Editing Eidolon (section)

==Abilities and Powers==
He has the ability to equip himself with a tremendous array of varied powers but is limited to holding a few at the same time.  He typically uses three, though he can take more at the cost of potency if required.<ref name="18.7e1">“Eidolon can hold onto about three serious powers at a time,” Tecton said.  “If he’s packing flying, danger sense and gravity manipulation, that’s it.  Sometimes he does four, but two or three of them are usually pretty minor.  Enhanced accuracy, whatever.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-11/arc-18-queen/18-07// Excerpt] from  [[Queen 18.7]]</ref> The powers he chooses take time to build up, but within minutes he can match the strength of veteran users of the same abilities.<ref name="Cast2">'''Eidolon''' –  Third member of the Protectorate’s ‘[[Triumvirate]]’.  Eidolon has the ability to use any power he needs at a given point in time, maintaining a set of two to four powers at a time.  Adopting a new power is not immediate, but after minutes, his abilities with that power grow to the point they rival or surpass veteran users of the same abilities. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/cast-spoiler-free/cast/ Cast in Depth]</ref>

Even though his power is one of the strongest, he does not have much control over it.<ref name="12.4 c1">Hydrargentium Hg: It’s seems rather clear to me that Eidolon is a highly unimaginative person. Back when Scion showed up, I got the impression that the look of derision he gave Eidolon was not directed at him as a member of the rest of the human race, but as a being with so much power, but without the wherewithal to find a way to stop Leviathan. I’m sure each one of us could come up with 1001 uses of Eidolon’s power to stop people like Leviathan and Siberian. The fact that Eidolon can’t suggests he’s more suited to wearing suits and having pointy hair in a classic Dilbertian workplace than to being a superhero.<br/><br/>Wildbow: That, or his power has a catch. 😉 - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/plague-12-4/#comment-2888 Excerpt] from [[Plague 12.4]]</ref> He is limited to holding tighter to or discarding given powers, which are selected by his [[shard]] in accordance with what it perceives David needs.<ref name="24.4e1">"Eidolon's power… he chooses what powers he gets?"<br/><br/>"He gets the powers he needs," [[Dispatch]] said.  "He can be receptive to new ones, hold tighter to ones he wants to keep, but that's it." - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/crushed-24-4/ Excerpt] from [[Crushed 24.4]]</ref><ref name="R1.1"/> As a consequence, Eidolon does not have enough awareness of his complete repertoire of powers.

Although he can use [[tinker]] powers, his access to other powers and the long-term element inherent in tinker powers vs. something like a blaster power of the same utility factors into their negligible use.<ref name="R Tinker Trump">Tinkering takes time and brainpower. Eidolon ~could~ get into it, but his power swaps out often enough that it's not worthwhile, and he could just get a power to do much the same thing. GU has ghosts like Bakuda, but they operate distinctly from one another, and don't really merge specialties. Generally it's going to be the same as Eidolon - she'll have one spirit provide the materials and her bakuda spirit puts it together into something slapdash, and that's what she uses. Anything else is arguably a waste of time, unless she's fabricating specialized materials or gear for her costume or whatever else. - [https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/6yh99p/6_to_inovation/dmnlgpr/?context=3 Comment by Wildbow] on Reddit</ref>

His powers' potency, however, has been slowly weakening over time. Powers he summons take longer  to build up and reach max strength, their maximum strength isn't as great as they should be or once were,<ref>[[Interlude 15.z]]</ref> and he's losing access to more powerful abilities like Matter Destruction.<ref name="I27"/> This leads him to look for a sense of challenge, in order to seek the untapped well of power he can feel when he is fighting.<ref name="18.ze1">“I’m losing my powers.  Slowly but surely.  If this goes much further, mankind may lose this war.”<br><br>“I don’t understand.”<br><br>Against the Endbringers, there are really only two individuals who can stop them, drive them away.  Scion is one.  I’m another.  Each of us is worth a hundred other capes, if not more.  I’m not boasting when I say this.  But my powers are getting weaker every day, little by little.  Whatever vast, improbably deep well parahumans tap into to use abilities, I suspect mine is running dry.”<br>[...]<br>“When I fight, Mrs. Yamada, I feel as though my lost power is somehow within reach.  Reserves I have not yet touched, maybe.  Or a fresh well.  It is something, but it is ''there''.  The problem is that I rarely get to truly ''fight''.  Do you understand?”<br><br>“Yes.  I think so.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/02/07 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 18.z|18.z (Donation Interlude #3; Jessica Yamada, Therapist)]]</ref> In the meantime, he's been using [[Cauldron vial]]s as booster shots.<ref name="I14y">“You want another booster shot?”<br/>“Probably another Endbringer attack coming up, it’s best if I’m in top form.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/10/13 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 14.y]]</ref> Eidolon speculated that [[Ignis Fatuus]] was not as restricted as he was, and perhaps if [[Glaistig Uaine]] claimed his power, she would not be as well.<ref name="I27"/> [[Skitter]], however, speculated that Ignis Fatuus was enhancing his power using a variant of [[Scapegoat]]'s power.<ref name="19.6e1">The flickering.  Was that some variant on Scapegoat’s power?  More broad?  Paging through realities to find the state he wanted to be in?  Uninjured, dressed?<br/>There were a lot of ugly possibilities with that one.  Could he affect how he was accessing powers? -[https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/03/09 Excerpt] from [[Scourge 19.6]]</ref>

He is later able to restore his energy reserves by digging up the power to sense and drain the [[shards]] of other parahumans, based on advice given to him by [[Glaistig Uaine]].<ref name="I27"/>

{{Quote|Eidolon’s some kind of exception, on a lot of levels.  His power works by different vectors, the innate limits aren’t there… something broke, and I’m betting the Endbringers are tied to it.  Like, this entity is fissioning off into countless fragments that impregnate hosts and somehow a little extra gets tacked on.  Or Cauldron’s method of replicating the fragments gets that little extra.|[[Tattletale]]}}

[[Glaistig Uaine]] referred to Eidolon's shard as the "High Priest".<ref name="27.x eHighPriest">"Can you tell me why you call me the High Priest, before I put my life in your hands?"<br>[...]<br>"Some lead by logic, by law, by order and organization.  Others lead by the abstract.  By faith and the imagination of the public.  Yes?"<br><br>"You're talking about leading… the passengers, the agents?"<br><br>"Naturally so.  Plotting, raising the faerie up as objects for worship.  They are chosen, ''cultivated'', as the situation demands, to suit the world outside, to best manipulate it.  The pantheon in the temple."<br><br>"Me.  I'm this temple?"<br><br>She nodded.  "Mmm." - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/27 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.x]]</ref> It is [[the Thinker]]'s counterpart shard to [[the Warrior]]'s [[List_of_Shards#The_Administrator_.2F_Queen_Administrator|Queen Administrator]].<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/qhhdwy/eidolons_reflection/hicr972/ Post on Reddit] that Wildbow confirms.<br>'''Wildbow''': Yeah, pretty sure I already confirmed this elsewhere, but this is a great summary of it.</ref>

===Relation to Endbringers===
{{Main|Endbringers}}
Eidolon is the unwitting<ref name="27.y c1" /> creator of the [[Endbringers]].<ref>Her creator was an administrator of the highest order, and she had been selected out of a pool of emergency resources.  All of her kind had.  Behemoth had been created to break stasis, Leviathan to take away resources in space and land, forcing communities into conflict as they were made to relocate. - [[Infrared 19.z]]</ref><ref>She had other drives.  To go to war against her creator.  To these ends, she created a nemesis.  She made him better.  He freed people, upset the system, disrupted the process, and in that, he created the chaos that would keep her simulation from being too sterile. - [[Infrared 19.z]]</ref> His power gives him what he needs;<ref name="24.4e1" /><ref name="Cast2" /><ref name="cast" /> according to [[Scion]], Eidolon subconsciously needs worthy opponents.<ref name="27.y e1">“''You needed worthy opponents.''” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/interlude-27b/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.y]]</ref><ref name="R1.1">Some people don't believe it's the case, saying that Scion only said it because it was a way to blow ''Eidolon's'' mind. Some say it was truth.<br><br>But Eidolon's power gives him what he needs. Scion says Eidolon needed worthy opponents. - [https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/23sic7/finally_getting_towards_the_end_but_have_some/ch07hsz/?context=3 Comment by Wildbow] on Reddit</ref> [[Tattletale]] speculates the Endbringers gave him the opportunity to use his abilities to their fullest and make a unique difference,<ref>“They say loneliness breeds the best masters, and it’s awfully lonely at the top,” Tattletale said.  “Nobody that can really put up a fight, no excuse to flex his abilities to their fullest, nothing that can really give the man any real ''stature'', next to Legend, who had all the face time with the media.  No real role to play, compared to Alexandria, who was managing the PRT.  Odd man out.”<br><br>I thought of Eidolon, the first time I’d seen him in person.  Meeting in preparation for the Leviathan fight in Brockton Bay… Eidolon had been standing off to one side, in a corner, lost in thought.<br><br>“Symbiotic, odd as it sounds, what with you trying to kill him and him trying to kill you.” - [[Cockroaches 28.4]]</ref><ref>"Let's face the facts, Simurgh.  Ziz.  Israfel.  Ulama.  Whatever you want to go by.  You started acting funny pretty much right away, after Eidolon bit it.  Maybe that’s mourning.  Maybe you respected him as an enemy, ’cause he was one of only two individuals who could really give you guys a run for your money.  Or maybe you had a different relationship.”<br><br>Tattletale let the words hang in the air.<br><br>“Maybe a parent-child relationship?  Maybe he created you.” - [[Cockroaches 28.4]]</ref> i.e., a true fight.<ref name="18.ze1" /> This subconscious need might be a result of his savior complex,<ref>“I hope that tonight is one of those moments.  I hope to fight, to fight ''seriously''.  With the information we have about this threat, I can feel confident that the situation would be salvageable if I fail.  Even in the worst case scenario, this could be ended with a strategic missile strike.  In my absence, the heroes would have weeks to adjust, to change their battle plans and compensate, before the next Endbringer arrived.”<br><br>“You’re talking about dying?”<br><br>“Here, at least, I can fight this monster, and where I might never make the gamble against an Endbringer, I hope to fight this thing to the death.  Hers or mine.”<br><br>''To the death''.<br><br>He continued, “If I can find that untapped well of power, then it will be worth it.  If I can’t, then there’s no point to me existing anyways.”<br><br>“Surely you have something else to live for.”<br><br>He gave her a look that was both incredulous and pitying.  She felt a pang of sympathy for Vista, and how she’d reacted when she felt like she was being condescended to.<br><br>''Maybe life doesn’t offer anything suitably interesting or profound to a man who’s been as powerful as Eidolon is'', she thought.  - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/02/07 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 18.z|18.z (Donation Interlude #3; Jessica Yamada, Therapist)]]</ref><ref>“Sit this one out, for all of our sakes.”<br><br>He broke eye contact first.  His eyes fell on Foil and Kid Win.<br><br>“Please,” I said.<br><br>He didn’t move, looking across the street at the others.<br><br>Then, as if the courtesy of the ''please'' had given him the ability, he spoke.  His voice was quiet enough that I was probably the only one who could hear.<br><br>“I live for this,” he said.  “It’s what I do.”<br><br>It was an admission of weakness, not a boast. - [[Sting 26.3]]</ref><ref>“When the shit hit the fan, when my clone divulged the ugly details to the public, I made sacrifices there too.  I walked away, so the Protectorate could stand.  Gave up ''everything''.”<br><br>“And I’m afraid I must ask you to give up ''this'' as well.”<br><br>“''This'' is all I have,” he said, his voice quiet.  “It’s my career, my life.  It’s my ''legacy''.  Some have children, flesh and blood to carry on their name and their memories.  I went without, for your sake, for the ''world‘s'' sake.  I didn’t have children because I wanted to save lives more than anything else, and if I made peace with that, it was because I told myself this would be my legacy.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/27 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.x]]</ref><ref>He met her eyes.  There weren’t tears in his eyes, but that fact was more surprising than not.  He ''felt'' like he wanted to cry.  When he spoke, he almost wished the words would bring the tears.  His voice was tight as he said, “I’d rather die in a blaze of glory than go out ingloriously.  I just-  It feels like it’s something I need to do.  I can’t put my finger on why.”<br><br>“We need you, David.  We can’t lose you, gloriously or otherwise.”<br><br>“I know.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/27 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.x]]</ref> an eagerness to prove his usefulness,<ref>“You tried to take your life.  The army, it was something you wanted?”<br><br>“I just- I know I’m not in any condition to fight, to do drills or any of that.  But there’s other stuff I can do.  Desk jobs.”<br><br>She nodded.  “I can offer you better than a desk job.”<br>[...]<br>He glanced out the window again.  He felt so ashamed of himself he couldn’t meet her eyes.  “The army wasn’t the thing.”<br><br>“No?”<br><br>“I wanted to go do something of my own will.  Take charge, take ''action''.  Stop living a life where everything is decided for me.”<br><br>“By joining the ''army''?” the Doctor raised an eyebrow.<br><br>He laughed a little.  “I know.  Stupid.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/27 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.x]]</ref><ref>''“Help’s on the way''.”<br><br>“Help?”<br><br>“''Eidolon.  We tried to keep things quiet, keep everything off the radar, but he caught on.  Legend’s at the other site with Pretender''.”<br><br>“Turn them away!” I hissed the words. - [[Sting 26.3]]</ref> and a desire to leave behind a positive legacy to others.<ref>He realized he was staring at the floor, raised his head to meet the Doctor’s eyes.  She was managing to look sympathetic.  It pained him.<br><br>“I’m not- being famous was never a focus.  I never begrudged Legend his status in the Protectorate, never put my status or any of that above saving lives.  Understand that.”<br><br>“Oh, I understand,” the Doctor said.  “It hasn’t always been pretty, but you’ve never wavered.”<br>[...]<br>“Maybe I’m not a good man, but I hope the people I’ve saved can do enough good to make up for that.  Does that make sense?”<br><br>“Yes,” the Doctor said.<br><br>“So I hope you don’t mistake me.  I hope others don’t mistake me, when I say that it does matter, still.  The legacy.  That I want people to remember me at my best, not as someone withered.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/27 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.x]]</ref><ref>“I…” Jessica said, “Why me?  What am I doing?”<br><br>“You ''know'', now.  If I die, you can explain what happened.  But I’ve read you, and I don’t think you will tell others until the fight is over, and you won’t tell others what I planned if I succeed, tonight.”<br><br>She stared at him.<br><br>“If you were a priest,” he said, “I would have you say a prayer and bless my endeavor tonight.  I will settle for having you wish me luck.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/02/07 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 18.z|18.z (Donation Interlude #3; Jessica Yamada, Therapist)]]</ref><ref>'''Greendoor65:''' Oh man, poor Eidolon. Really, he should've had his own staff therapist and people observing his mental health. He's a national asset and one of the most powerful heroes ever-it's kinda screwed up that he needs to get therapy by sitting on the roof with a child psychologist on break.<br><br>'''Wildbow:''' Eidolon isn't looking for therapy. He's looking for a priest - someone who will listen and bless his endeavors. - Conversation with Wildbow on Reddit, archived on Spacebattles</ref><!-- https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/38743082 -->

His power hooks up [[Endbringers]] to its well and allocates them vast energy reserves.<ref name="reddit eHookDrain">You could also argue he [Eidolon] was hooked up to three (later five) pretty massive energy drains. - [https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/8z8bw6/_/e2hnsfr Comment by] Wildbow on Reddit</ref> The addition of these massive energy drains arguably explain why his powers weakened over time;<ref name="reddit eHookDrain" /> more Endbringers would accelerate this drain.<ref name="reddit eProduceNew">'''Medium-term consequence:''' the shard network begins producing Endbringers that Superman can't stop that Eidolon could. [...] Eidolon gets to be more of a hero with worthy opponents (but the power drain starts accelerating). - Wildbow [https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/ou0lqq/_/h6ztf2o on Reddit]</ref> Only when fighting against Endbringers<ref>“Why isn’t it working?”  He asked.<br><br>“I…” she had to stop for breath, “I don’t care.  Whatever it is.”<br><br>“I was supposed to get stronger, and there’s nothing.  Nothing at all to reach for.” - [[Interlude 18]]</ref> can he sense these energy reserves and thus feel as if his lost power is within reach.<ref name="18.ze1" /> In theory, the creation of more Endbringers and the resulting drain could eventually push Eidolon to the point where he would learn (without the help of [[Glaistig Uaine]]<ref>It’s mine.  Ours.  But you’re stronger than I am.  I can see it.  The issue, High Priest, is that you need to open your eyes.”<br><br>“My issue is that the well has run dry.  I can’t tap it for power anymore.  My best abilities are gone, and I’m spending the remainder with every minute I fight.”<br><br>“Refill the well, then,” she said. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/27 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 27.x]]</ref>) how to drain the [[shard]]s of other [[parahumans]].<ref name="reddit eRefill">This may lean to Eidolon being forced to tap into the real power source and start draining capes. Cue some back and forth on morality and whether it's right, even when Eidolon limits himself to taking the lives and power reserves of capes who are already dying (maybe at first when they've given consent in advance, but throw in edge cases and Superman believing he can rescue people, and ramping pressure from the new Endbringers...), cue a few Eidolon vs. Superman conflicts. Eidolon's powers give him the strength he needs to match and even beat Superman - a worthy opponent without needing an Endbringer. - Wildbow  [https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/ou0lqq/_/h6ztf2o on Reddit]</ref>