Ascians and possession

[dragonseth07]

Hello!

So, I have a question for those around here. Can Ascians manifest themselves in any way without a possessed body, or are we looking at a possession every time we see one? I can't recall if this was addressed, and a Google search didn't turn up anything.

When they all meet up to talk about their Evil Plans TM, are we seeing their possession targets there, too?

Tangentially, if they have to possess people all the time... They REALLY like Hyur.

[Anonymoose]

It's a little wobbly specifically because Ascians can control what you're seeing (unless you have the knowledge and/or control over the Echo to see through the deception). They choose to possess Hyur frequently, apparently (though not Travanchet!). And they choose to appear as Hyur otherwise, apparently (having to disguise themselves anyway because you would freak the hell out if you could see what they really look like).

The easiest evidence to point to for "can an Ascian be seen without its vessel" is Nabriales, who I'm pretty sure appears sans vessel right next to the corpse he was possessing and yet looks identical to it. A lot of it I just chalk up to the technological and development resources required to reconcile Ascians and gameplay mechanics, but I'm sure there's an in-world way to explain just about everything.

Other examples are, as I said, murky. Was Elidibus sans vessel when Tataru couldn't see him? Or was he cloaking himself as Nabriales seems to have been doing around Moenbryda at first? I'm not sure, off the top of my head.

Unless the vessel is important to the story (see: Thancred) they just kind of leave it up in the air. For me, the same goes for the Warriors of Darkness and Unukalhai. Wouldn't they theoretically need vessels to appear, appear the same to everyone, and physically interact with our world?

[HeroLogarin]

Could it be said that the stronger the Ascian, the better they can control how they appear to others without a possession? Or would this be off?