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 Spirit/Spectral interactions

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Apophyllite
Seeing Shades
Apophyllite

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PostSubject: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeSun Jul 26, 2015 1:12 pm

One of the things I love most about Paranatural is that it doesn't build a simplistic one dimensional world of "tools just give you superpowers"  but that it delves into all the different kinds of views not only spectrals but also spirits have. In theory, the whole tool/medium thing is presented as just a wounded spirit trying to recover and a spectral temporarily having access to its power. The reality of it is so much more complex though.

The whale-frog spirit from early on in the comic viewed being in a tool/medium as a form of imprisonment or even enslavement and also seemed to hint at some spectrals purposely wounding spirits to be able to use their powers.  AAH! (remember this guy?)

On the other hand Eightfold happily mortally wounded herself just so Isabel could continue to use her powers. It's likely that for a weak spirit, being bonded with a spectral offers a certain amount of protection from being preyed upon by stronger spirits. And especially if they have a friendly bond with the spectral in question, the relative safety might be worth the limited freedom.

From what happened to Forge we can see that the process of recovery does take away a great deal of agency. Forge had plans, but for as long as he's recovering, he'll be unable to pursue any of his goals unless he can convince Johnny to go along. So spirits that get stuck in tools/mediums are pretty much dependant on the whims of the spectral they get stuck with.

I could go on (about Lucifer and Muse for example or the interactions of Isaac with Doorman, and Zarei with the Ghost Train) but the post would probably get too huge and I'd like to see what others think about all this. So to make it more of a discussion than a huge monologue I'm just going to end it here >_>

So what do you guys think? What's your favourite interaction been so far? Any thoughts on the implications on having to give up your freedom to regain health and how this would affect how spirits feel about spectrals?
Maybe some thoughts on how spectrals could feel on using sentient beings as weapons (though at the same time healing them) to survive in a fairly dangerous world?



Last edited by Apophyllite on Sat Mar 03, 2018 10:20 am; edited 3 times in total (Reason for editing : Added links to relevant pages)
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Lincide
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Lincide

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeMon Jul 27, 2015 9:53 pm

I think somewhere here a theory was mentioned about the lack of respect that the Activity Consortium has for spirits in general. Francisco Guerra, meanwhile, has definitely shown that he doesn't care for spectrals using tools. Not for the reason that it might be seen as enslaving the spirits, but that some spectrals(such as Isabel) become dependent on the tools.

Also, while we speak of Isabel, it seems that even though Eightfold was her friend, she didn't exactly see her on the same level as herself or her human friends. It probably has a lot to do with the "out of sight, out of mind" habit that Eightfold mentioned, but it seems to also be related to most spectrals seeing spirits as less than human, rather than equals. So far I don't think that we've seen a spectral feel remorse for enslaving a spirit, either, but rather seem to forget very often that they're using the borrowed abilities of a sentient being.
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Westbrook
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Westbrook

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeTue Jul 28, 2015 1:45 am

I don't currently have a whole lot of opinions on this one, but I think you're definitely right that it's a whole lot more complex than it seems on the surface. Even simple one-off lines like Isaac's "I think I've been giving you more respect than I should be" or Ed ignoring Muse's advice proves that spectrals can easily be at odds with their spirits. In Isaac's case, he's even stuck that way.

It makes me sad to think the Activity Club doesn't respect or feel for their spirits as much as they should/could, but Eightfold pretty much conclusively proved it. That said, they're all middle schoolers, so we can't expect them all to be wise beyond their years or anything. (Although the same can't really be said of the Consortium itself.)
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Apophyllite
Seeing Shades
Apophyllite

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeWed Jul 29, 2015 6:50 am

I don't think we've seen anything about the Activity Consortiums views on spirits other than that they fight the dangerous ones and aren't opposed to using tools (or being mediums). Since there's a division with lab coats it's possible they also study them.
Each agent probably has their own ideas on how to treat spirits. Zarei for example tamed the Ghost Train instead of just forcing it into a tool. Spender does seem to respect Lucifer's opinion enough to feel bad when Lucifer scolds him for his actions (eventhough he completely ignores it during his fight with Forge).

As for the kids of the Acticity Club, yeah they're just kids. Their feelings toward spirits are probably influenced a lot by how the adult spectrals around them treat spirits. Isabel is hopefully going to take Eightfolds farewell speach to heart and treat her next spirit buddy better. Max might bring a fresh new outlook on things to the club.

Speaking of Muse's advise and Isaacs spirit, Eightfold too. I noticed all 3 of them offered their views on weak/strong, which made me realise that this is probably a very important thing to spririts because weaker spirits get eaten by stronger ones...
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howlingwolfonfire
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howlingwolfonfire

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeFri Mar 18, 2016 8:43 pm

I agree with a lot of stuff said in this thread. I don't think we've seen enough of the spirts to properly gauge how much the spirit grows in power when being recovered or if that affects battling at all. Eightfold didn't seem to have any difference in power when she offed herself to go back into the book vs before when she was possibly almost too recovery. She is considered a "weak" spirit though so whether or not there was a difference is mostly speculation at this point.

I can't wait for Forge to reveal himself to Johnny, whether through talking to him or giving him powers when he least expects it, since their dynamic could easily be one of the most unique ones in the comic. Since Johnny has no idea about spectral stuff and may not even get to know the others in the Activity Club it could be seen as a "normal" person interacting with a spirit. Would Johnny try in earnest to befriend Forge or would he be too weirded out to even try (pls let it be the first one).
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NinjaKitten
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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeMon Mar 21, 2016 1:46 am

I think that when Forge and Johnny meet, Forge will go on a long-winded explanation, and Johnny would most likely not comprehend most of what Forge tells him and only catch on to the "I get superpowers" portion of it. But, seeing how Johnny behaved during the hitball fight, that might not be what happens, and it could go in a completely different direction.
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Apophyllite
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Apophyllite

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeTue Mar 22, 2016 1:28 pm

I think, given how easy it is for spectrals to forget they're using the powers of another sentient being, it's pretty likely that the power level of the ability is determined by the spectral. Here Isaac mentions he can onlydo very limited weather things, while his spirit supposedly has godlike weather powers (maybe, could just be exaggeration + speculation). Which would suggest Isaac's ability to use this power is limited to some extent, maybe depending on his own spectral energy...

The Johnny/Forge interaction is bound to be fiery >_>
With those two tempers, it's probably gonna be played for laughs and it will be hilarious.
Though on the more serious side, I think it's been said in another thread that after that hitball game, Johnny might be more receptive to Forge's "righteous quest". It would be interesting to see someone discover the spirit world without an immediate explaination from more experienced peeps. Max was picked up pretty quickly after seeing shades. And unlike Max, Johnny has a spirit capable of explaining things.
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NinjaKitten
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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeWed Jun 01, 2016 11:24 am

Yeah, I agree. And since he has a spirit that can explain things (like you said) he probably won't "flip his nuggets" like the "other kid" did. (You know, in the first chapter when Isaac was trying to get Mr.Spender to let him talk to Max about seeing them spirits and stuff.)
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PretenseAndPoison
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PretenseAndPoison

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeMon Jun 06, 2016 12:26 am

Personally, I'm looking forward to Johnny and Forge getting a proper introduction to each other. The spirit world Forge inhabits is certainly going to give us something to speculate on regarding his character.

That bit of slightly off-topic mention aside, I imagine that the relationship between Spectrals and Spirits is going to be as wide and diverse as the natures of the individuals- so far we've seen and heard mention of around five distinct groups to classify-

The Activity Club- Rick Spender seems to be a bit of a rogue agent here, taking Spectrals under his wing to educate and guide them outside the influence of the other factions. Taking a moment to page back through the relevant panels, I get the impression that he's more interested in teaching the kids academically rather than ethically, leaving them to develop their own ideas about how to bond with their spirits- or not. Keeping Isaac in the club despite the Consortium blacklisting him from information the way they do shows that he still cares about Isaac while respecting the decision to keep him in the dark.

Ricks' interactions with spirits that we've seen so far would indicate he views them as beings to confront, even in the instances he's spoken with Lucifer. Whether that's carried over from the teachings of the Consortium or from his own personal experience, I can't say with any conviction yet.

Grandpas' Dojo- Gramps Iguerra seems to view the Spectral/Tool relationship as a crutch, as he's lectured towards Isabel in attempts to guide her towards relying on her own power. However, we've seen two instances where he supplies her with a tool- the first with Eightfold after her traumatic encounter with a non-spirit dog, so that she could protect herself against corporeal threats. The second after losing Eightfold on the train, which I feel demonstrates his knowledge that Isabel wasn't ready to move on from her reliance on tools- whether this is true or not is up for speculation (as she was able to combat the PixelHounds on the train without use of her tool after losing contact with the book hosting Eightfold).

One could argue that there's a third, and even a fourth instance of Gramps' involvement and attitude towards Spirits during the story as it rests right now- The targets they use to practice their techniques are all tools, inhabited by spirits for the purpose of making them tangible to Spectral Energy; and the Ghost/Spirit student without legs that we've seen at multiple points in the Dojo (I'm reserving judgement on whether this character is a ghost or a spirit until further information comes to light about them, direct or otherwise).

In conclusion towards the Dojo, it would seem that Gramps treats the Spirits as tools more than anything, something separate from Spectrals and perhaps meant to remain that way.

The Consortium- While information about this faction is currently sparse, we have seen that most if not all of their agents either possess or are possessed of a spirit- ManLizard, Spender, Boss Leader, as Mediums, and Agent Day, Mina Zarei, Mr. Walker, and the various background spectrals seen wielding tools (I admit I'd need to go back and reread Boss Leaders panels to be certain she is a Medium, rather than manipulating her appearance using her abilities alone). While this alone doesn't tell us much about the Consortiums attitude towards spirits, we have more information to peruse via the events of the comic so far-
○ Both the blacklisting of Isaac and BLs offer to dispose of Maxs spirit tell us that the Consortium is willing to treat spirits as dangerous to the point of extermination when necessary- Scrapdragon was described as a Grudge which potentially posed a threat to Max but the choice was given to the wielder of the tool whether or not the spirit should be destroyed, while Isaac is simply restricted from gaining too much knowledge about the Consortium, which is currently presumed to be caused by his spirit rather than the ambiguous 'bad thing he did to one of the activity club members'. This shows respect for the autonomy of the agents alongside the willingness to exterminate threats while preserving the security of the faction.
○The Consortium had agents posted alongside Mina Zarei to attend to the Ghost Train, which existed outside of a tool. To what effect these agents were posted is up for speculation- whether they were bodyguards for Zarei, Bodyguards for the Train, a form of station attendant to report back to the Consortium anything the Train was used for, there's not enough information to presume much more than that the Consortium is willing to assign agents to the presence of an important/useful spirit, while allowing it to remain alive and unharmed.

This would seem to suggest that the consortium regards Spirits as a sentient entity with symbiotic potential, potentially going so far as to treat them with much the same respect they would any of their other agents. Yet, there's still the disconnect between Spectral and Tool that may leave their perceptions skewed towards "Humans are more valuable", as we've seen casual offers to the extermination of a Spirit alongside their willingness to leave Isaacs spirit out of the loop without destroying it- presumably because doing so at this point could harm the Medium hosting him.

The Cousinhood of Man- The name alone for this group, rare mention of their motives aside (from biased sources, I might be inclined to add) would suggest that they aren't the most hospitible towards spirits. However, with no on-page appearances from this group, I can't reasonably speculate as to their motives, nor their methods. So I won't.

Independant Spirits/Independant Spectrals?- As potentially limitless and diverse as anyone could imagine, we've seen more spirits than one could shake a bat at. While many have been shown as predatory, like the Frogwhale and the Sphinx, others have been seen as benign, and some as even helpful! Between Doorman and Eightfold, we've been shown that some spirits will gladly use their abilities to support their friends to varying degrees. Frogwhale was shown to view ghosts as pointless while feeding on his own reflections, and enraged upon confronting a spectral 'abomination'. The Shadow Bunnies made commentary showing their worries as to Isaac being dangerous/a nuisance despite Doormans' willingness to accommodate and advise him as a friend, similar to how Lucifer seems to regard Spender.

We've seen the foreshadowing to some form of spirit collective/organization under a mysterious spirit called "Angel", whom both Doorman and Forge have been shown to be aligned with in some fashion. Their intents, however, remain unknown for now. Isaac could be considered an independent Spectral, despite his participation in Activity Club activities, and until Johnny awakens to his new role as Forges host he will also be able to be defined as such.

In effect, the intentions of independent spirits or spectrals can't be innately classified, though some archetypes could surely be drawn in line with social tendencies.

I'm looking forward to learning more about the Paranatural Universe.
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NinjaKitten
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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeMon Jun 06, 2016 12:30 pm

My. That was an incredibly well-thought-out, thorough assessment of the interactions between spectrals and spirits for the different factions. I'd like to respond with some equally thought-out response, but nope.

I, too, am looking forward to learning more about the Paranatural Universe, and I'm especially excited about seeing the dynamics between spectrals, their spirits, other spirits, and between different pairs! (Most notably Johnny and Max.)
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Apophyllite
Seeing Shades
Apophyllite

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeWed Jun 15, 2016 5:34 pm

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my own thoughts on the matter prety well too. Though I think Isabel's grandpa offered the umbrella in part as a sort of test. He does seem to be collecting tools compatible to them both for some mysterious reason...

More than the Johnny/Forge interaction (which I am hyped for), what I'm hoping to see more of is Dr Zarei and her tons of spirit buddies who "live to make her happy". While it would be nice to see a spectral that befriends spirits so closely that thay're willing to help her out with stuff, the "live to make you happy" thing does sound kinda ominous >_> Either that's maybe a bit exaggerated or her spirit buddies are kinda like dogs in that once you train them, they're happy to do whatever trick you want them to do. Or she has some way to get spirits to be really loyal to her... Spirit snacks maybe... >_>
Perhaps spirits just aren't used to spectrals treating them with respect, so when one comes along who does, they're so grateful they see it as a way of paying her back...

Would also love to see Isabel's potential explored, it's been mentioned several times in the comic that the range at which she could use her tool was really impressive. Isabel being a naturally gifted tool user would probably really irk her grandpa XD
Maybe what Isabel has going on is similar to Dr Zarei's method. Bonding with spirits so deeply. Maybe Dr Zarei could become a sort of mentor for her :0
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PretenseAndPoison
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PretenseAndPoison

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeWed Jun 15, 2016 5:48 pm

Isabel was pretty pissed when she volcano'd Eightfold like that though- a shame she couldn't summon similar results on the train- though she did get distracted, then stalled out for time.

Maybe this will come back into play as the story progresses?
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NinjaKitten
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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeThu Jun 16, 2016 2:38 am

Maybe. It's certainly a possibility! Though there's also lots of other stuff that could show up too, so who knows how likely that is.
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Apophyllite
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Apophyllite

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PostSubject: Re: Spirit/Spectral interactions   Spirit/Spectral interactions Icon_minitimeFri Mar 02, 2018 5:17 pm

So, turns out Dr Zarei doesn't tame or befriend spirits, she creates them. Apparently there's a control theme going on, with Hijack able to control animals and humans, his brother (13?) who can control spirits, an as of yet unnamed sister who can control emotions, Toolbox who probably controls objects, Hotwire who I assume from context probably controls vehicles...
While this is a pretty interesting development, I was kinda sad to see that the one spectral I assumed didn't use spirits just as tools to get neat powers was actually going beyond just bonding with a recovering spirit. She's actively creating spirits and using them to control others... Makes sense she really doesn't want the consortium to find out, if there's any kind of ethical supervision she could be in trouble. Not to mention the havoc that kind of abuse could cause in the wrong hands...
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