IX. Characteristics

IX. Characteristics

The Beacon is present to a limited degree in those who have already become. It is strong enough for us to recognize one of our number when we come into contact with him, even if this recognition is the barest hint of perception.

We may also be known by our distinct auras: deep purple sometimes shot through with red, surrounded by a nimbus of black or grey mist. The outer layer often stretches into tendrils that extend far beyond our physical forms, reaching out and feeding from those around us. To those who can perceive that level of reality, we often appear to be a nexus of such tendrils.

The tendrils are varying shades of grey, with a smooth, rope-like appearance. They are not perceptibly present in everyone; they can be filaments so fine even the most experienced seer will have difficulty perceiving them.

We are often noted for our pallor, but more often it is the intensity of our eyes which gives us away. We tend to be thin with a powerful and often intimidating presence which wraps about us like a shroud.

Our hands are often very cold. This is a cold which saps heat away, and lingers where it has been touched. It is a symptom of our constant, low-level energy draw. If we consciously channel energy through our hands, they grow very warm. It is not the temperature which is important: it is the responsiveness of our physical bodies to subtle effects that is distinctive.

We are sensitive to strong odors and tastes, as our senses are often acute. Many of us can hear in a more than normal human range. Some of this is physical hearing, some may be limited clairaudience, as our subtle senses extend far beyond our physical selves. We are almost always much stronger and quicker than we look, for the body is merely a vessel for a much more powerful Will.

We are sensitive to light and to the excessive heat of the sun. This is symptomatic of our acute sensitivity to energy. The radiation of the sun is an overwhelming form of energy which our systems have trouble assimilating. Many of us burn very easily in the sun. Almost all of us are made sick by it. When required to be out in full daylight, we develop headaches, nausea, dizziness. The light saps us of our strength, leaving us exhausted and drained. The night is our natural dominion, for in the mythic imagination, it is the realm of secrets, of magick, and all that the day-lit world rejects.

We carry ourselves with a proud determination and can seem arrogant, detached, and cold. We are often of a predatory nature, and with difficulty avoid using those around us.

To most we seem unapproachable. There is an air about us which seems somehow to set us apart. Even those ignorant to our true natures react to this, treating us with respect, attraction or fear.

The unawakened stare then look away from us and are unable to meet our gaze. They are disturbed by our presence but rarely will they understand what disturbed them or why. Instinctually, they fear us.

The Awakened will know us for what we are, though they may hesitate to put a name to it. Still, on an unspoken level they will understand and attempt to define us through the filters of their individual beliefs and symbol systems.

Children will know us, though rarely do they fear. In their innocence, they have not yet learned to doubt, and thus are open to a clear perception of the world around them.