Slenderman Headcanons: Proxies Masterlist
How Do Proxies Work in the AU?
A collection of all current posts about proxies in my AU.
________________________________________________
Proxies are those whose minds have been bound to a slenderbeing. This binding is the creation of a one-sided link between the slenderbeing and the proxy; allowing the slenderbeing to send and take information from the proxy's mind while the proxy is unable to access the mind of the slenderbeing. The binding / creation of the link does not require any input from the one chosen to be a proxy and varies in strength.
The strength of the Proxy Link determines the extent of control the slenderbeing has on their proxy's mind.
The strength of this link progresses inversely to the mental resistance of the target - meaning; the stronger your own psyche the less the slenderbeing can compel your mind. However, any secession of mental ground is permanent - you cannot submit to the link one day and resist the next because of renewed mental vigor.
This is difficult, of course, because it is within the slenderbeing's best interest to strengthen the link and they have many ways to chip away at the strongest mental defenses. It's quite easy to wait for - or even orchestrate- situations that would wound the psyche. It is child's play to send emotions through even the weakest of proxy links. Only marginally more effort is needed to place a stray thought here or there. Slipping through intentions you think are your own barely needs anything more.
And so on and on it goes, until the link has progressed to the height of its strength and your mind has been wholly surrendered.
Stages of Proxy Development
The process of strengthening the Proxy Link rarely happens instantaneously. In addition, influence over a proxy does not progress in the same way for each person. For example, a slenderbeing may have great influence over all aspects of the mind except dreams for one proxy but is easily able to control the dreams of another while struggling to control other aspects.
As a result, slenderbeings to do not categorize or name "stages" of proxy development. The term "Stages of Proxy Development" was coined by The Resistance to describe the extent to which a person's mind was compromised and what steps needed to be taken to "plug" the information leak. They categorize proxies into 7 Stages which take into account both the number of abilities the slenderbeing displays within the proxy's mind and the degree of control displayed with each ability.
These abilities include, but are not limited to:
The ability to read a proxy's mind
The ability to speak to a proxy mentally
The ability to control a proxy's emotions
The ability to control a proxy's memories
The ability to control a proxy's dreams
The ability to control a proxy's senses
The ability to control a proxy's thoughts
A proxy in Stage 1 might have odd and unexplained bursts of emotion (1 ability) but is able to reign it in and move on (low control). Recommended steps upon detection: removal of clearances, monitor or quarantine to determine if outside slenderbeing interference or personal mental state. If former, begin anti-psychic protocols.
A proxy in Stage 6 might hear voices that are or are not their own, feel and see things that are not there, have vivid dreams or nightmares of things they have never thought of, be unable to remember moments, days, weeks, years of their life, be convinced of untruths and be prone to uncharacteristic mania, melancholy or rage (6+ abilities) and no matter how hard they try they are unable to break out of this - if they're even awares enough to try at this point (high control). Recommended steps upon detection: high probability of slenderbeing influence. Place in high security quarantine, review all accessed information and clearances to determine extent of intel leak, administer anti-psychic protocols despite high-fail rate. Euthanize upon failure.
A proxy in Stage 7 can be placed under full control of the slenderbeing at any time whether they know it or not. They have fully surrendered their mind and the slenderbeing can control all aspects of their psyche - and through that, their entire body. The control is so absolute that a slenderbeing can stop the heart of a proxy at this stage by simply willing it. Recommended steps upon detection: immediate euthanization.
Beyond the Proxy Stages of Development, proxies can also be broken down into two "types". A slenderbeing would probably characterize them as "those competent enough for agency" and "useful idiots". The Resistance calls them "Agents" and "Sleepers".
These are proxies aware of their status as proxies. The slenderbeing they are bound to may have the ability to control them, but Agents are both willing enough to follow orders and smart enough to execute those orders on their own that they are allowed to retain some agency.
These are proxies unaware of their proxy status. Some sleepers are unaware that the changes in their psyche are due to an outside force and believe they are acting on their own thoughts and beliefs, while other Sleepers are completely unaware that anything has changed at all due to the manipulation of their memories.
There have been those who have willingly offered themselves up to a slenderbeing as a proxy. If the intention is sincere and their conviction strong, there will be no mental resistance to the proxy link. This allows the slenderbeing to bypass the lengthy process of gradually strengthening the link and form the strongest link possible right away. It is almost unheard of today, but there are accounts of it happening in the days long, long before The Revolution.
The link that binds a proxy to a slenderbeing is traditionally a psychic / mental one. While the mind is powerful and allows amazing control over surprising aspects of a person's capabilities, the slenderbeing is limited in what can be passed through the link by the scope of the proxy's mind. For example, under control of a slenderbeing a proxy may run faster than they ever could before due to the removal of innate mental barriers used by the body to prevent injury or exhaustion; however, a proxy whose brain has no structures to process images cannot be made to see, just as a proxy who is incapable of using magic cannot be compelled to cast a spell and so on and so on.
This limitation can be bypassed in proxies who have reached the highest stages of development through the use of soul binding.
Essentially, the slenderbeing uses the link to guide a small piece of their own soul into the proxy. This allows the slenderbeing to pass their own capabilities to the proxy via the proxy link. A soul-bound proxy under the control of a slenderbeing can be made to heal as quickly as the slenderbeing does, access strength their own body is incapable of, unlock psychic abilities unseen in the proxy's race, utilize magic, or even summon tendrils of their own.
However, there are consequences associated with creating Soul-Bound Proxies. Once that Proxy dies or is killed, the piece of soul used to bind them dies as well. While the portion of soul lost is too small to kill the slenderbeing upon its loss, it is still a painful and disquieting sensation that permanently weakens the slenderbeing proportional to the size of the piece of the soul that was lost. While only the smallest piece is needed to form the soul-bond, larger pieces allow for more transfer of power. Soul-Bonding a proxy is a large risk that must considered seriously and balanced to the rewards.
Of course, this is Soul Magic and - while considered a more stable type of this magic - it falls under the ban put into place after The Revolution and is no longer practiced.
Any species can be made into a proxy; from animals to humans to other cryptids, each with their own pros and cons.
Their lack of intelligence makes it quick and easy to form strong proxy links, yet that same lack of intelligence makes their use limited. What benefits would a slenderbeing get from a proxy whose kin / community provides no sustenance, who is unable to properly integrate themselves into the lives and environments of higher-intelligence targets or perform tasks requiring communication or fine motor control? Animal proxies, as a result, are rare and seen as a waste of time to most.
The most common species used as proxies. They are intelligent enough to perform a variety of tasks, are already integrated into the society of the slenderbeing's food source (humanity) and strong enough to do damage where needed. While their lack of magical and psychic abilities can limit their use, it makes them easy to bind, the proxy link easy to strengthen and reduces any threat of retaliation.
There are, of course, a variety of cryptids which would have their own pros and cons as proxies. As a whole, however, any cryptid would be stronger and all around more capable as a proxy than a human. That being said, cryptids have much higher mental defenses and are thus much, much harder to control. Additionally, cryptids with any sort of psychic skill would be able to detect the attempt to bind their minds and rebuff it. Those will high psychic skill could even trace the link back to the slenderbeing in question and retaliate. The most dangerous form of retaliation is "kickback", where the most psychically skilled cryptids are able to use the failed binding attempt to access the slenderbeing's mind and wreak havoc there in a variety of ways.
Even if a slenderbeing were to succeed in making a cryptid into a proxy, the nature of being a proxy is so intrinsically linked to control and subjugation that it is seen essentially as slavery. Such an act against a fellow cryptid goes against the beliefs of The Revolution and has been outlawed.
Slenderbeing Relationships to Proxies
In the broader culture of slenderbeings, proxies are seen as slaves. How a slenderbeing sees, treats and involves themselves with their proxies is a personal preference.
Some will appear before proxies, live amongst them, provide for them or otherwise guide them more materially while others are so detached that their proxies have never laid eyes upon them and have no idea who they are serving. The degree of involvement does not dictate the treatment received by the proxies; a slenderbeing can be involved and cruel or distant and lenient. Neither does cruelty or leniency necessarily indicate the presence of emotional bonds.
However, in some very rare cases, some slenderbeings may grow genuinely fond of a proxy (or proxies) in the way a farmer may grow fond of a specific animal. Perhaps this is because they are uniquely entertaining or perhaps they are more talented or competent than their peers. Whatever the reason, it does not supersede that they are still less than and there to serve a purpose; but may grant them some leniency or other boons. Alternately, a proxy may be uniquely troublesome, inefficient or annoying - sparking animosity and triggering heightened hostility.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of slenderbeings are apathetic to their proxies, seeing them as nothing but tools to be used towards their own ends. Any relationship - if it can even be called that- between a slenderbeing and their proxy is decided simply by the goals at hand and the necessary strategy to get there.
