The Physhbowl

Avatar

5 min read

Avatar is a term commonly used to refer to individuals who have gained otherworldly abilities through their connection to The Entities. There is no absolute definition of the term as it is a human attempt to categorise and define the effect The Entities can have upon humans. The term “avatar” was apparently coined by Georgie Barker in MAG 93 - Contaminant, though Adelard Dekker also uses it in MAG 157 - Rotten Core.

“Avatar isn’t a thing, Martin! It’s not– It’s just a word. A word used by… fools like Smirke to try and sort everything into neat little boxes, to reduce the messy spray of human fear into a checklist: human, avatar, monster, victim.”
-Jonathan Sims, MAG 183 - Monument

When asked about avatars in the Season 4 Q+A Part 2, writer Jonny Sims and Alexander J. Newall state that becoming an avatar requires an, “active choice,” on the avatar’s part. Dying is a necessary part of the transformation, but the death can be either literal or metaphysical in nature. An avatar’s powers can vary from person to person, and two avatars serving the same Entity will not necessarily have the same powers.

According to Jude Perry, an avatar must “feed” their Entity or the Entity will begin to feed on them. This is demonstrated by Daisy and John in season 4, as they both grow weak when they will not hunt or take live statements, respectively.

Post-Change

In the Post-Change world, avatars do not exist as they did previously. Instead, the world is divided between Watchers and the Watched. A Watcher is someone who creates or otherwise encourages fear, while a person who is Watched experiences immense fear and suffering. Because the actions of a Watcher directly feed The Eye, The Entity ruling over the Post-Change world, they are not directly affected by the horrors around them.

John can use his powers as The Archivist to make a person who is Watched into a Watcher. He can also call upon The Eye to witness a Watcher, thereby making them Watched and ending their existence.

Individuals

Note: This list encompasses all those who have been changed by The Entities or seem to serve them in some way, whether or not they are explicitly described as an avatar. Those who have encountered an Entity can experience minor changes without necessarily becoming an avatar, as the line between humans, monsters, and avatars is a matter of interpretation.

A name in bold indicates a character who has been explicitly described as an avatar or has spoken about their experience of becoming an avatar.

The Buried

The Corruption

The Dark

The Desolation

The End

The Extinction

The Eye

The Flesh

The Hunt

The Lonely

The Slaughter

The Spiral

The Stranger

The Vast

The Web

Unbound Individuals

There are some individuals, while aware of The Entities and their power, who either keep away from associating with these powers, or aim to stay away from falling to a single one.

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