Lyra Belacqua has vanished, and her memory with her. The Magisterium rules with an iron first over Brytain. The young inhabitants of Cambridge must take matters into their own hands before it is too late
(oc x oc)
(Open!)
(Everyone welcome, includin...
For those of you who know the series, you can skim over this chapter (please read it anyhow as it is not identical to the books/show)
Dæmons
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Dæmons are the external physical manifestation of a person's "inner-self" that takes the form of an animal. Dæmons have human intelligence, are capable of human speech - regardless of the form they take - and usually behave as though they are independent of their humans. Pre-pubescent children's dæmons can change form voluntarily, almost instantaneously, to become any creature, real or imaginary. During their adolescence a person's dæmon undergoes "settling", an event in which that person's dæmon permanently and involuntarily assumes the form of the animal which the person most resembles in character. In this fic, most dæmons have settled by the ages between 14 and 20. Dæmons are usually of the opposite sex to their human, though same-sex dæmons do exist.
Although dæmons mimic the appearance and behaviour of the animals they resemble perfectly, dæmons are not true animals, and humans, other dæmons, and true animals are able to distinguish them on sight. For example, it is possible for humans to distinguish a bird-shaped dæmon within a flock of birds in flight.
Dæmons frequently interact with each other in ways that mirror the behaviour of their humans, such as fighting one another when their humans are fighting, or nuzzling one another when their humans embrace, and such contact between dæmons is unremarkable. However, a human never touches another's dæmon as it is considered the greatest taboo and an infringement of personal respect and dignity. Daemons cannot naturally separate from their humans, and must stay a few yards away at all times because it is extremely painful when they try and separate.
However, in very rare cases, humans and dæmons can separate. It is a very painful process and often results in death. When a human dies, the dæmon's body vanishes.
Form Dæmons settle during puberty to a form that reflects their mature personality. Often, this happens to coincide with their profession - for example dog dæmons are the most common with security guards or soldiers, so there is an element of suitability to it. For example, one would probably never find someone who isn't a sailor or a fisherman with an aquatic dæmon.
The most common forms of dæmons are regular animals such as cats, birds or ermine. Although we might all want a tiger for our dæmon, it takes a very specific and unusual person. Imagine what walking around a city with a tiger might suggest about you.
Admin's note: Please pay attention to the point above. If you want an unusual dæmon, say a leopard or a giraffe etc you need to have a very good reason. So, feel free to be creative! Do your research, and come up with all kinds of interesting cats, dogs, snakes and so forth. However, you don't have to over think it. Your character will likely be better suited to a Jack Russel than a fire-breathing short snouted dragon-cow (ok, that's not a thing but you get the point).
