Skimmer

A Skimmer is one of the Laments, or methods of projection, featured in Orpheus. Skimmers are arguably the more flexible of the projection-type Laments, able to freely go between life and death much more easily than the Sleepers.

Skimmers project their soul by several methods. The most accepted is a combination of drugs and meditation. With practice and use, skimmers eventually use just the latter to eject their spirit. Skimmers' souls are kept tethered to their bodies by a mysterious silver cord or an intangible connection that allows them to keep contact with their body despite being technically dead. They have perfected the art of using this silver cord to pull themselves rapidly back to their bodies when endangered, a tactic known as ripcording.

However, skimmers are also the Lament most prone to damage. Any damage to their gauze transfers along the silver cord to their very vulnerable bodies. For example, a projecting skimmer who is slashed in the arm will have the same damage appear in the exact same place and to the exact same degree on the arm of their living body. If the damage transferred is severe enough, a skimmer's body will eventually die, leaving them as a spirit. In addition, skimmers' bodies also take bashing damage when they ripcord because of the sudden flare of activity in the nervous system. And if a skimmer forgets to spend a Vitality point to activate their basic life functions (such as breathing and heart rate) every hour they are out of their body, they also take damage.

In rare cases, the silver cord between a skimmer and their flesh can be severed. This does not cause instant death, however. If a skimmer moves fast enough and can reunite with their body, they can rest in it and rebuild the cord. However, this leaves both the spirit and the flesh highly vulnerable to others; the spirit cannot use abilities such as ripcording, and the flesh is prone to being possessed by other ghosts or Spectres, or even stolen and hidden where a skimmer cannot find it.