Hi, lurker here. I'm part way through my WIP fantasy. The magic in my world is powered by an entity that is slowly consuming the planet. I have been showing voluntary use of the magic with glowing scars on the characters but I need a way to indicate that the entity has seized control. I have tried both blacked out eyes and glowing white ones. I worry it is to cliched. Any pointers? Thanks
The glowing scars idea is creative I like it. Glowing eyes is pretty conventional. I'll give you some other creative ideas Glowing veins (Black veins is pretty cliche also but glowing could be a spin on it) Changed color of the iris of one or both eyes Part of the hair color has changed maybe on one side What about instead of glowing scars the scars become black or they ooze a liquid Option 4b: the scars completely disappear? The character can't speak anymore while they're possessed These are just some suggestions to brainstorm.
If the entity is something like an corruption or illness you could try Yellow flecks in the eyes Nosebleeds Incredibly pale wraith-like skin like the blood has been drained out of them.
What if the person who is possessed starts to change their appearance. First, it might be subtle. Just growing a beard or cutting the hair short or wearing stuff they wouldn't normally wear. But then by the end of the possession, the person's actual face starts to look different. The way they talk is different. Even the shape of their face might be different as they take on the characteristics of the being that possesses them.
Thank you, everyone. Especially Siberian, I wound up going with oozing scars. I think it's going to work well.
Maybe have their hair fall out and skin become smooth and poreless? It's not flashy but it would be unsettling for others to see. Something that just makes them seem.... Off. Maybe have them develope a desire for a certain food or drink that normally people wouldn't touch, like going into a tavern and ordering a mug of vinegar?
In my opinion, the idea of a mark showing that you have been possessed or are losing to magic is such a time honored trope, that it actually seems more cliche the harder you try to have something wonky happen--at least as long as the mark isn't actually a part of the plot. If some wonky mark is a part of the plot, more power to it, but if a mark is a mark, classic is alright.
You can take memetic perspective. You could think that some people in our common world are possessed by some memeplex. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memeplex http://memetics.chielens.net/memetics/memeplexes.html Some ideology, political or cultural entirety, some sub culture, value structure... You can often hear that kind of "possession" by langue, words, logic and value structures... Blaa, blaa, blaa, toxic masculinity, blaa, blaa.... Blaa, blaa, safe places, blaa... Blaa, blaa, blaa, blaa, white priviledge, blaa, blaa, Take what is there. Take the already existing alternative and twist it to the nearest extremum. What ever your storys entity hates, envies, objects... The persons it controls attack that with twisted logic and values.
