How Hosts Work

All living things on the planet Kronus(may change name) have an energy called mana, and it can also be imbued into nonliving things. Gods are living concepts of things and can affect and control their concept. They need mana to sustain their forms, and without it they lose their physical form until they passively gain enough to reform. In order to survive, they possess other creatures in order to extend their life.

People that have been possessed by gods are known as 'hosts' or Godhosts. The possession gives the host power over what they perceived the god as, up until they transform into the next new god. For example, if someone is possessed by a god that looks like a living candle, they could become Host of Fire, Host of Candles, Host of Wax, etcetera, based on their perception of it, and may intuitively know how to use certain abilities based on the previous host using them. The god itself does not have a consciousness, but vague memories or feelings from past hosts can be passed to the next ones.

When gods take over host bodies, the hosts begin to feel an attraction to large mana sources, and also have a tendency to use much more of it than nonhosts. The more mana a host uses, the more they want to use. If a nonhost uses all their current mana supply, it leads to mana exhaustion. If a host uses all their current mana, it leads to them becoming physically becoming more godlike, and mentally less stable, until the physical or mental stress causes them to fully transform.

While anyone can become a host, not everyone should be, and there are plenty of hosts who cause trouble. Hosts that may pose a danger to others are considered "rogue hosts", and the different capitals have laws and systems in place to deal with them. Most hosts use a partner system, where they have at least one partner to help sustain and maintain them. Usually it will be someone close to them, but they can also be assigned or hired, and most are nonhosts to provide extra mana as needed.

Mana Exhaustion: 

Cause: Using too much mana at once/using all of one's mana supply at once

Symptoms: Mana regenerates slower, body soreness, fatigue, confusion, blood vessel damage

Treatment: Bed rest and a proper diet, reducing mana activity

Mana Sickness: 

Cause: Overexposure to mana/absorbing more mana than what's normally in your natural supply

Symptoms: Bigger mana reactions, Insomnia, itchiness, nervousness, paranoia, migraines, muscle tremors

Treatment: Leaving mana heavy areas, gradually using mana to flush it out of their system

Mana Stress:

Cause: Host using too much mana at once/using all of their mana supply at once

Symptoms: Physical changes, irritability

Treatment: Besides forcing the host in question to reduce their mana usuage, there is none :)