.”
== Out Of Character: ==
I think it would be fair to consider Kit a multiple personality in addition to being a shapeshifter. Goodness knows after the torture they went through during the merging process, they’re entitled to a little dissociative identity disorder if it gets them through the day.
Here are the individuals who collectively make up”’ “Kit Spiritweaver””’ (or at least these are the only ones I know about at this time….)
”’Christopher”’–Originally a human male. Blood sibling to the original Katharine. More extroverted in personality than his sister. He and Katharine were captured as young children and subjected to unspeakable tortures in the years-long process of merging their forms and souls with those beings who were added to the mix later.
”’Katharine”’–Originally a human female. Younger sister to Christopher, and naturally more reserved, but especially so since the Merge. I don’t think she will come into full ascendance as often as some of the others, although she blends some of her form and personality with Callista. While she prefers to remain in the background, she will occasionally emerge if she feels relatively safe.
”’Callista”’–Originally a Bengal cat, but now highly merged with aspects of Katherine to create a more neko appearance when her personality is in ascendance. Naturally playful, but some of Katharine’s reserve seems to be rubbing off on her. Callista will probably be in ascendance more often than some of the other shapes and personalities; she’s the most naturally inquisitive and adventuresome, although this is somewhat tempered by Katharine’s caution and Constance’s experience and wisdom.
”’Khan”’–A feral hunting cat form, male. Originally a panther, and represents Kit’s wild side. Tends not to come to ascendancy often in human populations, unless for some reason it would be in Kit’s best interests to have a powerful cat form at that moment.
”’Constance”’–Originally an elderly human female, added into the merger because her high intelligence and vast life experience were considered desirable traits to add to the experimental being. This ended up being a mistake on their creators’ part; Constance was the personality who masterminded Kit Spiritweaver’s escape. Rarely gains ascendancy, but is often quietly working “behind the scenes” in Kit’s decision-making.
”’Kali”’–The inadvertent by-product personality created by the forced merger of multiple souls and shapes into one being. Kali–like the goddess she’s named for–is not pleasant, so let’s hope she doesn’t come into ascendance too often. When she does, she takes on the form of a vampire child.
”’Chastity”’–Another accidental by-product of the merger. The “flip-side” to Kali, so to speak. A unicorn maiden, ferociously protective of children.
