BONDS & CONDUITS
kel is heavily inspired by the utilitarianism philosophy that claims the suffering of one is not only justifiable but morally right when benefitting the majority. this philosophy manifests through BONDS AND CONDUITS. simply put, kel is a parasite and will die without a host — herein a BOND. this bond must be mortal and must be emotionally compromised. immortal or undead beings CANNOT be a bond. period. end of discussion. when kel chooses a bond, he places his entire existence within their life force, which kel calls their spark. this, however, is only possible if the mortal accepts him. unfortunately for the mortal, acceptance is like the checking of the do you agree with our terms and conditions box — meaning it is unlikely they are aware of what they are agreeing to. additionally, a bond request may be as vague as a name inquiry ( wherein agreeing to provide a name is agreeing to accept him ). kel can only have one bond at a time and is fiercely protective of them. a bond, however, will not know they are a bond, and kel will NEVER share their identity with anyone. even so, while he provides a bond with protection and companionship, it is not without cost. kel hijacks their life force, absorbing it until it is PART of him. this can take years to occur, and a bond will steadily grow unstable as their life force is absorbed. the completion of this, however, is not what finally kills them. being mortal, a bond does eventually have to die, and kel, being immortal, does not. since he is tied into a bond’s life force, kel will die if they do, which is why he guards them so fiercely and leaves them so quickly. the only way kel can seperate from a bond is by taking their life force with him ( i.e. killing them ). CONDUITS are far less involved. anyone or anything “ alive ” can be a conduit — even immortals and undead. in fact, if your muse is communicating with kel, they likely already ARE. conduits provide sustenance. that is all. this will not impact your muse in any way, since he absorbs energies, specifically negative energies, already being spent. ( similar to a rag collecting sweat from your skin ). kel is basically an air purifier. other beings closely tied to and reliant upon negative energies may be weakened by his presence. as with a bond, kel cannot force anyone to be a conduit. however, as with a bond, the route by which kel gains permission is hardly explicit. if you do not want your muse to be a conduit, do not let them give him a name — nickname or otherwise. it is important to note that a conduit is ONLY a conduit when in kel's immediate presence. he cannot access their energies from across a galaxy. in exchange for those energies, kel offers companionship and healing. ( toxic, convoluted healing lead by dangerous games and sharp smiles. flower crowns and butterflies are possible, but kumbaya will never happen ). kel does not CONSCIOUSLY seek to help. he is a truely selfish creature. but it is what he is driven to do, albeit unwonted. formed from the grieving tears of a child whose innocence and hope had faded, kel was made help just as he was made to hurt — and, thus, as the philosophy dictates: a bond will ALWAYS suffer so a conduit might live.
