VE - Reflection

Stories of malevolent duplicates are commonly told around campfires to frighten companions. In these tales, the duplicate forms after a botched ritual or exposure to a mysterious artifact, and is bent on replacing the creature they've replicated. Most believe such stories to be only that, but such reflection duplicates are real. While some wish to replace their progenitors, others merely want to forge a new life for themselves where no one knows of their origins.

Methods of their creation vary, but all reflections are duplicates of someone else existing in the world. Some are drawn out from literal mirrors, developing a life of their own once set free from the Echoing Pale. Mirror-focused rituals or spells can create independent reflections, whether deliberately or accidentally, as can the magical hazard known as a darkside mirror, which replaces those looking into it with malicious duplicates. Some reflections are created as magical clones by spellcasters, only to turn on their creators or be left adrift, while others arise from polymorph magic gone wrong.

A reflection's physical appearance almost exactly matches their progenitor's. In mirror-risen reflections, their appearance is reversed, so details such as scars are on the opposite side. Other reflections often have a swirled mark somewhere on their bodies, appearing as a tattoo or birthmark. Reflections are typically indistinguishable from a regular member of that ancestry.

As duplicates of others, and ones that appear only in rare circumstances, reflections have no inherent society of their own. Many reflections have a degree of existential angst, struggling to find somewhere they feel they belong and won't be identified as a “fake.” A reflection's greatest (though not necessarily best) bond is usually to their progenitor. Progenitors and their reflections are sometimes aware of each other, with some progenitors taking their reflection under their wing, which often grants the reflection a greater sense of community.

Despite the tales, not all reflections are malevolent. Reflections formed from darkside mirrors are always evil, but others usually have either the alignment of their progenitor or the exact opposite one—many good-aligned reflections arise from the nefarious experiments of an evil alchemist or spellcaster. Most reflections are wary of religion, but those who adhere to a faith are typically extremely devout.

Final Usurpation

If your progenitor is deceased, you might be able to take over their life. It might require a special ritual and other activities taking 1 week, as you take over your progenitor's lodgings, activities, relationships, and so on. Once you finish, provided no creature has successfully identified you as an impostor, the memories of everyone who knew or interacted with your progenitor are altered, so they forget your progenitor's usual personality and behavior in favor of yours, and you no longer risk discovery for acting out of character for them. You belong now.