The Operative's Dossier
The Operative's Dossier
The Operative's Dossier
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Table of Contents 5
“Coffee and eggs,” he ordered, closing the menu “Given their ‘punk’ leanings, I’m surprised they
and returning it to the dented plastic holder while agreed to meet with us at all. We should expect some
wiping salt crumbs from the table. insincere rudeness, particularly from Jules. She thinks
The yellow-haired woman, whose nametag of us as ‘The Man’ and will test boundaries.”
proclaimed her DORIS ASK ME ABOUT TODAY’S “So she’ll seem unmutual, but probably isn’t?”
SPECIAL, nodded and turned to his companion. Phoebe made another face, which had nothing
“You?” to do with her terrible tea. “If you could even
“Oh, I’m not-” With a look from her companion, expect mutualism from a CMURD. I advise keeping
she switched her order to, “A cup of tea and our expectations low. Buddy’s our in. Remote
blueberry muffin, please.” Doris nodded, then psychoanalysis indicates a desire to befriend others,
vanished into the kitchen. possibly to make up for a disappointing relationship
with his mentor.”
“Remember, we’re trying to avoid attention,
Phoebe,”
Phoebe,” he said. He nodded. “What about the last one?”
Phoebe, or the agent going by that name, rolled “Quiet when she’s not on stage, but has
her eyes but didn’t disagree. Instead, she turned her significant influence over the other two. Can detect
attention to the stack of tabbed files fighting for table deception approximately nine times out of ten, so
space with bottles of ketchup and maple-flavored presumably an expert in Psychodynamics.”
syrup. “How likely are they to agree to help?”
“Let’s review,” she said, opening the top file to “Various projections estimate between twenty to
reveal a detailed dossier, complete with a paper- thirty-six percent, depending on approach. Debasing
clipped photograph of a slender, long-haired man ourselves to meet at this… diner improved projections
sporting several tattoos. by five percent. It increases by fifteen percent if we
“Calls himself ‘Buddy’, obviously a pseudonym. offer a moderately valuable exchange.”
Likes showing up to protest marches and similar “What sort of exchange?”
engagements. Seems to be a part of his practice.” Phoebe
hoebe shrugged. “What do CMURDs want?
“Allegiance?” Territory, freedom from interference. We’re obviously
“Batini, though he’d probably be happier as an not going to continue pursuing reality crimes, but can
Orphan. Known associates,” she said, reaching for perhaps trade information.”
two more files, “a two-woman punk act. They keep “Well, heads up. Looks like they’re here.”
changing their band’s name. Seems to be part of the She turned her head. Even if she hadn’t seen
whole act. Jules and Lucy. Lucy’s a Hollow One. Jules their photographs to study, the agent had enough
used to be a Templar, but they kicked her out. Still experience to spot potential Reality Deviants on sight.
collecting intelligence on why, but that’s when she Three people, varying ages, obviously not family, and
connected with Lucy.” each with a distinct, semi-distressing fashion sense.
Doris re-appeared just then, long enough to deliver They caught sight of the two Black Suits in the rear
their orders before disappearing back to the kitchen. of the diner, and began approaching with a mix of
Phoebe sipped her tea while continuing to review files. apprehension, curiosity, and determination.
The tea tasted awful, completely unlike the hypertea Phoebe threw back the last of her atrocious tea,
served at the office. She struggled to disguise her made another face, and slammed the mug back onto
distaste. At least her companion had no such trouble; the table.
his eggs and coffee obviously delighted him.
“Let’s get this done,” she said.
“How should we treat them?” he asked, while
drowning eggs in ketchup.
Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by.
The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.
— Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance
Complex Crossroads
The future is worth fighting for, what that fight monsters have made it monstrous. If the future is to be anything
and future look like is anybody’s guess. For the other than Orwell’s infamous boot in humanity’s face, the most
Technocratic Union – that bastion of futuristic important fight involves saving the Union from itself.
warfare – such uncertainty presents perilous In Technocracy: Reloaded, the 21st century presents a
opportunity: a reinvention at the potential cost crossroads for the Union. The so-called “static mages” must
of everything the Union holds dear. change or die. The nature of those changes, and the forces
Since its medieval beginnings in Europe, the surrounding them, depend a great deal upon the wishes of your
Technocracy promised a better world. Three Mage troupe. Whatever you decide, the “soulless monolith” of
decades into the 21st century, that promise early Mage is obsolete. Behind that façade, a complex network
seems like a bad joke. Temperatures rise. of people and agendas strive toward a new tomorrow. They
Irrationality rules. The internet, which should have cemented fight monsters, rivals, and quite often each other. Mage 20,
Technocratic dominance, seeds chaos on a global scale. According Technocracy: Reloaded, and The Book of Secrets showcase
to the Technocratic Time Table, we should be living in paradise. certain elements of those battles. The Operative’s Dossier in
The reality, to put it kindly, falls considerably short of the ideal. your hands presents many more.
Despite its vaunted “unity,” the Technocracy itself is a divided
house. Its features seem outdated despite miraculous technology. Metaplot: Reloaded
Agents of the five Conventions find themselves increasingly at Because the Mage 20 series is metaplot-neutral, your troupe
odds, with death or worse as the potential cost for any perceived has a wide range of possibilities when dealing with the 21st-cen-
infraction. The decades-old campaign against rival mage sects has tury Technocratic Union. Most of them are covered in the Mage
become a sinkhole of money, manpower, and other resources. 20 rulebook (especially on pp. 82, 110, 135, 137, 169-170, 178,
Worst of all, to a dedicated Technocrat, the Union is itself guilty of 185, and 201), but several are worth noting again here, if only
crimes against the humanity it allegedly protects. From genocidal because their inclusion can drastically impact your treatment
deeds to vat-brewed mutations, the Technocracy’s efforts to fight of the Technocracy:
Introduction 9
The Dimensional Anomaly upon the way Technocracy operatives deal with that history. If
The lynchpin of the Revised Edition era, this metaplot the Union is innately corrupt, then such alliances (as suggested
option presupposes that a metaphysical cataclysm ripped through in the Preludes for Mage 20 and Technocracy: Reloaded) may
the Otherworlds, destroying virtually everything outside of be the only way to save the future for all humanity.
physical space and stranding the survivors in a terrifying limbo.
According to Revised chronology, this Dimensional Anomaly
The Horizon Assault
occurred over 20 years ago. According to Mage 20, its worst According to Mage Revised and its Storyteller’s Companion,
effects have probably subsided by now if the cataclysm occurred a massive Technocratic force, spearheaded by a disgruntled
at all. This event reshaped the way several Conventions, nota- Hollow One, invaded and obliterated the Tradition stronghold
bly the Void Engineers, exist in the 21st century. Without the Horizon. Although this optional metaplot occurred over two
Anomaly, the Union has dozens of Horizon Constructs, hun- decades ago, relations between the Technocracy, the Traditions,
dreds of Voidships, and thousands of personnel (Enlightened and the Hollow Ones depends a lot upon whether or not that
and otherwise) stationed outside of Earthly Consensus space. invasion came to pass. If it did, then the invasion was essentially
If the Anomaly occurred years ago and subsided, the Union the Mage equivalent of D-Day, with thousands of casualties on
suffered heavy losses, but has begun to regroup since then. If the all sides. Grudges linger, and cooperation between the Hollow
Avatar Storm still rages today, the Void Engineers operate under Ones and Tradition mages are strained at best. A Technocratic
diminished capacities and harsh circumstances — circumstances destruction of Horizon would also have caused the deaths of tens
that feel especially dire to the VEs because a rogue Void Engineer of thousands of sentient beings whose lives depended upon the
caused that catastrophe in the first place. Realm’s existence – a staggering moral crisis for any character
of conscience. While it’s possible that characters from those
Of all M20 metaplot options, your group’s response to the
factions might still cooperate with one another (as the survivors
Avatar Storm/Dimensional Anomaly storyline is most significant
and veterans of real-life wars often do), that “Hollow treachery”
to a Technocracy chronicle. Even earthbound Conventions felt
colors interactions between such characters, influencing their
the Anomaly’s effects, and that disaster restructured the balance
respective sects’ view of such alliances.
of power between Conventions and the ways in which recent
Technocratic generations have been raised, trained, and initiated The Purge of the Crafts
into their Union. The material in this Dossier’s Chapter One
Perhaps the gravest atrocity laid at the Technocracy’s door-
depends a lot on your group’s approach to the Dimensional
step within the last century involves the reputed purge of the
Anomaly and its effects.
non-aligned Craft sects. Although Mage 20 presupposes that
the Crafts survived this purge (or better, that it never occurred
The Fallen Technocracy
at all), that deed would have involved a global campaign of co-
An element of Mage since the 1st Edition era, this metaplot
ordinated slaughter. While the Crafts don’t usually distinguish
option insinuates that the Technocratic Union is an innately
between Awakened and unAwakened members they do remain
corrupt engine of global malignancy. If that’s true, then dedicated
deeply invested within their cultural communities (as described
Technocrats struggle against titanic odds to save the Union from
in The Book of Secrets, pp. 237-240). This slaughter would have
itself. If it isn’t true, then the Technocracy’s indisputable evils
included thousands of people worldwide. Worse still, those
are the result of blind devotion to ruthless authoritarianism.
people often come from traditionally marginalized groups: wom-
Either way, the Technocracy has done, and continues to do,
en’s communes, voodoo-creed devotees, Zoroastrians and Sufi
terrible things in the name of its ideals. For all its cool toys
Muslims, even traditionalist Catholics. If the Technocracy did
and philosophical justifications, the Union is guilty of mass
purge the Crafts, there’s no word for that purge except genocide.
murder, genocide, slavery, and more. The moral implications of
belonging to such an organization form an existential dilemma It’s certainly possible to play heroic characters from a
for any 21st-century Technocrat. genocidal culture. Even so, there’s a huge difference between a
person whose culture committed genocide a century ago and
Even if the Technocratic ranks are not filled with Nephandic
someone belonging to an elite organization that conducted a
infiltrators, the Fallen influence the Union in covert and awful
coordinated genocide recently. Besides the moral burden, there’s
ways. The Annotated Protocols of Damian (see The Book of the
also a question of potential collaboration with non-aligned
Fallen, pp. 165-166) is secretly popular within the Technocracy
mage sects. If the Technocracy did commit genocide against
even though this forgery is officially condemned. Its insistence
the Crafts within the last 20 years or so, there won’t be much
on brutal suppression of all dissent finds an eager audience
question of cooperation between Union operatives and Craft
within the Union, exerting a seductive pull upon operatives
survivors. Though the Traditions and Technocracy have been
who would never willingly deal with a Fallen mage.
at war for centuries, the Crafts opted out of that war, and their
Regardless of the source of its extremity, the Technocracy and members won’t feel terribly forgiving toward a group that decided
its operatives do, and have done, horrifying things. The potential to butcher friends and family members as part of a territorial
alliances discussed in this Dossier’s Chapter Two depends a lot dispute with someone else.
Introduction 11
Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.
— Jiddu Krishnamurti
Arcology X Project,
Sejong, Republic of Korea
Built between the Sobaek Mountains and the foothills of insulated from the effects of climate change and other threats, is
western Korea, the Arcology X Project lies approximately 100km one of the largest and most ambitious projects in the Technocracy.
south of Seoul. This self-sustaining research institution, which is Although headed by the White Dragons methodology of Iteration
X, the Arcology is an interdisciplinary project. Members of all of concept: genetically engineered nanobots assembling and
Conventions work together to save the planet. installing brain/computer interfaces. Her work is a mainstay
When complete in 2040, the Project will consist of a of the Project, with many agents receiving Arcology-grown
640m-tall Crescent Spire, a mostly subterranean, 48-story Hub biotech upgrades. Once Arcology X goes fully operational in
building beneath it, and eight biodome-like Pod buildings ar- 2040, all agent upgrades will be grown locally, from new limbs
rayed in a starburst shape around the Hub. Although the Spire to implanted plasma cannons.
and Hub have been constructed and powered, it will take over Rounding things out, Arcology X generates enough electrical
a decade to install all of the specialized equipment and properly power and Primal Energy to support all foreseeable experiments
configure the micro-biomes. The Spire casts an emerald light and operations. With geothermal wells running 6,000m below
over the complex, thanks to the abundance of plant life inside the Hub and an abundance of natural light, even sustained
its translucent walls. While the Spire sits directly above the plasma cannon testing won’t drain the Project’s internal power
Hub, they have separate foundations, allowing them to flex storage. Like most Constructs, Arcology X sits atop a Primal
independently in case of earthquakes, attacks, or other crises. Energy Node. This Node has a particularly high output, which
attracted intruders in the past, although the Red Dragons of
Sustainability the Void Engineers assure the Project leadership that everything
The White Dragons lead the Project’s construction and is safe now.
management, while their Progenitor Green Dragon counterparts
toil away in research labs, particularly bioengineering, crop manip- Sejong City
ulation, and advanced medical procedures. Arcology X’s structural Almost as impressive as the Arcology itself is Sejong City.
DNA overflows with green architecture, with leaves flowing from The still-growing Sejong is a Smart City, with virtually everything
most walls and pollination tubes literally buzzing with activity. wired into the Digital Web. Internet of Things (IoT) devices con-
With so many plants on site, the Arcology’s construction teams nect every apartment, street, and vehicle to the Web, efficiently
live onsite to maintain sufficient carbon dioxide levels. controlling every aspect of Sejong, from traffic to trash collection
An interdisciplinary micro-methodology, the Gardeneers, to resident happiness. On top of that, every centimeter of the
oversee the installation and performance tuning of Arcology city is visible and audible via surveillance devices.
X’s plant life. Through specialized calculations of temperature, The Yellow Dragons of the NWO control the behind-the-
humidity, gas exchange, pollinating insect efficacy, and other scenes operations of Sejong City, primarily threat monitoring
variables, the Gardeneers have engineered a gradient network of and terranorming (Technocracy Reloaded, p. XX). Autonomous
micro-biomes that spans the entire complex. In effect, no matter drones affectionately known as King Sejong’s Army or SDY,
what environment a plant needs, the Arcology has a home for it. bear cheery cartoon faces and typically perform their activities
Through these micro-biomes, Arcology X grows food for its without residents noticing. Few people in Sejong City order food,
1,000 residents, largely a biodiverse sampling of legumes, nuts, at least not consciously. Eco-friendly containers just appear in
grains, and vegetables. By focusing on crops with a low carbon their refrigerator and disappear once discarded.
footprint, such as lentils, tomatoes, and amaranth, the Project Though the city currently only has around 300,000 residents,
can feed its population even after it reaches 6,000. Aquaculture it steadily attracts people thanks to the Korean government
tanks support meat-hungry omnivores, with mussels going on gradually shifting national responsibilities from Seoul to Sejong.
the menu in 2024. Once the city is fully operational, the government will officially
More exciting than life support is the Arcology’s research relocate the country’s the capital to Sejong City.
into biotechnology. In 2015, Dr. Kim Min-a unveiled a proof
14 The Operative’s Dossier
Digital Web It couldn’t have turned out better for her; Arcology X is
Dr. Huang’s dream job. She spends most of her time fine-tun-
Thanks to White and Black Dragon cooperation with their ing equations to control the hundreds of micro-biomes in the
Iteration X and Syndicate counterparts in the early days of the Arcology, using her free time for bee husbandry, learning from
internet, South Korea boasts the fastest internet speeds in the the small insects as they pollinate the Project’s plants.
world, easily supporting experimental data transfers to and from
the Arcology, as well as the millions of devices in Sejong City. Ishikawa Mayumi (Syndicate, Black Dragons;
Technocratic Restricted Sectors serve as a buffer zone Associate Vice President of Operations)
between the Project and the rest of the Digital Web. Given the Ms. Ishikawa represents the Black Dragons’ interests,
ubiquity of internet usage in Korea, many Arcology Technocrats although no one’s exactly sure what that means. Though less
joke that they all have their own live stream show, which isn’t far secretive than Captain Li, Ms. Ishikawa keeps Chief Nguyễn
from the truth. Researchers constantly send experiment results, guessing what her true motives might be. Behind her disarming
peer feedback, and status updates. grin is a shark, constantly making deals in shadowy meetings
that somehow keep money flowing into the Arcology. A cagey
Threats businesswoman with an eidetic memory biomod, Ms. Ishikawa
remembers every detail of every encounter she’s had for the past
Like most Constructs, Arcology X lies atop a Primal Energy
decade, giving her the ability to step into a room and schmooze
Node. A Red Dragon survey team located it in 1951 and spent
everyone from the CEO to the janitor. As long as she’s at least
the next few decades fighting to free the Node from the hands
heard of someone, she can deliver a compelling, customized pitch.
of Reality Deviants — particularly TEs, who hold a cultish rev-
Thanks to this, Ms. Ishikawa is on the fast track to becoming
erence for such sites. After a battle with TEs triggered the 1978
one of the youngest Syndicate VPOs ever.
Hongseong Earthquake, the creatures finally fled.
Local TEs are now non-existent except for two groups of Kim Min-a (Iteration X, White Dragons;
therianthropes: a technology-loving pack of werewolves, and a Project Director)
like-minded cluster of were-spiders. Although both have stayed Dr. Kim is no stranger to multi-Methodology teams. In
away from the Arcology, they remain active on Sejong City’s fact, she’s multi-Methodology, having spent four years as a
periphery. Green Dragon, working on incremental biomod improvements.
Eventually, she landed on a solution to use nanobots as tiny
Key Personnel farmers to cultivate biological machines. Though her theory saw
Bak Jin-woo (Void Engineers, Red Dragons; Commandant) positive attention within the Green Dragons, the White Dragons
At a hulking 6’ 6 inches”, Commandant Bak’s childhood sent their top recruiters to get her to switch Conventions. Though
hormone treatments are obvious. His parents purchased injections this raised some eyebrows, no one can argue with the results.
to support his dream of joining the Korean National Basketball Dr. Kim’s research is cutting edge, able to create high grade
Team. Despite getting a military service exemption by qualifying enhancements at a lower cost than any other known method.
for the team, Bak put basketball on hold to join the ROK Marine Beyond her skill in the lab, she’s also a force in the board
Corps. Two years later, he joined the Border Corps Division. room. Although she rose to the position of Project Director
After twenty years of service, CMDT Bak spends most of through scientific achievement, she takes her role seriously and
his time behind a desk, resisting the impulse to solve all his has gotten nearly as good at leadership as she is at biotechnology.
problems with his plasma cannon. Bak’s Red Dragon battalion Li Kang-min (NWO, Earth Dragons;
falls under Security, which means he’s technically under Chief Regional Captain)
Nguyễn. Despite this awkward organization chart, Nguyễn trusts
Bak to do whatever he feels is necessary to ensure the security While not assigned to Arcology X, Captain Li is Sejong
of the Project from EDEs. City’s Surveillance and Control Commander and works closely
with Chief Nguyễn and Dr. Kim. Once a ruthless Black Suit,
Huang “Jane” Jinyu Li wears a Grey Suit now. He worked hard to gain a cushy job.
(Progenitors, Green Dragons; Research Director) He’s willing to mentor and guide those able to see past his
Dr. Huang leads the local Green Dragons. Holding PhDs well-crafted illusions or demonstrate a coldblooded approach
in Data Science, Ecology, and Botany, she is the world’s most to security. Blackmailing him is nearly impossible since so much
educated Gardeneer and optimizes plant installations for their of his past is shrouded in lies and misdirection, but he finds
micro-biomes and the Arcology’s needs. The Dragons headhunted attempts endearing.
Dr. Huang during her first doctorate, although she kept blowing Though he prefers the term “Yellow Dragons” for his
off the recruiter until she neared the end of her third PhD when Methodology, he uses “Earth Dragons” out of respect for Chief
she ran out of funding opportunities for her AI-assisted plant Nguyễn. For his stats, use Black Daggers (Technocracy Reloaded,
growth optimization theories. p. XX).
A small, Syndicate-led team works on enhancements to Matrix their use. That’s one of the downsides, anyway. If the bugs in
Invested Organisms (not Operatives, in this case). If it’s possible to MMDS technologies had all been fixed, they wouldn’t still be
invest primal energy into a living organism, and living organisms have works in progress, deep in the guts of these desert laboratories.
their own primal energy, it must be possible for a living organism to A lot of the tools and techniques created here are smoothed
generate primal energy in a form that can be used by others. In other out before they’re released to the rest of the Big T. Their flaws
words, it must be possible to create living Nodes. There is an ongoing are hammered out, but in the process so are some of their
cold war between the Syndicate and some of the Progenitor teams, greatest strengths. The tech on offer from MMDS is untested
after several incidents where Progenitor “doodles”, the experimental or currently failing tests, and highly vulnerable to the Paradox
life forms most students play around with in their free time, were Effect, but sometimes it’s worth it.
borrowed for the Syndicate research. They met nasty ends, though
the research was in a much earlier stage then.
Construct Personnel
Progenitor Applied Sciences work on viruses that eat primal
energy, nullifying or counteracting specific forms, like the work Colonel Demo Kyriakidi (Iteration X,
of MURDs or long-rm residuum (“Resonance”). Meanwhile, Time Motion Managers; Executive Director)
FACADE develops rapidly iterating entities: lab grown animals MMDS owes its entire organizational culture — knowledge
and humans that evolve in real time, adapting to whatever threats sharing, creative interchange, the fierce quest for “better” — to its
and challenges their environment poses. They have kill-switches, leader. Demo’s not a scientist, except in the Enlightened sense.
of course. The RIEs are notorious for evolving to render them He’s a career military man, who grew up reading pulp sci-fi novels
obsolete, but they have them. The key, if one escapes or goes and idolizing scientific geniuses. When he was posted to MMDS
rogue, is to catch it early. to rein in the research teams there and focus them on their core
Last, but by no means least, Void Engineer RAE are doing task of creating better guns, he tore up the rulebook, granted
what everybody else refers to as “the fun stuff”: weapons testing. research leads permission to do whatever the hell they liked, and
Tiny, discreet ones; huge, powerful ones; weapons that can remove let the results speak for themselves. He dodged reprimands and
a target from a given reality, that can implode matter, and other warnings from on high until the Oceanic Symposium reluctantly
things that occasionally elicit responses of “but why, though?” agreed that MMDS outperformed expectations.
on funding applications. Of all MMDS’ output, these are the Lynda McClellan
ones that are least often provided for field testing, much to the
(Syndicate, Disbursements; CFO)
relief of Technocratic colleagues in Alice Springs.
MMDS needs a lot of capital, both in terms of $AUS and pri-
MMDS doesn’t rely on external testing. There’s an entire
mal energy. Lynda is a genius at conjuring up both. She makes sure
internal division of Tier 0 and Tier 1 operatives on staff to put
the labs never run out of funding and resources, and as a result she
newly developed inventions through their paces. It’s a privilege,
is treated as somewhere between a queen and a minor deity. She’s
often a stepping stone to a less dangerous job, and the hazard pay
immune to flattery, but she doesn’t let the rest of the staff know that.
is exceptional. Testers are bound by Syndicate-drafted contracts
Bribes don’t get them anywhere, but she quite enjoys the little gifts of
and NDAs that mean if they ever breathe a word of what they
perfume, chocolate, or cutting-edge cosmetic procedures people give
do or see, even to Technocratic colleagues from outside MMDS,
her, thinking they’re greasing the wheels of their funding application.
their lives are irreparably ruined.
As a trans woman in her sixties, Lynda remembers when the
Resources world of tech innovation was even more of a “boys club” than it
is now, and dependent on “meetings of minds,” which usually
Operatives can requisition any of these inventions. The meant drunken, late night discussions. She keeps a watchful eye
researchers are more than happy to see them field tested. The on senior staff at MMDS and makes damn sure the Construct
downside is that an amalgam might have to take MMDS research- is run with respect and parity.
ers, or even a highly unstable virtual assistant, along to observe
Supervisor Elizabeth “Betsy” Horne Attacks/Powers: Nullify Paradox (Primal Utility 5),
Liquidate Living Assets (Primal Utility 5, rend Quintessence
“I told you, I want that meeting scheduled. What are you from a living Pattern), Exploit Opportunity (Primal Utility
waiting for? Christmas?” 4, gather Quintessence from a place, person, or thing of
The full stereotype of an ‘80s business tycoon packed into a strong Resonance), Living Asset Exploitation (Primal Utility
3, enchant a person or reality deviant to harm Patterns
5-foot-nothing frame, Miss Horne is a force of nature — or perhaps directly), Autoexploitation (Primal Utility 2, project an
of a carefully constructed system. She is in charge of both the image of the ideal self to the outside world), Control
mundane and Enlightened business-to-business negotiations of Subconscious (Mind 5, rewrites the memories of a sub-
the Experimental Station Symposium. ject), Control Conscious Mind (Mind 4), Psychodynamic
Blast (Mind 3, attacks a target’s mind with painful
To the EnPointe family, Elizabeth is “Betsy”, a loyal company thoughts), Mental Impulse (Mind 2), Mind Shield (Mind 1)
woman who worked her way up from administrative assistant to Equipment: ES-Phone, walking cane
Director of Outreach at the Brandywine Creek Experimental
Image: Betsy is an ethnically ambiguous woman of
Station. She’s never taken a sick day in her ten years of working indeterminate age, though a guess might place her in her
there. This is because, in her Syndicate life, Elizabeth is deeply ill. 30s. She only ever wears pantsuits and silk blouses with
Elizabeth is suffering from a particular form of Clarity Quiet, tidy pearl jewelry. Her dark hair is streaked with grey and
kept in simple, severe bun. Betsy rarely smiles, and when
one that drives her to sacrifice her own well-being to push the she does, it looks like she has too many teeth in her mouth.
EnPointe Company into the future, forever. Her limbs are slowly Cigars are never far from her hand, and she smells faintly
calcifying, only able to perform certain useful actions regularly. of tobacco. She never makes any sudden movements and
Without intervention, she will become an automaton, glittering, every gesture is oddly stilted.
dangerous, and utterly relentless. Then she will collapse. Roleplaying Notes: Speak slowly and clearly,
sometimes with an air of making a threat. Make yourself
understood and respected. You feel you are the soul of
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4 (Tireless), both the Symposium and the EnPointe Company, and no
Charisma 4 (Bold), Manipulation 5 (True Believer), one will take that from you. Remember: the good of the
Appearance 3, Perception 1, Intelligence 4 (Bright), Wits company always comes first.
2 Foci: As a member of the Technocracy, Elizabeth Horne
Abilities: Academics (Business) 4, Alertness 3, believes in A Mechanistic Cosmos and that Data Is
Intimidation (Management) 5, Leadership (Management) Everything. Secretly, though, within her heart of hearts,
5, Etiquette 3, Meditation 2, Research 1, Survival she also operates under the paradigms that Might Is
3, Technology (Experimental Tech) 4, Computer Right and Everyone Is Against Me, So Whatever I Do Is
(Surveillance) 4, Enigmas 2, Esoterica 3, Investigation Justified. Betsy’s preferred practices are Hypereconomics,
2, Law 3, Politics (Technocratic Union) 4, Science Hypertech, and Reality Hacking. Her favorite instruments
(Psychology) 5 are Computer Gear, Eye Contact, Fashion, Management
Enlightenment: 5 And HR, Mass Media, Meditation, Money and Wealth,
Spheres: Mind 5, Primal Utility 5, Entropy 3, Ordeals and Exertions (remember how she’s never taken
Dimensional Science 1, Data 1 a day off?), Social Domination, Tricks and Illusions, and
Writing, Inscriptions and Runes.
Willpower: 6
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5, Agent Beth Deuce
Incapacitated
“Can you hand me that scalpel? Sorry about Betsy, I know she
Armor: Black Suit (see pg. XX) can be a lot sometimes.”
26 The Operative’s Dossier
Special Projects and Where to Find Them
Perhaps surprisingly, Project Invictus was not involved in the creation of the ESS. The heads of the Project resent the
Experimental Station Symposium, seeing them as wishy-washy hoarders more interested in making lots of money than
in destroying Pentex. Project Invictus never directly attacks the ESS, but neither do they support its members.
The SISD are, once again, caught between a rock and a hard place with the Experimental Station Symposium. They
could support its Syndicate members, or they could follow their mandate to protect the SPD. Most try to stay far away
and avoid making that choice.
The SPD,
SPD, wherever they are, view the Experimental Station Symposium as a direct threat to the relationship they built
between Pentex and the Syndicate. Some Symposium members have started going missing for days at a time, and
coming back with blank looks in their eyes...
Beth says she’s adopted and tells fond stories about her Equipment: ES-Phone, various experimental tools
adoptive parents regularly. Some people at the Experimental Image: Beth is a young ethnically ambiguous woman in
Station say that’s her primary personality trait — but that’s her early 20s. Her dark hair is pulled back into a simple
usually only when they’re annoyed with her. Apart from being messy bun. She dresses plainly and practically, and there
is always a stain somewhere on her clothing.
adopted, Beth has a bright and cheery disposition, which makes
Roleplaying Notes: Talk about your adoptive parents
her both an excellent lab partner and friend. She works down and your upbringing a lot — they give you a sense of
in the biotechnology labs, developing new medical technology. identity apart from being a copy of Elizabeth Horne. Be
Sometimes she’s sent over to the children’s hospital to help the very excited about helping people and enhancing the
doctors test and repair equipment. She visits regularly enough world around you. You’re interested in everyone and
that the staff affectionately refer to her as “Doctor Beth”. everything, and how you can help them be better.
Focus: Beth believes very strongly that Everything Is Data
It’s true that Beth was adopted — but she has no birth par- and Tech Holds All The Answers, but if something goes
ents. At the request of Elizabeth Horne, the Progenitors created wrong, It’s All Good — Have Faith! Her preferred practic-
Beth Deuce from cells scraped from Horne’s hairline. Cloning es are Hypertech, Medicine-Work, and Reality Hacking.
Elizabeth Horne seems to have cloned her Genius too — though She always uses Blood and Fluids, Bodywork, Brews
perhaps, if Genius is biological, that was to be expected. Beth Concoctions, Computer Gear, Devices And Machines,
Drugs And Poisons, Formulae And Math, Gadgets And
decided to become a Progenitor like her creators, instead of a Inventions, and/or Labs And Gear as her tools.
member of the Syndicate like her “original copy”. She does not
work terribly closely with Betsy, but feels a certain amount of
protectiveness towards the elder woman. Beth knows Betsy is Plot Hooks
sick, and she wonders if she could be the one to develop the cure. The player characters are hired by the EnPointe Company
to assist Beth on a major biomedical breakthrough — an anti-psy-
chotic that also functions as a temporary cure for the Clarity
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4 (Hand-Eye Quiet. They might work at the Symposium’s headquarters, or
Coordination), Stamina 2, Charisma 4 (Bedside Manner),
Manipulation 1, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence they might bounce between Constructs in the US and Canada
5 (Keen-Edged Mind), Wits 2 nominally controlled by EnPointe.
Abilities: Alertness 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 2, Elizabeth Horne sees the player characters as an obstacle
Leadership 2, Crafts (Biomedical Engineering) 5, Drive to her plans and begins machinations to get rid of them. They
2, Etiquette 1, Meditation 1, Research 5, Technology find themselves blacklisted from other companies under the sway
(Biomedical) 5, Academics 5, Computer 3, Medicine 3,
Science (Biology) 5 of the Technocracy, and their handler works overtime trying to
Enlightenment: 3 find out why her Amalgam is suddenly personae non gratae.
Spheres: Life 3, Primal Utility 3, Dimensional Science 1 Shape-shifting Reality Deviants attack the Experimental
Willpower: 6 Station Symposium’s headquarters, looking for signs of “taint”.
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5, The player characters must fight back or negotiate with them.
Incapacitated Quarterly reports suggest that EnPointe is losing market
Armor: None share in an important new retroviral drug to Pentex’s subsidiary
Attacks/ Powers: Exploit Living Asset (Primal Utility Magadon Incorporated. Does Magadon really have the drug,
3), Create Stable Extraordinary Devices (Primal Utility or is this a new plot by Reality Deviants looking to corrupt the
3, allows Beth to shape nonliving Tass into a temporary Masses further?
Wonder) Autoexploitation (Primal Utility 2), Heal Life (Life
3), Alter Self (Life 3), Heal Self (Life 2)
At the turn of the millennium, with the Humanity meets threats to global peace with nationalism,
Technocracy’s paradigm sweeping the planet, racism, and terror. In response to disease, Sleepers spread
the Union believed Ascension within its grasp. misinformation recklessly across the Internet, using global com-
Industrialization spread to underdeveloped munication networks to dissuade others from taking basic safety
nations, and with it a belief in science, logic, precautions while spreading anti-vaccination sentiment as rapidly
and reason. Control’s Time Table appeared and virulently as measles or Ebola. Incompetent or indifferent
attainable and every group of Reality Deviants world leaders remove protections from endangered species and
opposing the Technocratic view had suffered the ecosystems they inhabit. Industrialists pollute and destroy
apparent defeat. Some Technocrats went so the world around them, attacking opposition to their rapacious
far as to declare victory in the five-century old disregard for the planet with tear gas and militarized security.
Ascension War. For a moment, the Union celebrated a mission This is not what the Union envisioned for humanity.
accomplished.
As these various existential threats rip the vision of
Now, two decades later, Technocratic Ascension has failed Technocratic Ascension to shreds, the leadership of the Union
to materialize. Instead, the world sits precariously on the edge must contend with the fact that the greatest danger they have
of annihilation. The planet’s climate inches toward the point ever faced is not some Tradition Mage in a tower casting spells.
of no return. Mass extinction threatens life at every segment of The ignorance of the Masses exacerbating these threats places
the food chain. Diseases once thought eradicated are returning the Time Table, the world, and the whole of humanity in far
in alarming numbers with remarkable frequency, while new graver danger. To effectively combat these issues and avert disaster,
plagues rise, greeted by woefully incompetent governments the Technocratic Union must come to terms with their role in
with tragically underprepared infrastructures. The specter of stoking the fires of Armageddon. The Technocracy is beginning
war hangs above nations at a scale unseen since the 1930s. For to recognize that their own Hubris has been a major factor in
the first time since its inception, the Doomsday Clock of the the crises that humankind must overcome in the 21st century.
Science and Security Board Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Believing themselves the arbiters of truth and a better way
is at 100 seconds to midnight, signaling that humanity is a while passing tools of science and reason down to the Sleepers,
hair’s breadth from destruction. Despite the best efforts of the the Technocracy set the stage for current affairs. By assuming
Technocratic Union, the Masses display inability to meet these that enlightenment would accompany these tools, the Union
challenges at every turn.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 29
exhibited reckless negligence that has now manifested in several attention of the Union, treating these threats as top priority,
impending apocalypses. may be insufficient to avert disaster. In addition to mitigating
Accompanying these revelations is the knowledge that there the damage already happening throughout the world, the Union
is no easy answer to the challenge the Union faces. With the must win the hearts and minds of enough of the Masses to turn
speed at which humanity is careening toward destruction, the the tide in favor of a brighter future, lest there be no future at all
Technocracy must dedicate every resource they can muster to to save. In short: The Union needs allies now more than ever.
crisis management. Most NWO analysts agree that even the full
Agent Jackson: ...don’t know what the Fast Horse [Affiliate Designation:
problem is. It seems like a good deal to me, Dreamspeakers]: And where are they now?
considering our situation.
The Priestess: We are getting off-topic. We
Professor G [Affiliate Designation: Cult need a solution but allying ourselves with
of Ecstasy]: No, no, no. You’ve got to be our enemies cannot possibly be it. Their
kidding me. The risk that working with those methods are violence. Even if their offers
brainwashed grunts far exceeds anything that of help were legitimate, you must know that
Veritas and their whole wannabe Manson family any cash, weapons, or Tass they slip you was
schtick could dream up. They just think earned through violence against our sisters
they’re big fucking deals — the black hats and brothers — against our ancestors and our
are a big fucking deal. Once they’ve ID’d you legacies.
and tagged you in their system, you’ll never
get out of it. It’s like creditors except Professor: All that, and they’re all a
they’ve got machine guns implanted in their bunch of “oorah” assholes.
skulls and really hate your vibe.
Agent Jackson: You’re passing up the
The Priestess [Affiliate Designation: opportunity we need to hit back at Veritas
Verbena]: G isn’t wrong, Jackson. What they’re and their whole Nephandic entrenchment. We
offering isn’t something we need. What they need this!
don’t understand — what they never will — is
that the money doesn’t work for them. They Fast Horse: No. We do not need their help,
think it’s power — and it is — but it’s a and we never have. Your family is correct.
power older and hungrier than anything Veritas They carry centuries of blood on their hands.
thinks they are worshiping, and that power, Their power structure was bought at the cost
it doesn’t serve them. They serve it. of our inheritance. The darkness that Veritas
is so desperate to try to bring into the world
Agent Jackson: That’s ridiculous, money is something that the Union has brought down
is just money, but we could really use it upon us time and again without even realizing
to fund— what entities they are serving because they
refuse to believe in them. Their gifts are
The Priestess: You should know better than only disease and suffering, and I will not
to believe that anything with power doesn’t betray those who came before me and those who
want to use it. How can you possibly be so might come after for an extra decimal point
short-sighted as to want to make a deal with in my bank account. I refuse to negotiate
a great evil to battle a small evil? any further.
but TAMURD performance and compliance, adjusting HOAR rating. Field Operatives may petition their Manager at any time
ratings accordingly. during an operation to adjust HOAR and DTFT ratings based
When entering the negotiation phase, rating 3 DTFT applies. on circumstance. Given the delicate nature of all TROs, secur-
Initial negotiations assume a level of acceptable risk when engag- ing Management’s approval is necessary before escalating any
ing Traditionalists. Upon reaching terms the Manager-in-charge conflicts with allied Traditionalists.
generally promotes the TAMURDs to rating 2 DTFT for the No preliminary negotiations with TAMURDs may escalate
duration of the TRO. As with the HOAR rating, the Manager beyond an Acceptable Force Escalation Threshold (AFET)
may employ discretion regarding the allied Traditionalists’ DTFT of 2 without explicit permission from the Manager-in-charge
In Humanity’s darkest hour, a bright flame emerged to light Building Bigger Tables, Not Higher Walls
the way: The Challenge Fate Foundation. Free from the dogmas The existence of the Disparate Alliance is a fundamental
and prejudices that have bound the Masses and Enlightened alike, failure of the Technocratic Union to achieve true Consensus. If
the Foundation works diligently to apply the scientific wonder we cannot even reach the lost and orphaned that have stumbled
of Technocratic thinking to achieve the control necessary for across Enlightenment by personal effort or random chance, what
life on Earth to flourish. hope is there to reach the Masses at scale?
Much has been written about the errors and miscalcu- The Union’s reputation as soulless enforcers of an oppressive
lations in the Technocratic Union’s attempt at crushing the Consensus is well deserved. In turn, many of our own members
will of the Masses to achieve an ideal Consensus. Even softer suffered greatly at the hands of Reality Deviants misusing powers
seeming methods applied in recent years have delivered mixed they didn’t truly understand.
results. The idea that the best cage is the one with no bars is
Someone has to take the first step towards peaceful coop-
incorrect. The imprisoned always know and rebel eventually, if
eration, if not reconciliation.
only subconsciously.
Earning trust takes time and may well be unachievable. We
You may have heard that ‘the Challenge Fate Foundation is
may well be fated to war with the TAMURDs until the Earth
a joint effort between Iteration X and the Progenitors to improve
burns all around us. However, we exist to challenge fate in all
quality of life, foster Enlightenment, and find creative solutions to
forms: a doomed Earth, inevitable war and chaos, and hatred
existential threats facing humanity,’ but this short summary belies
and ignorance winning the day. We, at the Challenge Fate
the grand scope of our work.
Foundation, say no.
We invite you to visit one of our ongoing experiments so that
you might understand – and get involved – in our work. Project Cloud Piercer
Known by the locals as Mount Cook, New Zealand’s
Better Living Through Science tallest mountain is known as Aoraki, or Cloud Piercer by the
The Challenge Fate Foundation works under a singular indigenous Māori. This sacred mountain has served as a bastion
guiding principle: any challenge facing humanity can be solved for a small splinter group of NAMURD known as Kopa Loei,
with properly applied technology. Where other iterations of who fled Technocratic desolation during the colonization of
the Technocratic Union might rely on towering cyborg war Polynesia. A routine drone sweep surveying the damage after the
machines to desolate communities harboring, or even suspect- Christchurch earthquake in 2011 detected them. As the drone
ed of harboring, Reality Deviants, the Foundation approaches entered the area, an unseasonably strong storm arose and caused
things differently. That same towering cyborg might be applied the unit to malfunction and crash. A blizzard beset the recovery
to planting fields, disaster rescue, or local defense against the team sent to collect the wreckage, despite the country’s summer
community’s external foes, and, more importantly, extend a conditions at the time.
hand to the RD in question in partnership for the betterment
Analysis confirmed the weather had been manipulated
of the community.
by members of the Kopa Loei, a Craft group belonging to the
The Foundation’s goal is not to enforce, but encourage Disparate Alliance. The Kopa Loei once ruled all of Polynesia
consensus by giving the Masses a vision of the future they can until the Technocracy broke their system of Awakened kings
believe in. Rather than creating killing machines, cybernetic and Nobles. In the aftermath, many Kopa Loei found their way
enhancements have been used to replace limbs for people into the Dreamspeaker TAMURD organization. Many others
wounded in regional conflicts, or by undetonated landmines. still cling to the illusion of independence.
Machinery capable of creating the most effective poisons have
With TAMURD manipulation confirmed, a strike team
been repurposed into air and water filtration systems increasing
assembled to recover the drone and eradicate the Reality Deviants
the quality of life in even the most remote of areas.
responsible. A young analyst, Ahorangi ‘Angi’ Arataki, submit-
Most importantly, rather than sending black-suited agents to ted a request to Management for an experiment in diplomacy.
neutralize potential Deviants, the Foundation instead identifies Recruited from a Māori community at 16 years old, Angi believed
individuals with a high possibility for achieving Enlightenment her own background in Polynesian mysticism would specially
and helps foster their growth and development into useful and equip her to reach them. The only alternative was desolation,
contributing members of the Technocratic Union. Dr. Ree so her experiment was allowed to proceed.
Samadi’s meteoric rise and achievements in Morocco are an
Project Cloud Piercer presented an unusual scenario in that
excellent example of Challenge Fate Foundation principles in
there were no major environmental obstacles that made the location
action.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 41
particularly inhospitable. The Kopa Loei had long since adapted to The Loyalists, who are agents of Control, and the Utopians,
the rigors of life on the mountain, using its elevation and cloud cover who continue to labor under the original vision of the Order
to shield them from detection. Their system of reality manipulation of Reason.
known as ‘ho’omana’ had allowed them to live comfortably despite The Order of Reason’s original vision of was to protect
the harsh conditions. Their elders had filled the minds of their humanity from supernatural menace — all supernatural menaces.
youth with tales of Technocratic boogeymen endlessly searching
The Cassandra Complex originally arose as a hidden agency
for them, desiring nothing but their eradication. Obviously, there
dedicated to the use of arcane predictive models to foresee and
was no interest in diplomacy. A number of drones and an entire
avoid challenges facing the Technocratic Union. Although the
reconnaissance team were lost trying to establish contact, and the
Complex proved instrumental to many Union victories, given
experiment was very nearly declared a failure.
the current state of Consensus Management decided that their
In keeping with the principles of the Challenge Fate resources were ultimately being misapplied, and disbanded the
Foundation, Angi Arataki found a way. agency.
The Kopa Loei still rely on a quaint and provincial social At least, officially. Now the Cassandra Complex is less an
hierarchy that was outdated 200 years ago, but Angi used to the active, functioning organization than a covert, seemingly random
Union’s benefit. The community rely on individuals known as series of messages, support, and intelligence funneled directly
maka’ainana or ‘Wayfinders’ to read the signs in the land to guide to individuals within the Disparate Alliance.
them in their hunting and foraging. Management suggested that
Angi utilize the Foundation’s own weather manipulation capa- The Enemies of My Enemies
bilities to ensure the signs and omens would all point towards Although NAMURDs are officially enemies, some indi-
the imminent arrival of a ‘holy’ woman, but she refused on the viduals are potential recruits to the Technocratic Union. Even
basis that they would see through such a ruse. While there was those that would never be welcome in our ranks can still be
some internal debate as to whether such superstition should useful agents in our greater task of realizing a Utopian ideal.
be encouraged, Angi was adamant that honesty was the only Not every problem facing the Union can or should be solved by
way to open communications with their caste of wizard-priests black-hatted agents, cyborg drones or personal explosive devic-
called ‘Kahunas.’ es. Sometimes defeating our enemies means empowering other
The results exceeded all projections. enemies, drawing them closer into the fold and even converting
After skillfully aligning herself with the signs necessary to them into friends on occasion — the truest form of alchemy of
foretell her arrival, Angi presented herself to the community which we are capable.
hidden in the caves of Aoraki. Although she was unwelcome, the
signs and portents had been undeniable, and she was granted Knowledge Is Potential Power
an opportunity to address the gathered community. Her master The Crafts of the Disparate Alliance often labor in significant
stroke was encouraging their community leader, Paʻao, to use ignorance of the world, and the threats it contains. This point may
her knowledge of Kuhikuhi puʻuone or their system of divination well be obvious, since if they could see the larger picture, they would
to determine what should happen: Either her advice should be actively be petitioning the Technocratic Union for membership.
heeded as an emissary sent to guide them into a new and brighter However, as previously stated, there may be hope for them yet to
future, or she should be thrown off the mountainside to her see reason. If not, it is better to extend their resources and human
death — with their own doom soon to follow. Easily altering the capital rather than our own. Recently, we became aware of the
energetic flows of probability to flow in a favorable direction existence of a Hemophagic Entity operating in a major urban
won the day without a drop of bloodshed. area, which posed a quandary. Destroy it, ignore it, or try reason
with it. Destroying it is costly and fraught with risk to Consensus.
Notes for Storytellers The amount of Paradox generated in battling a centuries-old
The Challenge Fate Foundation is an unusual faction of the supernatural abomination can be considerable. Ignoring it is
Technocratic Union in that their outreach efforts are ultimately untenable, considering the purpose of our Technocratic Union.
heroic. For Chronicles prominently featuring members of the Diplomacy is equally risky, as these creatures are cunning and su-
Disparate Alliance, the Challenge Fate Foundation pose unique pernaturally persuasive, along with considerable mundane wealth
challenges as potential friends or foes. Storytellers are encouraged and influence. In short, they are terrible foes, and yet they are a
to leverage the seeming contradiction of unrepentant members blight that must be removed. How to proceed, then? Report to
of the Technocratic Union that are genuinely interested in Management, and hope for the best? Perhaps. Take direct action?
assisting your players. While each individual case must be measured, the odds of success
would rarely be high. There is another way.
The Cassandra Complex A Trail of Breadcrumbs
Despite the myriad divisions within the Technocratic Union,
Many NAMURDs could be activated in the eradication
ultimately two factions exist:
of the Hemophagic Entity, but those of the Craft designation
42 The Operative’s Dossier
Hollow Ones often prove to be the most pliable to our needs. if she hadn’t, she’d have no chance against the Hemophagic
Orphaned and alone, they often grow up distrustful of gifts entity — we proceeded to phase three.
and blind assistance but are easily baited by appeals to ego Bombarded by expressions of gratitude and other sero-
and opportunities for glory. Again, freed from the parameters tonin-inducing overtures from the people she’d helped, a sense
of Technocratic thought, they are the unruly children of the of victorious contribution was vital to her increasing pliability
NAMURDs. The Hemophagic Entity ran a nightclub aimed at and receptiveness to external assistance. Next Sarah ‘randomly’
converting the Masses into easy prey. A Hollow One operating received a number of messages until she’d heard about this
in the area named Sarah Freeman was viewed to be of some place so many times she decided to visit, and we proceeded to
use, but first her capabilities had to be tested. Sending any the final phase: Disclosure.
Enlightened being, NAMURD or otherwise to their deaths at
The next time Sarah returned home, she found a package
the hands of a Hemophagic Entity is contrary to the ideas of
waiting on her living room table containing a photograph of
the Order or Reason.
the Hemophagic Entity and a laser pen capable of generating a
Often overlooked is that the Masses commit a number of beam of sufficient intensity to burn the abomination to ashes.
mundane crimes of their own free will and volition. Finding If Sarah is smart, she will assemble the pieces and proceed ac-
the most cunning of mortal criminals is effortless for us. A cordingly. If she is not, her NAMURD associates will be guided
particularly mentally pliable mortal approached Sarah asking for far enough along to ensure she is avenged.
help searching for ‘Tammy,’ a lost loved one. A recurring dream
plagued them of Tammy tied up and held in an unknown base- Notes for Storytellers
ment. This blatant appeal to emotion moved Sarah, an Orphan. The key to the continued success of the Cassandra Complex
And thus, we proceeded to phase two. rests primarily upon two pillars: escalation and diversification.
Sarah returned home to find a piece of vital evidence based As shown above, Sarah is slowly brought closer by providing her
on her reality manipulation capabilities. A scarf that belonged with small, actionable pieces of information that escalate into
to the missing girl in a simple, unmarked package that allowed larger pieces of information and even physical assistance. Success
Sarah to detect the pattern, and locate the missing girl. Since is intoxicating, and characters who are initially skeptical may be
Sarah survived her attempt at rescuing the girl — and to be clear, won over by timely and reliable external assistance.
MOKTESHAF AL NOUR
Transcript of conversation between Ardashir Khorsani K (cont’d): The Collectors are ancient, founded on a yearning
(Disparate, Taftâni), and Aysegül Hanım (Disparate, Ahl-i-Batin). to understand the Divine by understanding Creation. When Islam
Aysegül: You know who they work for, brother. How can came to the world, the Collectors followed, and divided into five
we trust them? groups. The Hands of Mercy, whose touch brought healing. The
Observers of Fate, who charted destiny in the stars. The Seekers
Khorsani: They did not always, sister.
of Truth, who perfected the physical sciences. The Riders of Wind,
A: What do you mean? who mapped the whole Earth and beyond. And the Keepers of
K: Let me tell you the history of the Collectors of Light, so Law, who pursued justice and philosophy.
you may see them as I do. [Ed note: Khorsani used the Arabic Now, you know my people fight djinn, yes? The Collectors
term ‘Mokteshaf al Nour,’ which the order still goes by. The opposed them, too. Taftâni and Collectors worked together,
phrase is used interchangeably.]
Demographics Rehabilitation of
and Populations Orphans and the Unaligned
Analysts experience great difficulty in projecting potential The official line from Control boils down to: “There are
demographics for the Unaligned. Enlightenment can strike no Orphaned mistakes outside the Technocracy. Anyone with
anyone, anytime, anyplace, with no regard for geography, a Genius finds us, or we find them. Like attracts like.” As with
race, socioeconomic status, or any other quantifiable factor. all dictates, however, there are exceptions. The Technocratic
The Traditionalists tend to find those Awakening within the Union does not reach everywhere, as much as we would like to
communities they frequent, employing practices that fit their for cementing the Consensus. The truth is, we are much smaller
Deviant belief structures. The Union is not immune to this sort than the combined might of the various types of Reality Deviants,
of bias, as many Technocratic recruits come from fields such and one of our Conventions mostly spends time beyond Horizon,
as academia, finance, engineering, medicine, military service, in the Deep Universe. Sometimes, an Enlightened Genius slips
sociology, and technology. As any agent who has spent more through the cracks — destined to confuse and disrupt the world
than ten minutes on the Front Lines can tell you, the world around them. This is a fail state. Do not allow this to happen.
is a much broader place than the Union’s fields of focus. As Report any suspected stray Enlightened to your supervisor.
such, numerous Awakenings occur without any formal outreach
Enlightened Children
from an established faction. To date, the Union has not spent
much effort on these random incidents, as they were deemed Unlike the so-called Avatar of the Reality Deviants in the
non-impactful on the Time Table. Traditions, the Enlightened Genius begins to connect to the
conscious mind in early childhood. Different Enlightened scien-
The established groups within the Disparate Alliance are tists have varying theories on why this is: Cooley’s looking-glass
not immune to similar biases and practices. Intelligence indicates self, Mead’s distinction between “I” and “me”, or Piaget’s theory
that each organization within that group recruits according to of egocentrism. Whatever reason a theorist may ascribe to, she
50 The Operative’s Dossier
Curative Language
Several big-name organizations use so-called “curative language” to describe autistic children, traumatized children,
children with ADHD, disabled children, or children otherwise outside of the mainstream. They believe that they can “fix”
these children, that these children are “family tragedies”, and that these children have nothing to give because they are
non-normative. We do not use this language in The Operative’s Dossier. Disabled, traumatized, and otherwise non-
normative people have plenty to provide the Technocratic Union, and, in fact, their perspectives are incredibly valuable
in constructing a vision of Consensual Reality.
cannot deny that at around the age of three, a child in posses- While the homeschooled children are less likely to be fed
sion of a Genius begins to speak about an imaginary friend or into the school-to-prison pipeline (see Enlightened Adolescence,
guardian angel that gives him advice or teaches him how to do below) and may have teachers for parents, they are more likely to
things. Many children around this age do manifest imaginary pass under the notice of Agents searching for children with the
friends — as a note, some are not imaginary and are not a Genius, Genius. An Enlightened child studying at home for religious or
should an Agent suspect EDE involvement she should contact philosophical reasons may also be subject to brutal punishments
her supervisor immediately — and those that are not imaginary as their parents respond to the Genius as though it is manifest
do have useful things to teach. Enlightened children may learn disrespect or even possession.
to read and write faster, be able to do fractions in their head by The Genius cannot save a child from the people around
the age of six, or build improbable inventions out of wooden her. It does not “cure” a child of her trauma or variant brain
blocks, marble racetrack pieces, and pipe cleaners. structure or disability, even if the people around her want her to
Not all children displaying genius have the Enlightened be cured for their own convenience. The child is the home of the
Genius, of course. At this stage, however, treating them similarly Genius, and both work with what they have. If her environment
cannot harm the child. The New World Order funds, and is repeatedly harms the child, , the Genius may go dormant — this
otherwise indirectly involved in, several dozen schools — both is not a Gilgul by any means, but Geniuses have been known to
traditional and parochial or otherwise alternate schools — and stay silent to protect their children. Removed from a harmful
catches many young Geniuses this way. After-school programs and situation, dormant Geniuses may re-awaken.
job fairs place these future Agents right where they need to be.
The trouble, at least as the upper echelons see it, comes Enlightened Adolescence
with cult-born, disabled, troubled, fostered, traumatized, or The Enlightened children found by Agents of the
non-neurotypical children with the Genius. These children Technocracy come into their teenage years taught at schools
are less likely to be placed in special schools that nurture their known for their excellence in the STEAM fields. Some receive
precocious talents and teach them the skills they need to be- scholarships to prestigious research universities, while others go
come happy and healthy citizens of the Technocratic Union. into the trades. Both engage with mundane studies as well as
Instead, they are funneled into the deeply unmutual systems of beginning their studies in Enlightened Science. The Conventions
juvenile detention, special education, summer school, repeat- do not require a degree — an electrician makes just as good of a
ed suspensions (both in and out of school), remedial classes, member of Iteration X as an electrical engineer.
and more. These children are treated as nuisances at best, or Those who are not found, however, have a rough life ahead
budding abusers, serial killers, and “super predators” at worst. of them. They might distinguish themselves in technology clubs
Non-white and non-heteronormative children suffer this abuse or on debate teams, and an Agent locates them midway through
far more than others. The adults teaching them are trained in their high school years. An Agent in the prison system might
forcing compliance, not deescalating traumatic reactions or locate an Enlightened teenager in a juvenile detention facility,
neurodiverse meltdowns. Some are outside of the system entirely, or an Enlightened social worker might find a foster child with
homeschooled by concerned or fanatically religious parents. a brilliant talent for Hypereconomics struggling in their high
Access Granted
The Digital Web. Reality 2.0. The layer of existence built of information. Every day of their lives, even the Masses skim its
surface. It’s a complicated place. Events in the physical world affect the Web, and the hypothesis on which the most important
strand of Technocratic research is based on is that things in the Digital Web affect the real world. In terms even laymen understand,
the Technocracy sees a bright future in augmented reality.
Augmented Reality
The average field agent doesn’t need to disappear into some to interact with the physical world. They are, in many respects,
virtual reality datascape, they just need a convenient, discreet co-located. Even better, the manifestation of digital constructs in
way to harness the power of the Digital Web in the real world. the real world is a key feature of augmented reality. That makes it a
Augmented reality has the advantage that it’s not an im- powerful tool for the Technocratic agent in the field, and a great
mersive approach. Users retain their awareness of and ability way to make onlookers accept some very advanced techniques.
Web Traits
Methods of perceiving and interacting with one’s engages in fine manipulation of their environment through
environment in the Digital Web are often wholly haptics while still navigating the Tellurian.
different from doing so within the Tellurian
and require their own specific considerations. Icons
Usually this only affects characters connecting When projecting into the Digital Web, the Magus might be
to the Web through Sensory Visitation or else comfortable “appearing” as herself (in which case she uses her
through Astral Immersion. Anyone entering the normal Social Attributes and Abilities), or else a string of letters
Digital Web through other parts of the Umbra and numbers that might be name or phrase or even a Technocrat’s
or through Holistic Immersion are physically UID, or just a senseless string of characters (however, this forces
present and interacts with their environment the Magus to operate with an Appearance and Manipulation
as they would in other part of the Umbra. Entering the Digital of 1, and Intimidation and Expression of 0). However, both
Web through AR is a different experience entirely, as the user
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 59
of these come with drawbacks. The interactive limitations are the Digital Web, Intelligence + Area Knowledge (Digital Web)
obvious when the Magus appears merely as a string of characters, to trace well-known and traveled routes, or Wits + Cryptography
but when they appear as themselves, they are more easily traced to recognize the conduit patterns and cut a shortcut through
back to their Meatspace identities by entities encountered in the the maze. If a sector contains an ARO, mages can often locate
Digital Web. Considering the threat this presents, few Magi with the ARO’s coordinates through Hacking. This allows the mage
any technical savvy choose to use this technique. Instead, they to utilize AROs as navigational landmarks in the Digital Web.
prefer to craft avatars or Icons, or “toons” which allow them to Often this is simply handled narratively, but the Storyteller may
appear in any way they please. reduce the difficulty of rolls made to navigate the Web by -1 or
Further rules on Icon creation and modification are in -2 for a magus who has access to the coordinates of AROs in
Mage 20 p. 468. the area they are traveling.
The process of AudioVisual ReImagination (Entropy 3/ Every Awakened Mage with access to the Digital Web can
Forces 2/Prime 2 Effect) allows adjustments to another Icon. make use of a version of Landscape of the Mind (Mage 20 p.513.)
Skilled Icon-crafters are in high demand, but this Effect is also While there is no “sense of direction” possible (as direction has
employed against the Icon-user’s will to deflate the Icon’s impact less meaning here), the user is able to access a Third Person View
or force them to appear unappealing, or like an enemy’s Icon. — a common name for this Effect — of themselves, either from
If the target is not a willing participant in the AVRI, they can above, or behind. This expanded perception is a vital tool in
resist with a Willpower roll, Difficulty 6. Success subtracts from navigating the Web. Users using AR have full rotational control
the casters’ Arete roll. of their Icon in addition to this spatial perception, which allows
them to change position in the Digital Web without needing to
This Effect may be applied to a Sector with each founda-
move through Meatspace.
tional change requiring a single success (changing the sky from
blue to green, or a forest to a desert, or a rock sculpture to a Linking
steel sculpture. Changing the sculpture to a pillar instead would
So called “Master” Magi might still call this Hot Links,
require an additional success.) Attempts to use this Effect in
but not without younger technomancers snickering behind
Restricted Sectors is vulgar with witnesses and is cast at an addi-
their back. If you don’t want to look like a grandpa fumbling
tional +2 Difficulty.
your way through “the internets” then it might do well to get
with the times and pay attention to the lexicon. Linking is a
Travel common inter-Sector practice in which virgin space is formatted
Space and distance do not mean the same things in the to include an “automatic pass” to another Sector that can be
Digital Web that they do in the Tellurian. All points are one, accessed merely by touching the Link. Unless the Sectors were
and all points are connected. Despite this, the ways that various developed together, Links are uncommonly two-way portals, but
Sectors of the Digital Web are formatted creates illusions of place can be CTRL-Z’d (see below) if the Magus ends up somewhere
required to make it navigable by beings still thinking in terms they would rather not remain.
of space and place. However, the ways in which Magi navigate
the Digital Web are distinct to this Zone. Preparatory Operation Procedures, or
Popping
Navigation Pop Apps (Progs, if you’re ancient), or Preparatory Operation
Navigating within a Sector almost always follows the rules of Procedures are a means of fast-traveling the Digital Web and,
that specific Sector (if there are any) but navigating between them like with fast-traveling, is at its safest used when moving between
is another method entirely. The space between Sectors reflects familiar Sectors. These are somewhat more complex than Rotes
the appearance and imagination of the creators and dreamers or Procedures, even if they technically operate as one, because
of the Digital Web, and might appear as twisting futuristic and they are so situational. Nominally requiring Correspondence/
dystopic streets, or else glowing electronic conduits, and in some Data 3, under ideal conditions, Pop Apps scan another location
cases, a series of tubes. As all points within the Digital Web are within the current Sector, and so long as the location is safe (and
connected in some way or another, these passages are madden- not locked down), it “pops” the user to that location after a turn
ingly mazelike and without proper knowledge of the laws of of scanning. A coincidental Effect in the Digital Web. Users may
the Digital Web, an inexperienced Magi can become easily lost also adjust Pop Apps to pop between different Sectors, but this
and end up in a Sector they never had any intention of visiting. is vulgar with witnesses instead. All Pop Apps come with CTRL-Z
Navigating through these twisting paths of infinite connection code, which can be used to instantly return to the previous
typically requires a Perception + Computer roll (with variable location within three turns of the initial fast-travel. some less
difficulties depending on how difficult it is to find the desired cultured Magi might still call this backspacing, but this isn’t a
Sector.) Some other rolls can be substituted for this depend- Delete, it’s an Undo, obviously.
ing on the situation, including Intelligence + Etiquette (Web
Culture) if the Magus “asks for directions” from the netizens of Another advantage offered by AR is the ability to pop within
Grid Sectors without the need for Magick. Popping within a
Effects Must Come from Authorized Users Correspondence, Forces, and Prime Are More Powerful
If you’re in a Restricted sector and you’re not on the guest Correspondence, Forces, and Prime Spheres form the
list, you’re a trespasser and your spells and Procedures are vulgar foundations of the Digital Web. As a result, Effects with those
with witnesses. They’re just as vulgar if you’re on the guest list, Spheres — or their optional Technocratic alternatives (Mage 20
but not approved to use magick there. Of course, if the guest p. 524-526) — face fewer barriers. Anyone with access to those
list is “anyone in the building” and you’ve spoofed your GPS to Spheres can use them as though their mastery was one dot higher,
say that you’re in the building, you’re in the clear. up to a maximum of 5 — this isn’t a shortcut to Archmastery. This
ease of use does not apply to Devices, Talismans, and the like.
Forces or Prime Effects Cannot Exceed Their
Sector’s Power Rating Life and Matter Reject Digital Flesh
Sectors generally have a rating of 5. Therefore, Forces or Despite the maxim that “reality is perception,” icons aren’t
Prime Effects that score six or more successes inflicts one Paradox alive nor are they made of matter. Attempts to use Life or Matter
point per success on its caster. Sectors have processes to identify to heal or harm icons automatically fail. Such Effects work as
and terminate excessive resource users. normal on anyone physically present through Holistic Immersion.
Effects using other Spheres exceeding the sector’s rating
do not automatically generate Paradox but are treated as vulgar The Lag
with witnesses. Even newbies to the Web know lag when they see it. Once
a Sector has had enough of someone’s shit, everything judders
Effects That Create Portals Are Restricted and twitches instead of moving with buttery-smooth animations.
Since hot links and conduits are the native form portals or Formerly detailed images pixelate and smear. It’s the herald of
other passages take on the Web, any other form of a portal or Whiteout and anyone who doesn’t logoff or run when they see
Sectors Junklands
All the fun is in the Sectors —also where everyone gets Lying somewhere between Corrupted Web and Trash
shot, but sometimes that’s fun, too. Sectors come in two flavors: Sectors, Junklands are ruined sectors that still retain much of
Restricted and Free. Restricted sectors require users to provide a their identity, albeit eerily. Without administrators, Junklands
Apps as Apparatus
A civilian imagining Enlightened Science, may As an operative of the Technocratic Union, however, you
frequently think of devices derived from popular have a moral responsibility to put these devices to proper use.
science fantasy films. She envisions a stick that Consider your goals within the Union, and then devise ‘apps’
might erase memory, a medical scanner capable to further those goals.
of performing a thousand complicated tests at a
distance, or some particularly inventive form of App-Based Practice
holography. Yet she remains ignorant of the most An operative using smart devices to power her Enlightened
popular achievement wrought by Enlightened Science has the world quite literally at her fingertips. Some
Science lying right at her fingertips. young operatives dream of creating online universities or free
We speak of the not-so-humble device colloquially called learning apps to push consensus truths. This rarely has the effect
a ‘smartphone,’ and its tablet-based derivatives. You may have the operative wishes. Most mortals prefer to use their devices
complicated feelings on how the masses treat these devices. for more frivolous ends.
The closest thing to a miracle that any human may access, and More experienced operatives understand the value of satis-
they waste it on vapid self-indulgence, trading cat pictures, and fying this need for frivolity. They craft games and social media
cyberbullying each other. The worst among them engage in open platforms with such in mind: bright colors, escalating rewards,
slave-trading, blackmail, and espionage.
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 67
Salt in The Storm
Salt may be subject to anomalous transmissions, especially in the Deep Universe. Void Engineers working outside of
Earth’s orbit are advised not to accept or respond to messages from any colleagues of any Convention not seen since
the Anomaly.
and a way to show off to friends and rivals. Sometimes these field regardless of Convention or Construct —detailed below.
apps collect money, but their true value is in what they reveal Should an Agent have questions about the use of an app, that
of the users. Embedded trackers allow operatives to collect Agent should reach out to their local Supervisor.
mind-boggling amounts of data. Most of this is meaningless, but a EDEWiki (Data •, Dimensional Science •) For use when in
savvy operative can analyze the data for blips or errors indicating the presence of an unrecognized EDE. This app uses the phone’s
potential Reality Deviance. As the databanks grow ever larger, camera to identify localized EDEs and direct the Agent to the
however, forward-thinking operatives recognize the potential appropriate information. Agents may also submit photos of EDEs
to utilize the mass insights gained to manipulate the populace; and requests for informational edits and updates as appropriate.
consensus truths pushed upon a population too inured to realize
Please note: Although often colloquially called “The Pokedex”
that their thoughts and feelings are used as levers of control.
or “Ghostbusters,” searching for EDEWiki under these names
Some mass-produced apps designed to the benefit of the does not produce any results.
operative have become Nodes in and of themselves. The op-
Norden’s Call Triangulation (Data ••) For use when
erative skims just a tiny bit of energy from each user. Each bit
locating the source of a transmission of any kind (including
itself is useless, but enough of them add up to usable amounts
analog), so long as it came from the Front Lines. Norden’s Call
of Quintessence. Alternatively, a mundane GPS map may reveal
Triangulation makes use of not only cell phone towers, but
locations or even people of interest.
also satellites, fiber-optic cables, routers, traceroutes through
Specially programmed apps may also take the place of the Digital Web, Primium patterns, and even particularly large
Adjustments. Workings relying on Data obviously do best as natural deposits of rare earth metals.
these sorts of apps, but some operatives have figured out other
Please note: Norden’s Call Triangulation does not break
uses. By showing a target a deliberately tailored ‘meme’, she can
encrypted packets of data or locate Control. That is not its
create any number of Mind effects. Spirit-focused operatives may
purpose. Please stop trying to hack it.
tailor an app as a target for astral projection or alter a device’s
clock to create a Time effect. Norden’s Metamap (Data •, Dimensional Science •) For
use when traveling through the Umbral Dimensions. Norden’s
Using peripherals provides even more utility. By hard-cod-
Metamap supplies both peer-reviewed information on different
ing Spirit or Prime data into an app, an operative turns her
dimensions, as well as directions and points of interest. End
device into an updated Kirlian camera, gaining insight into the
users — Agents, usually, though some authorized Enlightened
unseen world and perceiving the true nature of even the most
Citizens may use this application as well — may also submit
well-camouflaged Reality Deviants around her.
updated information to keep the app current.
Associated Paradigms: A Mechanistic Cosmos; Everything
Please note: Recently, parties unknown leaked Norden’s
is Data; Meme Magic; Tech Holds All Answers
Metamap. We have reason to believe that this application
Associated Abilities: Computer, Intimidation (Internet is also in the hands of Reality Deviants known as the Sons
Trolling), Research, Technology, Science (Computer Science, of Ether and the former Technocratic Convention, the
Nano-Engineering) Virtual Adepts. Agents of Iteration X are hard at work
Common Instruments: Next-generation smartphone loaded trying to keep information on the app both relevant and
with custom apps, jailbroken tablet, nanite-enhanced fitness trustworthy. For further information, please contact your
tracker, hyperscience-enhanced battery pack, Enlightened Science Supervisor.
compatible API, wireless peripherals, carrying case imbued with Personal VK Test (Primal Utility •, Data •) For use when
Enlightened Science. interviewing new employees of any and every Convention. The
VK test uses the phone’s camera to determine the presence
Applications Approved by of an Enlightened Genius within the personal Pattern of an
The Technocratic Union individual. The Agent using the Personal VK Test application
must focus the phone’s camera on the target’s eyes for the
While many Constructs successfully created applications duration of the interview, otherwise the application produces
for use by Agents, only a few have been approved for use in the inconclusive results.
68 The Operative’s Dossier
Please note: The Personal VK Test may also detect EDEs Web near-instantaneously, then de-encrypts the message with a
and Reality Deviants in the interview space. A Supervisor private key upon the end-user’s receipt. Developed by European
should receive reports as soon as possible of any inconclusive philanthropist, inventor, and technocrat, Lord Isnan, Salt is an
or anomalous readings, both for app calibration and follow-up end-to-end app that requires both the sender and the receiver
on non-Technocratic signatures. have the current update installed.
Salt (Data ••, Dimensional Science ••) For use when Please note: While Salt packets are sent and received in sec-
communicating across Umbral Dimensions or into the Deep onds, the app is not yet capable of instantaneous transmission.
Universe. Salt encrypts text or media messages as individual The Everett Amalgam is currently working on an update that
information packets and transmits them through the Digital will ideally produce FTL transmission of information.
Digital Graveyards. Users die or disappear, especially if Hate Gardens. With the rise of the internet, there also
they’re human. Often, they don’t take their social media pages came the rise of resentful, lonely persons (usually young white
offline first — very few humans, even Enlightened humans, ex- men) in search of companionship. If you’ve heard of incels, the
ercise that amount of forethought. Consequently, certain sites alt-right, or other such despicable groups, you’re probably aware
allow related members of the deceased to turn their page into that they tend to congregate in specific places on social media.
a memorial. How grotesque! While often walled gardens (hence the term “hate gardens”),
Digital graveyards tend to be in or near the Haunted Web, the they are sometimes mixed or even open forums —depending on
part of the Digital Web that has sunk into Entropic Space. Though how much they value their security.
the word “graveyard” may conjure up the idea of a peaceful park My friendly suggestion is to avoid hate gardens, unless
or garden, digital graveyards are not places of quiet rest. Content you have a specific mission that involves collecting data in or
from the dead users may manifest as looping video feeds, howling near one. The rot and cruelty of the users tends to stick to you,
EDEs in the shape of ghosts, grim reapers, or other phantoms, physically and emotionally. Usual signs of a hate garden include
fractal pathways of sparks leading to statues made entirely of static twisted metal trees, suspended cages of code, and the smell of
and tears, or other such phenomena. Use extreme caution when lighter fluid.
venturing to digital graveyards, especially when holistically immersed. Dating Profiles. Honestly, these are my personal favorite.
Why travel to digital graveyards? Like any normal graveyard, They look like pleasant hotel rooms and they’re decorated with
they are starting places for further research. Unlike normal the user’s words. Simple, easy to get in and out of (note: usually
graveyards, however, they hold the entirety of the social media in walled gardens, so make sure you have the right password) and
history of the dead or disappeared user — a wealth of personal full of useful information about how the user views themselves
information, all for the taking. and others. If you practice hypereconomics, finding your target’s
You could, of course, also visit to pay your respects to a dating profile is a must.
dead loved one. Ask HR for some time, they usually understand. That’s it for today’s training. Are there any questions?
the System Havoc roll takes Aggravated Damage according to •• Augmented Reality
the Base Damage scale with the additional automatic success
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy N/A, Background Cost
due to it being a Forces attack. Unlike most attacks that result
4 pts.
in Aggravated Damage, Icons can roll to Soak, but they must
roll Willpower, Difficulty 8. Using System Havoc in the Digital For a few brave folk, AR is more than just a part of the
Web is always vulgar with witnesses. Finally, after the effects of Digital Web layered over their senses — it’s their primary sense.
this Adjustment are applied, the Storyteller immediately rolls a By attuning to the AR objects surrounding them, AR viewers
Whiteout Paradox Backlash (p.XX) at Difficulty 4. can see anything that the Web does, including finely detailed
biometric data of people in the area. Where someone relying on
White Out (•• Correspondence / •• Entropy) conventional sight might see a mid-30s white man, AR viewers
The Cassandra Complex exists by providing covert support see “98% match for John Courage alias #15, weapon detected:
to individuals who wouldn’t otherwise accept assistance from mid-back, weapon detected: right ankle, weapon detected: —”
the Technocratic Union. Pioneered in the field by Syndicate You get the idea.
enforcer Sydney Forsythe, but later passed on to the folks in The main problem with using AR is that it only sees what
the Cassandra Complex, White Out exists as a treatment to the Web sees, leaving large areas of the globe poorly covered.
be applied to any device to eradicate any arcane or mundane Not to mention the possibility of AROs with erroneous data
connection to its creator. or someone deliberately masking their presence to the Web.
System: Successes rolled when activating this Adjustment System: AR vision provides sight of the user’s surroundings
are permanently added to the difficulty of any subsequent rolls in a 25-yard radius that extends through walls and floors. This
made to determine the origin of the device. gives deep insight into anything detected by Web-connected
Devices, granting an extra 2 dice for Research or Investigation
Alternate Perceptions tasks to learn more about anything in range. It’s also limited
Some think that “blind” or “deaf” are bad words, but in by the data contained in local AROs. Perception tests outside
the Technocratic Union, there are no disabilities — just different of Constructs are made at +1 difficulty or +2 for rural and
qualities. Agents without corneas are immune to lasers directed remote areas.
at their eyes. Agents with deafness have no fear of most sonic •• Near Infrared
attacks. With a little help from technology, deafblind agents can
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy X, Background Cost 4 pts.
follow a flashbang into a room, outperforming everyone else on
the breaching team. Infrared is a portion of the light spectrum with longer
wavelengths than red. Near IR narrows that to the 1,000 to 3,000
System: The forms of perception in this section represent
nanometer range. Because most people cannot perceive this
technological enhancements that provide permanent, always avail-
light, IR users can employ IR lights to illuminate areas without
able senses. These count as specific Biomod Sensory Enhancers
alerting others. They also see IR beams, such as those used by
(Mage 20, p. 661), although they can also be cybernetic. These
security sensors, facial recognition devices, and targeting lasers.
Enhancements do not require an activation roll and do not
IR sensors do not come with IR lights, so users are as blind as
require recharging.
anyone in truly lightless environments, such as deep caves and
Most of the forms of perception in this section represent windowless rooms.
Forces 1 rotes, cyberware, and/or bioware. However, when an
While near IR users cannot perceive color normally, they
agent uses Forces to perceive the world instead of a more common
can see otherwise invisible features, such as blood vessels near
sense, the knowledge they gain from the world is substantially
the skin, providing special insight into people’s unconscious
different, potentially richer.
• Further the Technocratic paradigm across America (this The holding period is reset if there is a widely known de-
one has had varied success). viation from the desired Thoughtspace that persists for more
than a number of weeks equal to the size of the Venture being
Recon: Identify deviations from the desired Thoughtspace
terranormed. So, an operation to shift the Thoughtspace of a
in the chosen area. This may be reality-deviant activity, firmly
city can withstand known exploits by a group of MURDs that
established folkways, urban legends, or the overwhelming love
persist for no more than two weeks before the Holding clock starts
for a local hero. These deviations need to directly oppose the
over. The key here is “known.” If the RDs punching holes in the
desired Thoughtspace. A charismatic faith healer’s presence
Technocratic paradigm lay low for too long, the Terranorming
will not disrupt a terranorming project meant to convince a
campaign may succeed. Consider any activities large enough
neighborhood that witches don’t exist, but it may interfere with
to see coverage in a popular newspaper, TV show, or YouTube
a vaccination drive.
channel, or to merit the attentions of a public speaker, elected
Repriming: The chosen area needs to be supplied with a official or appropriately scaled gossip network to qualify as a
Venture or Node of sufficient scale to cover it (Mage 20 p. 527) “known deviation.”
so Terranorming a block requires a 1pt Venture or a 1pt Node
Capping: An event is held to “seal” the new reality. This
dedicated to it, whereas Terranorming an industry would require
could be a block party, a city-wide science fair, a community
a 3pt Venture or 3pt Node dedicated to it. This influx of Primal
work project, the completion of a monument, the launching of
Energy “softens” reality but is also detectable by certain RDs.
a major TV station, a wildly successful book tour, or any other
Receiving the clearances to access sufficient Primal Energy for such
event that showcases the new paradigm and that spans the area
an undertaking can be challenging in resource-deprived areas.
(geographic or demographic) of the Terranorming attempt.
Clearing: The area must have the offending deviations
Once capping is completed, Primal Energy no longer needs
removed. This usually involves a thorough sweep for Reality
to be supplied and the Venture, Node, or other Primal Energy
Deviants and their sympathizers, and may tie to changes in school
source is freed up. Effects that were formerly vulgar that conform
curriculum, demolition or renovation of offending community
to the new Thoughtspace are now considered coincidental.
institutions, or the neutralization of entities, such as MURDs
or EDEs, that could interfere with the Clearing. Terranorming can be resource-intensive, which is why
targets are often selective. The 20th century is marked by the
Holding: The area must be held free of deviations for a
Technocracy learning that it’s almost impossible to Terranorm a
period of time that scales with the size of the Venture.
nation and not nearly as effective as changing the Thoughtspace
1 point one month in its 10 major markets.
2 points six months
3 points two years
4 points ten years
5 points fifty years
The following missions have been low-level but persistent not enjoy sole control over the project. Mission: Mars has attracted the
Union concerns for some time. Though currently rated low pri- attention of several members of the Disparate Alliance, including the
ority, they nevertheless have the potential to grow hot quickly. Children of Knowledge, Wu Lung, and even a brilliant Orphan or two.
Should you find yourself supervising a team of newly recruited Complicating matters is the fact that no single nation, not
operatives, or wishing to evaluate a certain operative’s perfor- even a superpower, has the necessary wealth. Thus, an interna-
mance, consider assigning one of the following missions. Be tional coalition formed under the direction of the Challenge
advised: though these missions are rated low-level, they do entail Fate Foundation, headquartered in Antarctica. Several other
some level of contact with MURDS or even Reality Deviants. CMURDS have hooked onto the project via their home gov-
Supervise carefully and stay aware of the potential for unfore- ernments, including the Ngoma and several Knights Templar.
seen consequences.
Involving the Agents
Mission One: Hope Challenge Fate cannot simply kick these MURDS off the
Humanity wallows in despair on a global level. They see team. Political concerns keep the Disparates around, and op-
little joy on the horizon, and they prefer indulging in escapism eratives have quickly discovered that the CMURDS have some
through mass media and mindless consumerism. They’ve for- valuable contributions to make after all. For better or worse,
gotten the joy of building something for the next generation everyone finds themselves stuck working together. Tensions con-
— of choosing hope. stantly flare, as Technocratic arrogance constantly butts against
The Challenge Fate Foundation has one answer: Mars. The Disparate self-reliance.
1969 Moon Landing changed the world in profound and lasting
ways. A spaceship putting human feet on the Red Planet would
What Happens Next
similarly unite and inspire nine billion humans. To solve these issues, Challenge Fate has formed a good-
will team, comprised of operatives and Disparates. This team
Setup interfaces with every aspect of the project, troubleshooting and
Some forward-thinking humans have already begun, which requires handholding in equal measure to keep the mission on-track. The
Technocracy involvement to keep civilians away from the parts of space chosen team must tackle the various obstacles of a successful
the Union would prefer they not learn about just yet. But the Union do Mars mission, including: