The Cleaners

By Andrew Weitzman (aweitz@cam.org)

Description

In the Ascencion War, people disappear without a trace. Some die from accident or murder, others succumb to Paradox, while a few are swallowed by their own Arcane. Every so often, a cabalmate or mentor falls through the cracks of reality and never returns. That is when the Cleaners arrive.

The Cleaners manifest as nondescript humans who arrive to "clean up" the residence or workplace of a missing mage. The precise form varies -- they have appeared as janitors, charwomen, professional movers, and such. A Cleaner's features are forgettable, their clothes generic, and witnesses have found they cannot recall any identifiable details at all. If challenged, the Cleaners will always have the correct authorization to perform their job; threats of violence can make them leave, but they always return later to continue their task.

The Cleaners have a terrifying power: the ability to erase any trace of someone's existence from reality. Anything handled by a Cleaner loses any connection it had to the person who owned it. Aspects like identifying marks, distinctive decorations, and the like are wiped away; the mementos and personal effects of the victim are transformed into anonymous possessions. A place visited by Cleaners loses any trace of the personality who once lived there.

There are a variety of theories on the exact nature of the Cleaners. Some say they are agents of the Technocracy who tie up the loose ends surrounding a kidnapping or assassination. Another opinion holds they are subtle Paradox spirits erasing the existence of an offending mage from the Tellurian. Magickal scans reveal a Cleaner possesses the pattern of a human being, but with a hollow where a mind or soul should be.