By Michael Moolick (moolick@shrsys.hslc.org) (24 Nov 94)
In the earliest fights against the Order of Hermes and the Traditions, the technomancers and their earthly allies were not alone. They had the aid of several spirits, making deals with them to gain their support.
These spirits received much for their aid. They have been fed with quintessence, given dominion over spirits that joined the cause later, and access to the physical world. More importantly, the technocracy has pledged that with the defeat of the traditions, the Monitors will not be swept over and conquered by the hordes of man. They will become friendly alien races, and powerful AI systems, and many other things, while those who did not join will be hunted to extinction.
Over the centuries, the once diverse and naturalistic spirits that were origionally recruited have changed to meet the technomancer paradigims. They have abandoned roots in the natural world and become more technological in nature. They have become entrenched in the technocratic command structure and are among the technocracy's most valiant defenders of the gauntlet and horizin against the horrors of the umbra.
The Monitors are still widely varied. Some are small and weak, while others are virtual leviathans. Many are unique, while others have standardized to the extent that they are identical. Many have specialized to heed the calls of specific Void Engineer rotes, and fight in the ascension war at there command. The following are a small sample of their vast diversity.
Ever since before Sputnik, the Void Engineers have had their own satellite systems girding the earth. Sleepers think of satellites as complex machines and marvel at their abilities. The technomancers know their true capabilities. They are massive techno-fetishes, enabling Monitors near the horizon to sense the physical world. A few allow them to attack in the physical world too, but none allow them to actually materialize. Types of satellite monitors follow.
These indispensible devices provide sleepers and technomancers alike with an easy means of moving information arounf the globe. All kinds of transmissions are carried, from TV to phone conversations to computer information. Naturally, all is recorded and beamed to the NWO.
Technomancers access the higher functions of these devices and the spirits attached to them. In the umbra, the Communication Monitors appear as fractal balls made of metal with lightning playing over their surfaces. The satellites skirt the inside of the Horizon, and are connected by arching beams of energy which form a web of light that stretches farther than the eyes can see. There are rumors there this "Horizon Web" has an internal reality, much like the Digital Web has one in the gauntlet. Contact with the beams causes violent force effects. The Communications Monitors are not very effectual in a fight, but defend themselves and the Horizon Web.
Attributtes: Str 1, Dex 3, Sta 2, Cha 1, Man 2, App: 0, Per 4, Int 3, Wits 2.
Abilities: Alertness 2, Computer 4, Enigmas 3.
Spheres: See Magick below for specific abilities.
Willpower: 5
Arete: 3
Quintessence: 3
Paradox: 0
Health levels: OK / -2 / -3 / -5 / incapacitated
Attacks: Ram - the only physical attack these spirits have is to ram an opponent. This causes damage equal to their strength, but their powerfully electrified surface causes three additional dice to bring the total to four dice.
Magick: The Communications Monitors can use the following rote effects: - Secure Transmission Web ( Entropy **, Forces ***, Mind ***, Prime ** ) This is used as a massive communal magick that maintaines the Horizon Web. It gives the web's strands the following properties:
Injection ( Correspondence *** ) - The Monitor self-digitizes and moves through the Horizon Web to a distant satellite.
These spirits are highly valued by the Technocracy. They spy on both the earth and the Deep Umbra, looking for enemy action. By circulating stories about the accuracy of spy satellites and having authorities refute them, sensor acuity is enough to read license plates and the like without fear of paradox.
The Monitors associated with these satellites have a number of sensory abilities. In the umbra they appear as metal, many-eyed incectoid creatures. They are slightly larger than man-size, and have beautiful solar-pannel wings.
Attributes: Str 3, Dex 3, Sta 3, Cha 2, Man 2, App 0, Per 5 (photo-realistic), int 4, Wits 3.
Abilities: Alertness 5, Awareness 4, Computer 3, cosmology 3, Enigmas 3
Spheres: See Below
Willpower: 5
Arete: 5
Quintessence: 5
Paradox: 0
Health Levels: OK / -1x2 / -2x2 / -3 / -5 / Incapacitated.
Armor: The metal exoskeleton of the spirit gives it two dice of armor.
Attack: The spirit can attack with it's razor-sharp probiscis, causing Str + 1 damage.
Magick:
- Monitor Gauntlet ( Corresponcence **, Entropy *, Spirit *, Time ** ) This rote lets the Monitor scan the gauntlet and the horizon. The rote searches out and predicts weaknesses and rifts, reporting them immediately to Void Engineer teams.
- Monitor Earth ( Correspondence **, Forces *, Mind *, Spirit * ) This lets the Monitor extend it's senses to the earth. It can sense the entire electromagnetic spectrum with incredible acuracy and evaluate all it sees. Developing technologies to allows this to operate through weather disturbances has been an area of constant research.
- Alert ( Correspondence **, Forces ***, Prime ** ) With this rote a Spy Monitor accesses the Horizon Web and downloads intormation to technocract computers. Problems are red-flagged as are assaults on the Monitor itself.
The Void Engineers have relatively few of these combinations of huge spirits and powerful devices. They were launched during the Reagan "Star Wars" era and are orbital battle stations. None have been launched since SDI was discountinued and the VE's are disgruntles when their allies deemed it necessary to discontinue the sleeper projects which helped them place these without paradox.
In the Umbra, a single spirit is associated with each ASAT. These are shaped like thick, bloated worms. They are covered in metal to the extent that only they and the VE's know if they are not entirely technological. They have beaked mouths surrounded by a ring of clawed tentacles. They have various powerful weaponry.
They are universally guardians of areas of importants. Places where the Horizon is very weak, where an Umbral assault is predicted, where "white holes" the VE's have tapped are located and in the center of clusters of other monitors are likely locations for them.
Attributes: Str 7, Dex 2, Sta 8, Cha 2, Man 2, App 0, Per 4, Int 3, Wits 4.
Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Brawling 5, Firearms 5.
Spheres: see below
Willpower: 8
Quintessence: 15+
Paradox: 4
Health Levels: OKx3 / -1x3 / -2x2 / -3x2 / -4x2 / -5x2 / Incapacitated
Armor: The metal plating gives the Monitor three extra soak dice.
Attacks:
- Bite - The killer Monitors can Bite for ten dice of damage, but must grab the victim and put them in their mouth first.
- Tentacles - A Killer Monitor's six tentacles can be used without dividing it's dice pool. The tentacles cause seven dice of crushing damage with a difficulty seven attack. Attacking with more than one tentacle causes one more die of damage per tentacle. The claws can be used to cause eight dice of damage with a difficulty seven attack in place of a crushing attack.
Magick:
- Over-Monitoring ( Correspondence **, Entropy *, Time ** ) This allows the killer monitors to watch over a large number of lesser monitors. Time allows it to predict where it will be needed. It is also receptive to messages sent by other Monitors and Void Engineers with high clearance.
- Shock ( Forces ***, Prime ** ) - This simple forces attack electrifies the spirit's skin in a Forces 3 attack. This causes six dice of damage. Any thing grappling it that takes three dice or more will have let go. It does affect those in it's tentacles, but it can't crush at the same time without splitting it's dice pool.
- Laser / Particle Beam ( Forces *****, Prime ** ) This powerful attack can only be used on distant targets or those in front of the creature's mouth. It causes 24 dice of damage and burns five points of quintessence in the blast.
- Assign Aura Monitor: ( Forces 5, Prime 2, Spirit 2 ) This allows the Killer Monitor to assign an Aura Monitor, a type of monitor with less power and authority, to a target. Any one killer monitor will only have command of three of these at a time.
These Monitors traditionally have been the guardians of Void Engineer umbral research stations. Recently, at the urgings of fellow technomancers to become involved in the pogrom, the VE's have been using them as magickal assasins.
These spirits are composed entirely of complex energy fields, and can be "projected" into the physical world through special VE equipment. They are often directed by Killer Monitors or high level Void Engineers to attack individuals who threaten their goals.
In appearance, these spirits are very beautiful. They are floating, shimmering curtains of miltichromatic light. They are believed to originally have been nature spirits associated with the northern and southern lights, and are most populous at the poles even today.
Abilities: Str 0, Dex 5, Sta 4, Cha 3, Man 1, App 5, Per 2, Int 2, Wits 4.
Abilities: Brawl 3, Cosmology 3
Spheres: See Below
Willpower: 5
Arete: 4
Quintessence: 8
Paradox: 3
Health Levels: Ok / -1x2 / -2x2 / -3x2 / -5 / Terminally Disrupted.
Attacks: While an Aura Monitor has no physical existence, it can cause the energies about it's edges to briefly solidify, a quick slash while doing so makea a whip-like attack that causes four dice of damage with a difficulty of six.
Magick:
- Manifest ( Spirit *** ) - Unlike most Monitors, the Aura Monitors can make themselves seen and act in the material world.
- Quantify Avatar ( Prime * ) - The Monitor can sense strong avatars. If attacking a group it attacks them preferentially.
- Reform ( Correspondence ***, Spirit *** ) - The Monitor can fade from it's present location, disperding it's energies and re-forming elsewhere in the Umbra.
- Radiation Attack ( Forces ***, Prime ** ) - To perform this, the Monitor must perform a grapple ( it has no strength, but this lets it superimpose itself over another ). Once this is done it intensifies it's own energies, causing damage due to radiation and microwaves, as well as electrical disruption. They prefer this attack, for it kills cleanly and leaves no external evidence as to the cause of death, as the damage is entirely internal. Progenitors can hush up any "natural-looking" death like this very easily, faking autopsies and the like.
To sleepers, the Hubble Space Telescope has been viewed alternitely with hope of its promise, dismay at its cost, rage of it not working properly, and finally acceptance that its fixed. Sleeper scientists are now convinced it is a success, and they convinced the public.
To most mages, the telescope is reguarded as another example of the conventions punishing the Void Engineers. To most technocrats, it is a waste of money. To the Void Engineers, the Hubble Space Telescope is a front for an Umbral physics project of startling success despite frequent paradox problems and some major setbacks.
The Hubble Monitor is a singular, powerful spirit now associated with the Hubble Space Telescope, existing in the same umbral areas as the scope does in space. A site of research for a number of Void Engineer masters, they have been pushing their technologies and theories to the bare edge at the site.
In the Umbra, the Hubble Monitor is visible as a huge spirit shaped like a thick worm; over one hundred and fifty feet long and thirty feet in diameter. It seems to be made mostly out of metal and plastics. The major exceptions being its spread solar collector wings and it's ominous lense facing directly outward from earth. The whole is just within the horizon.
The Hubble Monitor is known as "the Big Eye" or " the Reality Cannon" among the Void Engineers. The device can peer into the Deep Umbra more efficiently than ground-based VE scopes, and most outsiders assume this is its function. The true main function of the Hubble device is to operate as a "static cannon."
The static cannon is a complex, powerful magickal effect. Upon sighting a Deep Umbral Realm, it can selectively co-locate it with a part of the physical world. Space is distorted so that a large area of physical space is co-located with a small area of the Umbral Realm. The co-location is screened with spirit, mind, matter, and prime magick so that only limited sections of the properties of the spaces are combined. The paradigm of the physical world is imposed upon the area of the Umbral Realm stongly, static reality is slammed into effect in the Umbral Realm.
When the static cannon is used, any physical or magickal aberrations from the physical world's paradigm immediately begin to attract, cumulate, and suffer from paradox. Often, this creates a powerful paradox storm that has, in test runs, decimated or destroyed large areas, even entire small realms. The Void Engineers are still tyring to perfect the process. Currently, the process causes paradox, results in paradigm anomalies in the physical space used that increase as the duration of the firing increase, and consumes prodigous amounts of quintessence.
The Hubble Monitor can defend itself if attacked, spending large amounts of quintessence in its own defense. The Void Engineers do go to great lengths to ensure this does not occur. The area near the scope is patrolled by Void Strikers, the small combat versions of Void Engines. A small Umbral research station is nearby, with competent mages and Iteration X guardians. The entire area is scoured by Spy Monitors, as are all approaches. Preparations have also been made against attacks from the physical world.
The Hubble Monitor's nuclear reactor serves as a node of power, providing it with quintessence and Tass in the form of thruster fuel, which the spirit stores in internal tanks.
The Hubble Monitor is very intelligent, and an active participant in the research that it is involved with.
Attributes: Str: 7, Dex: 2, Sta: 8, Cha: 3, Man: 3, App: 0, Per: 6, Int: 5, Wits: 3.
Abilities: Alertness: 2, Brawling: 5, Computer: 4, Cosmology: 4, Etiquette 4 (technomancer), Firearms: 4, Science: 4, Spirit Lore: 5 (monitors), Spirit Names: 3.
Spheres: Correspondence: 5, Forces: 3, Matter: 3, Mind 3, Prime 4, Spirit 5, Time: 2
Willpower: 8
Rage: 8
Arete: 7
Quintessence: 20
Tass: 100+ (will use it too.)
Paradox: 5
Health Levels: OKx4 / -1x3 / -2x3 / -3x3 / -4x3 / -5x3 / Incapacitated
Attacks:
- Tentacles: The Hubble Monitor has eight tentacles to attack without dividing its dice pool. The tentacles cause seven dice of dmaage and are used with a diffculty of seven. attacking with more than one tentacle increases damage by one die per tentacle used. They can be used to bash a victim or grapple them.
- Armor: The heavy Primium armor of the Monitor gives it there extra soak dice. The Monitor also has two dice of countermagick against any magickal attack.
- Regeneration: The Hubble Monitor is self-repairing, and regains one health level per round so long as the damage isn't aggravated.
Magick:
- Static Cannon ( Correspondence 5, Matter 3, Prime 4, Spirit 5 ): The static cannon is the main experimental function of the Hubble Monitor. initiating the use of it is a prolonged process, involving at least 20 points of quintessence and several hours.
Once the effect is established, Paradox is incurred in the Umbral Realm as if it was an area of the physical earth. The corresponding space of the physical world is destablized and the force of paradox there greatly reduced. This is in outer space however, and changes with each firing. The static cannon is only effective on Deep Umbral targets, and if it became effective against Horizon Realms the Traditions could be seriously endangered.
- Umbral Sighting ( Correspondence 3, Spirit 1 ) As a prelude to firing, the target must be sighted and precisely targeted. The locations viewed can be at almost infinite depths in the umbra.
Unlike other Monitors, the Hubble Monitor is capable of producing a variety of magickal effects to defend itself and attack others with relative spontaneity.
Many of the defenders of technoturf are really daemon Monitors. There are also some monitors akin to electrical elementals. The Void Engineers have a number of interests on the Digital Web, and it is not surprising that they have a number of allies spirits which inhabit the web. The technocracy spirits are the Digital Monitors. One of which is the Surge.
Surges are among the most violent Digial Monitors. They have been shaped by time and magick from primitive electrical spirits. They act as Black ICE and assassins in the technomancer controlled portions of the Digital Web. They spend most of their time in a passive resting state, going into action only when noticing a security breech or being sent tracking an icon by a Void Engineer.
In the resting state these spirits disperse into a "Surge-net", a form that is difficult to detect. Only a mage using Forces 1 and Spirit 1 will be able to detect the diffuse, spirit-charged current that compromises the Surge in this form. Those using Prime 1 as well will notice quintessence concentrated into a rapidly moving point within the web.
The Surge-net is often placed at or within the entrances to technocracy controlled areas of the web. When an unauthorized icon enters the Surge-net, the spirit flows into the icon and the net collapses. The Surge Monitor stays within the icon and waits for an oppertunity to attack, preferring to do so when the icon is alone.
The Surge Monitor may attack the icon directly or the mage's body. For the first, a duplicate icon "steps out" of the cybernaut and attacks. The icon quickly loses individual form and reverts to a standard technocratic icon, complete with neon red/blue/green color scheme, in mere minutes. The surge's physical attacks are backed by raw electric voltage. For the second, the Surge attacks the mage through his VR equipment, blasting him with light, sound, and possible electricity to blind, deafen, and kill.
The Surge Monitor's quintessence can be collected as Digital Web resonant electrical tass. Virtual Adepts prize the utility of the tass, but getting it is seldom worth the fight.
Attributes: Str: 3, Dex 4, Sta 4, Cha 1, Man 1, App 1/As Icon, Per 4, Int: 3, Wits 4.
Abilities: Brawl 3, Computer 3, Stealth 5
Spheres: Correspondence 2, Forces 3, Mind 3, Prime 2, Spirit 3, Time 2.
Willpower: 7
Rage: 7
Arete: 4
Quint.: 5
Paradox: 0
Health Levels: As Human
Attacks: As a Surge is fully on the web, it's physical abilities are used in combat, not its Per and Int. Its strikes have the additional property of causing four dice of non-aggravated electrical damage.
Magick:
- Monitor Web ( * Forces, * Mind, * Prime ): This effect Monitors Icons that pass through or near the Surge. It indexes the icon's force and prime structures against those allowed access ( memorized with mind 1 ). Because of the Prime component, altering an icon's appearance is not enough to fool the spirit.
- Surge-Net ( ** Forces, ** Prime ): This allows the Surge to disperse itself into a Surge-net form and re-condense itself.
- Infiltrate Icon ( ** Forces, *** Mind ): With this a Surge can enter an icon. It has no control over the icon, but receives all the sensory input the icon's user does for as long as it remains, including magickal senses.
- Trace Icon: ( *** Correspondence, * Forces, * Prime, ** Time ): This allows a Surge to track and icon that it has sensed or been given a full data-set about.
- Equipment Surge ( *** Correspondence, *** Forces, ** Prime ): A Surge can channel it's spiritually charged electrical body into any electrical device, though only computers and VR gear are routinely entered. They can then cause the device to overload and burn out, obliterating stored information. It is with this ability that a Surge can most viciously attack a cybernaut. By entering VR equipment, it can cause the equipment to release damaging levels of light, and sound. Those systems that use electrical stimulation to simulate touch ( like most VA systems ) can also deliver possibly lethal electrical damage. Its nasty nature lies in the fact that a Mage already projected into the web is not using his body's senses unless an additional Co-locate Perceptions magick is used. Thus, the mage will probably not be aware of the effect before being rendered unconscious or seriously injured.
Note: A mundane "surge protector" will not prevent a Surge's Equipment Surge from having effect. They were introduced by Virtual Adepts so that they could manufacture co-incidental talismans to ward against Surge attacks.
These Digital Monitors are a type of guardian spirit which are incorporated into many of the technocrocy's secure systems. Their purpose is not perimeter defense, but the defense of the data the systems contain.
Any time guarded information is accessed, the transaction is monitored. If an unusual or unauthorized use of the data occurs, the monitors acts to apprehend the culprit. Because these precise-minded spirits can be an annoyance to any operator besides the equally precise Iteration X mages, they are only used to defend data that is either very important or seldom accessed.
Restriction Monitors appear as faceles humanoid technocratic icons. Their icons carry unusual pistols which shoot metallic rays. If sensed with the spirit sphere, they appear as man sized metal spiders
. Attributes: Str: 2, Dex: 3, Sta: 4, Cha: 1, Man: 3, App: 1, Per: 5 Int: 3, Wits: 4.
Abilities: Computer 5, Investigation 4, Research 4. Spheres: Correspondence 4, Forces 2, Mind 4, Spirit 4.
Willpower: 6
Rage: 4
Arete: 6
Quint.: 3
Paradox: 0
Health Levels: As Human
Magick:
- Monitor Data Flo ( *** Correspondence, * Forces, *** Mind ): This allows the Restriction Monitor to watch over it's assigned data in technomancer computer systems. Any use of the data brings its attention. Unusual manipulations begin investigation, unauthorized ones bring attacks.
- Relocate Data ( **** Correspondence, * Mind ): When data is accessed, the Restriction Maintains an unadulterated copy in its files, as well as a running log of alterations made. This allows these files to instantly be sent to a "vault" computer, one that is not otherise connected to the web or technocracy machinery. Such files can then be consulted by skilled mages. This prevents most VA program-traps and isolates computer viruses for study.
- Data Scan ( * Forces, *** Mind ): An apprehended Cybernaut is scanned with this rote to determine what information he has taken and where this information is located.
- Data Wipe ( **** Correspondence, ** Forces, **** Mind, *** Spirit ): Armed with a victim's knowledge of where information has been moved to, this effect allows the Monitor to immediately attempt to delete it from computer files and make persons forget it. The second application is vulgar and incurs paradox.
- Icon Supression ( **** Correspondence, ** Forces, **** Spirit ): This is a technomancer version of the classic spirit charm Calcify. With it, the Restriction Monitor attempts to anchor an icon firmly to its present location in the Digital Web. A Willpower roll is made against the target's own Willpower. Each success decreases the victim's effective physical attributes ( or Willpower in the case of spirits ) by one and establishes 1 die of countermagick against Correspondence ot Spirit attempts to move. When the sucesses decrease the abilities to ero and countermagick dice exceed the mage's Arete the victim can no longer move.
- Icon Ejection: Restriction Monitors can activate the icon-dump paramater of technocracy controlled areas of the Digital Web. They roll their Arete against difficulty 6 against the victim's willpower to send icons offline.
The Void Engineer spirit 2 effects often call upon Monitors for many tasks. One such task is self-guided weapons, in which the Void Engineers even surpass the Iteration X convention. Void Engineers have smart weapons as small as tranquilizer darts and small-caliber bullets. They also have very small, one-shot, anti-personell missile pistols, with brilliant-level micromissiles.