Sleep is vital to life, though transhumans don't need as much of it. Basic Biomods reduces the amount of sleep vs active period, and Circadian Regulation does so further. But, mods like Hibernate allow one to sleep deeply longer. Even though Synthmorphs do not require to sleep, many sleeved in them will use low-power modes to take breaks to rest the mind and kill time. Infomorphs can slow run time and emulate sleeping mind states to rest and refocus. As biological importance is retained, so is cultural importance - which can lead to interesting junctures between culture and technology.
Simulspace and VR in general are amazing tools. There are entire subcultures who chose to live not only as infomorphs but in VR environments permanently. They can simply exist in VR sensorium servers and persist there so long as the server operates. For those outside, Simulspace is a bit different, and for biomorphs accessing VR is usually done through a headset with a hardline connection which manages brainwave data - allowing the replacement and immersion in the new sensorium. VR is usually accessed in special couches, beds or chairs to keep the body relaxed and prevent harm from any additional movements in the real world. This also means it provides a relaxing space where transhumans might feel able to sleep. This juncture is the origin point of Dreamweavers.
The art or science of dreamweaving is part psychosurgery, part simulspace engineering, and a bit classical psychology. Those with a more technical aptitude might apply neurology directly also. It is possible to engage in Simulspace while asleep or mimic a sleeping state with the technology. While most people engage with it while fully conscious, the interface point itself doesn't necessarily care. However, interacting with VR while your brain is in various states of rest is difficult and complex, limited often to those who have the ability to lucid dream. This is where a good Dreamweaver comes in. Someone with the technical and academic skills to oversee a dreamer and manage both their psyche and the software and hardware it is working with. The profession is a bit fringe in some habs, especially with a more conservative view on technology, but is non-invasive and entertaining or even therapeutic, so it's not uncommon to be able to find one on the Mesh.
A Dreamweaver can perform many services and operations, and usually does so in real space from a very close proximity to the dreamer - though with decent connection they can operate remotely. Because they have access to both a sleeping mind and body, intense trust is needed with a Dreamweaver. This can sometimes lead to intimate relationships between the dreamer and the weaver. The most simplistic option with a 'weaver is for them to record naturally occurring dreams not just as XP (which some people do as a form of "dream journal") but render them in fully interactive VR. This can allow for interactive dream analysis, editing and even "resumption" of a dream which ended or drifted away originally. The more common and complex option is real time dream observation, editing and suppression. Originally devised as a therapy for those with night terrors and other issues, this process has a Dreamweaver observe dreams (as the sleeper perceives them) and use their VR interface to alter the direction or content of the dream. Traumatic nightmares might be gently brightened or ended to shift to a new dream, stress dreams can be de-stressed and dull dreams might be made more interesting. Because this is done in real time, it requires some skill to string together the hybrid of VR programming and psychosurgery commands to shift dreams on the fly - and poor cohesion or design of a dream edit can cause undue stress on the subject - causing them to wake up. Dreamweavers tend to get better at this the more they work with a client (as the process also often helps with insight and psychotherapy as well) and can learn to navigate their particular dreamscape - which promotes long relationships with a good 'weaver.
The most complex service of Dreamweaving is also the best known and most popular. Not only can they record and interact with normal dreams, but via the Simulspace interface a good 'weaver can take over for normal subconscious dreaming patterns and induce specific dreams in the subject. Because of elements of sub- or unconscious interaction with the dream-state, Dreamweavers who actually build dreams often say that they must remain flexible in their design and often made changes on the fly to the program to account for an active dreamer. In these cases, the client tends to "order" certain dreams or themes before they go to sleep, and the 'weaver executes on them, using their knowledge of the dreamer and their own library of software to bring about the desired result. This is not quite the same as utilizing VR normally, while some dreamers (and particularly good Dreamweavers) can induce lucidity in these dreams they aren't fully immersive or interactive like a normal simulspace - they behave more like natural dreams which content or themes have been "pre-picked" by the dreamer and implemented by the 'weaver. Some Dreamweavers make the dreams in real time as the sleeper experiences and reacts to them. Others can implement pre-programmed dream types, and edit them to match the sleeper's personality. Inducing a dream must be done very carefully to avoid causing undue mental stress on the subject. Additionally, being too loose with the controls on a dream can cause the natural sleeper's mind to influence it causing it to go "off script".
It still is a very popular service by those with good money to engineer their dreams, often hiring personal dreamweavers like one patrons any art - or high quality dreamweavers drawing large packs of clientele like a famous surgeon or therapist. Economically, Dreamweaving isn't as strong in the New Economy, as on just pure Reputation it can sometimes be difficult to organize appointments and clients when they are all in good standing in the community - leading to a handful to operate on "first come, first served" basis or involve trading of favors directly. Usually, you find people with the talents exclusively offering it for therapeutic benefits to a broader community, or where Networking can get you an introduction to a 'weaver, who then screens for people they are particularly interested in working with (though being too exclusive can harm one's own reputation). Also very common is that Dreamweavers form small communities and groups who train and practice together, and will offer services to friends and close companions, or work together to handle scheduling in other people from outside the collective to come in and experience their craft, which enhances the reputation of the collective.
Mechanics:
Should the mechanical need to model Dreamweaving come up, the simplest way is to treat it as a specific Specialization of a skill like Programming or Art: Simulspace Design, and have the 'weaver roll that skill as a Task Action which last however long the subject sleeps (and probably shouldn't operate under normal speed reduction, unless you want to wake the subject up early). Success means the dream is woven as it should be, and failure means things didn't quite go as planned. On Critical or Excellent success, the subject might even heal a few points of Stress, but conversely on Severe or Critical failures a particularly "bad trip" should probably inflict some stress.
Or, if you want to get more technical, treat it like a Psychosurgery proceedure (which Programming or Art: Simulspace Design might complement). It has a timeframe of however long the subject is asleep (average 4-8 hours), with a modifier of +20 if you're just suppressing or editing normal dreams, and +0 if you're weaving a dream completely. Oppose with WILx3 as normal. If the surgeon succeeds, things go off perfectly, and if they have a good MoS the subject might heal some Stress or gain some other temporary benefit. If both pass, then the dreamer's subconscious (or conscious if they can lucid dream) may take the dream in unexpected directions - the result is an interesting and memorable experience, but no long term gain. If the surgeon fails or the subject rolls higher on their WIL test, their subconscious rejects or persists in its natural dreams, and the dreamer takes 1 SV (more maybe, if the PS fails worse) and if they pass the WIL test probably wake up in the middle of their sleep.
Additionally, a character who performs dreamweaving services for someone should get a hefty bonus to rolls like Kinesics or Psychology aimed at determining that person's mood, mental state or attitude to the tune of +10-20 as they have a very good look at what the subject's subconscious is like.
[Sidebar] Dream-Eaters:
Not all applications of technology are good, and not everybody who delves into the world of Dreamweaving is interested in helping others - they have more selfish goals in mind. These people who range from antisocial at the best to psycho-criminals as worst are usually called "Dream-Eaters". At their lowest level, Dream-Eaters are voyeuristic and opportunistic. Instead of steadfastly watching over and guiding another's dreams, they might hijack their dream-state for their own amusement, or even utilize XP or VR to experience the dreams they make through another person's POV. Others may copy XP or VR data of dreams without permission, and share or sell them to others (sometimes unedited) in place of their own work. Some Dream-Eaters are con artists, who use the physical proximity and vulnerability of the subject for personal gain - or engage in a tactic known as "inception", where they plant careful triggers or cues in the sleeper's dreams to engage in social engineering. Some may utilize the data gathered on a sleeper's psyche for blackmail or emotional manipulation - while more insidious operators will use their access to a person's Ego and Morph to perform unauthorized psychosurgery or forking of the subject.
These criminals are potent and dangerous, and may be solo operators or associated with big outfits like the ID Crew or Nine Lives. Their actions can be motivated by simple greed to profit off others, or they may have more antisocial or disruptive behaviors in mind. Dream-Eater schemes are often hard to catch without another 'weaver to audit their work - but some get sloppy. Others get found out when people close to the victim realize something is unusual about their behavior or what they say their sessions are like. Due to the risks and damage such close access to a person can cause, the crimes performed by Dream-Eaters are usually treated harshly by most legal systems.
Showing posts with label subcultures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label subcultures. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Martian Bike Gangs
Mars presents a somewhat unique environment in many respects for people. With the Earth lost, it is one of the largest bodies in the solar system one can reasonably expect to travel on. While Titan has ground-roads and highways, they do not have the surface area and distance of Mars to cover, nor the population levels who utilize these roads. This leaves Mars as one of the few places in the Solar System where those who have appreciation for the "open road" or the "need for speed" to thrive and grow. Unfortunately, subculture development is somewhat limited by vehicle selection - groundcars are notoriously small and compact, though urban street racing (illegal as it subverts the traffic control grids) often utilizes modded ones, and while the Martian Buggy can get some speed going, the vehicles are not the most aesthetically pleasing - though "post-apoc" rigs of buggies with extraneous armor plates, spikes and chains are not uncommon in rebellious rednecks.
This means that the traditional cycle has some of the best availability and style for those who seek to feel the independence and power of owning a vehicle. In urban centers, you may find traditional bike clubs and authentics "retro-Mod" cultures who focus on riding and customizing cycles. These make great venues for recent immigrants or ex-Indentures within the hobby to socialize with others and get back into the swing of post-Fall life, and act as an element of a social network. While there are still some wider popcultural implications of a "cycle club", the ratio of the urban ones which engage in criminal activity is low - and in these cases they mostly act as a slightly more mobile street gang, engaged in vehicle theft, extortion and drug dealing to gain additional money for the members or the club and may clash with more established neighborhood gangs. However, the high presence of surveillance and traffic control makes these criminal actions harder.
It is outside the major cities, on the distant highways and their attached communities, where you find groups one can really call "motorcycle gangs". Many of these these resemble rebellious youth and racing subcultures, such as Japanese bosozoku or Maylay Mat Rempit. The backbone of these communities are in local youths, usually areas which have a concentration of similar ethnic cultures (though multicultural gangs exist in areas which are sufficiently diluted) and have little else to do, except perhaps help parents with work or attend virtual schooling. Far from Mars' urban centers, traffic controls get less strict, surveillance gets less comprehensive, and the ease of building a serviceable cycle or trike out of some fabs in a prefab garage gets much higher. This means that many bike gangs are also technically skilled, able to do basic subversion of DRM and licensing, and can handle their own maintenance and assembly of bikes - some gangs even take building your own ride as a bar to entry. While historically there may have been some element of gender separation or roles in bike gangs, the modern gangs rarely make anything of it including active members ("riders") of any gender identity - though some of the most established may comport themselves as a "brotherhood" or "sisterhood". Though, of course, bike gangs are often hotbeds for casual dating and sex in their communities, and it's not uncommon for a date (sometimes called a "bitch" or a "squeeze" usually not intended to be derogatory) of any gender who is not a member to ride with the gang.
Activities for these outback gangs are pretty standard. At their basis, they engage in running (usually friendly) races on highways and access roads, bike parades and other rabble rousing usually just for their own amusement. Particularly adventurous or skilled gangs will travel on major arterial highways, subverting the traffic grid or otherwise operating in manual to travel at high speeds interspersed with regular traffic (though this occasionally draw the attention of the Martian Rangers). Those who feel particularly strong or delinquent might engage in common youthful crimes such as vandalism, extortion or bullying of locals, petty thefts and even robberies. Others might engage in drug distribution and smuggling, illegal courier jobs or act as a hub for illegal fab operations. While sometimes this is selfishly for profit, mostly it is an act of youthful rebellion or a quest for more thrills - many of these gangs' members live ordinary lives otherwise and engage in activities for the adrenaline high. This is reflected in their outfitting; almost no-one uses an enclosed cabin on their cycle or trike, they only wear lightly shielded clothing or crash suits for protection, and the only people wearing helmets or masks are those who do not have respiration implants. This means that while often dangerous and violent, gangs are rarely consistent in their operations beyond the basics. Only the longest established and largest gangs tend to have steady operations which go hand-in-hand with various codes of conduct and strict membership rules.
While high-speed and danger seeking are critical to these cultures, so is rebellion. Gang colors and symbology are often drawn from their cultural or ethnic heritage (a subversion of the Consortium's insistence on Mars as the new home of humanity), others use anarchist symbols or rhetoric in how they operate and may even comport themselves as "lacking hierarchy". However, some gangs will focus on subverting their own cultural expectations operating like "Authentics" in Urban Mars modeled after cultures which are not their own - or deliberately anachronistic stylings such as American "cowboys" or late 20th century "cyberpunks". Some cyclists are brave enough even to chance the outskirts of the TQZ. Culturally, cycle gangs are split between cycles and trikes - with trikes being larger, more durable and better at rough terrain, but the cycle being faster and the lighter frame more customizable. Membership in these gangs is usually youths in their mid to late teens at the low end and early-mid 20s at the high (as opposed to urban cycle clubs, which have a broad age range). Some members naturally mature out of the club, or their older age and legal status makes the risks of the lifestyle less appealing. Those who engage in criminal activities may be recruited by local crime gangs, triads or militant Barsoomians as members. Others may pursue dangerous contract jobs such as PMC work, ego hunting or bodyguarding, or become professional athletes or X-casters engaging in other extreme sports. Very rarely, bikers will "go straight" and join government jobs with the Tharsis League doing infrastructure or surveying and some will even "betray" the gang by becoming Martian Rangers. Some don't ever properly grow out of it, remaining in the local culture to support new blood and keep the gang revitalized while going on with their own lives.
Occasionally, two gangs' territories will meet or abut. This is rare, as very few rural communities have a large enough population spread out to form multiple gangs - though rivalries and falling outs can cause a gang to split or fork. Typically, both being driven rebels, this will result in low-key gang warfare with brawls, vandalism, taunting and very rarely serious fighting over the contested area. This ends either when the local authorities have to step in, or one gang loses the will to hold the territory, causing them to fall back. Occasionally, gangs are mature enough to negotiate, and will split territory up, or one will pay concessions to the other for the space. Exceedingly rarely, gangs might merge to form a new gang with combined membership - this usually only happens if a third party (such as Rangers or local criminals) is present, or in the non-zero chance that gang leadership really just wants to bang and have a weird way of showing it. Combined gangs tend to be volatile, but much stronger and more daring.
Lastly, there are a couple ways gangs might settle things in event of a fight, or some other dispute. Races and related wagers are common, especially in gangs with younger membership who aren't dead set on fighting (and may not have access to weapons). But another common way is jousting, where a champion of each gang will engage in almost ritualized fighting utilizing simple shields (or no shields at all) and carefully crafted lances made with self-balancing materials to be easy to handle - and with smart material heads which can be blunt or sharp depending on the conflict.
Jousting Lance: Lance used in ritualized jousting of Martian Bike Gangs, and occasionally reenactors on horseback. Has a bluntable tip and powerful balance correction for high accuracy. It is designed to be used in motion, and thus has no penalty to make a Charge Attack, but all attacks while not charging takes a -20 penalty. Uses the Exotic Melee Weapon: Lance skill. [Low]
AP -3 1d10+3+DB DV (Half DV when blunted)
This means that the traditional cycle has some of the best availability and style for those who seek to feel the independence and power of owning a vehicle. In urban centers, you may find traditional bike clubs and authentics "retro-Mod" cultures who focus on riding and customizing cycles. These make great venues for recent immigrants or ex-Indentures within the hobby to socialize with others and get back into the swing of post-Fall life, and act as an element of a social network. While there are still some wider popcultural implications of a "cycle club", the ratio of the urban ones which engage in criminal activity is low - and in these cases they mostly act as a slightly more mobile street gang, engaged in vehicle theft, extortion and drug dealing to gain additional money for the members or the club and may clash with more established neighborhood gangs. However, the high presence of surveillance and traffic control makes these criminal actions harder.
It is outside the major cities, on the distant highways and their attached communities, where you find groups one can really call "motorcycle gangs". Many of these these resemble rebellious youth and racing subcultures, such as Japanese bosozoku or Maylay Mat Rempit. The backbone of these communities are in local youths, usually areas which have a concentration of similar ethnic cultures (though multicultural gangs exist in areas which are sufficiently diluted) and have little else to do, except perhaps help parents with work or attend virtual schooling. Far from Mars' urban centers, traffic controls get less strict, surveillance gets less comprehensive, and the ease of building a serviceable cycle or trike out of some fabs in a prefab garage gets much higher. This means that many bike gangs are also technically skilled, able to do basic subversion of DRM and licensing, and can handle their own maintenance and assembly of bikes - some gangs even take building your own ride as a bar to entry. While historically there may have been some element of gender separation or roles in bike gangs, the modern gangs rarely make anything of it including active members ("riders") of any gender identity - though some of the most established may comport themselves as a "brotherhood" or "sisterhood". Though, of course, bike gangs are often hotbeds for casual dating and sex in their communities, and it's not uncommon for a date (sometimes called a "bitch" or a "squeeze" usually not intended to be derogatory) of any gender who is not a member to ride with the gang.
Activities for these outback gangs are pretty standard. At their basis, they engage in running (usually friendly) races on highways and access roads, bike parades and other rabble rousing usually just for their own amusement. Particularly adventurous or skilled gangs will travel on major arterial highways, subverting the traffic grid or otherwise operating in manual to travel at high speeds interspersed with regular traffic (though this occasionally draw the attention of the Martian Rangers). Those who feel particularly strong or delinquent might engage in common youthful crimes such as vandalism, extortion or bullying of locals, petty thefts and even robberies. Others might engage in drug distribution and smuggling, illegal courier jobs or act as a hub for illegal fab operations. While sometimes this is selfishly for profit, mostly it is an act of youthful rebellion or a quest for more thrills - many of these gangs' members live ordinary lives otherwise and engage in activities for the adrenaline high. This is reflected in their outfitting; almost no-one uses an enclosed cabin on their cycle or trike, they only wear lightly shielded clothing or crash suits for protection, and the only people wearing helmets or masks are those who do not have respiration implants. This means that while often dangerous and violent, gangs are rarely consistent in their operations beyond the basics. Only the longest established and largest gangs tend to have steady operations which go hand-in-hand with various codes of conduct and strict membership rules.
While high-speed and danger seeking are critical to these cultures, so is rebellion. Gang colors and symbology are often drawn from their cultural or ethnic heritage (a subversion of the Consortium's insistence on Mars as the new home of humanity), others use anarchist symbols or rhetoric in how they operate and may even comport themselves as "lacking hierarchy". However, some gangs will focus on subverting their own cultural expectations operating like "Authentics" in Urban Mars modeled after cultures which are not their own - or deliberately anachronistic stylings such as American "cowboys" or late 20th century "cyberpunks". Some cyclists are brave enough even to chance the outskirts of the TQZ. Culturally, cycle gangs are split between cycles and trikes - with trikes being larger, more durable and better at rough terrain, but the cycle being faster and the lighter frame more customizable. Membership in these gangs is usually youths in their mid to late teens at the low end and early-mid 20s at the high (as opposed to urban cycle clubs, which have a broad age range). Some members naturally mature out of the club, or their older age and legal status makes the risks of the lifestyle less appealing. Those who engage in criminal activities may be recruited by local crime gangs, triads or militant Barsoomians as members. Others may pursue dangerous contract jobs such as PMC work, ego hunting or bodyguarding, or become professional athletes or X-casters engaging in other extreme sports. Very rarely, bikers will "go straight" and join government jobs with the Tharsis League doing infrastructure or surveying and some will even "betray" the gang by becoming Martian Rangers. Some don't ever properly grow out of it, remaining in the local culture to support new blood and keep the gang revitalized while going on with their own lives.
Occasionally, two gangs' territories will meet or abut. This is rare, as very few rural communities have a large enough population spread out to form multiple gangs - though rivalries and falling outs can cause a gang to split or fork. Typically, both being driven rebels, this will result in low-key gang warfare with brawls, vandalism, taunting and very rarely serious fighting over the contested area. This ends either when the local authorities have to step in, or one gang loses the will to hold the territory, causing them to fall back. Occasionally, gangs are mature enough to negotiate, and will split territory up, or one will pay concessions to the other for the space. Exceedingly rarely, gangs might merge to form a new gang with combined membership - this usually only happens if a third party (such as Rangers or local criminals) is present, or in the non-zero chance that gang leadership really just wants to bang and have a weird way of showing it. Combined gangs tend to be volatile, but much stronger and more daring.
Lastly, there are a couple ways gangs might settle things in event of a fight, or some other dispute. Races and related wagers are common, especially in gangs with younger membership who aren't dead set on fighting (and may not have access to weapons). But another common way is jousting, where a champion of each gang will engage in almost ritualized fighting utilizing simple shields (or no shields at all) and carefully crafted lances made with self-balancing materials to be easy to handle - and with smart material heads which can be blunt or sharp depending on the conflict.
Jousting Lance: Lance used in ritualized jousting of Martian Bike Gangs, and occasionally reenactors on horseback. Has a bluntable tip and powerful balance correction for high accuracy. It is designed to be used in motion, and thus has no penalty to make a Charge Attack, but all attacks while not charging takes a -20 penalty. Uses the Exotic Melee Weapon: Lance skill. [Low]
AP -3 1d10+3+DB DV (Half DV when blunted)
Monday, March 6, 2017
Hellfire Clubs
Historically, "Hellfire Clubs" were meeting places for upper class persons of a jaunty or disreputable quality, primarily in Britain. In addition to gentlemanly talks of politics, philosophy and business the clubs would also engage in blasphemy, satire and "immoral acts" - the intention being to shock or scandalize the public rather than proper impropriety. Others were directly engaged in acts would be seen as improper by wider society - pagan rituals, wenching, drinking and gluttony, with one organization famously having the motto "Do what thou wilt". Social clubs under the name of "Hellfire Clubs" have persisted in some places such as Ireland into the modern era.
The landscape of many parts of the Solar System is ripe for the resurgence of such social clubs, particularly in cities on Venus and Mars with strong enclaves of European descent and a high-class populace. The growth of social media and life transparency means that engaging in anti-social or "inappropriate" behaviors can tend to catch up with one quickly, which can mean the end of a career (or a very frustrating setback) for many a young socialite. Additionally, class divides are strong, which can fuel a resentment of the upper crust and drive them to private meeting using their powerful resources. But also, hedonism is popular in many areas, especially due to transhuman resiliency. Food, drink, drugs and sex are all relatively harmless to those with a proper morph and medical care - and worst comes can be easily sidestepped by resleeving. While some of the oligarchy are said to have "Immortality Blues" and have grown tired of many normal pastimes, the hyperelite youth of the Glitterati and other cultures are still amused by the "normal" things, and may desire private outlets.
And of course, the intellectual situation is also ideal - Religion is not as common in these regions in AF 10, and many prominent religious groups are known for their current or classic conservatism - making them ideal for parody. Earth nostalgia and "retro" qualities for many classic fashions recorded from the past couple centuries has arisen, though obviously distorted by time, and many "updated" to fit in with modern technology.
Hellfire Clubs follow many similar internal structures. They meet in restaurants, bars or other social venues, or at members homes. All members are treated as equals, and many may enforce anonymity or lack of Mesh access to prevent leaks and recordings from getting out. Men and women may join, a bit of useful historical accuracy, though depending on "authenticity" all members may still be referred to as "Brother". Meetings tend to be regular, such as weekly or monthly, at appointed times, though to prevent gossip journos from getting a handle on them they especially skilled Clubs may rotate or encrypt scheduling. Membership tends to be invite only, with new members being vouched for by a previous one - and many involve hazing or initiation rituals. Hellfire Clubs may even be virtual instead of physical - though this is not as common due to it's lack of apparent "authenticity". Particularly unscrupulous clubs may also operate by garnering the assistance of local criminal elements to hide or help provide "entertainment".
The actual subject of the club varies widely depending on individual social groupings. Some are simple social clubs with an air of secrecy, a place for people of similar minds or ages to gather and speak about topics without public perception, politics, money or social standing to directly interfere. Many are more in a vein of clubs to party and have fun - where exquisite food, drink and pleasures of the flesh are offered. They may also engage in acts of satire or parody, mockeries of religious rituals of elaborate pagan natures or in blatant misrepresentation of classical Abrahamic religion. Others may engage in political satire, skits or other amusements of a more intellectual nature - or just humble pranks. The most extreme and private clubs engage in acts which are not just socially unacceptable, but illegal: cannibalism, snuff, bloodsports, human or animal sacrifice, bestiality, torture and many others - and these are most likely to be connected to serious criminal outfits.
While some regard the Clubs as unsavory, immoral, in poor taste or "wasting time", only the most extreme are seen as harmful or dangerous - and even then the hyperelite who move in these circles may not even care for harm done to "lower classes", though public image in places like Morningstar and the Consortium mean that legal action may still be taken if the word gets out. Some Autonomist groups, such as many militant Anarchists, see the Clubs (and the obscured rumors of them on the Mesh) as exploitative, abusive and endemic of hierarchical systems - but Extropian and Scum clades are generally more approachable on the subject of "do what you will". There are even rumors that groups on Titan, such as the oligarhov counterculture, are interested in similar concepts to engage in socially unacceptable behaviors away from the sometimes oppressive transparency of normal Commonwealth life.
The landscape of many parts of the Solar System is ripe for the resurgence of such social clubs, particularly in cities on Venus and Mars with strong enclaves of European descent and a high-class populace. The growth of social media and life transparency means that engaging in anti-social or "inappropriate" behaviors can tend to catch up with one quickly, which can mean the end of a career (or a very frustrating setback) for many a young socialite. Additionally, class divides are strong, which can fuel a resentment of the upper crust and drive them to private meeting using their powerful resources. But also, hedonism is popular in many areas, especially due to transhuman resiliency. Food, drink, drugs and sex are all relatively harmless to those with a proper morph and medical care - and worst comes can be easily sidestepped by resleeving. While some of the oligarchy are said to have "Immortality Blues" and have grown tired of many normal pastimes, the hyperelite youth of the Glitterati and other cultures are still amused by the "normal" things, and may desire private outlets.
And of course, the intellectual situation is also ideal - Religion is not as common in these regions in AF 10, and many prominent religious groups are known for their current or classic conservatism - making them ideal for parody. Earth nostalgia and "retro" qualities for many classic fashions recorded from the past couple centuries has arisen, though obviously distorted by time, and many "updated" to fit in with modern technology.
Hellfire Clubs follow many similar internal structures. They meet in restaurants, bars or other social venues, or at members homes. All members are treated as equals, and many may enforce anonymity or lack of Mesh access to prevent leaks and recordings from getting out. Men and women may join, a bit of useful historical accuracy, though depending on "authenticity" all members may still be referred to as "Brother". Meetings tend to be regular, such as weekly or monthly, at appointed times, though to prevent gossip journos from getting a handle on them they especially skilled Clubs may rotate or encrypt scheduling. Membership tends to be invite only, with new members being vouched for by a previous one - and many involve hazing or initiation rituals. Hellfire Clubs may even be virtual instead of physical - though this is not as common due to it's lack of apparent "authenticity". Particularly unscrupulous clubs may also operate by garnering the assistance of local criminal elements to hide or help provide "entertainment".
The actual subject of the club varies widely depending on individual social groupings. Some are simple social clubs with an air of secrecy, a place for people of similar minds or ages to gather and speak about topics without public perception, politics, money or social standing to directly interfere. Many are more in a vein of clubs to party and have fun - where exquisite food, drink and pleasures of the flesh are offered. They may also engage in acts of satire or parody, mockeries of religious rituals of elaborate pagan natures or in blatant misrepresentation of classical Abrahamic religion. Others may engage in political satire, skits or other amusements of a more intellectual nature - or just humble pranks. The most extreme and private clubs engage in acts which are not just socially unacceptable, but illegal: cannibalism, snuff, bloodsports, human or animal sacrifice, bestiality, torture and many others - and these are most likely to be connected to serious criminal outfits.
While some regard the Clubs as unsavory, immoral, in poor taste or "wasting time", only the most extreme are seen as harmful or dangerous - and even then the hyperelite who move in these circles may not even care for harm done to "lower classes", though public image in places like Morningstar and the Consortium mean that legal action may still be taken if the word gets out. Some Autonomist groups, such as many militant Anarchists, see the Clubs (and the obscured rumors of them on the Mesh) as exploitative, abusive and endemic of hierarchical systems - but Extropian and Scum clades are generally more approachable on the subject of "do what you will". There are even rumors that groups on Titan, such as the oligarhov counterculture, are interested in similar concepts to engage in socially unacceptable behaviors away from the sometimes oppressive transparency of normal Commonwealth life.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Cyanos
They say it takes all kinds.
In this case, "all kinds" is rather unusual. The Cyanos, also known as "Plankton People" or "Algae Swarms" (or occasionally Bioswarmanoids) are an interesting subculture which blends the rules between infomorphs, exhumanism and microscale morphology in aquatic habs. Experimentation in different morph sizes is possible - The Colony (p. 88 Sunward) is an example of a hab which uses microscale morphs (run through distributed or external computing) to conserve on space, and offer entertainment. Swarmanoids themselves are a exotic morphology using microbots and segmented, distributed computing which can host even multiple egos. Smart Plankton is another aquatic nanotech, similar to Smart Dust, which can do various forms of recording and processing.
The Cyanos push a lot of this tech even farther, forming an unusual subculture. They utilize biodrones embedded with nanotech-assisted computing to form an organic swarm of otherwise independent microorganisms in concert, forming a kind of living swarm akin to planktons or algaes. The name comes from "cyanobacteria", a photosynthesizing, aquatic microbe. A normal Swarmanoid can already support more than one Ego, though by configuration only one normally has physical control of the morph. Cyanos and their plankton swarms utilize larger formations and denser swarms to allow more egos to exist in the same space, blending swarm composition and the biological neural substrate of something like a Hamilton cylinder, which acts like an Infomorph server.
Actually operating in a plankton swarm is an interesting experience. It blends normal operations such as in a server with greatly diffused sensory information. All egos operating in the swarm share the same sensory inputs (though some can filter accordingly), and because they are all distributed in the same computing space, sharing thoughts, memories and information is incredibly easy, similar to something like Linkstate or Nimbus' Hyper-Mesh Insert. Thus, Cyanos tend to be very communal or "hive" minded, and are known to act less like individuals and more like components of a whole - even when outside the swarm they may say "we" instead of "I". Some Cyano colonies even integrate nanotech similar to the Ego Bridge, so they can skim minds of bimorphs to share, or even fork them directly into the swarm - but the invasiveness of this prospect means they do not engage in it without consent.
The swarm itself has limited mobility, and limited defenses. While they can move, this requires concentrated effort from multiple individuals, and is difficult to do against currents in the water. For defense, Cyanos rely on guardian nanotech being near them, or integration of nanophages into the swarm. Some have gone toxic to prevent local aqualife from trying to prey on them (and luckily the small amount of extant Neo-Whales makes the issue of sophontophagy relatively non-existent). But, due to the relative small size and the fact that most Cyano communities are very peaceful and open means they have little to fear. Most communities spend their time sharing experiences, debating things or collaborating on projects on the local mesh - while they also digest sensory information and autonomously gather resources from the surrounding water. Due to distribution, Cyano swarms can work on things very quickly, and with a large enough area can contain dozens of Egos in a discrete swarm.
Cyano communities are naturally limited by the fact that their micro-biodrones are aquatic only. They are most populace in Atlantica and inside certain flooded habitations on Ceres and Europa - but do not prefer the latter two's open oceans as they lack light, heat and can be difficult to be secure in. Due to their communal nature, they often fit in well with Cetacean uplifts, some of whom work to "shepherd" cyano swarms from any aqualife which might try to ingest them. Small colonies exist elsewhere in the system, of course. There are a handful of Cyano swarms recognized as citizens in the Titanian Commonwealth, at least one biodesign corp on Enceladus entirely formed by a Cyano swarm - and several algae swarms have interests in gatecrashing, exploring aquatic exoplanets. When they exist in more capitalist societies, Cyanos often get what resources or allowances they need by working as think tanks, programmers, consultants or software designers - their unique headspace able to come at problems from multiple angles simultaneously. They also can make interesting teachers or tutors, filtering a single bit of information through multiple Egos rapidly to find the best way to communicate it. Due to this unique mindspace, however, many Cyanos have difficulties acting as individuals, similar to the Synergists. They may experience a form of "withdrawal" when instanced away from the swarm, or have difficulty in social interactions.
Mechanics:
Sleeving into a Cyano "plankton swarm" is more like using an Infomorph server than a real morph (though does still require an Alienation and Integration check at -30 for Exotic morph, typically) as physical motion of the swarm is limited and more akin to interfacing with bots than moving a limb. The Cyano medium does not run Eidolons, but an Ego distributed onto the Swarm retains individual software plug-ins and upgrades. As it it highly distributed, the Aptitude Maximum for the swarm is 40, but due to semi-biological neural media Cyanos are immune to traditional brain hacking - at least from outside the swarm itself.
Plankton Swarms blend the rules between swarms and servers. They operate under standard mechanics for Swarms, as per Transhuman and X-Risks. In their standard volume, they can hold 5 Egos normally, and have a DUR of 30. Each additional "unit" of swarm adds 15 DUR and doubles the amount of Egos the swarm can hold. Should they need to move, the swarm has a speed of 2/8 Submarine, but take -30 to Swimming tests to oppose strong currents, and may even be damaged by them as a normal swarm would be Wind. The physical swarm comes equipped with 360 Degree Vision, Enhanced Hearing, Mental Speed and naturally Swarm Composition normally, and can be equipped with any Swarmanoid only enhancements (as cyberware) and bio, cyber or nanoware allowed to Swarmanoid morphs as seen in Swarmanoid Enhancements (p. 213 Transhuman). Additionally, the way the swarm is constructed means all egos in it gain a benefit akin to Parallel Processing, offering teamwork bonuses automatically and granting +5 COG to all users, but reducing TT by 1. Typically, Cyanos add Nanophages, and some combination of Eelware, Injectors or Poison Glands for defense.
In this case, "all kinds" is rather unusual. The Cyanos, also known as "Plankton People" or "Algae Swarms" (or occasionally Bioswarmanoids) are an interesting subculture which blends the rules between infomorphs, exhumanism and microscale morphology in aquatic habs. Experimentation in different morph sizes is possible - The Colony (p. 88 Sunward) is an example of a hab which uses microscale morphs (run through distributed or external computing) to conserve on space, and offer entertainment. Swarmanoids themselves are a exotic morphology using microbots and segmented, distributed computing which can host even multiple egos. Smart Plankton is another aquatic nanotech, similar to Smart Dust, which can do various forms of recording and processing.
The Cyanos push a lot of this tech even farther, forming an unusual subculture. They utilize biodrones embedded with nanotech-assisted computing to form an organic swarm of otherwise independent microorganisms in concert, forming a kind of living swarm akin to planktons or algaes. The name comes from "cyanobacteria", a photosynthesizing, aquatic microbe. A normal Swarmanoid can already support more than one Ego, though by configuration only one normally has physical control of the morph. Cyanos and their plankton swarms utilize larger formations and denser swarms to allow more egos to exist in the same space, blending swarm composition and the biological neural substrate of something like a Hamilton cylinder, which acts like an Infomorph server.
Actually operating in a plankton swarm is an interesting experience. It blends normal operations such as in a server with greatly diffused sensory information. All egos operating in the swarm share the same sensory inputs (though some can filter accordingly), and because they are all distributed in the same computing space, sharing thoughts, memories and information is incredibly easy, similar to something like Linkstate or Nimbus' Hyper-Mesh Insert. Thus, Cyanos tend to be very communal or "hive" minded, and are known to act less like individuals and more like components of a whole - even when outside the swarm they may say "we" instead of "I". Some Cyano colonies even integrate nanotech similar to the Ego Bridge, so they can skim minds of bimorphs to share, or even fork them directly into the swarm - but the invasiveness of this prospect means they do not engage in it without consent.
The swarm itself has limited mobility, and limited defenses. While they can move, this requires concentrated effort from multiple individuals, and is difficult to do against currents in the water. For defense, Cyanos rely on guardian nanotech being near them, or integration of nanophages into the swarm. Some have gone toxic to prevent local aqualife from trying to prey on them (and luckily the small amount of extant Neo-Whales makes the issue of sophontophagy relatively non-existent). But, due to the relative small size and the fact that most Cyano communities are very peaceful and open means they have little to fear. Most communities spend their time sharing experiences, debating things or collaborating on projects on the local mesh - while they also digest sensory information and autonomously gather resources from the surrounding water. Due to distribution, Cyano swarms can work on things very quickly, and with a large enough area can contain dozens of Egos in a discrete swarm.
Cyano communities are naturally limited by the fact that their micro-biodrones are aquatic only. They are most populace in Atlantica and inside certain flooded habitations on Ceres and Europa - but do not prefer the latter two's open oceans as they lack light, heat and can be difficult to be secure in. Due to their communal nature, they often fit in well with Cetacean uplifts, some of whom work to "shepherd" cyano swarms from any aqualife which might try to ingest them. Small colonies exist elsewhere in the system, of course. There are a handful of Cyano swarms recognized as citizens in the Titanian Commonwealth, at least one biodesign corp on Enceladus entirely formed by a Cyano swarm - and several algae swarms have interests in gatecrashing, exploring aquatic exoplanets. When they exist in more capitalist societies, Cyanos often get what resources or allowances they need by working as think tanks, programmers, consultants or software designers - their unique headspace able to come at problems from multiple angles simultaneously. They also can make interesting teachers or tutors, filtering a single bit of information through multiple Egos rapidly to find the best way to communicate it. Due to this unique mindspace, however, many Cyanos have difficulties acting as individuals, similar to the Synergists. They may experience a form of "withdrawal" when instanced away from the swarm, or have difficulty in social interactions.
Mechanics:
Sleeving into a Cyano "plankton swarm" is more like using an Infomorph server than a real morph (though does still require an Alienation and Integration check at -30 for Exotic morph, typically) as physical motion of the swarm is limited and more akin to interfacing with bots than moving a limb. The Cyano medium does not run Eidolons, but an Ego distributed onto the Swarm retains individual software plug-ins and upgrades. As it it highly distributed, the Aptitude Maximum for the swarm is 40, but due to semi-biological neural media Cyanos are immune to traditional brain hacking - at least from outside the swarm itself.
Plankton Swarms blend the rules between swarms and servers. They operate under standard mechanics for Swarms, as per Transhuman and X-Risks. In their standard volume, they can hold 5 Egos normally, and have a DUR of 30. Each additional "unit" of swarm adds 15 DUR and doubles the amount of Egos the swarm can hold. Should they need to move, the swarm has a speed of 2/8 Submarine, but take -30 to Swimming tests to oppose strong currents, and may even be damaged by them as a normal swarm would be Wind. The physical swarm comes equipped with 360 Degree Vision, Enhanced Hearing, Mental Speed and naturally Swarm Composition normally, and can be equipped with any Swarmanoid only enhancements (as cyberware) and bio, cyber or nanoware allowed to Swarmanoid morphs as seen in Swarmanoid Enhancements (p. 213 Transhuman). Additionally, the way the swarm is constructed means all egos in it gain a benefit akin to Parallel Processing, offering teamwork bonuses automatically and granting +5 COG to all users, but reducing TT by 1. Typically, Cyanos add Nanophages, and some combination of Eelware, Injectors or Poison Glands for defense.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Bruixeria
"Belief is Power" - Common Bruixeria Saying
"Router, am I researching literal fucking witchcraft?" - Cynical Thomas, Firewall Scanner
Suspicion, rumor, belief. Transhumans pride themselves on being rational and skeptical, but human nature has a fundamental predisposition to mystery and vagary. Humans fear what they don't understand, but are intrigued by the idea that they can learn more. To some, this is nothing, just a fact of how people act - but others seek to use this as the basis for power, to manipulate others and gain resources or respect. This has historical basis in practices of mystery cults or other groups who isolate knowledge to their membership alone.
The origins of the "bruixeria" appear to be from urban legends shared over drinks by the Jovian Diplomatic Corps. Astrosociologists and Anthropologists do agree that the origin of the style appears to be from a counterculture group inside the Jovian Republic - however hard facts about that group and their practices are limited as they appear to operate off the Mesh or networks and mostly via word of mouth, which aids in superstition and reduces government intervention (as some of their activities may be considered terrorism or sedition by the Republic). The term "bruixeria" comes from the old Catalan word for witchcraft, which has strong local mythology which is associated with opposition or activities on traditional Catholic holidays. How the term became widespread is unknown, but the meme has gone through the mesh and is now the common appellation for these groups.
Groups of "bruixeria" are usually called covens or circles, and are localized. They exist in a specific hab, or neighborhood, and on specific darknets on the Mesh. Nobody openly claims to be a bruixeria, anybody who "advertises" is quickly ostracized or disowned. This leads to the one key unifying value which seems to be common to all circles - the idea of the "Legend" or "Story". In general each bruixeria circle performs actions or deeds which resembles many traditional depictions of "witchcraft". Some effects are placebo or otherwise psychological, some are sleight- of-hand or parlor tricks and some are unexplained. But, much like classic stage magicians, a bruix never reveals their secrets. How they do things is a complete "mystery" and must be taken as part of their "art". They do not admit they are witches, they do not acknowledge witchcraft is "real", they simply act and let the Legend do the rest of the work. Journos have attempted interviews and exposes, and have come up with limited effects - mostly talking to cultural experts, "alleged" witches and some clients - and those who dig too deep often suffer mysterious accidents. A common saying is that "bruixeria find you, you do not find them". Even if one meets one directly, they rarely say "I am a witch", but will talk around the subject, let the "client" suppose on their own, and let their actions speak for them.
Operations, rituals and services performed/offered by Bruixeria differ from coven to coven. In religious cultures, depending on their disposition a bruix is a folk healer or teacher - others see them as dangerous subversives working in a contract with evil. When they appear, some witches include the classic pointy hat, often complemented by distracting low necklines and high skirts - others dress in antiquated puritanical fashion, or in exaggerated "witch doctor" costumes, or traditional ethnic gear. In Ceres and Extropia, Bruixeria agents are noted for appearing to be dressed for business, comporting themselves as the "lawyers of hell". In general, however, two classes of activities are noted by investigators. Many in terms of cultural comparison call this "black" or "white", with the traditional "blackhat" or "whitehat" terms used to differentiate sometimes. "Greyhat" is occasionally used to classify a witch who performs either type of service.
"White" witches practice positive rituals or mysteries. They perform many things which fall under the aspect of traditional medicine. They create herbal remedies, pray or "magic" away injury and diagnose with no visible tools. In habs large enough to have weather systems, a witch is said to be able to drive off or bring rain - and even in small habs their rituals can locate or even fix mechanical problems. They perform snake charming or handling as a performance to show their powers. They perform traditional soothsaying and fortune-telling, sensing one's aura or troubles or detecting lies. They can perform "dowsing" to sense valuable resources such as in an asteroid, or in the soil of a planetary body. They may also perform ritual prostitution for a number of purposes. "Black" witches are the other side of things. They can curse or hex people and objects to suffer misfortune and failure. They are said to poison or bring disease, and can steal a person's secrets. They can communicate with and spy via animals - particularly cats or amphibians. Or they might "summon" or create servitors or familiars to do their bidding. They can bewitch a person to do their bidding, or kill with a touch. Other various local legends and rumors persist. Some do perform actions in exchange for goods and services, or nebulous "favors" which were the precursor to the Reputation economy. Others simply appear where "needed" to officer services, adding to the Legend.
In-depth analysis of Bruixeria activities generally reach the same conclusion - though many organizations, communities and governments dismiss them outright as "primitive superstition" or "chicanery and quackery". The general consensus is that bruixeria groups are "hackers" in the classical definition. Services they render and information they gain is done via legitimate means, but is couched between technical skills and social engineering. While some succeed just because the people they interact with believe in their powers, couching things in mystical terms also tends to make more skeptical and "enlightened" people dismiss their activities outright and not look closer. Healing is done via actual herbal medicines, therapeutic techniques and subtle inclusion of medical nanos. Illness or poison is accomplished the same way, using many traditional poisons. Damage or repair to devices or accidents can be arranged by subverting networks or applying cautious physical sabotage. Spying via animals is easy if an animal has been covertly equipped to be a biodrone. Simple training can allow one to detect classical tells or signs of somebody's problems, as can mesh research. Implants can cover a multitude of actions which those who lack them cannot identify, such as "bewitching" via Hither or Enhanced Pheromones, or being able to see a person naked while clothed via T-Rays when the subject lacks their own mods to detect them. To Firewall, it is possible some bruixes are Asyncs, and thus their psi powers are the source of unexplained phenomena, which defy even the traditional scientific understanding of transhumanity. Their use of spirituality, mysticism and non-standard religion allows them to operate in ways or places which they wouldn't otherwise, and excuse activities which might otherwise be suspect.
Membership in bruixeria varies. Some are members of an obvious counterculture. Others seem to be keeping alive certain traditions and histories in a new context. Others use the secrecy and mysticism as a source of empowerment, or creating new opportunity. Others are just classical personalities who favor altruism or seek to harm others. Small criminal outfits may incorporate aspects of the bruixeria "Legend" to cover their activities or enhance their reputation. Some legitimate specialists might adopt the styling as a marketing move or a form of cultural roleplay. While "witch" has connotations of women in many traditions, there appears to be no enforcement that men or women may be bruixeria, though some covens may enforce a feminine appearance as part of their mystique. Recruitment runs a gamut too, though the general conclusion is that cannot officially "choose" to be a bruixeria, they must be selected and taught by somebody already initiated and who has graduated to show some level of mastery of their craft. In reality though, a new coven may be started by the uninitiated who claim the mythology, being part of the "Legend". Other than the general attitude on secrecy, there seems to be very little enforcement or quality control on the concept. Bruixeria have no formal networking, but the "initiated" generally can find and figure out one another, and seem to practice a form of "professional courtesy". In many communities who are made of refugees or cultural pockets with strong beliefs, bruixeria are as real as anything - though only the most isolated and devoutly religious perform "witch hunts". In more technological societies, those who have much cultural baggage, more intense integration of technology or who generally purport themselves to be rational or scientific, bruixeria are not acknowledged but may be accepted as a simple performance art or lifestyle choice. Skepticism reduces "business", but the fact that they often accomplish concrete actions despite their apparent smoke-and-mirrors may keep "demand" up.
Firewall has few concerns about Bruixeria as a whole, but may have concerns about specific cells. As noted above, possibility of Async activity is real. Given the culture of secrecy and mysticism, it might be possible for exsurgents or other TITAN agents to operate among them, working on sinister goals of their own and using the spirituality as a cover. Charlatans might also utilize TITAN or alien tech to further their mystical appearance. Others in Firewall have concerns about the regression inherent in this style of operating, with isolation of institutional knowledge and a mystical air to cloak what is actually occurring - and worry about widespread of this practice (which as of yet seems unlikely). Stability-minded agents also note some of these circles are little more than dressed up criminal syndicates or counter-cultural terrorist orgs. While their reach may be small, conventional crime always can present a localized risk the conspiracy does not need. And, while remote, there is always the non-zero possibility that one of these groups has or could acquire hitherto unknown knowledge or technology and integrate it into their practices. Their secretive nature means that isolating and studying such breakthroughs would be difficult, which worries certain projects and case files. This is generally considered to be an extreme outlier case, however.
"Router, am I researching literal fucking witchcraft?" - Cynical Thomas, Firewall Scanner
Suspicion, rumor, belief. Transhumans pride themselves on being rational and skeptical, but human nature has a fundamental predisposition to mystery and vagary. Humans fear what they don't understand, but are intrigued by the idea that they can learn more. To some, this is nothing, just a fact of how people act - but others seek to use this as the basis for power, to manipulate others and gain resources or respect. This has historical basis in practices of mystery cults or other groups who isolate knowledge to their membership alone.
The origins of the "bruixeria" appear to be from urban legends shared over drinks by the Jovian Diplomatic Corps. Astrosociologists and Anthropologists do agree that the origin of the style appears to be from a counterculture group inside the Jovian Republic - however hard facts about that group and their practices are limited as they appear to operate off the Mesh or networks and mostly via word of mouth, which aids in superstition and reduces government intervention (as some of their activities may be considered terrorism or sedition by the Republic). The term "bruixeria" comes from the old Catalan word for witchcraft, which has strong local mythology which is associated with opposition or activities on traditional Catholic holidays. How the term became widespread is unknown, but the meme has gone through the mesh and is now the common appellation for these groups.
Groups of "bruixeria" are usually called covens or circles, and are localized. They exist in a specific hab, or neighborhood, and on specific darknets on the Mesh. Nobody openly claims to be a bruixeria, anybody who "advertises" is quickly ostracized or disowned. This leads to the one key unifying value which seems to be common to all circles - the idea of the "Legend" or "Story". In general each bruixeria circle performs actions or deeds which resembles many traditional depictions of "witchcraft". Some effects are placebo or otherwise psychological, some are sleight- of-hand or parlor tricks and some are unexplained. But, much like classic stage magicians, a bruix never reveals their secrets. How they do things is a complete "mystery" and must be taken as part of their "art". They do not admit they are witches, they do not acknowledge witchcraft is "real", they simply act and let the Legend do the rest of the work. Journos have attempted interviews and exposes, and have come up with limited effects - mostly talking to cultural experts, "alleged" witches and some clients - and those who dig too deep often suffer mysterious accidents. A common saying is that "bruixeria find you, you do not find them". Even if one meets one directly, they rarely say "I am a witch", but will talk around the subject, let the "client" suppose on their own, and let their actions speak for them.
Operations, rituals and services performed/offered by Bruixeria differ from coven to coven. In religious cultures, depending on their disposition a bruix is a folk healer or teacher - others see them as dangerous subversives working in a contract with evil. When they appear, some witches include the classic pointy hat, often complemented by distracting low necklines and high skirts - others dress in antiquated puritanical fashion, or in exaggerated "witch doctor" costumes, or traditional ethnic gear. In Ceres and Extropia, Bruixeria agents are noted for appearing to be dressed for business, comporting themselves as the "lawyers of hell". In general, however, two classes of activities are noted by investigators. Many in terms of cultural comparison call this "black" or "white", with the traditional "blackhat" or "whitehat" terms used to differentiate sometimes. "Greyhat" is occasionally used to classify a witch who performs either type of service.
"White" witches practice positive rituals or mysteries. They perform many things which fall under the aspect of traditional medicine. They create herbal remedies, pray or "magic" away injury and diagnose with no visible tools. In habs large enough to have weather systems, a witch is said to be able to drive off or bring rain - and even in small habs their rituals can locate or even fix mechanical problems. They perform snake charming or handling as a performance to show their powers. They perform traditional soothsaying and fortune-telling, sensing one's aura or troubles or detecting lies. They can perform "dowsing" to sense valuable resources such as in an asteroid, or in the soil of a planetary body. They may also perform ritual prostitution for a number of purposes. "Black" witches are the other side of things. They can curse or hex people and objects to suffer misfortune and failure. They are said to poison or bring disease, and can steal a person's secrets. They can communicate with and spy via animals - particularly cats or amphibians. Or they might "summon" or create servitors or familiars to do their bidding. They can bewitch a person to do their bidding, or kill with a touch. Other various local legends and rumors persist. Some do perform actions in exchange for goods and services, or nebulous "favors" which were the precursor to the Reputation economy. Others simply appear where "needed" to officer services, adding to the Legend.
In-depth analysis of Bruixeria activities generally reach the same conclusion - though many organizations, communities and governments dismiss them outright as "primitive superstition" or "chicanery and quackery". The general consensus is that bruixeria groups are "hackers" in the classical definition. Services they render and information they gain is done via legitimate means, but is couched between technical skills and social engineering. While some succeed just because the people they interact with believe in their powers, couching things in mystical terms also tends to make more skeptical and "enlightened" people dismiss their activities outright and not look closer. Healing is done via actual herbal medicines, therapeutic techniques and subtle inclusion of medical nanos. Illness or poison is accomplished the same way, using many traditional poisons. Damage or repair to devices or accidents can be arranged by subverting networks or applying cautious physical sabotage. Spying via animals is easy if an animal has been covertly equipped to be a biodrone. Simple training can allow one to detect classical tells or signs of somebody's problems, as can mesh research. Implants can cover a multitude of actions which those who lack them cannot identify, such as "bewitching" via Hither or Enhanced Pheromones, or being able to see a person naked while clothed via T-Rays when the subject lacks their own mods to detect them. To Firewall, it is possible some bruixes are Asyncs, and thus their psi powers are the source of unexplained phenomena, which defy even the traditional scientific understanding of transhumanity. Their use of spirituality, mysticism and non-standard religion allows them to operate in ways or places which they wouldn't otherwise, and excuse activities which might otherwise be suspect.
Membership in bruixeria varies. Some are members of an obvious counterculture. Others seem to be keeping alive certain traditions and histories in a new context. Others use the secrecy and mysticism as a source of empowerment, or creating new opportunity. Others are just classical personalities who favor altruism or seek to harm others. Small criminal outfits may incorporate aspects of the bruixeria "Legend" to cover their activities or enhance their reputation. Some legitimate specialists might adopt the styling as a marketing move or a form of cultural roleplay. While "witch" has connotations of women in many traditions, there appears to be no enforcement that men or women may be bruixeria, though some covens may enforce a feminine appearance as part of their mystique. Recruitment runs a gamut too, though the general conclusion is that cannot officially "choose" to be a bruixeria, they must be selected and taught by somebody already initiated and who has graduated to show some level of mastery of their craft. In reality though, a new coven may be started by the uninitiated who claim the mythology, being part of the "Legend". Other than the general attitude on secrecy, there seems to be very little enforcement or quality control on the concept. Bruixeria have no formal networking, but the "initiated" generally can find and figure out one another, and seem to practice a form of "professional courtesy". In many communities who are made of refugees or cultural pockets with strong beliefs, bruixeria are as real as anything - though only the most isolated and devoutly religious perform "witch hunts". In more technological societies, those who have much cultural baggage, more intense integration of technology or who generally purport themselves to be rational or scientific, bruixeria are not acknowledged but may be accepted as a simple performance art or lifestyle choice. Skepticism reduces "business", but the fact that they often accomplish concrete actions despite their apparent smoke-and-mirrors may keep "demand" up.
Firewall has few concerns about Bruixeria as a whole, but may have concerns about specific cells. As noted above, possibility of Async activity is real. Given the culture of secrecy and mysticism, it might be possible for exsurgents or other TITAN agents to operate among them, working on sinister goals of their own and using the spirituality as a cover. Charlatans might also utilize TITAN or alien tech to further their mystical appearance. Others in Firewall have concerns about the regression inherent in this style of operating, with isolation of institutional knowledge and a mystical air to cloak what is actually occurring - and worry about widespread of this practice (which as of yet seems unlikely). Stability-minded agents also note some of these circles are little more than dressed up criminal syndicates or counter-cultural terrorist orgs. While their reach may be small, conventional crime always can present a localized risk the conspiracy does not need. And, while remote, there is always the non-zero possibility that one of these groups has or could acquire hitherto unknown knowledge or technology and integrate it into their practices. Their secretive nature means that isolating and studying such breakthroughs would be difficult, which worries certain projects and case files. This is generally considered to be an extreme outlier case, however.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Gaming Social Network
Optional Rule: p-rep (PlayScore, Networking: Gamers)
PlayScore is a hypercorp-sponsored social network for major VR and AR games and gaming culture. It features a combination of unified achievement tracking and player “karma” which is increased by teamwork, clean playing and interactivity, and penalizes cheating, TKing, ninja-looting or other similar activities. p-rep users have access to exclusive virtual chatrooms and forums, and the network hosts and distributes many guides, tips and interviews related to both single and multiplayer games. p-rep functions normally when using favors inside the virtual network, and can be used to gain favors from almost any faction, but the level of favor is increased by one when dealing with events completely in “meatspace”.
Gamer Organizations & Clades:
Virtualists: Virtualists hold that since VR is indistinguishable from Real Life, a “virtual” experience has no difference from a “real” one, and thus everyone should life freely in a virtual space. Virtualists spend almost all of their time playing VR games, and many have even sold off their own morphs in order to instance as infomorphs in specialized Virtualist Sanctuary servers. Casual players often find them “tryhards” or otherwise too serious about “games”, which the Virtualists treat like real experiences.
Drones: Drones are mostly hypercorp employees or other “normal” Consortium citizens who partake in AR or VR games. They oppose open hypercorp interference and monitoring within the actual games, but also do not like attempts to impose seriousness or realism, or bring real-world politics into the simulspace. They simply want their escapism from their daily grind. The name started as a pejorative, but was adapted to the group when they started becoming a more unified movement.
Amazons: Surprisingly prominent clade who play exclusively female or feminine avatars and characters, believing that in an age where you can look and be any gender combination you like, the female form is the most aesthetically pleasing. They were founded on the principle that quote-unquote “tits are awesome”. Some advocates, especially in the Outer System, decry the Amazons as sexist or objectifying, but others argue that they are empowering via non-traditional gender roles often symbolized by aggressive or violent playstyles. Some even argue they are sexist the other way, with some groups of Amazons bullying or discriminating against male avatars.
Glitch-erati: The Glitch-erati are a collection of VR and e-sports celebs. While often mocked or scorned by many real-world Socialites, the Glitch-erati have a huge following on the PlayScore network. Their in-game XP streams are religiously followed by thousands of subscribers across the system, and if they move into a new game, many players follow them. They are also frequently seen commentating on gaming events or reviewing new games and game updates.
Dead Pixel: Dead Pixel is a virtual crime syndicate, who run a variety of shady or illegal cheating, hacking and farming operations, and also offer black or red market services in Simulspace for virtual items and information, often for real-world currency or favors. They also engage in many rep scams and trading events, including rep-to-cred deals which heavily favor Dead Pixel. Dead Pixel is even rumored to have their own array of simulspaces where they’ll trap simulspace avatars and infomorphs for their own amusement.
Leetists: Virtual elitists who take the virtualist philosophy one step further, and proclaim that the only experience and skill that matters is in virtual reality. Leetists scorn “filthy casuals” and will shun and ignore those with a low enough p-rep score. They are highly competitive, constantly hunting for the most extreme games with which to test their skills. Rumors of Leetists dealing with singularity seekers in order to achieve a higher level of cognition and responsiveness are often dismissed by members of the movement.
Patch Crew: A small but well-organized group of support teams who operate in the real world to ensure that the most popular servers don’t get taken down by RL sabotage. When Hypercorps or Anarchist groups attempt to take down servers, the Patch Crew will send a team to stop it, and also repair any damage done. They are so efficient that groups like Firewall have taken notice after they repelled several sabotage attempts without knowing who they were blocking or why.
The Guild: Group of virtual “mercenaries” based out of Extropia, but with contractors across the system. They recruit players only of the highest skill and experience levels, and deploy in contracts to any game or situation. When you need a situation handled inside a game, you can call on the Guild, and once the fee is paid, they will do everything they can to accomplish your goal, or your money back. Also known as the “Professionals”, or derisively as “The B-Team”.
Xenoludi: This group started as a small club of Computational Archaeology students at universities on Titan and Mars, who were interested in alien ideas of games and sensoriums. After a few of their projects went public, they started to pick up steam. The group specializes in games and other virtual spaces based on recovered alien computers and technology, which are often bizarre, illogical or otherwise unusual. They also work with virtual replicas of xenoarchaeology sites, and even projections of what those locations might have looked like before they were ruined. Some people report strange after-effects, such as unusual dreams or hallucinations after playing these spaces. Furthermore, certain groups are concerned with the Xenoludi’s obsession with alien tech and data, and possible X-risks thereof, or that they might accidentally utilize TITAN tech.
Collegiates: In an age where athletic talent can often be subsidized or physically instilled with morphs or mods, university-level sports are reduced or otherwise taken a backseat. Physical sports talents are best honed in hobbyists or in professional media personalities, so there’s less effort to teach, especially with space constraints. Team-based e-sports, however, especially with movements like the Glitch-erati and the Leetists, have seen a big rise because the virtual talents are purely the skill of the mind using them (combined with some standardized hardware). As such, higher education institutions have developed multiple VR game teams for inter-institution leagues in various games, both classic and new. This presence of Collegiates is most common on Mars and Luna, where there are a wide variety of institutions with which to have competition, and even scholarship opportunities, while teams from institutions on Titan, Europa and Extropia tend to be slightly lower-key.
Meat Packers: A group of biochauvanists and some bioconservatives, mostly based out of Luna or other parts of the LLA. They believe in “purity” of the game and the gamer, and thus mostly play in standard biomorphs without augmentations such as multitasking or mental speed, do not use specialized or accelerated hardware or skillsoft supplementation, and instead focusing on more conventional training and raw talent. They garner support for their clade by making frequent use of XP streams to “let people have a taste of the meat”. Some of their members have been criticized for vocal prejudices against AGI, permanent Infomorphs (especially Leetists) or those who utilize cutting-edge computing hardware. Individual teams or groups in this faction have names like “400 APM”, “KBM=WIN” and “Fingerbang”.
Reflex Streaming: Indie XP and lifelog distributing hypercorp specializing in gaming. A competitor to Experia in these specific fields. Based primarily on Venus and Extropia, they offer very flexible and open contracts for content producers, and offers a great deal of open and free content to the public. Their model is more based on allowing producers to monetize their content via advertisements and sponsorships rather than through DRM or paywalls. Reflex is also famous for buying up indentures for prospective esports athletes and ecelebs and give them solid deals in their markets.
[Sidebar] Digicorps: Sometimes also called Nanocorps or V-corps, these are (usually) very small corporate entities which exist completely virtually in Simulspace, with some having “storefronts” in virtual locations like Hub. They operate by selling in-game goods or services in small amounts for small real credit percentages called “nanotransactions”. Resources are crafted directly by employees or gathered through complex farming methods reliant on task hedonist AI or AGI. Digicorps have an extremely high rate of competition due to similarity of services and their small size (which often makes conflicts personal). Notable examples include: Yangtze Marketplace, CyBay, Spacetsy, GameDot, NanoSoftware and DogeBank
One of the most common Digicorp operations is “Stock-based goldfarming”, where the first wave of customers buy shares in specialized servers to run the farming AI with real credit, and are paid with a regular percentage of in-game resources or currency. The excess currency or resources are then auctioned off to the public for real credit, which is distributed to shareholders in the company. Another common move is in-game “quests”, where Digicorps will accept up-front fees to acquire specific game items, including organizing missions or raids to acquire it, and are fulfilled by any player carrying that item. Yet another fairly common business model is digital fashion, where programmers and designers work together to create custom cosmetic items or even entire simulmorph avatars to be sold for real currency, usually on a commission or catalog basis.
(For some examples of PlayScore games, made with the suggestions and comments from the community, as well as some NPCs and plot hooks, click here)
PlayScore is a hypercorp-sponsored social network for major VR and AR games and gaming culture. It features a combination of unified achievement tracking and player “karma” which is increased by teamwork, clean playing and interactivity, and penalizes cheating, TKing, ninja-looting or other similar activities. p-rep users have access to exclusive virtual chatrooms and forums, and the network hosts and distributes many guides, tips and interviews related to both single and multiplayer games. p-rep functions normally when using favors inside the virtual network, and can be used to gain favors from almost any faction, but the level of favor is increased by one when dealing with events completely in “meatspace”.
Gamer Organizations & Clades:
Virtualists: Virtualists hold that since VR is indistinguishable from Real Life, a “virtual” experience has no difference from a “real” one, and thus everyone should life freely in a virtual space. Virtualists spend almost all of their time playing VR games, and many have even sold off their own morphs in order to instance as infomorphs in specialized Virtualist Sanctuary servers. Casual players often find them “tryhards” or otherwise too serious about “games”, which the Virtualists treat like real experiences.
Drones: Drones are mostly hypercorp employees or other “normal” Consortium citizens who partake in AR or VR games. They oppose open hypercorp interference and monitoring within the actual games, but also do not like attempts to impose seriousness or realism, or bring real-world politics into the simulspace. They simply want their escapism from their daily grind. The name started as a pejorative, but was adapted to the group when they started becoming a more unified movement.
Amazons: Surprisingly prominent clade who play exclusively female or feminine avatars and characters, believing that in an age where you can look and be any gender combination you like, the female form is the most aesthetically pleasing. They were founded on the principle that quote-unquote “tits are awesome”. Some advocates, especially in the Outer System, decry the Amazons as sexist or objectifying, but others argue that they are empowering via non-traditional gender roles often symbolized by aggressive or violent playstyles. Some even argue they are sexist the other way, with some groups of Amazons bullying or discriminating against male avatars.
Glitch-erati: The Glitch-erati are a collection of VR and e-sports celebs. While often mocked or scorned by many real-world Socialites, the Glitch-erati have a huge following on the PlayScore network. Their in-game XP streams are religiously followed by thousands of subscribers across the system, and if they move into a new game, many players follow them. They are also frequently seen commentating on gaming events or reviewing new games and game updates.
Dead Pixel: Dead Pixel is a virtual crime syndicate, who run a variety of shady or illegal cheating, hacking and farming operations, and also offer black or red market services in Simulspace for virtual items and information, often for real-world currency or favors. They also engage in many rep scams and trading events, including rep-to-cred deals which heavily favor Dead Pixel. Dead Pixel is even rumored to have their own array of simulspaces where they’ll trap simulspace avatars and infomorphs for their own amusement.
Leetists: Virtual elitists who take the virtualist philosophy one step further, and proclaim that the only experience and skill that matters is in virtual reality. Leetists scorn “filthy casuals” and will shun and ignore those with a low enough p-rep score. They are highly competitive, constantly hunting for the most extreme games with which to test their skills. Rumors of Leetists dealing with singularity seekers in order to achieve a higher level of cognition and responsiveness are often dismissed by members of the movement.
Patch Crew: A small but well-organized group of support teams who operate in the real world to ensure that the most popular servers don’t get taken down by RL sabotage. When Hypercorps or Anarchist groups attempt to take down servers, the Patch Crew will send a team to stop it, and also repair any damage done. They are so efficient that groups like Firewall have taken notice after they repelled several sabotage attempts without knowing who they were blocking or why.
The Guild: Group of virtual “mercenaries” based out of Extropia, but with contractors across the system. They recruit players only of the highest skill and experience levels, and deploy in contracts to any game or situation. When you need a situation handled inside a game, you can call on the Guild, and once the fee is paid, they will do everything they can to accomplish your goal, or your money back. Also known as the “Professionals”, or derisively as “The B-Team”.
Xenoludi: This group started as a small club of Computational Archaeology students at universities on Titan and Mars, who were interested in alien ideas of games and sensoriums. After a few of their projects went public, they started to pick up steam. The group specializes in games and other virtual spaces based on recovered alien computers and technology, which are often bizarre, illogical or otherwise unusual. They also work with virtual replicas of xenoarchaeology sites, and even projections of what those locations might have looked like before they were ruined. Some people report strange after-effects, such as unusual dreams or hallucinations after playing these spaces. Furthermore, certain groups are concerned with the Xenoludi’s obsession with alien tech and data, and possible X-risks thereof, or that they might accidentally utilize TITAN tech.
Collegiates: In an age where athletic talent can often be subsidized or physically instilled with morphs or mods, university-level sports are reduced or otherwise taken a backseat. Physical sports talents are best honed in hobbyists or in professional media personalities, so there’s less effort to teach, especially with space constraints. Team-based e-sports, however, especially with movements like the Glitch-erati and the Leetists, have seen a big rise because the virtual talents are purely the skill of the mind using them (combined with some standardized hardware). As such, higher education institutions have developed multiple VR game teams for inter-institution leagues in various games, both classic and new. This presence of Collegiates is most common on Mars and Luna, where there are a wide variety of institutions with which to have competition, and even scholarship opportunities, while teams from institutions on Titan, Europa and Extropia tend to be slightly lower-key.
Meat Packers: A group of biochauvanists and some bioconservatives, mostly based out of Luna or other parts of the LLA. They believe in “purity” of the game and the gamer, and thus mostly play in standard biomorphs without augmentations such as multitasking or mental speed, do not use specialized or accelerated hardware or skillsoft supplementation, and instead focusing on more conventional training and raw talent. They garner support for their clade by making frequent use of XP streams to “let people have a taste of the meat”. Some of their members have been criticized for vocal prejudices against AGI, permanent Infomorphs (especially Leetists) or those who utilize cutting-edge computing hardware. Individual teams or groups in this faction have names like “400 APM”, “KBM=WIN” and “Fingerbang”.
Reflex Streaming: Indie XP and lifelog distributing hypercorp specializing in gaming. A competitor to Experia in these specific fields. Based primarily on Venus and Extropia, they offer very flexible and open contracts for content producers, and offers a great deal of open and free content to the public. Their model is more based on allowing producers to monetize their content via advertisements and sponsorships rather than through DRM or paywalls. Reflex is also famous for buying up indentures for prospective esports athletes and ecelebs and give them solid deals in their markets.
[Sidebar] Digicorps: Sometimes also called Nanocorps or V-corps, these are (usually) very small corporate entities which exist completely virtually in Simulspace, with some having “storefronts” in virtual locations like Hub. They operate by selling in-game goods or services in small amounts for small real credit percentages called “nanotransactions”. Resources are crafted directly by employees or gathered through complex farming methods reliant on task hedonist AI or AGI. Digicorps have an extremely high rate of competition due to similarity of services and their small size (which often makes conflicts personal). Notable examples include: Yangtze Marketplace, CyBay, Spacetsy, GameDot, NanoSoftware and DogeBank
One of the most common Digicorp operations is “Stock-based goldfarming”, where the first wave of customers buy shares in specialized servers to run the farming AI with real credit, and are paid with a regular percentage of in-game resources or currency. The excess currency or resources are then auctioned off to the public for real credit, which is distributed to shareholders in the company. Another common move is in-game “quests”, where Digicorps will accept up-front fees to acquire specific game items, including organizing missions or raids to acquire it, and are fulfilled by any player carrying that item. Yet another fairly common business model is digital fashion, where programmers and designers work together to create custom cosmetic items or even entire simulmorph avatars to be sold for real currency, usually on a commission or catalog basis.
(For some examples of PlayScore games, made with the suggestions and comments from the community, as well as some NPCs and plot hooks, click here)
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