At any time a Doll may “cut its strings". String-cutting is an effective defensive maneuver very similar to abandoning a useless body, but lacking the long-term effects. String-cutting is an instant maneuver; if a Doll chooses to do it at the beginning of a round, it will take effect as soon as the Doll declares its intent to do so (before any actions actually take place). Cutting strings and remaining with a body requires the expenditure of a single Harmony point. A Doll may remain with its strings cut as long as it wishes, and need not spend Harmony until it returns to its body -- which requires another Harmony point. Both string-cutting and returning to a body are considered to occupy the Doll's souls for a full round.
A Doll whose strings are cut is aware of its body, and looks upon it third-person as though in a dream, but has no control over it. The body will go limp and collapse, anything resembling vital signs or muscle control vanishing abruptly. During this time, the body is exceedingly difficult to damage; the Doll is completely immune to bashing damage (its limbs will bend disturbingly rather than break, and return slowly to normal), its lethal soak pool is increased by 5, and it may use its full soak for aggravated damage. In addition, a string-cut Doll will not have an aura or weaver-taint as it normally would; it is effectively undetectable and registers as nothing more than a corpse.
Naturally, this ability has manifold uses. It can be used long-term, so that a strange corpse in an alley (or a meat locker!) might spring up whenever something suspicious happens, or very short-term, to allow a Doll to survive a fall at terminal velocity and stand up the next round.
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