Passion (WTO)

Wraiths are creatures of emotion, fed by the energy of emotion, Pathos. To acquire Pathos, Wraiths must feel Passions, emotions intimately connected to their identity.

Every wraith begins with a set of passions rated between 1-5. Each passion has a purpose and emotion, written in the form purpose (emotion) rating. For example, a wraith of a professor with an unpublished manuscript might have a passion of Publish my Manuscript (Pride) 3. In general, passions are higher rated for broader activities, and rated lower for more specific purposes.

Wraiths acquire pathos by feeling an emotion connected with their passion. The difficulty of acquiring pathos is a function of whether the passion fulfills that purpose, is connected to the emotion, or is somehow simulated synthetically (such as with keening).

Wraiths can lose passions through lack of maintenance (by ignoring the passion or the purpose), through harrowing or other miscellaneous actions. Passions are somewhat more flexible than fetters, and while a wraith largely starts out with passions connected to the skinlands, it is not unusual for a wraith to acquire passions related to the underworld as time passes. This is especially critical for domem, who cannot interact with the skinlands.