An Anchor is the physical object to which an Inanima's being is attached.
Overview[]
The Anchor is the most important thing in the life of one of the Inanimae. They cannot survive without this anchor and if it is destroyed they will almost certainly be Undone. Conversely, if the Inanima is Undone the Anchor will soon die or erode away.
Though the Anchors are as different as the being within them, they always reflect the fae within. A healthy Paroseme's wind will be brisk and quick moving but as they gain banality or take damage, the air becomes stagnant, dusty, or poisonous.
Anchors in the Waking World[]
Anchors don't look any different from a normal object to mortals but even they can feel something... magical when in the vicinity of the anchor. They may feel they are being watched or that they are in a sacred place. These locations exude a sense of wonder and creativity. Unless the mortal is steeped in Banality they will try to avoid harming the anchor if at all possible.
For supernaturals such as Garou or Mages the anchor of an active Inanima may read as a spiritual object that needs to be protected or as a battery to be drained. The werewolf must be able to sense spirits but may not understand what they are dealing with. Mages will sense the Glamour as Quintessence. Changelings with Kenning will see the anchor glowing with Glamour.
Anchors in the Dreaming[]
Anchors exist at the same time in both the waking world and the Near Dreaming. It is also a link to the its inhabitants' Empire's Homeland in the Deep Dreaming. Picture the Anchor like a Genie's lamp: inside is a furnished and decorated home that perfectly suits the taste of the fae. A Gladeling's anchor will usually be sparsely furnished with everything made from the same substance as the Anchor itself: wood, stone, metal, water, etc... A Krofted fae's home will be more diverse and more readily resemble a human or Changeling's residence.
In the Dreaming the Anchor looks like a building made from the appropriate or similar materials. Ondines may have coral keeps while Solimonds may live in factories of flame. Usually the Anchor is in a fixed place in the Dreaming (as much as anything is fixed there) but Krofting may move it.
Slumber []
There are two types of Slumber for the Inanimae. In either case the fae is held immobile in their anchor, waiting to become active again. The first is Shock Induced Slumber and it is the most common. When a Husk is destroyed, the Anchor is threatened, or massive trauma is experienced, the fae may flee active life and Slumber, usually for no more than a few weeks. The Fae may also enter this slumber voluntarily, usually to regenerate a Husk or find protection from banality. The duration is only about one tenth of the time of Shock Induced Slumber.
The second type of Slumber occurred during the Shattering and is referred to as the Somnolence. This can last for months, years, or centuries. Only the most dire of trauma will cause this.
Destruction of an Anchor[]
If their Anchor is destroyed, the Inanimae has very little time before following it into oblivion. At its destruction the far is cast into the world with no protection from banality as a true fae where Banality quickly erodes them in hours if not minutes. Without an Anchor Glamour cannot be regained. Banality cannot be resisted. The Fae is left adrift and practically soul-less. If the Fae is riding his or her Husk at the time the lucky Inanimae has some protection from Banality for a brief time to try and find a new Anchor.
References[]
- CTD. Inanimae: The Secret Way, pp. 35-36.