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The story of spirits have been told for generations and generations, but their praise and worship have become mere whispers with "modern technology" muting their significance. It seems that in a fast and busy world, no longer can most manage to, never mind bother to stop to, hear and see their existence.
Perhaps that's why she did it, then. If there was reasoning behind it at all, then to cause us to listen would be the motivating factor.
Everywhere, there are remnants of spirits that echo off organic objects, in search of passage back into the corporeal world of the living. Their desperation to depart from a state of purgatory drives them to be willing to take any organic vessel, be it animal or plant and take on a new life. The process involves ancient magic and setting fire to the object, joining two spirits into one and creating, by mistake, a "hiccup" of genetics and spirits.
The hiccup occurs when the spirit tries to push the other spirit, the one still living in the now dying vessel, out of the way. It can't be done. Instead, in a genetic hiccup of sorts, they become one spirit, and the vessel, burned away, becomes a Hiccup. The human spirit no matter what is more dominant, so the child is more or less human, but will retain qualities reflective of the vessel. The magic involved in creating Hiccups is not perfected, by any means, and because of this weakness, Hiccups are always very young to begin with, as this age is easiest to replicate. Being that these children are mutants of sorts, they have superhuman abilities that reflect one or both of the spirits, or at least make sense in accordance to them. The spirit's influence can be extreme or mellow, depending on the individual. For example, the child may retain an accent from their spirit or a feral quality from their vessel. Memories from the spirit are mangled, but, over time and through hard work, can be recovered.
As organic as this magic is, it is in the lore of the earth that we find more influence on the Hiccup's life. They are influenced not by the stars above as astrology may tell, but by the season in which they were birthed, and are said to adopt qualities reflective of said season. Spring, summer, autumn, winter; all hold traits individual to their own weather and time of year, as can be discovered in later explanations. As true with astrology, not all qualities of the season will be bestowed upon the Hiccup, but it is true that knowing a Hiccup's birthing season will provide a good indication as to what you're dealing with.
But you ask, how does this process happen? Does a spirit have the ability of performing its own renewal? No, far from it. There is a woman, a fool meddling with nature, or so it seems, who is said to have the ability to shapeshift. Therefore, if one was to give a description of said woman, to warn of her presence in case of her forcing upon you a Hiccup of her creation, I am afraid it is not easily done, as rarely does she take on the same guise twice. She is said to hear and feel the echo of spirits and their potential desired vessels, and messes with fate by providing the means by which the two spirits are able to meld into one very wacky, though admittedly unique, genetic hiccup.
And if you're so lucky to have been the victim of the aforementioned forcing upon of a Hiccup.. good luck to you.
Is there rhyme or reason to this shamanistic meddling shapeshifter's ways? Does she really know what's best for spirit and for vessel, in tempting the nature of things by performing such rituals? One can't be sure, but I've heard of a woman who lives in a shack of a house down by the seaside who seems to have taken a DEEP interest in finding this out.. Perhaps you should go ask her!
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