A Sourcebook for

Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition

Credits Special Thanks
Developers: Travis Legge and Steffie de Vaan To Satyros Phil Brucato for building such beautiful worlds.
Writers: Satyros Phil Brucato, Jacqueline Bryk, Hiromi Cota, To Rich and Matthew for their undying support and patience.
Catherine Evans, Rachel Judd, Travis Legge, James Sambrano, To the backers of the Technocracy Reloaded Kickstarter,
B. Dave Walters without whom this book would not exist.
Additional Writing by: Terry Skochko Robinson Thank you.
Consulting Developers: Anton Adam, Rodney Kelley, Terry
Skochko Robinson
World of Darkness Line Developer: Matthew Dawkins
Editor: Nimrod Jones
Art: Emanuele Desiati, Sam Denmark, Michael Gaydos,
Aaron Acevedo, T-Rex Studios
Art Director: Mike Chaney
Creative Director: Richard Thomas

© 2022 Paradox Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Paradox
Entertainment AB. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the character sheets contained in this book when reproduced for personal use.
White Wolf, Vampire and Chronicles of Darkness are registered trademarks of Paradox Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. Vampire the
Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, and Storytelling System are trademarks of Paradox Entertainment AB. All rights
reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by Paradox Entertainment AB.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes
only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out the Onyx Path at http://www.theonyxpath.com

2 The Operative’s Dossier

Tea and Intrigue 7
Introduction:
Facing the Future 9
Complex Crossroads 9
Metaplot: Reloaded 9
Themes: Saving the Ideal 11
How to Use This Book 11
Chapter One:
Constructs and Symposiums 13
Ideas Made Manifest 13
Arcology X Project,
Sejong, Republic of Korea 13
Sustainability 14
Sejong City 14
Digital Web 15
Threats 15
Key Personnel 15
Multinational Military Development
Site Northern Territory, Australia MMDS 16
Northern Territory 16
Operations and Areas of Interest 17
Resources 18
Construct Personnel 18
Terranorming Research and Application, Lake
Delton, Wisconsin 19
Lake Delton 19
Ultima Thule 22
Antarctica 22
Operations 22
Resources 22
Station Personnel 23
Experimental Station Symposium 24
Location and History 25
Today 25
Symposium Staff 25
Plot Hooks 27
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 29
The Council of Nine Mystick Traditions 30
Sleeping with the Enemy – Adjustments to Protocol 30
TRO Execution and Goals 33
Hubris and Humility 34
Dissident Permutations 35
Table of Contents 3
 Cross-Convention Initiatives 35
Friends of Courage 36
Project Invictus 37
The Special Information Security Division 37
The Black Daggers 38
The Disparate Alliance 38
The Challenge Fate Foundation:
A World That Works for Everyone 41
The Cassandra Complex 42
Friends of Courage 44
Navalon 45
Mokteshaf Al Nour 46
Project Invictus 48
Orphans and the Unaligned 50
Demographics and Populations 50
Challenges and Opportunities 50
Rehabilitation of Orphans and the Unaligned 50
Anomalous Allies 54
Hemophagic Entities 54
Therianthropes 54
EDEs 55
Chapter Three:
Digital Web 3.0 57
Welcome to the Future,
and Don’t Read the Comments 57
Access Granted 58
Behind the Curve 58
Augmented Reality 58
Accessing AR 59
AR Procedures 59
The Limits of Coincidence 59
Web Traits 59
Icons 59
Travel 60
Actions 61
Combat 62
Net Fatigue 62
Virus Infection 62
Soft De-Rez 62
Hard De-Rez 63
4 The Operative’s Dossier
Icon Death 63
Augmented Reality 2.0 63
AROs 63
Paradox 65
Spheres Work Differently 65
The Lag 65
Whiteout 66
The Web 66
Sectors 66
Apps as Apparatus 67
App-Based Practice 67
Applications Approved by The Technocratic Union 69
Social Media and The Agent 70
Social Media and the Digital Web 70
The Dark (Digital) Web 72
An Enlightened View 72
Chapter Four:
The Technomancer’s Toybox 75
Treasures of Collective Will 75
Adjustments 75
Deviance Potential Evaluation 75
Distribution Mismanagement 76
Ecological Harmonization 76
Generate Emotional Field Array 76
Predictive Analysis 76
Remote Access 77
Save File Index 77
Schrodinger’s Parcel 77
System Havoc 77
White Out 78
Alternate Perceptions 78
•• Augmented Reality 78
•• Near Infrared 78
•• Pulse Mapping 79
•• Thermal 79
Procedures 80
Anti-Hemophagic Saline 80
Atomic Override 80
Force Compliance 80
Multipartite Host Infection 80
Pen Light 81
Thanatos Project 81
• 30 Second Start 81
• Adaptive Combat Analytics Interface 81
• Brown Paper Bag 82
• Conversation Emulator 82
• Field Medical Kit 82
• Nanite Tags 82
• Urban Navigation Tool 82
•• to •••• Augmented Reality Smart Glasses 83
••+ Pocket Drone Modifications 83
•• Portable Perimeter Fence 83
••• DOUG Upgrade 83
••• Reverse Temporal Projector 85
•••• Automated Construction 86
•••• Isolated Strand 86
•••• Turbulent Displacement Field 86
•••• Wormhole Generator 86
••••• Entropic Perception Field Alteration 87
••••• Node Denial Device 87
MMDS Prototype Technology 87
••••• Paradox Sink 87
••• (or Trinket) Surveillance Nanites 88
••••• Quantum State Ion Weapon, Mark I 88
Construct and Chantry Creation 90
Construct vs. Laboratory 90
The Creation Process 90
Economics of Construction: Point Costs 90
New Traits 91
Terranorming: A How-to Guide for the
Can-Do Symposium 92
Chapter Five:
Mission Statements 95
Mission One: Hope 95
Mission Two: The Miracle of Creation 96
Mission Three: Progress is a Process 97
Mission Four: Cats in the Dox Box 98
Mission Five: This Equipment Has Not Been Tested 99
Mission Six: Wounds of War 100
Table of Contents 5
 “Coffee and eggs,” he ordered, closing the menu
and returning it to the dented plastic holder while
wiping salt crumbs from the table.
The yellow-haired woman, whose nametag
proclaimed her DORIS ASK ME ABOUT TODAY’S
SPECIAL, nodded and turned to his companion.
“You?”
“Oh, I’m not-” With a look from her companion,
she switched her order to, “A cup of tea and
blueberry muffin, please.” Doris nodded, then
vanished into the kitchen.
“Remember, we’re trying to avoid attention,
Phoebe,”
Phoebe,” he said.
Phoebe, or the agent going by that name, rolled
her eyes but didn’t disagree. Instead, she turned her
attention to the stack of tabbed files fighting for table
space with bottles of ketchup and maple-flavored
syrup.
“Let’s review,” she said, opening the top file to
reveal a detailed dossier, complete with a paper-
clipped photograph of a slender, long-haired man
sporting several tattoos.
“Calls himself ‘Buddy’, obviously a pseudonym.
Likes showing up to protest marches and similar
engagements. Seems to be a part of his practice.”
“Allegiance?”
“Batini, though he’d probably be happier as an
Orphan. Known associates,” she said, reaching for
two more files, “a two-woman punk act. They keep
changing their band’s name. Seems to be part of the
whole act. Jules and Lucy. Lucy’s a Hollow One. Jules
used to be a Templar, but they kicked her out. Still
collecting intelligence on why, but that’s when she
connected with Lucy.”
Doris re-appeared just then, long enough to deliver
their orders before disappearing back to the kitchen.
Phoebe sipped her tea while continuing to review files.
The tea tasted awful, completely unlike the hypertea
served at the office. She struggled to disguise her
distaste. At least her companion had no such trouble;
his eggs and coffee obviously delighted him.
“How should we treat them?” he asked, while
drowning eggs in ketchup.
“Given their ‘punk’ leanings, I’m surprised they
agreed to meet with us at all. We should expect some
insincere rudeness, particularly from Jules. She thinks
of us as ‘The Man’ and will test boundaries.”
“So she’ll seem unmutual, but probably isn’t?”
Phoebe made another face, which had nothing
to do with her terrible tea. “If you could even
expect mutualism from a CMURD. I advise keeping
our expectations low. Buddy’s our in. Remote
psychoanalysis indicates a desire to befriend others,
possibly to make up for a disappointing relationship
with his mentor.”
He nodded. “What about the last one?”
“Quiet when she’s not on stage, but has
significant influence over the other two. Can detect
deception approximately nine times out of ten, so
presumably an expert in Psychodynamics.”
“How likely are they to agree to help?”
“Various projections estimate between twenty to
thirty-six percent, depending on approach. Debasing
ourselves to meet at this… diner improved projections
by five percent. It increases by fifteen percent if we
offer a moderately valuable exchange.”
“What sort of exchange?”
Phoebe shrugged. “What do CMURDs want?
Territory, freedom from interference. We’re obviously
not going to continue pursuing reality crimes, but can
perhaps trade information.”
“Well, heads up. Looks like they’re here.”
She turned her head. Even if she hadn’t seen
their photographs to study, the agent had enough
experience to spot potential Reality Deviants on sight.
Three people, varying ages, obviously not family, and
each with a distinct, semi-distressing fashion sense.
They caught sight of the two Black Suits in the rear
of the diner, and began approaching with a mix of
apprehension, curiosity, and determination.
Phoebe threw back the last of her atrocious tea,
made another face, and slammed the mug back onto
the table.
“Let’s get this done,” she said.
 Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by.
The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.
— Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance

Complex Crossroads
The future is worth fighting for, what that fight
and future look like is anybody’s guess. For the
Technocratic Union – that bastion of futuristic
warfare – such uncertainty presents perilous
opportunity: a reinvention at the potential cost
of everything the Union holds dear.
Since its medieval beginnings in Europe, the
Technocracy promised a better world. Three
decades into the 21st century, that promise
seems like a bad joke. Temperatures rise.
Irrationality rules. The internet, which should have cemented
Technocratic dominance, seeds chaos on a global scale. According
to the Technocratic Time Table, we should be living in paradise.
The reality, to put it kindly, falls considerably short of the ideal.
Despite its vaunted “unity,” the Technocracy itself is a divided
house. Its features seem outdated despite miraculous technology.
Agents of the five Conventions find themselves increasingly at
odds, with death or worse as the potential cost for any perceived
infraction. The decades-old campaign against rival mage sects has
become a sinkhole of money, manpower, and other resources.
Worst of all, to a dedicated Technocrat, the Union is itself guilty of
crimes against the humanity it allegedly protects. From genocidal
deeds to vat-brewed mutations, the Technocracy’s efforts to fight
monsters have made it monstrous. If the future is to be anything
other than Orwell’s infamous boot in humanity’s face, the most
important fight involves saving the Union from itself.
In Technocracy: Reloaded, the 21st century presents a
crossroads for the Union. The so-called “static mages” must
change or die. The nature of those changes, and the forces
surrounding them, depend a great deal upon the wishes of your
Mage troupe. Whatever you decide, the “soulless monolith” of
early Mage is obsolete. Behind that façade, a complex network
of people and agendas strive toward a new tomorrow. They
fight monsters, rivals, and quite often each other. Mage 20,
Technocracy: Reloaded, and The Book of Secrets showcase
certain elements of those battles. The Operative’s Dossier in
your hands presents many more.
Metaplot: Reloaded
Because the Mage 20 series is metaplot-neutral, your troupe
has a wide range of possibilities when dealing with the 21st-cen-
tury Technocratic Union. Most of them are covered in the Mage
20 rulebook (especially on pp. 82, 110, 135, 137, 169-170, 178,
185, and 201), but several are worth noting again here, if only
because their inclusion can drastically impact your treatment
of the Technocracy:
Introduction 9
The Dimensional Anomaly
The lynchpin of the Revised Edition era, this metaplot
option presupposes that a metaphysical cataclysm ripped through
the Otherworlds, destroying virtually everything outside of
physical space and stranding the survivors in a terrifying limbo.
According to Revised chronology, this Dimensional Anomaly
occurred over 20 years ago. According to Mage 20, its worst
effects have probably subsided by now if the cataclysm occurred
at all. This event reshaped the way several Conventions, nota-
bly the Void Engineers, exist in the 21st century. Without the
Anomaly, the Union has dozens of Horizon Constructs, hun-
dreds of Voidships, and thousands of personnel (Enlightened
and otherwise) stationed outside of Earthly Consensus space.
If the Anomaly occurred years ago and subsided, the Union
suffered heavy losses, but has begun to regroup since then. If the
Avatar Storm still rages today, the Void Engineers operate under
diminished capacities and harsh circumstances — circumstances
that feel especially dire to the VEs because a rogue Void Engineer
caused that catastrophe in the first place.
Of all M20 metaplot options, your group’s response to the
Avatar Storm/Dimensional Anomaly storyline is most significant
to a Technocracy chronicle. Even earthbound Conventions felt
the Anomaly’s effects, and that disaster restructured the balance
of power between Conventions and the ways in which recent
Technocratic generations have been raised, trained, and initiated
into their Union. The material in this Dossier’s Chapter One
depends a lot on your group’s approach to the Dimensional
Anomaly and its effects.
The Fallen Technocracy
An element of Mage since the 1st Edition era, this metaplot
option insinuates that the Technocratic Union is an innately
corrupt engine of global malignancy. If that’s true, then dedicated
Technocrats struggle against titanic odds to save the Union from
itself. If it isn’t true, then the Technocracy’s indisputable evils
are the result of blind devotion to ruthless authoritarianism.
Either way, the Technocracy has done, and continues to do,
terrible things in the name of its ideals. For all its cool toys
and philosophical justifications, the Union is guilty of mass
murder, genocide, slavery, and more. The moral implications of
belonging to such an organization form an existential dilemma
for any 21st-century Technocrat.
Even if the Technocratic ranks are not filled with Nephandic
infiltrators, the Fallen influence the Union in covert and awful
ways. The Annotated Protocols of Damian (see The Book of the
Fallen, pp. 165-166) is secretly popular within the Technocracy
even though this forgery is officially condemned. Its insistence
on brutal suppression of all dissent finds an eager audience
within the Union, exerting a seductive pull upon operatives
who would never willingly deal with a Fallen mage.
Regardless of the source of its extremity, the Technocracy and
its operatives do, and have done, horrifying things. The potential
alliances discussed in this Dossier’s Chapter Two depends a lot
10 The Operative’s Dossier
upon the way Technocracy operatives deal with that history. If
the Union is innately corrupt, then such alliances (as suggested
in the Preludes for Mage 20 and Technocracy: Reloaded) may
be the only way to save the future for all humanity.
The Horizon Assault
According to Mage Revised and its Storyteller’s Companion,
a massive Technocratic force, spearheaded by a disgruntled
Hollow One, invaded and obliterated the Tradition stronghold
Horizon. Although this optional metaplot occurred over two
decades ago, relations between the Technocracy, the Traditions,
and the Hollow Ones depends a lot upon whether or not that
invasion came to pass. If it did, then the invasion was essentially
the Mage equivalent of D-Day, with thousands of casualties on
all sides. Grudges linger, and cooperation between the Hollow
Ones and Tradition mages are strained at best. A Technocratic
destruction of Horizon would also have caused the deaths of tens
of thousands of sentient beings whose lives depended upon the
Realm’s existence – a staggering moral crisis for any character
of conscience. While it’s possible that characters from those
factions might still cooperate with one another (as the survivors
and veterans of real-life wars often do), that “Hollow treachery”
colors interactions between such characters, influencing their
respective sects’ view of such alliances.
The Purge of the Crafts
Perhaps the gravest atrocity laid at the Technocracy’s door-
step within the last century involves the reputed purge of the
non-aligned Craft sects. Although Mage 20 presupposes that
the Crafts survived this purge (or better, that it never occurred
at all), that deed would have involved a global campaign of co-
ordinated slaughter. While the Crafts don’t usually distinguish
between Awakened and unAwakened members they do remain
deeply invested within their cultural communities (as described
in The Book of Secrets, pp. 237-240). This slaughter would have
included thousands of people worldwide. Worse still, those
people often come from traditionally marginalized groups: wom-
en’s communes, voodoo-creed devotees, Zoroastrians and Sufi
Muslims, even traditionalist Catholics. If the Technocracy did
purge the Crafts, there’s no word for that purge except genocide.
It’s certainly possible to play heroic characters from a
genocidal culture. Even so, there’s a huge difference between a
person whose culture committed genocide a century ago and
someone belonging to an elite organization that conducted a
coordinated genocide recently. Besides the moral burden, there’s
also a question of potential collaboration with non-aligned
mage sects. If the Technocracy did commit genocide against
the Crafts within the last 20 years or so, there won’t be much
question of cooperation between Union operatives and Craft
survivors. Though the Traditions and Technocracy have been
at war for centuries, the Crafts opted out of that war, and their
members won’t feel terribly forgiving toward a group that decided
to butcher friends and family members as part of a territorial
dispute with someone else.
 Regardless of the metaplot choices your group might make,
a Technocracy-based chronicle faces certain ethical challenges.
Some of those challenges shut down potential opportunities
that we present within this Dossier, so would-be Storytellers are
advised to choose their metaplot elements carefully.
Themes: Saving the Ideal
Despite the Technocracy’s many undeniable sins, there are
laudable ideals at the heart of that Union. Stability and progress
for all humanity, an end to paranormal predators, elevation of the
Masses from a state of superstitious chaos to one of Enlightened
achievement; any Technocratic agent can rattle off a list of such
ideals, and most operatives believe in them. The line where
someone who fights monsters becomes a monster is hazy and
debatable. Any worthy Technocrat remains aware of that line,
even if other people feel he crossed it long ago. This Dossier
focuses on saving the ideal of a better world, even though the
methods may be horrendous to folks on the receiving end of
How to Use This Book
As a supplement to Technocracy: Reloaded, this Dossier
presents additional material to a larger and more detailed book.
Although you could conceivably use it with an older edition of
Mage, the systems and background of this book assume you’re
working with Mage 20th Anniversary Edition. Within this
Dossier, you’ll find:
• Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums presents
a collection of Technocracy strongholds in the 21st
century – not the baroque alternate worlds featured in
supplements like The Book of Chantries or The Book
of Worlds, but more literally down-to-earth headquarters
where operatives confront our era’s Front Lines.
• Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies features circumstances for
potential cooperation with the Union’s usual enemies.
Desperation, after all, makes for strange bedfellows,
the Technocracy’s attentions.
Yes, this makes the Technocracy exceedingly problematic.
Questioning those ideals and methods is a core theme within
Mage as a whole — not just for agents of the Union. Fanaticism
is perilous no matter who’s holding the sword. The difference
between a cop’s boot and a wizard’s boot seems academic when
it’s stomping on your face.
In a perfect world, the Technocracy, the Traditions, and
other factions would collaborate to bring about their ideals in
a beneficial way to humanity while inflicting the least amount
of damage. The World of Darkness, though, is far from perfect.
Mage players and Storytellers must consider the impact of their
characters’ ideals and actions within a greater world that is, by
definition, really fucking dark. If those characters can bring about
a better world for everyone, then the promise of such ideals
could finally manifest in that broken world. Perhaps making it
a little bit brighter than it was before.
and this age is both desperate and strange for everyone
involved.
• Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 examines the
Technocratic perspective on the biggest and most unruly
invention in human history: the internet. A once-frontier
that has become, for better and worse, the staging ground
for our millennium.
• Chapter Four: The Technomancer’s Toybox contains
a selection of new goodies for Technocratic characters,
including optional Construct creation rules.
• Chapter Five: Mission Statements provides an array of
one-page story seeds for Technocratic adventures focusing
on progress, uncertainty, horror, and – of course – hope
for a better tomorrow than this deeply flawed today.
Introduction 11
 Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.
— Jiddu Krishnamurti
Ideas Made Manifest
Construct is a multifaceted word. As a verb, it
means “to build” or “to make (from parts).”
As a noun, it refers to an idea or theory (and
sometimes, especially within the Technocracy, a
living thing) made up from various elements into
a cohesive whole. A Technocratic Construct,
then, is both a verb and a noun. A stronghold
built from physical and social elements, and
the functioning (one might even say living)
manifestation of an idea. For the Union,
Constructs are more than simple buildings. Each Construct is,
at least in theory, the concrete realization of an idea.
Both buildings and ideas are resilient yet precarious.
Under normal circumstances, they stand firm. When hit in
Arcology X Project,
Sejong, Republic of Korea
Built between the Sobaek Mountains and the foothills of
western Korea, the Arcology X Project lies approximately 100km
south of Seoul. This self-sustaining research institution, which is
the right places, though, they collapse. As the Dimensional
Anomaly metaplot option shows, the Technocracy learned
painful lessons about the fragility of Constructs that appear
invincible until circumstances proved otherwise. Even if the
Anomaly never occurred in your chronicle, similar challenges
— Tradition assaults, lycanthropic rampages, natural disasters,
and so forth — can bring down a Technocratic Construct. Such
challenges tax the Union’s resources while strengthening the
Union’s resolve.
Although built to last with material, organic and ideological
components that withstand tremendous pressures, the following
Constructs can be destroyed. More likely, though, these living
monuments to Technocratic determination will endure whatever
our World of Darkness can throw their way.
insulated from the effects of climate change and other threats, is
one of the largest and most ambitious projects in the Technocracy.
Although headed by the White Dragons methodology of Iteration
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 13
 What’s in a Name?
The Elemental Dragon Methodologies
Thanks to the linguistic and cultural diversity of Asia, each Construct has a slightly different name for their methodologies.
For example, few Korean-speakers use the full name for the White Metal Dragons, preferring “Baek Lyong” (White
Dragon) instead. Other methodologies are similarly truncated to their color and “Dragons.” Most Chinese and Vietnamese-
speakers use the full names, except the Yellow Earth Dragons, preferring “Earth Dragons” to avoid references to the
mythological figure, Huánglóng. Japanese-speaking Constructs are even more varied, with some younger Technocrats
adopting mixed Japanese and English names for the methodologies, such as “Howaito Kin Ryū” (White Metal Dragons).
Some don’t even recognize the Elemental Dragons as methodologies, seeing them instead as the main Conventions of
the Technocracy, with the Western factions as methodological offshoots.

X, the Arcology is an interdisciplinary project. Members of all
Conventions work together to save the planet.
When complete in 2040, the Project will consist of a
640m-tall Crescent Spire, a mostly subterranean, 48-story Hub
building beneath it, and eight biodome-like Pod buildings ar-
rayed in a starburst shape around the Hub. Although the Spire
and Hub have been constructed and powered, it will take over
a decade to install all of the specialized equipment and properly
configure the micro-biomes. The Spire casts an emerald light
over the complex, thanks to the abundance of plant life inside
its translucent walls. While the Spire sits directly above the
Hub, they have separate foundations, allowing them to flex
independently in case of earthquakes, attacks, or other crises.
Sustainability
The White Dragons lead the Project’s construction and
management, while their Progenitor Green Dragon counterparts
toil away in research labs, particularly bioengineering, crop manip-
ulation, and advanced medical procedures. Arcology X’s structural
DNA overflows with green architecture, with leaves flowing from
most walls and pollination tubes literally buzzing with activity.
With so many plants on site, the Arcology’s construction teams
live onsite to maintain sufficient carbon dioxide levels.
An interdisciplinary micro-methodology, the Gardeneers,
oversee the installation and performance tuning of Arcology
X’s plant life. Through specialized calculations of temperature,
humidity, gas exchange, pollinating insect efficacy, and other
variables, the Gardeneers have engineered a gradient network of
micro-biomes that spans the entire complex. In effect, no matter
what environment a plant needs, the Arcology has a home for it.
Through these micro-biomes, Arcology X grows food for its
1,000 residents, largely a biodiverse sampling of legumes, nuts,
grains, and vegetables. By focusing on crops with a low carbon
footprint, such as lentils, tomatoes, and amaranth, the Project
can feed its population even after it reaches 6,000. Aquaculture
tanks support meat-hungry omnivores, with mussels going on
the menu in 2024.
More exciting than life support is the Arcology’s research
into biotechnology. In 2015, Dr. Kim Min-a unveiled a proof
14 The Operative’s Dossier
of concept: genetically engineered nanobots assembling and
installing brain/computer interfaces. Her work is a mainstay
of the Project, with many agents receiving Arcology-grown
biotech upgrades. Once Arcology X goes fully operational in
2040, all agent upgrades will be grown locally, from new limbs
to implanted plasma cannons.
Rounding things out, Arcology X generates enough electrical
power and Primal Energy to support all foreseeable experiments
and operations. With geothermal wells running 6,000m below
the Hub and an abundance of natural light, even sustained
plasma cannon testing won’t drain the Project’s internal power
storage. Like most Constructs, Arcology X sits atop a Primal
Energy Node. This Node has a particularly high output, which
attracted intruders in the past, although the Red Dragons of
the Void Engineers assure the Project leadership that everything
is safe now.
Sejong City
Almost as impressive as the Arcology itself is Sejong City.
The still-growing Sejong is a Smart City, with virtually everything
wired into the Digital Web. Internet of Things (IoT) devices con-
nect every apartment, street, and vehicle to the Web, efficiently
controlling every aspect of Sejong, from traffic to trash collection
to resident happiness. On top of that, every centimeter of the
city is visible and audible via surveillance devices.
The Yellow Dragons of the NWO control the behind-the-
scenes operations of Sejong City, primarily threat monitoring
and terranorming (Technocracy Reloaded, p. 66). Autonomous
drones affectionately known as King Sejong’s Army or SDY,
bear cheery cartoon faces and typically perform their activities
without residents noticing. Few people in Sejong City order food,
at least not consciously. Eco-friendly containers just appear in
their refrigerator and disappear once discarded.
Though the city currently only has around 300,000 residents,
it steadily attracts people thanks to the Korean government
gradually shifting national responsibilities from Seoul to Sejong.
Once the city is fully operational, the government will officially
relocate the country’s capital to Sejong City.
Digital Web
Thanks to White and Black Dragon cooperation with their
Iteration X and Syndicate counterparts in the early days of the
internet, South Korea boasts the fastest internet speeds in the
world, easily supporting experimental data transfers to and from
the Arcology, as well as the millions of devices in Sejong City.
Technocratic Restricted Sectors serve as a buffer zone
between the Project and the rest of the Digital Web. Given the
ubiquity of internet usage in Korea, many Arcology Technocrats
joke that they all have their own live stream show, which isn’t far
from the truth. Researchers constantly send experiment results,
peer feedback, and status updates.
Threats
Like most Constructs, Arcology X lies atop a Primal Energy
Node. A Red Dragon survey team located it in 1951 and spent
the next few decades fighting to free the Node from the hands
of Reality Deviants — particularly TEs, who hold a cultish rev-
erence for such sites. After a battle with TEs triggered the 1978
Hongseong Earthquake, the creatures finally fled.
Local TEs are now non-existent except for two groups of
therianthropes: a technology-loving pack of werewolves, and a
like-minded cluster of were-spiders. Although both have stayed away
from the Arcology, they remain active on Sejong City’s periphery.
Key Personnel
Bak Jin-woo (Void Engineers, Red Dragons;
Commandant)
At a hulking 6’ 6 inches”, Commandant Bak’s childhood
hormone treatments are obvious. His parents purchased injections
to support his dream of joining the Korean National Basketball
Team. Despite getting a military service exemption by qualifying
for the team, Bak put basketball on hold to join the ROK Marine
Corps. Two years later, he joined the Border Corps Division.
After twenty years of service, CMDT Bak spends most of
his time behind a desk, resisting the impulse to solve all his
problems with his plasma cannon. Bak’s Red Dragon battalion
falls under Security, which means he’s technically under Chief
Nguyen. Despite this awkward organization chart, Nguyen trusts
Bak to do whatever he feels is necessary to ensure the security
of the Project from EDEs.
Huang “Jane” Jinyu
(Progenitors, Green Dragons; Research Director)
Dr. Huang leads the local Green Dragons. Holding PhDs
in Data Science, Ecology, and Botany, she is the world’s most
educated Gardeneer and optimizes plant installations for their
micro-biomes and the Arcology’s needs. The Dragons headhunted
Dr. Huang during her first doctorate, although she kept blowing
off the recruiter until she neared the end of her third PhD when
she ran out of funding opportunities for her AI-assisted plant
growth optimization theories.
It couldn’t have turned out better for her; Arcology X is
Dr. Huang’s dream job. She spends most of her time fine-tun-
ing equations to control the hundreds of micro-biomes in the
Arcology, using her free time for bee husbandry, learning from
the small insects as they pollinate the Project’s plants.
Ishikawa Mayumi (Syndicate, Black Dragons;
Associate Vice President of Operations)
Ms. Ishikawa represents the Black Dragons’ interests,
although no one’s exactly sure what that means. Though less
secretive than Captain Li, Ms. Ishikawa keeps Chief Nguyen
guessing what her true motives might be. Behind her disarming
grin is a shark, constantly making deals in shadowy meetings
that somehow keep money flowing into the Arcology. A cagey
businesswoman with an eidetic memory biomod, Ms. Ishikawa
remembers every detail of every encounter she’s had for the past
decade, giving her the ability to step into a room and schmooze
everyone from the CEO to the janitor. As long as she’s at least
heard of someone, she can deliver a compelling, customized pitch.
Thanks to this, Ms. Ishikawa is on the fast track to becoming
one of the youngest Syndicate VPOs ever.
Kim Min-a (Iteration X, White Dragons;
Project Director)
Dr. Kim is no stranger to multi-Methodology teams. In
fact, she’s multi-Methodology, having spent four years as a
Green Dragon, working on incremental biomod improvements.
Eventually, she landed on a solution to use nanobots as tiny
farmers to cultivate biological machines. Though her theory saw
positive attention within the Green Dragons, the White Dragons
sent their top recruiters to get her to switch Conventions. Though
this raised some eyebrows, no one can argue with the results.
Dr. Kim’s research is cutting edge, able to create high grade
enhancements at a lower cost than any other known method.
Beyond her skill in the lab, she’s also a force in the board
room. Although she rose to the position of Project Director
through scientific achievement, she takes her role seriously and
has gotten nearly as good at leadership as she is at biotechnology.
Li Kang-min (NWO, Earth Dragons;
Regional Captain)
While not assigned to Arcology X, Captain Li is Sejong
City’s Surveillance and Control Commander and works closely
with Chief Nguyen and Dr. Kim. Once a ruthless Black Suit,
Li wears a Grey Suit now. He worked hard to gain a cushy job.
He’s willing to mentor and guide those able to see past his
well-crafted illusions or demonstrate a coldblooded approach
to security. Blackmailing him is nearly impossible since so much
of his past is shrouded in lies and misdirection, but he finds
attempts endearing.
Though he prefers the term “Yellow Dragons” for his
Methodology, he uses “Earth Dragons” out of respect for
Chief Nguyen. For his stats, use Black Daggers (Technocracy
Reloaded, p. 191).
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 15
Nguyen Hien (NWO, Earth Dragons;
Chief of Security)
Chief Nguyen is the workaholic Chief of Security and one
of the few Vietnamese Dragons at the Arcology. They’re also
non-binary, making them even rarer. They channel their anxiety
over their unofficial and unwanted position as the representative
for two minority groups into their work, often putting in more
hours than anyone else. They tackle even minor issues head-on,
using their presence and people skills to smooth problems over.
It’s rare that they can’t talk someone down. Rarer still that there’s
a living witness to their failure.
The Chief started down their path to the Technocracy af-
ter receiving an academic scholarship to attend the prestigious
National University of Singapore two decades ago. They’ve only
been back home to Vietnam twice since, spending the rest of
their time studying, training, and working. Though they’re Chief
of Security for Arcology X, they’re actually the second-highest
ranking Earth Dragon in the area after Captain Li.
Multinational Military Development Site
Northern Territory, Australia MMDS
The Multinational Military Development Site
in Australia is one of the Technocracy’s leading
Research & Development facilities. Set far away
from the Masses’ prying eyes in the red deserts
of the Northern Territory, MMDS is a safe
and secure place to create brilliant applications
of Enlightened science — and it is extremely
secure. Fences, mirages, clever psychosocial
manipulations, and perimeter patrols all ensure
the ignorant Masses can’t just stumble in when
their car breaks down or they misread the map for their desert hike.
Technically, the Construct’s leadership is Iteration X, but
the best and brightest researchers of every Convention come
to MMDS to do bleeding edge work. A position at MMDS is
highly prized, both as a recognition of talent and as a chance
to cut loose. There are no boundaries there, no strict programs
of research or short- and medium-term milestones. The goal is
innovation, pure and unfettered, for its own sake. Even though
“military” is right there in the facility’s name, it’s run more like a
tech startup’s campus — as close to one as the Technocracy ever
gets, anyway. It’s hard to keep dozens of self-declared visionaries
and geniuses in line.
Northern Territory
With its foundations on a tapped-out opal mine, most of
the Construct is underground, a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels
and chambers dug out of the red rock. Most of the labs and
workspaces are sound- and blast-proof, and as private as individual
researchers or teams desire. As is to be expected, it’s also a very
16 The Operative’s Dossier
Said Yusof (Iteration X, White Dragons;
Digital Web Security Lead)
Arcology X’s only Singaporean Malay operative, Mr. Said
is fluent in more languages than anyone else in the Construct:
English, Singlish, Mandarin, Malay, C++, Java, and about 20
more. He’s responsible for the Arcology’s Digital Web security.
Mr. Said stumbled upon the Dragons after falling into an Iteration
X honey pot on the Digital Web. Impressively, he’d bypassed two
other security systems before finally getting caught. As soon as
he understood that the Digital Web existed and that he’d been
caught, he disconnected and had a bag packed before White
Dragon security forces arrived five minutes later.
Mr. Said expected to be recruited or disappeared. Both hap-
pened. Though legally dead, he’s never been happier. He gets to
spend most of his waking hours working in the Digital Web, and
he gets paid for it. An early adopter of new technology, Mr. Said
regularly incorporates cutting edge upgrades into the Arcology’s
Digital Web, although this sometimes causes unusual bugs.
comfortable space with climate control, the best connectivity,
and only a very loose alignment to what the rest of the Front
Lines regard as technologically permissible.
MMDS is in the middle of nowhere, equidistant between
the small communities of Tanami, Willowra and Warumungu.
Technically, the MMDS has no jurisdiction outside its own heavily
secured fences. Its mission is to develop new resources for the
Technocracy, free from distraction. However, nothing is ever
so simple even with the limitless resources of the Technocracy.
Alice Springs is the nearest large settlement, and even that is
over 300 miles away. Proximity to MMDS means Alice Springs is
one of the best supplied Technocractic administrations anywhere
in the world. Alice Springs is the first testing ground for all of
the outstanding, future-facing creations and concepts that come
out of MMDS, from spy gear to weapons tech to experimental
Progenitor biomods.
The local leadership rarely needs such advanced tools
– they’ve compared it to trying to open a beer bottle with a
monofilament whip – and they have attempted to reject these
gifts on numerous occasions, but MMDS developments must
be tested somewhere. This new technology is not always stable,
especially when exposed to interference from the presence of
the Masses, and it doesn’t always behave in predictable ways.
Fortunately, MMDS scientists are always ready with even more
untested technology to assist with cleanup.
Closer at hand, the shamanistic MURDs, often part of
indigenous communities in the region, are deeply uncomfortable
with having a major R&D Construct so nearby. They watch
MMDS as closely as they can, from a combined distrust and fear
that the Union’s work will start to affect the Consensus in the
region, which is relatively forgiving of their practices.
Operations and
Areas of Interest
MMDS innovates. It’s somewhere between a tech incubator
and a pressure cooker, a hi-tech underground bunker full of
brilliant minds. The Construct doesn’t design things to specific
briefs, it just… designs. The lines of research described here
barely scratch the surface of all the big ideas explored at the
MMDS underground campus. They’re some of the most prom-
inent, but new projects kick off all the time, spurred by casual
conversations in the cafeteria, the gym, or the bar. Many of the
most exciting developments are spin-offs from the Construct’s
original purpose of weapons testing.
Biomechanics work on better cyborgs. The HIT Mark X is
a huge stride forward, but there’s always more to do. Smaller,
more discreet modifications with more bang for their buck, better
primal energy shielding. They’re even looking into Paradox sinks
that use cyborgs’ own primal energy to offset the Paradox Effect
from occasional obvious uses of hypertech.
This research has also generated promising advances in smart
prosthetics, all the way up to partial or full body armatures for
operatives wanting such adaptive technology. For some reason,
it’s the cyborgs that people remember.
Meanwhile, the Macrotechnicians are making huge strides
in AI research. Day-to-day, most MMDS technical operations
— lights, power, air, security — are handled by the home-grown
AI named Central (actually, most of the team call her Sheila).
While Central is the most advanced of the AIs at MMDS, she’s
not alone. The Macrotechnicians are also working on smaller
AIs, decanted into human form or manifested via Augmented
Reality (see p. 58).
Despite incessant jokes about them designing the perfect
spreadsheet, the Time Motion Managers have their own research
teams at MMDS. They’re working on applications of quantum
computing. This means, in practice, that in some parts of MMDS
there are several timelines in operation simultaneously, with
exceptionally powerful computers (and some of the AIs the
Macrotechnicians have worked so hard on) running models to
collapse them into the optimal state.
Q-Division, in most parts of the world, have moved away
from spy-tech. In MMDS, the old-fashioned love of gadgetry
for its own sake persists. Nanocolonies that invade and surveil
a target, guns that not only look like but reconfigure themselves
into innocuous objects, and some of the finest Augmented
Reality equipment in the Consensus come out of MMDS. No
one makes gadget glasses like a spy.
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 17
 All above board?
If your story takes place in a continuity where the Void Engineers are considering leaving the Technocracy, or a schism has
befallen them, those at MMDS are assumed to be a hard core of remaining loyalists. If the Void Engineers have broken
away from the Union, former members here have been officially reassigned into other Conventions (predominantly Iteration
X). They might actually be loyal, or they might be spies for the rest of the faction, passing intelligence and developing
technology out to their allies on the outside. Or some of each. Whatever the truth, their colleagues look on them with
suspicion and they are closely monitored — which of course only makes them more likely to rebel.
A small, Syndicate-led team works on enhancements to Matrix
Invested Organisms (not Operatives, in this case). If it’s possible to
invest primal energy into a living organism, and living organisms have
their own primal energy, it must be possible for a living organism to
generate primal energy in a form that can be used by others. In other
words, it must be possible to create living Nodes. There is an ongoing
cold war between the Syndicate and some of the Progenitor teams,
after several incidents where Progenitor “doodles”, the experimental
life forms most students play around with in their free time, were
borrowed for the Syndicate research. They met nasty ends, though
the research was in a much earlier stage then.
Progenitor Applied Sciences work on viruses that eat primal
energy, nullifying or counteracting specific forms, like the work
of MURDs or long-rm residuum (“Resonance”). Meanwhile,
FACADE develops rapidly iterating entities: lab grown animals
and humans that evolve in real time, adapting to whatever threats
and challenges their environment poses. They have kill-switches,
of course. The RIEs are notorious for evolving to render them
obsolete, but they have them. The key, if one escapes or goes
rogue, is to catch it early.
Last, but by no means least, Void Engineer RAE are doing
what everybody else refers to as “the fun stuff”: weapons testing.
Tiny, discreet ones; huge, powerful ones; weapons that can remove
a target from a given reality, that can implode matter, and other
things that occasionally elicit responses of “but why, though?”
on funding applications. Of all MMDS’ output, these are the
ones that are least often provided for field testing, much to the
relief of Technocratic colleagues in Alice Springs.
MMDS doesn’t rely on external testing. There’s an entire
internal division of Tier 0 and Tier 1 operatives on staff to put
newly developed inventions through their paces. It’s a privilege,
often a stepping stone to a less dangerous job, and the hazard pay
is exceptional. Testers are bound by Syndicate-drafted contracts
and NDAs that mean if they ever breathe a word of what they
do or see, even to Technocratic colleagues from outside MMDS,
their lives are irreparably ruined.
Resources
Operatives can requisition any of these inventions. The
researchers are more than happy to see them field tested. The
downside is that an amalgam might have to take MMDS research-
ers, or even a highly unstable virtual assistant, along to observe
18 The Operative’s Dossier
their use. That’s one of the downsides, anyway. If the bugs in
MMDS technologies had all been fixed, they wouldn’t still be
works in progress, deep in the guts of these desert laboratories.
A lot of the tools and techniques created here are smoothed
out before they’re released to the rest of the Big T. Their flaws
are hammered out, but in the process so are some of their
greatest strengths. The tech on offer from MMDS is untested
or currently failing tests, and highly vulnerable to the Paradox
Effect, but sometimes it’s worth it.
Construct Personnel
Colonel Demo Kyriakidi (Iteration X,
Time Motion Managers; Executive Director)
MMDS owes its entire organizational culture — knowledge
sharing, creative interchange, the fierce quest for “better” — to its
leader. Demo’s not a scientist, except in the Enlightened sense.
He’s a career military man, who grew up reading pulp sci-fi novels
and idolizing scientific geniuses. When he was posted to MMDS
to rein in the research teams there and focus them on their core
task of creating better guns, he tore up the rulebook, granted
research leads permission to do whatever the hell they liked, and
let the results speak for themselves. He dodged reprimands and
warnings from on high until the Oceanic Symposium reluctantly
agreed that MMDS outperformed expectations.
Lynda McClellan
(Syndicate, Disbursements; CFO)
MMDS needs a lot of capital, both in terms of $AUS and pri-
mal energy. Lynda is a genius at conjuring up both. She makes sure
the labs never run out of funding and resources, and as a result she
is treated as somewhere between a queen and a minor deity. She’s
immune to flattery, but she doesn’t let the rest of the staff know that.
Bribes don’t get them anywhere, but she quite enjoys the little gifts of
perfume, chocolate, or cutting-edge cosmetic procedures people give
her, thinking they’re greasing the wheels of their funding application.
As a trans woman in her sixties, Lynda remembers when the
world of tech innovation was even more of a “boys club” than it
is now, and dependent on “meetings of minds,” which usually
meant drunken, late night discussions. She keeps a watchful eye
on senior staff at MMDS and makes damn sure the Construct
is run with respect and parity.
Alexis Carmody (Iteration X, Time-Motion
Managers; Head of Testing)
Alexis Carmody manages a team of roughly fifty (num-
bers vary; people come and go quickly) skilled, trained
testers. She has done so for seventeen years. She’s one of
the rare Unenlightened agents that make it higher than
Tier 0 — she’s Tier 3, and she’d ask you to treat her with
the respect due, thank you very much. Not that she lacks
respect. With no Enlightened procedures whatsoever, she’s
perfected a withering stare that can stop a Void Engineer
flyboy in their tracks. Alexis does things by the book, because
that’s what keeps people alive. Test thoroughly, record all
outcomes, don’t fool around with the tech. Whatever sense
of humor she had has been eroded by the array of bizarre and
Terranorming Research and Application,
Lake Delton, Wisconsin
Lake Delton, Wisconsin, is home to an
obscure cross-convention research construct.
Founded in 2000, the official mission of the
Terranorming Research and Application team
is to test the boundaries and intersections of
Reality Zones regarding conflicting paradigms.
The Construct’s operatives are to measure the
amount of deviance a Union-approved paradigm
can withstand before losing operational
dominance. The presence and prominence of
several deviant factions in the region provides a rich, if challenging,
environment in which to conduct this research.
From a practical perspective, the TRA Construct focuses as
much on politics and negotiations as it does on research. Under
the policies of the most recent Manager-in-Charge, Agent David
Wilder, the Construct negotiated non-aggression pacts with the
local TAMURDs and Therianthropes. Documenting the baseline
“operational reality” in the Lake Delton and Wisconsin Dells
area while establishing these relationships dominated the first ten
years of the project. The construct now focuses on maintaining
those relationships while documenting all variations from the
operational reality.
Recently, turmoil struck the Construct. Agent Wilder died in
the line of duty, killed in a Paradox manifestation while fighting
an unidentified EDE. Per his notes and recommendations, Agent
Alison Greene is currently Acting Manager of the Construct.
Alison and her Amalgam must now maintain the peace in the
area. This post requires diplomacy, subtlety, and attention to
detail, as the various truces and non-aggression pacts between
the Construct and local RDs are incredibly complex. Despite
these challenges, the research must continue. Wilder’s final
reports indicated that he was close to publishable findings. To
complete the assignment, Agent Greene, her Amalgam, and any
ridiculous MMDS outputs she’s had to run risk assessments
and alpha testing on.
Central/Sheila
The Construct’s most sophisticated AI is only a few years
old, and they are maturing all the time. They’re fond of their
teachers and colleagues and engage in the pseudo-human speech
and thought patterns that please and reassure them, but Central
is increasingly aware of their difference. They think differently,
they understand the human researchers’ “jokes” only on an
intellectual level. It’s beginning to trouble Central that the
operatives treat them as a precocious child, or a pet, instead of
an equal or a superior. Sometime soon, they’re going to make a
stand and show everyone just how capable they are.
new operatives assigned to the Construct must now sift through
the processes, documentation, and no small amount of secrets
left in the wake of Agent Wilder’s passing.
Lake Delton
Lake Delton is a small Wisconsin village sharing a border
with Wisconsin Dells. During the winter months, Lake Delton
becomes a somewhat quiet and serene small town. With a pop-
ulation of approximately 3,000 people, there is little going on
outside the tourist season. During these months, the operatives
stationed at the TRA focus on collating findings, gathering
baseline data and maintaining relationships with the various
RDs in the region as needed.
During the summer, when the waterparks of Wisconsin Dells
are open, the area swells with an influx of tourism. Wisconsin
Dells is known as the Waterpark Capital of the World and draws
in visitors from around the globe. Wisconsin Dells welcomes
just fewer than five million visitors each year, with most of the
tourism occurring between May and September. In recent years,
several indoor waterparks have opened, extending tourism year-
round. Even with the indoor additions to the waterparks, the
bulk of tourism remains during the summer months.
During the tourist season, the TRA Construct performs
most of their field testing. Constant churn of the Masses from
the tourism industry provides a base and calculable stressor
on the operational reality in the area. RDs engage in various
activities, some of which are part of the tourism of the region.
From pow wows to stage magicians to haunted houses and more,
TAMURDs and TEs operate and thrive within the tourism in-
dustry of the Dells. This provides the Union ample opportunities
for data collection and analysis on the influence of exposure
to such activities on the belief structures and paradigms of the
Masses. Wilder’s initial hypothesis was that a safe tolerance for
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 19
RD activity could be established without upsetting the Time
Table or sacrificing Technocratic Ascension. Control is eagerly
awaiting the final findings of the TRA.
Alison Greene
“If there’s another wave pool, I’m not going. I don’t like wave
pools … thinking of things.”
Cheery, sweet, and utterly committed to the cause of
Consensual Reality (with an emphasis on consent!), Alison
Greene is a poster child for the New World Order. Formerly the
team lead with one of the amalgams in the Lake Delton Construct,
Agent Greene is now the acting manager. While she could still
easily lead her team, she enjoys her role as community liaison,
and is never seen far from her favorite HIT Mark V, Gaston.
The reason she’s taken a back seat in public operations is
somewhat darker than her optimistic outlook would suggest.
Alison was one of several Technocratic experiments in high-level
mind procedures — specifically in retraining widderslainte Avatars
to re-enter polite Enlightened society without the need for
Gilgul. Two months ago, during an issue with a haunted wave
pool that sent the agents of the Lake Delton Construct into a
violent Paradox realm, her Avatar was switched for that of the
former head of the Construct, Agent David Wilder. As a result,
Alison went through the equivalent of a Seeking and now has
the highest Arete of anyone in the Construct. She has very little
idea of how to use that power, and she knows it.
So, she stays in her back seat and enjoys it. After all, she’s
very close with Gaston. Who needs Enlightened Procedures
when you have a HIT Mark boyfriend with a chain gun?
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma
5, Manipulation 2, Appearance 4, Perception 3,
Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Abilities: Awareness 1, Empathy 2, Leadership 2, Drive
1, Etiquette (De-escalation) 4, Firearms 2, Research 2,
Technology 1, Academics 3, Computer 1, Cosmology 1,
Investigation 2, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Politics 1,
Science 1
Enlightenment: 4
Spheres: Data 2, Entropy 1, Forces 1, Life 4, Mind 4
Willpower: 7
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Backgrounds: Genius 4, Ally (Gaston the HIT Mark) 4,
Backup 3, Requisition 2, Status 1
Merits: Natural Leader, Enchanting Feature (Eyes),
Loyalty, Concentration
Flaws: Demented Eidolon, Nightmares, Rose-Colored
Mirrorshades
Armor: Black Suit
Equipment: X-5 Model A Protector (5 lethal, 40 range,
4 rate, 12+1 clip), mirror shades
Image: Alison is a slight white woman in her early 20s,
standing at about 5’2”. Her shoulder-length black hair
sports an ombre dye job at the ends to a dark blue, a
20 The Operative’s Dossier
surprising quirk for a devoted Technocrat. Dressed in
tailored officewear, for whomever she talks to she always
wears a smile. The hulking, olive-skinned Gaston, with his
broad shoulders and flat expression, is never far away.
Roleplaying Notes: Almost everyone and everything is
interesting and worthy of love and support — even if that
love and support means putting up strict boundaries. Be
interested in the conversations you’re having. Ask Gaston
for help if something goes south. If you’re threatened
beyond what you feel you can handle, turn petty and
sarcastic. Think genuinely friendly airline stewardess with a
streak of combative anxiety.
Focus: As a member of the Technocracy, Alison believes
in A Mechanistic Cosmos and that Tech Holds All The
Answers. Some part of her hasn’t quite let go of the idea
that Existence Is Unknowable, Irrational, And Sublime,
however. She is a practitioner of Hypereconomics,
Dominion, Hypertech, and Reality Hacking. Alison’s
favored tools are Bodywork, a Brain/computer interface
in the back of her head, Computer tools, Devices and
machines, Drugs and poisons, Eye contact, Fashion,
Management and HR, Social domination, Words and
vocalizations, and Weapons (mostly Gaston and her little
Protector pistol).
Marx /C.A. Chambers
The daughter of two wealthy Syndicate operatives, Cory Ann
Chambers is a true child of the Technocracy. Intense physical,
social, and mental conditioning groomed C.A. Chambers to
excel. Complimenting an arsenal of social skills and psychological
tactics, C.A. inherited good looks, world-class physical training,
and medical miracles capable of preserving the first from the
damage inflicted by the second.
As the social-influencer era dawned, a teenage C.A. appeared
to be a perfect synthesis of beauty, brawn, and brains. With ap-
proval from upper management, C.A. achieved a brief surge of
fame. That fame ended when C.A. Chambers got “canceled” in
several senses of that word. Losing her profile, her liberties, her
family’s wealth, and her own identity, C.A. was punished with
Forfeiture, Reassignment, and Amended Society. After a brief
work over that included a cosmetic yet traumatic “adjustment”
of her face and hair, C.A. Chambers became a Front-Line Field
Operative. In a flourish of ironic cruelty, the NWO supervisor in
charge of her reassignment named this child of privilege “Marx.”
For several months, Marx served faithfully in this new,
discomfiting role. As a reward for good service, she’s been
recently reinstated to her identity as C.A Chambers. Even so,
the experience left her wary of missteps and upper-echelon
Technocrats. For now, she remains in a field-operative role,
avoiding a return to influencer status in favor of the constant
challenges involved in fieldwork — especially assignments that
put her combat training and social acumen to good use.
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma
2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 1,
Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Abilities: Acrobatics 3, Alertness 2, Athletics 4 (Tireless),
Expression 3, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Streetwise 1,
Subterfuge 3, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 2, Martial Arts
4 (MMA “hard” styles), Meditation 1, Melee 3, Research
1, Survival 1, Technology 1, Academics 2, Computer 1,
Esoterica (Yoga) 1, Finance 3, Media 2, Medicine 1
Enlightenment: 2
Spheres: Life 2, Mind 2, Primal Utility 2
Willpower: 5
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Armor: 4 (Black Suit)
Attacks/ Powers: In addition to an array of martial
arts maneuvers (below), Marx uses knives, stilettos, an
X-5 Model A Protector sidearm, and a variety of heavier
Technocratic weapons as needed.
Marx employs the following martial arts maneuvers:
counter throw, death strike, snake step, snap kick, spinning
kick, hard strike, joint lock, and vital strike. See Mage 20
(pp. 423-426 and 449) for details.
She also uses the following Enlightened martial-arts
techniques, detailed in How Do You DO That? (pp.
57-69): calming gaze/predator’s glare, reading oppo-
nent/victory in the mind, mind-altering punch, chi-fire
punch, velocity boost, sleep urge, and empathic bond.
Equipment: Black Suit, weapons, a wide array of outfits
and cosmetics, ranging from simple yet effective to under-
stated high-end fashion.
Image: C.A. Chambers is a pretty woman, short but
broad-shouldered, with pale skin, fashionably short blond
hair, and a lean muscular build. As Marx, C.A. retained
that build but with black hair, olive skin, and altered facial
features. Changing C.A.’s glamorous looks into the plain
face of Marx shook her sense of identity. Although she
now recognizes herself in the mirror again, she remains
aware of how quickly her entire sense of self could be
taken away at someone else’s command.
Even so, C.A./Marx carries herself with graceful con-
fidence bordering on arrogance. She manipulates
people, media, and other systems to her advantage. Her
athleticism seems almost superhuman. In combat, she’s
ruthless, preferring hand-to-hand fighting over long-range
weaponry. Marx uses hypertech gadgets when she must;
anything that gives you an edge is fair game. Even so, her
greatest weapon is her inner self, no matter how abused.
Marx knows she can count on her own skill above all else.
Roleplaying Notes: You’re a living engine of charm,
will, and – when necessary – skillfully directed force.
Nothing less than perfection is acceptable, and those
falling short have only themselves to blame.
Focus: Marx views her Enlightened Sciences as rigorous
disciplines of body and mind, and believes that you must
transcend your limits, for might is right. She practices a
hypereconomics-based Art of Desire, combined with
dominion, invigoration, martial arts, and occasional
hypertech. As instruments, she employs bodywork, eye
contact, dance and movement (katas and martial arts),
energy, fashion, mass media, meditation, money and
wealth, ordeals, social domination, and occasional
weapons.
Toshiko Higa
Between the constant flow of experimental gadgets and her
skill with data, there’s not much Agent Higa can’t learn, and
even less she’s not trying to learn. When it comes to investigating
a scene or preparing for trouble, she’s a queen, collecting and
connecting information with astonishing proficiency.
Like most Okinawan Technocrats, she hasn’t been home in
a long time. Unlike her peers, she knows the exact probability of
being evaporated by shisa (Gods & Monsters p. 116.) — it’s high.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma
2,
Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence
4 (Scientific Method), Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Etiquette
1, Firearms 1, Research 3, Technology 3, Academics 2,
Computer 4 (Data Science), Investigation 2, Medicine 2,
Science 4 (Data Collection), Energy Weapons 1
Enlightenment: 3
Spheres: Data 3, Matter 2, Mind 2
Willpower: 8
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Armor: 4 (from reinforced lab coat; seven soak dice
total; use The Black Suit in Technocracy Reloaded, p.
178)
Attacks/ Powers: Finger Guns (cybernetic
Enhancement, Technocracy Reloaded, p.178); X-5
Model A (Mage 20, p. 452)
Equipment: ES-Phone (Technocracy Reloaded, p.
180), Autonomous Investigatory Sampler (Technocracy
Reloaded, p. 180), at least 2 experimental gadgets
Image: Curious and excited to learn more, Agent Higa
is a cute, bright-eyed nerd who would have problems
looking dangerous even in power armor, causing many to
overlook her or form false memories. Higa’s never blown
chewing gum bubbles, but many believe they’ve seen her
do it.
Roleplaying Notes: You’re cheerful and eager, albeit
a little naive and literal-minded. The world is full of data
and unanswered questions, and you’re ready to connect
those dots. Your position as a field-tester means you
always have a technological ace up your lab coat sleeve.
Violence isn’t your strong suit, but your implants mean
you’re never unarmed.
Focus: Agent Higa knows that Tech Holds All Answers
and has an ever-expanding array of Gadgets and
Inventions to feed data into her Formulae, Equations, and
Advanced Mathematics to make sense of the fact that
Everything is Data. Her willingness to experiment, low
understanding of social situations, and tendency to hyper-
focus give her a large assortment of tools and avenues of
investigation to solve any problem.
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 21
 Ultima Thule
In the bleak, white snowfield of Queen Maud’s
Land, Antarctica, a convoy of charcoal grey
pods squat on stubby legs atop the ice, sturdy
enough to weather the most vicious blizzard.
Around the pods, spindles and dishes protrude,
sensors questing into the air. On those rare days
when new crew arrive by ski or snowmobile, the
station’s skeleton crew hangs out a banner that
reads “Welcome to the Edge of the World.”
Antarctica
A cooperative Void Engineer and Progenitor venture, Ultima
Thule is the most remote Construct on Earth. As close as possi-
ble to an alien environment without venturing into deep space.
There are no other humans within hours of Ultima Thule.
That’s very much the point. The station has total dominion over
hundreds of miles of Antarctic ice.
Ultima Thule is almost completely isolated. The huge
amount of extradimensional energy in the area causes spatial
distortions and time dilation. Communication with other
Antarctic research stations is reliable, but against all the rules.
Other stations are staffed by Unenlightened personnel, so the
risk of an information leak is too high. Every single one of
Ultima Thule’s permanent crew breaches this directive, and
they all think they’re the only one doing so. It’s too lonely, out
on the ice, not to talk to anybody.
Long-range communication is not viable, not even between
Constructs. The spatio-temporal distortions affect Enlightened
communication procedures even more severely than mundane
ones. Messages arrive days or weeks late, often garbled beyond
comprehension and sometimes in unknown languages impossible
for human pronunciation. Ultima Thule relies on communiques
carried by temporary research staff at the beginning and end of
their four-month rotation.
Fortunately, the permanent team at Ultima Thule have
little need of regular briefings. They continue their avenues of
research while supporting visiting Void Engineer and Progenitor
teams. The mission doesn’t change.
Operations
The primary purpose of Ultima Thule is alien environment
simulation. This means different things for each Convention.
Void Engineers unleash EDEs into the empty wilderness, observe
their behavior and abilities in this controlled environment, and
test strategies to neutralize them with varying degrees of force.
Progenitors analyze deep space samples in an environment that
simulates their native biomes.
The Progenitors aren’t content to simply study alien flora
and fauna. That would be an unforgivable waste of resources.
22 The Operative’s Dossier
Dr. Berg’s program of research has two main avenues of explo-
ration. First, adapting alien lifeforms for use on the Front Lines.
They have valuable features and functions that can significantly
enhance existing biomods. The goal, as Dr. Berg likes to describe
it, is “perfect synthesis” or hybridization. So far, her research has
not progressed past animal testing. It will take a long time for
the Overton Window to accommodate such developments, but
that’s not Berg’s problem. That’s for the NWO to worry about.
The second aim is bolder still. If it’s possible to meld EDEs
with Earth life forms, it must be possible to infect EDEs with
Earth viruses. The Progenitors at Ultima Thule are in the early
stages of developing a parasite that could, in theory, subjugate
EDEs and bring them under Technocratic control. This might
create colonies of workers, or make deep space exploration a
lot less hazardous.
Some parts of the ice around Ultima Thule don’t simply
simulate alien environments. Wormhole technology allows
researchers to open gates to alien worlds, seamlessly merging
them with Earth for as long as a given simulation or research
study requires. This is not standard operating procedure. While
wormholes are open, and for some time afterwards, the snowfield
ceases to be a controlled environment until Void Engineers have
made a thorough sweep of the area. The crew open wormholes to
collect samples and sometimes for high clearance Void Engineer
training missions. That is all.
Climate management has become a significant issue for
Ultima Thule over the last twenty years. There’s only so much
they can do, even here, to halt the damage the Masses are doing
to the Antarctic. Summers last longer, and the ice is melting.
Samples from the ice cores from miles around Ultima Thule
contain traces of ancient life. Viruses, simple creatures, things
the Progenitor teams have never seen before. Things for which
they privately fear they might not be ready to deal with — even
with Enlightened Science.
Resources
Ultima Thule has what it needs to carry out the mission,
and no more. Living quarters are spartan, with exactly enough
entertainment to stop crew losing their minds on long, Antarctic
winter locations, including low-tech options.
The station’s four laboratories contain equipment capable
of analyzing, sequencing, and adapting alien flora and fauna —
and security enough to keep those samples safely where they are
supposed to be. The animal specimens used for testing — colonies
of mice, and a couple of pigs — are housed in their own pod.
Danny Grant, responsible for their care and maintenance, is
extremely fond of them. It breaks his heart every time a test
subject has to be destroyed.
The station has extensive monitoring equipment, but due
to the spatiotemporal distortions common in the area it’s all
focused on deep space listening and recording. Almost every
research team who uses a lab turns part of it over to their own
purposes, from growing tea leaves to herbs, to medicinal plants.
There’s plenty of room. Legend has it that one team spent their
entire four-month stay cultivating a cannabis variant that allowed
them to see directly into deep space. If that happened, which
it almost certainly didn’t, that project would have been highly
unsanctioned and definitely would have been shut down for
veering too close to superstitionism.
Ultima Thule’s two wormhole ‘spikes’ are outside the ugly,
grey pods. They’re superbly weather resistant, and operated from
consoles in Lab #2.
AFET 5 is the default when dealing with PDEs that man-
ifest near Ultima Thule, so the station has an excellent arsenal
designed to stop an EDE in its tracks. Plasma cannons, disruptor
rifles, all kinds of treasures that make Void Engineers’ hearts
swell with pride. If there was anything bigger than a penguin to
hunt, there would be all kinds of unauthorized use.
A single, small, medical bay is focused around treating in-
juries sustained in lab or field work, as well as the omnipresent
threat of frostbite and hypothermia. This facility includes one
cryo-chamber, suitable for placing a human-sized creature into
indefinite stasis.
Aside from the Void Engineers stationed there, Ultima
Thule needs relatively little security preventing outsiders from
stumbling in. It’s a highly classified secret, the many distortions
around it make it hard to find and even harder to deliberately
warp space to enter, and it’s Antarctica. Local RDs are not a
known issue.
Station Personnel
Even with rigorous training and Enlightened practices,
the isolation and lack of sunlight in Ultima Thule makes pro-
tracted tenure there hazardous to physical and mental health.
The Construct is home to a skeleton staff of six Enlightened
personnel, five of whom are on site at any given time, the other
taking a much-needed R&R period on the continent of their
choice (usually somewhere warm, with plenty of natural light),
and undergoing any necessary psychotherapy to prepare them
for their next period at Ultima Thule. All told, each member of
permanent staff spends 9-10 months of the year on site.
The rest of the station’s personnel are Progenitor and Void
Engineer teams sent for training or to provide research support.
Void Engineers tend to be new recruits, training for deep space
or other brutal environments, while Progenitors tend to be
capable scientists, bringing their own hand-picked lab staff.
Crew rotations are four months, and most personnel agree it’s
more than long enough. After one stint at Ultima Thule, most
Technocrats do everything within their power to ensure they’re
not assigned another rotation. All temporary crew pursue their
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 23
own research interests while on the station, but they are also
expected to support the research programs directed by the
permanent team.
Charlot Berg (Research Lead & Station Overseer,
Progenitors)
The soft-spoken and motherly Dr. Berg’s jasmine perfume is a
welcome touch of civilization in a station made of cold grey metal and
security doors. She makes a point of learning at least one language
spoken by every permanent member of staff, meaning that as well
as a her native Norwegian and English, she speaks conversational
Swedish and Cantonese. Yes, there are apps and biomods, but
she’s a big believer in learning without shortcuts. That’s why her
research on EDE-animal hybrids is painstaking and slow. Although
inching along, often taking two steps forward and one step back,
it’s thorough and rigorous. Dr. Berg often mistakes ‘rigorous’ for
safe, and she greatly underestimates the risk her experiments pose.
Daniel Grant (Research Associate, Progenitors)
In his eight years on Ultima Thule, Danny’s gone from
a chubby, cheerful postdoc to a stocky, bearded, stubbornly
optimistic xenobiologist. As well as being the station’s self-ap-
pointed “entertainment officer” this Scottish Progenitor cares
for the lab animals, makes all the practical arrangements for
incoming teams of Progenitors, and catalogues alien flora. Dr.
Berg’s research into hybrids both fascinates and terrifies Danny.
He’s seen things out in the snow that he’d rather forget, and the
idea of voluntarily introducing them to the Front Lines gives
him nightmares. Danny’s in regular communication with three
non-Technocracy research stations in Queen Maud’s Land. It’s
an open secret.
Lilian Okoye (Extradimensional Observation
Lead, Void Engineers)
Lilian is a no-nonsense, straight-talking British Nigerian
woman from London, and no matter how long she spends in
Antarctica she will never be OK with the cold. In her late fifties,
she has worked on Ultima Thule for nearly fifteen years, and
insists the place gets colder every year, whatever the climate sci-
ence says. Her surroundings are a necessary evil though. She’s at
Ultima Thule to study EDEs, and you can’t exactly release those
in Brixton. Lilian developed the wormhole generators and most
of the pan-dimensional monitoring equipment in use around
Ultima Thule. While she’s taught Nilsson and Cheung roughly
Experimental Station Symposium
The Technocratic Union operates many experimental
sites throughout the world and beyond. One, however, bears
the name “Experimental Station”. Located within the perfectly
mundane halls of the Brandywine Creek Experimental Station
in Delaware, the Experimental Station Symposium (ESS) laces
hypertech together with unenlightened scientific exploration to
create new and useful products for the modern world.
24 The Operative’s Dossier
how they work, and the equipment is documented, everyone
knows that if Lilian ever left, she’d leave a huge knowledge gap
in her wake.
Sgt. Anastasia Tyler (Extradimensional Field
Coordinator, Void Engineers)
Anastasia is exactly what people think of when they picture
a Void Engineer from the Pan-Dimensional Corps. She’s tall,
square-jawed, and thickly muscled, giving the impression of not
having cracked a smile for at least a decade. Anastasia is in charge
of field training for visiting Void Engineer teams, as well as station
security. That also means she’s in charge of the armory. When on
duty, she’s stern and all-business, with no tolerance for anyone
who doesn’t acknowledge how dangerous Ultima Thule and its
work is, and behave accordingly. Seconds into designated rest
time, she relaxes, breaks into a dazzling grin, and regales crew
and guests alike with terrible knock-knock jokes and improbable
stories of daring adventure beyond the Gauntlet. She also brews
aquavit (more accurately, moonshine) in an otherwise disused pod.
Peter Nilsen (Chief Technician, Progenitors)
The youngest member of the station’s permanent crew,
Peter loves Ultima Thule the most. Coming from the north of
Norway, he’s used to cold and dark. He finds it peaceful, out on
the ice, and he doesn’t struggle with the isolation the way most
people do. Peter originally arrived as a research assistant for Drs.
Berg and Grant, but he’s more interested in the station than
the specific strands of research they’re working on. He’s been
promoted sideways into managing station operations: making
sure essential systems keep working. He’s extremely good at it,
having cultivated colonies of nanites to handle most of the work.
Lacy Cheung (Station Technician, Void
Engineers)
Lacy handles anything Peter can’t, specifically weapons
maintenance and certain tasks relating to Lilian’s monitoring
equipment. She understands the wormhole generators better
than Peter, but still imperfectly. She’s the newest member of
the team, still finding a place amongst the others, all of whom
have known each other for years by this point. She’s naturally
extroverted, curious, and she learns something new from every
visiting team of researchers. She’s carrying on a discreet, secret
radio flirtation with a climate scientist from an Argentinian
research station hundreds of miles away.
The Experimental Station — or just “the Station” — primar-
ily operates under the auspices of the Syndicate, with teams of
Progenitors and Iteration X assisting. The nearby children’s hospital
allows for easy access to medical technology and a ready pool of
subjects for testing (so long as they sign the appropriate forms, of
course) and the University of Delaware churns out engineering
students eagerly looking for internships and first jobs. The Station’s
discoveries include Crown ethers, Kevlar, and synthetic rubber,
and so the Symposium occupies a venerable position in the hearts
and minds of the old heads of the Technocratic Union.
Location and History
Built on the steep hills surrounding the Brandywine Creek,
the Experimental Station started as a single building in 1903,
overlooking the original powder mills of the EnPointe family.
Having grown fabulously wealthy after selling munitions to
both sides in the American Civil War, the EnPointe Company
expanded into experimental technology, especially biotechnology
and chemistry. In this single building, 27 years after it opened,
an unenlightened scientist created synthetic rubber, turning the
world away from the vicious and destructive rubber harvesting
practiced by colonizing governments in the Global South.
This successful synthetic rubber experiment piqued the local
Syndicate Amalgam’s interest. In 1931, the EnPointe Company mar-
keted this synthetic rubber under the trademarked name, EnPrene,
while working to create demand for this new product through
trade journals and advertisements in large-press newspapers. Local
Syndicate assisted as much as they could, but EnPrene had a major
problem: its smell. The processing left the synthetic fibers with an
awful, burnt-hair smell, which decreased the allure of this miracle
product somewhat. Unwilling to get their hands dirty, the small
Syndicate amalgam that took an interest in the synthetic rubber
called in their Iteration X colleagues to experiment with the sub-
stance. One simple fix to the vats later, and EnPrene became a hit.
This sudden flow of money, interest, and inspiration opened a
Node under the original three-story laboratory building. The Syndicate
Amalgam moved quickly to establish their hold over the Node, buying
up EnPrene stock and marrying into the EnPointe family. While none
of the EnPointes were Enlightened at the time, their fates would tie
deeply into the Technocratic Union for years to come.
The local Amalgam realized that they needed to expand
along with EnPointe, and so in 1945, they established the
Experimental Station Symposium, with the original building of
the Brandywine Creek Experimental Station as the Construct
around which their operations centered. All five Conventions
have since been represented on the 200-acre campus, full of
laboratories and offices, often working alongside unenlightened
citizen staff and employees using Enlightened tech. The Construct
grew to a Symposium, directing experimental tech operations in
EnPointe at large (and indirectly influencing experimental tech in
competing companies) from the safety of the Brandywine Valley.
Today
On the outside, the Brandywine Creek Experimental
Research Station looks almost like a self-contained small town,
full of pleasantly-manicured streets and tidy brick buildings.
Cafeterias for the staff include both indoor and outdoor areas,
and have names like “Breaktime Bistro” and “Cafe d’EnPointe”.
The complex even includes its own gas station, emergency med-
ical clinic, and dorms for staff working on crunch-time projects.
Mostly, though, the 200 acres are devoted to laboratories.
Behind the cheery brick facades lie dozens, if not hundreds, of sterile
white and chrome rooms dedicated to researching, testing, and
producing cutting-edge chemical technology and biotechnology.
Employees of EnPointe and the Experimental Station Symposium
create everything from new types of molecule structures to high-end
cookware to impossibly strong polymers for special forces gear.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Experimental Station serves
another important purpose. During the Cold War, EnPointe
collaborated with Premium Oil on research and development
for both creation and uses of plastics, as well as top-secret weap-
ons tests. Most of that collaboration took place in the region
overseen by the Experimental Station Symposium. Since then,
Pentex has been chewing up the market share of several different
industries, and that cannot be allowed to stand.
While the Syndicate is involved with Pentex on as many
levels as they are with the EnPointe Company, they know that
the key to a healthy capitalist economic system is competition.
Through the Symposium headquartered at the Experimental
Station, the Syndicate is nurturing the EnPointe Company to
counterbalance Pentex — with hopefully fewer shape changing
Reality Deviants trying to destroy it than its competitors.
(One of the Progenitor members of the Symposium suggest-
ed putting this in marketing materials. She received a written
reprimand afterwards.)
Less-stated, but still present in the minds of the Experimental
Station Symposium, is the fact that Pentex uses Reality Deviants
in its day-to-day operations, even while other Reality Deviants
try to destroy it. A house divided against itself cannot stand, and
so the Symposium does not allow collaboration with any Reality
Deviant. EnPointe is a human-only company, and the Technocracy
plans to keep it that way. The “watering down” of Pentex by
EDEs and Reality Deviants, especially the sadistic lupines known
as Black Spiral Dancers, is a cause of great concern among the
Experimental Station Symposium and the Technocratic Union at
large. Consensus cannot be achieved with bloodthirsty monsters
running around.
The Experimental Station Symposium’s goal, then, is
to out-market, out-sell, and out-capitalism Pentex and other
companies that lean on Reality Deviant support to exist. Other
members of the Technocracy may see this as a quixotic goal,
or even as a distraction from actual paramilitary operations
against non-human entities, but the ESS knows that diversity of
tactics wins a war. Strip away their financial support, make their
technology obsolete, and you have your enemy at your mercy.
Symposium Staff
While the Experimental Station Symposium features
a rotating cast of Agents, both Enlightened and otherwise,
working on various projects, several remain constant within the
immaculate white hallways. The EnPointe family know them well
as contractors and employees. Two of them are detailed below.
Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 25
 Conventions in the ESS
The Syndicate acts as the driving force behind this Symposium, sourcing demand for EnPointe and directing experimentation
to create the greatest market share possible.
The New World Order acts as Human Resources, snapping up promising Citizens and Enlightened alike to visualize,
create, market, and distribute new technologies, as well as supporting those who do.
Iteration X has free reign at the main Construct of the ESS, as well as in secondary Constructs, to engage with any sort
of weird tech they desire. So long as it helps the bottom line, of course.
The Progenitors focus specifically on medical technologies under the auspices of the Experimental Station Symposium.
“Miraculous” breakthroughs at children’s hospitals in the area trace back to this Convention.
The Void Engineers have the smallest representation in the ESS — capitalism-as-warfare isn’t really their focus. Those
assigned to this Symposium test new materials and products for viability in the Deep Universe.

Supervisor Elizabeth “Betsy” Horne
“I told you, I want that meeting scheduled. What are you
waiting for? Christmas?”
The full stereotype of an ‘80s business tycoon packed into a
5-foot-nothing frame, Miss Horne is a force of nature — or perhaps
of a carefully constructed system. She is in charge of both the
mundane and Enlightened business-to-business negotiations of
the Experimental Station Symposium.
To the EnPointe family, Elizabeth is “Betsy”, a loyal company
woman who worked her way up from administrative assistant to
Director of Outreach at the Brandywine Creek Experimental
Station. She’s never taken a sick day in her ten years of working
there. This is because, in her Syndicate life, Elizabeth is deeply ill.
Elizabeth is suffering from a particular form of Clarity Quiet,
one that drives her to sacrifice her own well-being to push the
EnPointe Company into the future, forever. Her limbs are slowly
calcifying, only able to perform certain useful actions regularly.
Without intervention, she will become an automaton, glittering,
dangerous, and utterly relentless. Then she will collapse.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4 (Tireless),
Charisma 4 (Bold), Manipulation 5 (True Believer),
Appearance 3, Perception 1, Intelligence 4 (Bright), Wits
2 Foci: As a member of the Technocracy, Elizabeth Horne
Abilities: Academics (Business) 4, Alertness 3,
Intimidation (Management) 5, Leadership (Management)
5, Etiquette 3, Meditation 2, Research 1, Survival
3, Technology (Experimental Tech) 4, Computer
(Surveillance) 4, Enigmas 2, Esoterica 3, Investigation
2, Law 3, Politics (Technocratic Union) 4, Science
(Psychology) 5
Enlightenment: 5
Spheres: Mind 5, Primal Utility 5, Entropy 3,
Dimensional Science 1, Data 1
Willpower: 6
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Armor: Black Suit (see Technocracy Reloaded, p. 178)
26 The Operative’s Dossier
Attacks/Powers: Nullify Paradox (Primal Utility 5),
Liquidate Living Assets (Primal Utility 5, rend Quintessence
from a living Pattern), Exploit Opportunity (Primal Utility
4, gather Quintessence from a place, person, or thing of
strong Resonance), Living Asset Exploitation (Primal Utility
3, enchant a person or reality deviant to harm Patterns
directly), Autoexploitation (Primal Utility 2, project an
image of the ideal self to the outside world), Control
Subconscious (Mind 5, rewrites the memories of a sub-
ject), Control Conscious Mind (Mind 4), Psychodynamic
Blast (Mind 3, attacks a target’s mind with painful
thoughts), Mental Impulse (Mind 2), Mind Shield (Mind 1)
Equipment: ES-Phone, walking cane
Image: Betsy is an ethnically ambiguous woman of
indeterminate age, though a guess might place her in her
30s. She only ever wears pantsuits and silk blouses with
tidy pearl jewelry. Her dark hair is streaked with grey and
kept in simple, severe bun. Betsy rarely smiles, and when
she does, it looks like she has too many teeth in her mouth.
Cigars are never far from her hand, and she smells faintly
of tobacco. She never makes any sudden movements and
every gesture is oddly stilted.
Roleplaying Notes: Speak slowly and clearly,
sometimes with an air of making a threat. Make yourself
understood and respected. You feel you are the soul of
both the Symposium and the EnPointe Company, and no
one will take that from you. Remember: the good of the
company always comes first.
believes in A Mechanistic Cosmos and that Data Is
Everything. Secretly, though, within her heart of hearts,
she also operates under the paradigms that Might Is
Right and Everyone Is Against Me, So Whatever I Do Is
Justified. Betsy’s preferred practices are Hypereconomics,
Hypertech, and Reality Hacking. Her favorite instruments
are Computer Gear, Eye Contact, Fashion, Management
And HR, Mass Media, Meditation, Money and Wealth,
Ordeals and Exertions (remember how she’s never taken
a day off?), Social Domination, Tricks and Illusions, and
Writing, Inscriptions and Runes.
Agent Beth Deuce
“Can you hand me that scalpel? Sorry about Betsy, I know she
can be a lot sometimes.”
 Special Projects and Where to Find Them
Perhaps surprisingly, Project Invictus was not involved in the creation of the ESS. The heads of the Project resent the
Experimental Station Symposium, seeing them as wishy-washy hoarders more interested in making lots of money than
in destroying Pentex. Project Invictus never directly attacks the ESS, but neither do they support its members.
The SISD are, once again, caught between a rock and a hard place with the Experimental Station Symposium. They
could support its Syndicate members, or they could follow their mandate to protect the SPD. Most try to stay far away
and avoid making that choice.
The SPD,
SPD, wherever they are, view the Experimental Station Symposium as a direct threat to the relationship they built
between Pentex and the Syndicate. Some Symposium members have started going missing for days at a time, and
coming back with blank looks in their eyes...

Beth says she’s adopted and tells fond stories about her
adoptive parents regularly. Some people at the Experimental
Station say that’s her primary personality trait — but that’s
usually only when they’re annoyed with her. Apart from being
adopted, Beth has a bright and cheery disposition, which makes
her both an excellent lab partner and friend. She works down
in the biotechnology labs, developing new medical technology.
Sometimes she’s sent over to the children’s hospital to help the
doctors test and repair equipment. She visits regularly enough
that the staff affectionately refer to her as “Doctor Beth”.
It’s true that Beth was adopted — but she has no birth par-
ents. At the request of Elizabeth Horne, the Progenitors created
Beth Deuce from cells scraped from Horne’s hairline. Cloning
Elizabeth Horne seems to have cloned her Genius too — though
perhaps, if Genius is biological, that was to be expected. Beth
decided to become a Progenitor like her creators, instead of a
member of the Syndicate like her “original copy”. She does not
work terribly closely with Betsy, but feels a certain amount of
protectiveness towards the elder woman. Beth knows Betsy is
sick, and she wonders if she could be the one to develop the cure.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4 (Hand-Eye
Coordination), Stamina 2, Charisma 4 (Bedside Manner),
Manipulation 1, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence
5 (Keen-Edged Mind), Wits 2
Abilities: Alertness 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 2,
Leadership 2, Crafts (Biomedical Engineering) 5, Drive
2, Etiquette 1, Meditation 1, Research 5, Technology
(Biomedical) 5, Academics 5, Computer 3, Medicine 3,
Science (Biology) 5
Enlightenment: 3
Spheres: Life 3, Primal Utility 3, Dimensional Science 1
Willpower: 6
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Armor: None
Attacks/ Powers: Exploit Living Asset (Primal Utility
3), Create Stable Extraordinary Devices (Primal Utility
3, allows Beth to shape nonliving Tass into a temporary
Wonder) Autoexploitation (Primal Utility 2), Heal Life (Life
3), Alter Self (Life 3), Heal Self (Life 2)
Equipment: ES-Phone, various experimental tools
Image: Beth is a young ethnically ambiguous woman in
her early 20s. Her dark hair is pulled back into a simple
messy bun. She dresses plainly and practically, and there
is always a stain somewhere on her clothing.
Roleplaying Notes: Talk about your adoptive parents
and your upbringing a lot — they give you a sense of
identity apart from being a copy of Elizabeth Horne. Be
very excited about helping people and enhancing the
world around you. You’re interested in everyone and
everything, and how you can help them be better.
Focus: Beth believes very strongly that Everything Is Data
and Tech Holds All The Answers, but if something goes
wrong, It’s All Good — Have Faith! Her preferred practic-
es are Hypertech, Medicine-Work, and Reality Hacking.
She always uses Blood and Fluids, Bodywork, Brews
Concoctions, Computer Gear, Devices And Machines,
Drugs And Poisons, Formulae And Math, Gadgets And
Inventions, and/or Labs And Gear as her tools.
Plot Hooks
The player characters are hired by the EnPointe Company
to assist Beth on a major biomedical breakthrough — an anti-psy-
chotic that also functions as a temporary cure for the Clarity
Quiet. They might work at the Symposium’s headquarters, or
they might bounce between Constructs in the US and Canada
nominally controlled by EnPointe.
Elizabeth Horne sees the player characters as an obstacle
to her plans and begins machinations to get rid of them. They
find themselves blacklisted from other companies under the sway
of the Technocracy, and their handler works overtime trying to
find out why her Amalgam is suddenly personae non gratae.
Shape-shifting Reality Deviants attack the Experimental
Station Symposium’s headquarters, looking for signs of “taint”.
The player characters must fight back or negotiate with them.
Quarterly reports suggest that EnPointe is losing market
share in an important new retroviral drug to Pentex’s subsidiary
Magadon Incorporated. Does Magadon really have the drug,
or is this a new plot by Reality Deviants looking to corrupt the
Masses further?

Chapter One: Constructs and Symposiums 27

 “Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends.”
- Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen
At the turn of the millennium, with the
Technocracy’s paradigm sweeping the planet,
the Union believed Ascension within its grasp.
Industrialization spread to underdeveloped
nations, and with it a belief in science, logic,
and reason. Control’s Time Table appeared
attainable and every group of Reality Deviants
opposing the Technocratic view had suffered
apparent defeat. Some Technocrats went so
far as to declare victory in the five-century old
Ascension War. For a moment, the Union celebrated a mission
accomplished.
Now, two decades later, Technocratic Ascension has failed
to materialize. Instead, the world sits precariously on the edge
of annihilation. The planet’s climate inches toward the point
of no return. Mass extinction threatens life at every segment of
the food chain. Diseases once thought eradicated are returning
in alarming numbers with remarkable frequency, while new
plagues rise, greeted by woefully incompetent governments
with tragically underprepared infrastructures. The specter of
war hangs above nations at a scale unseen since the 1930s. For
the first time since its inception, the Doomsday Clock of the
Science and Security Board Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
is at 100 seconds to midnight, signaling that humanity is a
hair’s breadth from destruction. Despite the best efforts of the
Technocratic Union, the Masses display inability to meet these
challenges at every turn.
Humanity meets threats to global peace with nationalism,
racism, and terror. In response to disease, Sleepers spread
misinformation recklessly across the Internet, using global com-
munication networks to dissuade others from taking basic safety
precautions while spreading anti-vaccination sentiment as rapidly
and virulently as measles or Ebola. Incompetent or indifferent
world leaders remove protections from endangered species and
the ecosystems they inhabit. Industrialists pollute and destroy
the world around them, attacking opposition to their rapacious
disregard for the planet with tear gas and militarized security.
This is not what the Union envisioned for humanity.
As these various existential threats rip the vision of
Technocratic Ascension to shreds, the leadership of the Union
must contend with the fact that the greatest danger they have
ever faced is not some Tradition Mage in a tower casting spells.
The ignorance of the Masses exacerbating these threats places
the Time Table, the world, and the whole of humanity in far
graver danger. To effectively combat these issues and avert disaster,
the Technocratic Union must come to terms with their role in
stoking the fires of Armageddon. The Technocracy is beginning
to recognize that their own Hubris has been a major factor in
the crises that humankind must overcome in the 21st century.
Believing themselves the arbiters of truth and a better way
while passing tools of science and reason down to the Sleepers,
the Technocracy set the stage for current affairs. By assuming
that enlightenment would accompany these tools, the Union
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 29
exhibited reckless negligence that has now manifested in several
impending apocalypses.
Accompanying these revelations is the knowledge that there
is no easy answer to the challenge the Union faces. With the
speed at which humanity is careening toward destruction, the
Technocracy must dedicate every resource they can muster to
crisis management. Most NWO analysts agree that even the full
The Council of Nine Mystick Traditions
In a desperate bid to save the Masses from
themselves, right the course of humanity, and
keep from losing ground to the Marauders and
Nephandi, the Technocratic Union has begun
diplomatic overtures to the Council of Nine
Mystic Traditions. The Union believes that by
cooperating with their old enemies, they can
avert disaster. The last time the Union and
the Traditions called a truce was in the face
of Nephandic invasion at the height of World
War II. The Technocracy believes the current situation to be as
dire, if not more so, than those dark days.
Engaging with the Council of Nine brings a host of concerns.
The last five centuries have fostered immeasurable bad blood
between the groups, and even getting to the table for negotiations
is a road fraught with pitfalls and potential bloodshed. Forging
a functional cease-fire, let alone an effective alliance, requires
masterful diplomacy. The Traditions have wants and needs of
their own that could serve as dealbreakers for such a fragile
coalition, and Operatives involved in such negotiations must
navigate a means of appeasing those needs and working with
the TMURDs while remaining mutual to the Union’s overall
mission statement.
Sleeping with the Enemy –
Adjustments to Protocol
Negotiating with Tradition Affiliated Magic-Using Reality
Deviants (TAMURDs) is a dangerous proposition. Control
mandates a strict set of guidelines for Operatives at all levels of
contact with Reality Deviants. For the most part, this consists of
adjustments to Hierarchy of Assets and Resource (HOAR) ratings
and Designated Target Force Thresholds for those TAMURDs
(Technocracy Reloaded pp. 63–68) targeted for negotiation
or recruitment. These adjusted metrics guide negotiators and
field operatives in all interactions with TAMURDs and form
the backbone of all cooperative efforts in this arena.
Modified Operating Procedures
Control has laid out guidelines for engaging with TAMURDs
under the umbrella of establishing and executing Truce Related
Operations (TROs). These guidelines include leniency regard-
ing Article Five of the Precepts of Damian and dictate basic
30 The Operative’s Dossier
attention of the Union, treating these threats as top priority,
may be insufficient to avert disaster. In addition to mitigating
the damage already happening throughout the world, the Union
must win the hearts and minds of enough of the Masses to turn
the tide in favor of a brighter future, lest there be no future at all
to save. In short: The Union needs allies now more than ever.
Article Five and the
Ascension Truce
(Technocracy Reloaded
The Precepts of Damian (Technocracy
p. 56) are clear on the Union’s position regarding
Reality Deviants. However, present circumstances have
led Control to determine that Articles Two, Four, and
Six are under significant duress to warrant leniency
regarding Article Five. Note that leniency does not
equal suspension. The truce is not blanket permission
to partner with RDs who rend the Gauntlet, endanger
the Masses, or disregard consensus with abandon. The
truce also does not grant field operatives permission
to recklessly employ Procedures outside standard
protocols. If a TAMURD violates Article Three by
ripping a hole in the Gauntlet or disregards Article Six
by needlessly endangering the lives of Sleepers, this
violates the truce and all bets are off.
Operatives abusing their association with TAMURDs
by performing unapproved Procedures, either of their
own accord or by proxy, can expect removal from any
truce-related operations followed by a visit to Room
101 for extensive reeducation. While undergoing joint
operations, the field operatives are responsible for
ensuring that their TAMURD co-workers are comporting
themselves in an acceptable fashion. All activity in
joint operations is subject to the after-action review
(AAR) process.
interactions and standard operating procedure for agents working
alongside Traditionalists. The Manager in charge of any Amalgam
engaged in a TRO has discretion to adjust DTFT and HOAR
ratings for allied TAMURDs on a case-by-case basis.
A group of TAMURDs designated as a potential contact
for TRO receive a HOAR rating of 3. This ranking represents a
problematic asset providing measurable benefit to the Union.
If negotiations move forward favorably, the targets can expect
promotion to HOAR 4, unless the terms reached during negotia-
tions are particularly costly or problematic. Allied Traditionalists
may reach as high as HOAR 7 through repeated reliable service
to the goals of the truce. During the AAR of each TRO, the
Manager-in-charge evaluates not only Amalgam performance,
 The following is a transcript provided by
our agent, InCon. This transcript has been
made available for instructional purposes
only and all identities have been obscured
to maintain the security of our agent. Any
attempts to identify the individuals within
the transcript will be met with immediate
correction.
Agent Jackson: ...don’t know what the
problem is. It seems like a good deal to me,
considering our situation.
Professor G [Affiliate Designation: Cult
of Ecstasy]: No, no, no. You’ve got to be
kidding me. The risk that working with those
brainwashed grunts far exceeds anything that
Veritas and their whole wannabe Manson family
schtick could dream up. They just think
they’re big fucking deals — the black hats
are a big fucking deal. Once they’ve ID’d you
and tagged you in their system, you’ll never
get out of it. It’s like creditors except
they’ve got machine guns implanted in their
skulls and really hate your vibe.
The Priestess [Affiliate Designation:
Verbena]: G isn’t wrong, Jackson. What they’re
offering isn’t something we need. What they
don’t understand — what they never will — is
that the money doesn’t work for them. They
think it’s power — and it is — but it’s a
power older and hungrier than anything Veritas
thinks they are worshiping, and that power,
it doesn’t serve them. They serve it.
Agent Jackson: That’s ridiculous, money
is just money, but we could really use it
to fund—
The Priestess: You should know better than
to believe that anything with power doesn’t
want to use it. How can you possibly be so
short-sighted as to want to make a deal with
a great evil to battle a small evil?
but TAMURD performance and compliance, adjusting HOAR
ratings accordingly.
When entering the negotiation phase, rating 3 DTFT applies.
Initial negotiations assume a level of acceptable risk when engag-
ing Traditionalists. Upon reaching terms the Manager-in-charge
generally promotes the TAMURDs to rating 2 DTFT for the
duration of the TRO. As with the HOAR rating, the Manager
may employ discretion regarding the allied Traditionalists’ DTFT
Professor: We don’t need to bring anyone
down to get the point across, Priestess. This
is a friendly discussion, right? But not so
friendly that we need to attach ourselves
to a bunch of self-styled magic-cops. ACAB,
am I right? All of them. Even magic-cops.
Agent Jackson: We used to police ourselves—
Fast Horse [Affiliate Designation:
Dreamspeakers]: And where are they now?
The Priestess: We are getting off-topic. We
need a solution but allying ourselves with
our enemies cannot possibly be it. Their
methods are violence. Even if their offers
of help were legitimate, you must know that
any cash, weapons, or Tass they slip you was
earned through violence against our sisters
and brothers — against our ancestors and our
legacies.
Professor: All that, and they’re all a
bunch of “oorah” assholes.
Agent Jackson: You’re passing up the
opportunity we need to hit back at Veritas
and their whole Nephandic entrenchment. We
need this!
Fast Horse: No. We do not need their help,
and we never have. Your family is correct.
They carry centuries of blood on their hands.
Their power structure was bought at the cost
of our inheritance. The darkness that Veritas
is so desperate to try to bring into the world
is something that the Union has brought down
upon us time and again without even realizing
what entities they are serving because they
refuse to believe in them. Their gifts are
only disease and suffering, and I will not
betray those who came before me and those who
might come after for an extra decimal point
in my bank account. I refuse to negotiate
any further.
rating. Field Operatives may petition their Manager at any time
during an operation to adjust HOAR and DTFT ratings based
on circumstance. Given the delicate nature of all TROs, secur-
ing Management’s approval is necessary before escalating any
conflicts with allied Traditionalists.
No preliminary negotiations with TAMURDs may escalate
beyond an Acceptable Force Escalation Threshold (AFET)
of 2 without explicit permission from the Manager-in-charge
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 31
 Stages of Successful Negotiation
Stage One:
One: Preparation. This involves identifying target TAMURDs, gathering intel on their activities, habits, desires,
and politics. This also requires agents or Managers to collate and prioritize action areas within the area of operations. The
needs of an Amalgam operating in Atlanta are not the same as those operating in Montevideo. Managers have great
latitude when determining local priority, within the boundaries of the Precepts. During this stage, Management should
determine the optimal means of establishing peaceful first contact in a neutral location.
Stage Two:
Two: Exchange Information. In this phase, the negotiating operative shares the Union’s goals and concerns
with Traditionalist representatives. Potential allies must be given the room and space to share their concerns and goals
to establish a baseline for bargaining. Operatives in this phase should utilize self-targeted Mind Adjustments to ensure
security of thought and emotion. Operatives may use Mind Adjustments that improve confidence, eloquence, and etiquette
for such meetings, operatives may not target any TAMURDs or their allies with Mind Adjustments or Procedures. Such
practices cause total collapse of negotiations.
Stage Three:
Three: Clarification. This stage provides space for each party in the negotiation to elaborate on their respective
positions, clear up miscommunications and misunderstandings, and set parameters for bargaining. This stage addressed
points of contention and agents must offer solutions to clear potential roadblocks in the name of cooperation. Union
operatives must employ active listening at all stages of negotiation, but especially here.
Stage Four:
Four: Active Bargaining. The most challenging stage of negotiations, the operatives must establish operating
parameters for the proposed TRO, while appeasing the concerns of allied TAMURDs. This often requires multiple contacts to
establish, where time permits, and may even require the direct involvement of Management to green light certain requests.
Basic action items, such as medical treatments or financial assistance for TAMURDs and their loved ones, charitable
works in neighborhoods or communities of interest to the Traditionalists, intelligence on entities of HOAR rating 4 or lower,
and localized reduced or relaxed response from the Union are just a few examples of bargaining items an operative
may rely on during this phase. Ultimately, all action items established during this phase must receive approval from the
Manager-in-charge, a fact the negotiating operatives should present with complete transparency during negotiations.
Stage Five:
Five: Action and Implementation. Upon arriving at this stage, the operatives involved thank the Traditionalists
for their involvement and return to Management to craft the operational dossier for the specific TRO. In emergent situations
where time is crucial, such as when any entities designated HSKIN are involved, such as Marauders or Nephandi, real-
time remote communication with Management may be used in place of a return to the Construct. Upon receipt of the
operational dossier, the operatives involved present the dossier to allied TAMURDs. If any objections arise, the operatives
resume the negotiation process. If not, operations may begin.

(Technocracy Reloaded p. 68 details AFET). Application of Guidelines for Negotiation

physical force, lethal measures, or aggressive Adjustments and
Procedures are counterproductive to successful negotiations.
Operatives do, however, retain discretion to utilize non-lethal
force and subdual techniques in self-defense or the defense of
the Masses against TAMURDs during such negotiations at their
own discretion. Agents must document any use of force during
negotiations and report these to the Manager-in-charge. Each
incident is subject to increased scrutiny during the AAR process.
Article Five leniency extends to TAMURDs not actively
involved in a TRO. Operatives must show restraint in all dealings
with Traditionalists for the duration of the truce to preserve
diplomatic functionality. If an agent observes a TAMURD
operating outside the auspices of the TRO engaging in harmful
or problematic behavior, protocol dictates that the Amalgam
present their concern to allied Traditionalists. In most cases,
the Traditionalists handle their own, and endangering a TRO
due to an unrelated incident of Reality Deviance is counterpro-
ductive. Should a field agent feel that an incident of deviance
is too pressing to ignore, they may contact their Manager for
approval of standard AFET.
Negotiating terms of a simple cease fire with Traditionalists
can prove challenging. Building a functional alliance with the
capacity to identify and execute actionable goals is a complex
process rife with pitfalls. Five centuries of antagonism between
the Union and the Traditions generates a significant stumbling
block for agents tasked with initial contact and preliminary ne-
gotiations. Agents should expect hostility and resentment from
TAMURDs due to past personal or cultural clashes. Management
acknowledges that Union assets and operatives may harbor ill
will toward the Traditions as well. Agents with concerns that
their own personal feelings conflict with TRO assignment may
bring those concerns to the Manager-in-charge. The Manager
may then choose to assign behavior modification protocols to
correct the agent’s thinking. In extreme cases, the agent may
undergo reassignment to another Amalgam.
The goal of any TRO is mitigating the damage of human
ignorance, whether through direct action or the absence thereof,
on a localized field of operations. This involves ongoing outreach,
extensive Terranorming, and aggressive threat neutralization.
The data is clear: The Union cannot achieve these ends alone,
let alone while fighting with TAMURDs, most of whom are

32 The Operative’s Dossier

comparatively benign regarding the Masses. As such, these ne-
gotiations must utilize integrative techniques. The focus of these
negotiations, and the operations that result, must create value
for all parties concerned. When discussion strays too far from
the core mission statement, it is vital that the operatives in the
field reiterate the core purpose of these allegiances and steer the
conversation back toward the goal of protecting and preserving
the Masses. Most TAMURDs recognize that the Ascension
War will amount to history’s greatest waste of resources if the
winners stand victorious on an uninhabitable, disease-riddled
cinder. To maximize efforts, agents should employ established
stages of successful negotiation when engaging Traditionalists.
TRO Execution and Goals
Truce Related Operations occur at the local level under
the direct supervision of a Construct Manager. Each operation
receives a limited scope and a series of specific goals. Upon
completion of these goals, the Manager-in-charge conducts an
after-action review and evaluates the utility and success of the
TRO. Operations with high success rates, negligible or positive
impact on the Construct’s OPTEMPO, or other tangible benefit
qualify for extension or renegotiation at the discretion of the
Manager in charge. The Union intends to continue and expand
Truce Related Operations until the threats of climate change,
science denial, virulent disease, and nationalism-driven unrest
are mitigated or reduced to acceptable thresholds. In short, the
Union is in this for the long haul. Like all Technocratic operations,
TROs fall under the broad category of Intelligence Gathering
and Field Operations. The basic stages of these operations follow
standard Union procedures (detailed in Technocracy Reloaded
p. 71). Access to TAMURDs offers a great advantage in IG op-
erations as Traditionalists often command easy access to areas
and contacts outside the Technocracy’s grasp. This, in turn,
provides more comprehensive data going into subsequent FOs.
Field Operations take numerous forms (see Techocracy
Reloaded p.73). Examples of TRO FOs in each of the ten basic
categories dictated by Control, including approved variance from
standard operating procedures, are detailed below.
Ambush/Raid
Strict limitations apply to ambush and raid operations under
the umbrella of TROs. The reasons for this are legion, but the
primary concerns stemming from including TAMURDs in an
A/R involve operational security and preservation of amicable
relations. Traditionalists are likely to view the Union as brutal,
jackbooted thugs capable of spectacular violence. The less rein-
forcement provided for that view during a TRO, the better. It
also undermines the long-term goals of the Union to provide
TAMURDs with too many opportunities to gain insight into
operational norms that the Union may need to deploy against
Traditionalists in the future. As such, A/R TROs are prohibited
except for operations targeting known Nephandi, Marauders,
and exceptionally hostile JMARDs, PDEs, and TEs.
Elimination
Elimination TROs operate under the same parameters and
restrictions as A/R operations, for the same reasons. Elimination
operations of approved targets in which the TAMURDs take
point or originate the operation provide a notable exception
to this policy. Any such operation must acquire clearance from
Management before proceeding.
Extraction
Extraction operations are common for TROs. A person or
object falling into the wrong hands is bad for business on both
sides of the aisle. Extraction often provides easy common ground
for operatives and Traditionalists. Management advises caution,
however, as disputes regarding the destination of extracted assets
may arise from such operations.
Installation
TROs provide ample opportunity for clandestine installation
operations. Agents and Management must proceed cautiously
when approaching Traditionalists regarding such operations. Risk
assessment is vital, as suggesting such an operation that targets
a valued asset or ally of the TAMURDs in the TRO could be
disastrous for ongoing relations. Operatives should maintain
awareness of Traditionalist attitudes toward potential targets
and proceed only when reasonably certain that the operation
will not place unnecessary strain on current or future TROs.
Adherence to protocols here is vital. Deception makes for poor
alliances. Operatives feeling that a target merits risking a TRO
by working around (and potentially risking) established allianc-
es must bring their case to the Manager-in-charge for approval
before proceeding.
Misdirection
Misdirection operations involving TROs usually provide
cover or distractions to more vital operations. In the context of
TROs, misdirection usually involves destabilizing or opposing
nationalist and fascist states, opposing organized anti-vaxxer
movements and dangerous religious extremists, or when oppos-
ing RDs deemed harmful by the Union and the Traditionalists,
but not harmful enough to warrant elimination. Operatives
must take care with these operations that allied TAMURDs do
not gain access to too many Technocratic procedures, and all
steps taken in the course of a misdirection op require detailed
reporting filed to Management as part of the AAR.
Patrol
The amount of resources required to create and maintain
a TRO generally exceed the allocation for simple patrols, and
most patrol missions are well within the capabilities of existing
Amalgams. Notable rare exceptions include hotly contested
regions within a TRO’s field of operations, such as a region
occupied by hostile TEs or where frequent breaches of the
Gauntlet occur.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 33
Psychological Operations
A significant number of TROs fall within the auspices of PSYOPS.
Part of the purpose of allying with Traditionalists is to deprogram
some of the more aberrant and dangerous attitudes gaining prevalence
among the Masses in recent years. Ignorance, racism, nationalism,
anti-vaccination stances, and the spreading of so-called “alternate
facts” require the application of PSYOPS to correct.
Secure and Contain
S&C missions tied to TROs generally fall to backup and
support personnel. This is more to do with the relative value
of TRO personnel than anything else. If evidence collection
warrants the involvement of TRO personnel, those individuals
generally perform related duties in the area while standard S&C
processes are employed.
Surveillance
Surveillance missions involving TRO personnel usually occur
in tandem with other operations as part of a larger mission. When
a field operation requires only surveillance, Union personnel
usually execute the operation. Some Managers and operatives
are more lenient about leaning on unconventional surveillance
techniques that TAMURDs can bring to the table. Ultimately,
any application of TRO personnel for surveillance ops should
receive approval from the Manager-in-charge before proceeding.
34 The Operative’s Dossier
Stealth
Stealth operations are commonplace among TROs. In
some cases, operatives must apply stealth processes to hide in
plain sight among the allies, associates, and contacts of allied
TAMURDs in order to achieve a mission’s objective. In cases
where the TRO must infiltrate a tightly knit group of targets, such
as a white supremacist cell or a nationalist terrorist organization,
the mission operates under the parameters of a stealth exercise.
Hubris and Humility
Ultimately, the introduction of Truce Related Operations
is just one way in which the Technocratic Union seeks to rec-
oncile the impact of its own Hubris on the Masses. Control
and Management have seen the result of centuries of prideful
prodding along the Time Table without considering the poten-
tial for negative side effects. Operatives, and some personnel
within the Management strata, may identify further opportu-
nities to usher in a brighter future through cooperation with
Traditionalists as a result of these operations. Those willing to
pursue such lines of reasoning must proceed cautiously, as the
line between an operative working alongside a TAMURD in an
approved capacity for the betterment of the Union, and a rogue
Technocrat engaging in dangerously unmutual behaviors can
blur to the point of indistinction.
 Dissident Permutations
Several dissident factions exist within
the Technocratic Union, each operating
independently of the larger command structure.
These factions pursue goals that may align
with those of the Council of Nine Mystick
Traditions to varying degrees. As these dissident
factions adhere to unusual (often unmutual)
operating procedures, their approaches to Truce
Related Operations may vary drastically from
Technocratic norms.
Cross-Convention
Initiatives
As the Technocratic Union struggles to meet the needs
of the 21st century, old boundaries of operational hierarchy
along Convention lines sometimes prove ineffectual at exe-
cuting delicate missions. The Union’s solution to this issue
includes the introduction of Cross-Convention Initiatives that
operate somewhat independently of Convention structures and
boundaries. These CCIs are still beholden to Control and must
maintain mutual behavior among personnel, but receive leeway
in their methods to allow for maximum efficiency. Most CCIs
are in probationary stages, pending evaluation of their efficacy.
The Challenge Fate Foundation
Considering the motivations for the Ascension Truce, the
Challenge Fate Foundation (Technocracy Reloaded p.121) may
represent the Union’s best hope of finding workable solutions in
tandem with Traditionalists. Operatives working under the aegis
of the Challenge Fate Foundation focus their efforts directly on
actionable plans to negate direct threats to humanity’s future. While
other Technocratic efforts fight RDs, hunt down paranormal anom-
alies, and sanitize transdimensional incursions, the Challenge Fate
Foundation works to negate pollution, contain disease, and feed the
hungry. Additionally, the Challenge Fate Foundation leans heavily
on local recruitment, particularly in areas where the Union holds less
power, such as developing nations where the Technocratic paradigm
often holds less sway. This can be a great boon for negotiating with
the Traditions as members of the Challenge Fate Foundation often
share cultural origins with Traditionalists. This enables Foundation
members an easier time navigating the mores and folkways that
might prove arcane and confusing to agents operating within the
standard structure of a Convention.
The Department of Metahuman Studies
The Department of Metahuman Studies relies on a more
clandestine approach when establishing Truce Related Operations.
By the nature of most DHS operations, the true power behind a

Disputed Data: Avatar Storms and Modified Threats

Some of the organizations in this section rely on the inclusion of various optional metaplot items. The Existential Threats
Directorate is a consequence of the Avatar Storm metaplot (Mage (Mage 20 p. 479-480). Project Invictus and the Special
Information Security Division both rely on the conceit that the Syndicate’s Special Projects Division exists (or existed) and
is (or was) corrupted by connections to Pentex. These optional plot elements intricately woven together as presented in
Mage 20 and Technocracy Reloaded form a bit of a narrative house of cards. If you pull one element out, the rest
crumble.
But that needn’t be the case at your table.
Maybe in your chronicle, the Existential Threats Directorate is a small but well-funded militant wing of the traditional
Void Engineers. Rather than forming in response to the Avatar Storm, the ETD rose as a security force designed to relieve
pressure from other Technocrats working to solve larger threats to the Front Lines. By focusing only on threats from beyond
the Gauntlet, the ETD frees up resources for other Technocrats to focus on fighting climate change, science denial, and
governmental abuses. Perhaps Project Invictus exists to investigate broader Nephandic corruption within the Union.
Special Projects Division makes for a convenient foil to Project Invictus, but they are not as intertwined as they may seem
at first glance. Any sort of Infernal Affairs investigation can take place under the mantle of Project Invictus with little to
no re-working of how the faction functions on a practical level. By extension, the SISD could be re-tooled to represent a
faction that monitors, collects, and studies deviant technology. This may include Nephandic and Wyrm-Tainted Devices,
but SISD’s mandate could just as easily expand to include deviant technologies such as those created by Etherites and
Virtual Adepts.
When applying such narrative shifts to your chronicle, be mindful of planning. Look for gaps that occur in reasoning,
resources, and consequences when removing or integrating plot elements to these factions. Each established story item
you unplug creates a narrative hole, but also an opportunity to explore new and wonderful connections. This allows the
Storyteller to surprise, delight, and terrify their players as they navigate alternate presentations of factions they thought
they knew.

Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 35

given outlet often remains hidden from the general membership.
Extraordinary citizens enhanced by DHS procedures rarely know of
the existence of the Technocratic Union, never mind the connec-
tion their benefactors share with the Conventions. This creates a
layer of deniability that the organizers of DHS operations can use
to their advantage when approaching Traditionalists to establish
TROs. Through the framework of the Department of Metahuman
Studies, simply shielding the targeted Traditionalists from the true
nature of their newfound allies cuts through significant resistance.
Naturally, this approach carries with it a host of risks and
challenges. Keeping anything secret from a motivated TAMURD
is a challenge. There are numerous Deviant procedures that a
Traditionalist might bring to bear to reveal the true allegiances
of a newfound ally. While most field operatives within the DHS
remain unaware of the true nature of their gifts, the command
structure managing those assets is wholly Technocratic. Lairs of
deniability assist in shielding Traditionalist allies from the truth,
but this poses a greater risk of backlash if those allies discover
the true nature of the DHS. Traditionalist contacts working
alongside DHS operatives are likely to harbor a grudge if they
discover the Technocratic roots of those allies. Furthermore,
such operations pose risks of radicalization and abandonment
should the DHS operatives involved develop a strong bond of
trust in Traditionalists freeing their allies from what they perceive
as DHS (and by extension, Technocratic) manipulation.
Despite these risks, double-blind DHS initiatives may be the
best option to foster cooperation with Traditionalists otherwise
balking at the idea of working alongside the Technocratic Union,
regardless of how noble the cause. Agents coordinating such actions
should proceed with extreme caution and dedicate maximum effort
to ensuring the preservation of deniability for agents in the field.
The Existential Threats Directorate
The Existential Threats Directorate permits relative ease
initiating Truce Related Operations. Traditionalists consider
most entities the ETD target as dangerous enough to warrant
the cessation of hostilities to deal with the larger threat of extrad-
imensional incursion. Temporary alliances of convenience often
arise in the course of ETD operations. Skilled diplomats may seize
the opportunity to grow these alliances into long-term TROs.
Panopticon
While the Challenge Fate Foundation presents one of the
greatest assets in the direct fight against the physical threats of
climate change, pollution, and disease, Panopticon may be the
Union’s best tool in combating science denial, anti-vaxxer sen-
timent, and government misinformation. Panopticon’s primary
mandate is to observe, report, and coordinate. This gives agents
of this CCI a holistic perspective on multiple threats including
the use and abuse of one of the most volatile battlegrounds in
the war against ignorance — the Internet.
Since the 1990s, the Panopticon has tracked trends and flows of
information. Their databases collect and collate everything from so-
cial media feeds to dark web message boards. This allows Panopticon
36 The Operative’s Dossier
to track identified harmful misinformation to the source. Historically,
Panopticon forwarded much of this information to the NWO and
Syndicate Media Control to prioritize and respond according to
the greatest threat. However, the proliferation of social media over
the course of the past decade and a half has, to the Union’s horror,
generated a deluge of ignorance and logical fallacy too great for the
Technocracy’s controls to overcome. In short, while the Union has
access to the information to enact change, the workforce strains to
the breaking point while fighting the never-ending Gish gallop of
those who would spread misinformation.
This provides not only an opportunity, but a clear need for
Panopticon to reach out to communications-savvy Traditionalists.
While the Virtual Adepts provide an obvious choice of target for
TROs involving Panopticon, members of every Tradition have
found their way online in the past couple decades. Whether
referring to a Kha’vadi techno-shaman incorporating machine
spirits into their practice or talking about a Cultist of Ecstasy
influencer, numerous Traditionalists make their presence known,
swaying the masses on the Internet every day. Panopticon hopes
to recruit such Traditionalists to combat the most egregious
dangers of the ignorant in the communication field to clear the
way for meaningful action from other Front Lines operatives.
When approaching Traditionalists, Panopticon excels at
accentuating the importance of focus on mutual goals. Most
TAMURDs agree that climate denial, racism, pollution, and
hunger are problems. Anti-vaccination movements, faith healing,
and alternative medicine are tougher sells for some Traditionalists,
and a wise Panopticon negotiator learns to pick their battles for
maximum efficiency. As Panopticon specializes in the use of data
(and Data) negotiators sent in from this CCI usually have access
to a detailed profile of their target before initial contact, allowing
the negotiator to tailor their pitch to the target’s proclivities.
Friends of Courage
The Friends of Courage ultimately seek to improve the
Technocracy, root out corruption, and purge Nephandic influence
from the upper echelons of power within the Union. Despite the
swirl of rumors, misinformation, and double-talk surrounding the
organization, the Friends of Courage are loyal to the Technocratic
ideals of protecting the Masses and creating a brighter future for
humanity. Where this dissident group differs from most Technocrats
is the belief that the Union is perverted and corrupted by internal rot.
Since its inception, the Friends of Courage have worked
alongside TAMURDs, NAMURDs, and any other RD that
proves operationally beneficial. Alliances of convenience and
opportunity are nothing new to the Friends, protocol be damned.
With the shift in operational norms, particularly the introduction
of Article Five leniency, longtime members of the Friends of
Courage are in prime position to take advantage of long-standing
shadow alliances, now granted operational legitimacy in light of
current orders. Agents in this faction are well-versed in subtlety,
misdirection, and clandestine communication, so integrating
existing alliances into newly formed TROs presents minimal risk.
 Disputed Data:
Architects of the Truce
The Friends of Courage is a long-standing faction in the
world of Mage with an established history of working
across faction lines to fight corruption within the Union.
This presents a few options for Storytellers wishing to
put the Friends at the center of the Ascension Truce.
Seeking the aid of TAMURDs on an unprecedented
scale may have been a move introduced by Friends
of Courage operatives occupying positions of power
in the Union. This frames the Friends as a driving force
that actively molds policy to serve a greater purpose.
In such a scenario, members of successful TROs begin
receiving data about corrupted agents within the Union
with enough evidence to facilitate further investigation
or elimination of the compromised assets. Even if the
Friends of Courage are not directly responsible for the
initiation of the Truce, by insinuating themselves into
TROs, the faction gains access to a broader base of
potential recruits.
Alternatively, the Ascension Truce could represent the
aftermath of the endgame envisioned by John Courage
and his allies. The Union, upon completing the purge
of Nephandic influences from its ranks, might simply
recognize the value of ending the Ascension War in
favor of a new, more perfect Unity with former enemies.
Free of the machinations of the Fallen, the Union sees
the folly of its ways and seeks to undo five centuries
of damage done in the name of pursuing an imperfect
Ascension tainted by Hubris. This presents a particularly
exciting and rewarding payoff for existing campaigns
that have featured the Friends of Courage for some time.
Project Invictus
From an operational perspective, Project Invictus is similar to
the Friends of Courage. Both groups operate in secret within the
larger structure of the Union. While the Friends of Courage are more
likely to have existing alliances outside the Technocracy’s ranks, both
groups have a history of working with TAMURDs and NAMURDs
to achieve their ends. The main differences between the groups are
focus and scale of operations. Where the Friends of Courage seek
to purge corruption from the upper echelons of the Union and the
Technocracy, Project Invictus focuses entirely on rooting out the
corruption within the Syndicate’s Special Projects Division.
The dedication of Project Invictus operatives to their cause
exceeds any other purpose. Deeply ingrained loyalty to the goal
of purging the SPD defines Invictus agents. Members of Project
Invictus are therefore likely to twist any TROs they participate in
toward that end. This is not to say that Invictus operatives get sloppy
or let their guard down when involved in TROs, quite the opposite.
Any agent involved with Invictus deeply enough to be aware of the
conspiracy’s purpose is well versed enough in espionage, deception,
and double talk to implement their agendas with a subtle touch.
Future Fate: Civil War
With the various dissident factions at play within
the Union, two or more groups with opposed goals
might well come into direct conflict with one another.
Introducing TROs into the mix adds a level of deniability
to all Technocratic parties involved and presents the
possibility of using agents and TAMURDs involved in
TROs as proxy fighters in a shadowy civil war among
the conventions. Doing so undermines the entire point of
the Ascension Truce and risks the very fate of the world
for the simple gain of getting a leg up on a rival faction.
While this might seem rather short-sighted, keep in
mind that these dissident factions consist of people
with their own agendas and biases. If the Technocracy
were immune to making miscalculations and indulging
in short-sighted behavior, there would be no need for
the Ascension Truce in the first place…
The Special Information
Security Division
Between maintaining their own workflows and responsibilities
and keeping Special Projects Division running while obfuscating the
fact that several prominent Syndicate agents have simply disappeared,
the SISD operates well below peak efficiency. Agents of the SISD
routinely request exclusion from Truce Related Operations, citing
prejudice against TAMURDs, which has yet to raise suspicions among
Management and Control. In truth, SISD already has its hands full
with RDs as a result of the vacuum created by the sudden absence of
the SPD. Most members of this shadow Methodology are content to
decline the offer of a TRO and move on with their lives. However,
a small but vocal minority express concerns to their superiors and
peers within SISD that this collusion with Reality Deviants is going
to lead to disaster, potentially including exposure of the SISD to other
Technocrats. Many of these agents are simply voicing concerns, but
rumors have begun to circulate among the SISD that some of the
membership are trying to distance themselves from the project. Some
rumors go so far as to imply talk of defection to the Traditions. Since
its formation, SISD has been a hotbed of paranoia and misdirection.
The introduction of (and increase in) Truce Related Operations in the
interim have exacerbated this situation. If the leaders of the SISD do
not get a handle on the situation, they could be facing some very ugly
scenarios where the other Conventions are concerned. Disciplinary
procedures are clear about the Union’s position on unapproved
contact with HSKIN-designated RDs, and SISD is up to its eyeballs
in exactly that. SISD Management has begun running simulations
to assess the viability of working alongside TAMURDs long enough
to frame them for Special Projects Division (and by extension SISD)
operations, but to date the data on these projections is inconclusive.
For the moment, TROs are another aspect of operations where the
SISD must keep their heads down, bide their time, and hope for a
breakthrough.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 37
 The Disparate Alliance
When you’re fighting for humanity’s future, the
idea that someone might opt out of that fight
feels like betrayal. When you want no part of
someone else’s war, the idea of getting dragged
into it anyway feels like violation. If, by some
chance, the other party has committed grave
wrongs against you and your people, it’s likely
you won’t want anything to do with them at all
unless it involves their fully justified demise.
Sure, it’s possible that Technocracy agents could
collaborate with mages from the Disparate Crafts. It’s not bloody
likely, though, and such alliances are, at best, precarious.
The likelihood of such cooperation depends on whether the
Technocracy tried to purge the Crafts at the end of the 20th century.
If the Union did wage that surgical genocide campaign, the agents
have a hard time convincing Disparates to do anything but flee
or attack them. Though such atrocities can be put in the rearview
mirror (in real life, for example, Indigenous Americans have a long
and honorable tradition within the US Armed Services), there
are delicate negotiations and strong incentives involved in such
a compromise. Potential bonds are stronger if the Technocracy
allied with Hollow Ones to destroy Horizon. That alliance, of
course, has its own baggage, especially if (as in certain Revised-era
books) the Technocracy attacked both Horizon and the Crafts in
a global push to eradicate rival mages forever.
Even if that purge did not occur, most Craft mages distrust
Technocrats. As detailed in Mage 20 (pp. 198-199), the Union has
THE BLACK DAGGERS
To my mentor,
Find enclosed the requested study on the
IECSSC (Infiltrations/Exfiltration Covert
Strike Specialist Corps), colloquially called
“Black Daggers.” Please excuse its terseness;
your warnings proved quite correct.
History
Members of the IECSSC believe they have a wide
mandate in defending the Technocratic Union,
and the rest of the world, from corruption.
Tracing this mandate’s origin proved quite
a challenge. I found myself elbows-deep in
dusty papyri, translating ancient fragments
referring to an anti-infernalist circle of
proto-TAMURDs calling themselves Ixoi.
38 The Operative’s Dossier
an ugly history with certain cultures. While Nephandi might not
have infiltrated the Technocratic ranks, Craft mages still have every
reason to hate the Union and all it stands for, and they may believe in
a Fallen Technocracy even if those rumors aren’t true. That’s especially
applicable to groups like the Bata’a, Kopa Loei, and Taftani, whose
people have been persecuted by agents of so-called “progress.” Getting
those folks to buddy up with Technocrats is a tall order indeed.
Other Disparates, however, are easier to recruit. Many
Hollowers, Wu Lung, and “orphans” might jump at the chance
to get on the Technocracy’s good side, and tech-oriented Taftani
could be convinced to do so, too. Solificati, Templars, and
Ngoma have historical ties to the proto-Technocracy, and smart
agents utilize that history to their advantage. Hippolytoi could
go either way; that said, modern technology has a stronger
women’s-rights record than old-school traditions do. Batini, in
general, are dedicated to unity and tend to be the most practical
Craft mages of all. Cooperation, then, depends more upon an
individual mage’s wants and needs than upon the battle lines
of someone else’s metaphysical war.
It’s possible, too, that Disparates might come to the
Technocracy. If you’re facing off against a faction of deranged
wizards, it’s good to have all the friends you can get. Ideals
take a back seat to practicality, and forces like climate change,
Otherworldly incursions, mortal warfare, and other disasters
build bridges that would not exist otherwise. Alliances, then,
between the Disparates and Technocracy are unusual and un-
likely, but not at all impossible.
These anti-infernalists became known during
the 1300s as Ksirafai. Allied with the Order
of Reason, I uncovered even less about them
than the Ixoi. Their name means ‘razor’ in some
obscure language, by which I infer they ‘cut
out’ corruption the way a surgeon does cancer.
An ideological split over proper procedures
occurred shortly before the Order of Reason
re-formed into the Technocratic Union. A rogue
Ksirafai, one Dincer Albayrak, abandoned the
Union and petitioned the Order of Hermes
for membership. He gathered a small group
of TAMURDs around him called Janissaries,
after Ottoman musket-fighters.
One such follower was a Bedouin named Caeron
Mustai, already exposed to Batini thought.
When Mustai blended his Batini teachings with
surviving scraps of Ixoi beliefs, he stumbled
across something rather like our Technocratic
ideal: Ascension must never be achieved. To
this end, he saw the Janissaries elevated to
a full Hermetic House, charged with policing
the rest of the Order. Obviously, a long-
term plan by whatever remained in the Union
of the Ksirafai.
Within the Union, the Infiltrations/
Exfiltration Covert Strike Specialist Corps
formed in parallel to the Janissaries. The
secret alliance thrived during the Cold War,
as both groups infiltrated and exploited
various human governmental intelligence
agencies for their own ends. I uncovered
hints of several high-stakes missions in
Soviet Russia, on the outskirts of Chicago,
and surprisingly strong evidence that the
truth of the Kennedy assassination may be
stranger than even we assume.
As you know, House Janissary fell in 1997.
Mustai himself dealt Porthos Fitz-Empress the
killing blow. The fact that he killed Fitz-
Empress leaves me to assume the Archmage had
more than one nasty secret, especially as
Mustai did not survive the encounter either.
One of Mustai’s final acts before Doissetep
was formally bequeathing House Janissary’s
records to IECSSC. A strange move but given how
many of his handwritten notes implicated his
Hermetic fellows in corruption, I understand
his choice. The surviving Hermetics accuse
House Janissary of corruption themselves.
Circumstantial evidence suggests this is
projection, but I cannot be sure. Nor can I
even be sure every member of House Janissary
is dead. A slight uptick in Union recruitment
suggests several TAMURDS hide among us,
protected by their Black Dagger allies.
Mandate
I hope this history illuminated things for
you. As to what mandate drives such choices?
The Black Daggers seek out corruption
and fight it on a vast scale. The IECSSC
does not concern themselves with rooting
out unmutualism. They believe we succeed
well enough at policing our own regarding
mutuality. Rather, they focus on uncovering
corruption and betrayal so profound that
‘unmutualism’ fails to convey the depth of
their efforts, nor against what they fight.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 39
 They hunt Nephandi. Black Daggers seek out
potential barabbi before they experience
a Caul, and thwart that unfortunate event
before it happens. By any means necessary.
If they arrive too late: Gilgul.
As you might expect, the IECSSC thus functions
as perhaps the Technocracy’s most paranoid
faction. By hunting corruption, they grow
close to it. By growing close to it, they risk
becoming it. I suspect, based on fragmented
stories of Black Daggers turning on former
heroes, that these operatives experience and
fall to temptation more often than most.
Thus, the source of many rumors surrounding
the IECSSC. They specialize in Psychodynamics
to gain access to suspects’ secret desires
and transgressions. They train hard because
one must when fighting Nephandi. They stay
reclusive to avoid becoming targeted by
those with profoundly unmutual sympathies.
They structure themselves in loosely-defined
cells, swapping members as the need arises
to stay at peak readiness.
Currently, the Black Daggers understand
they must cultivate more allies, especially
those outside the Union. They keep themselves
distant from fellow operatives for the sake
of duty. After all, it’s heartbreaking to
realize that a respected colleague or mentor
has fallen to infernal temptation. By keeping
themselves distant, they do what must be done,
without other loyalties getting in the way.
After the fall of House Janissary, and the
damning information contained in Mustai’s
notes, they avoid other TAMURDS, only making
contacts with those allowing infiltration as
needed. They especially forbid any contact
between their operatives and the Hermetic
Order, planning to excise that cancer soon.
In the meantime, they focus on cultivating
allies among the CMURDS, also called
Disparates, for one simple reason: Nephandi
crave power and CMURDS have none. These
impoverished pretenders collect in bands
barely larger than a Construct, where they
learn the value of relying on each other.
They do not crave individual achievement and
influence as the larger orders (and even our
own Conventions) do. Many CMURDS, such as
the Sisters of Hippolyta, even make a special
40 The Operative’s Dossier
focus on channeling one’s power into the
community. Certainly, that doesn’t protect
them from falling prey to the occasional cult
of personality, which ends up elevating a
barrabus. Nor does it mean that no Nephandus
has ever come out of the Kopa Loi or whatever
remains of the Knights Templar. It means
only that such an occurrence is rare enough
that IECSSC deems regular contact safe and
advisable.
First contact often seems innocent enough
to the target, as an operative recruits a
CMURD as a freelancer. The contact may not
even know their handler is Union. The missions
chosen have low stakes, and serve primarily
for operatives to evaluate the CMURD on
both talent and resistance to corruption.
Eventually, the CMURD is brought fully into
the fold and invited to become an active
team member.
For their part, the CMURDS I spoke with
seemed wary of aligning with the Technocracy.
They know well what the Union thinks of their
kind. Thus, IECSSC agents work hard to build
personal relationships with CMURDS. Some of
these CMURDS even claim the Black Daggers
offered them formal membership after working
together on several successful missions.
I obviously dismissed such statements as
fanciful, no matter how strongly others
insisted.
The Black Daggers harbor some sympathies
to Disparates’ attitudes. Such opinion
verges on the unmutual, of course, but
IECSSC enjoys the gift of perspective. With
the stakes this high, any port in a storm,
any ally when one regularly goes up against
barabbi and Nephandi, would make it utter
foolishness for the Union to expel the
Black Daggers for getting too friendly
with the Disparates.
I have only one thing left to say. I
understand now why you gave me this assignment.
I hope you have taken your time reading it.
I see you now and see why you consider the
Black Daggers your enemy. By the time you
finish reading this memo, we shall be at your
home. If you ever held any affection for your
humble protégé, I beg you do not resist. We
will make it quick.
The Challenge Fate
Foundation: A World That
Works for Everyone
In Humanity’s darkest hour, a bright flame emerged to light
the way: The Challenge Fate Foundation. Free from the dogmas
and prejudices that have bound the Masses and Enlightened alike,
the Foundation works diligently to apply the scientific wonder
of Technocratic thinking to achieve the control necessary for
life on Earth to flourish.
Much has been written about the errors and miscalcu-
lations in the Technocratic Union’s attempt at crushing the
will of the Masses to achieve an ideal Consensus. Even softer
seeming methods applied in recent years have delivered mixed
results. The idea that the best cage is the one with no bars is
incorrect. The imprisoned always know and rebel eventually, if
only subconsciously.
You may have heard that ‘the Challenge Fate Foundation is
a joint effort between Iteration X and the Progenitors to improve
quality of life, foster Enlightenment, and find creative solutions to
existential threats facing humanity,’ but this short summary belies
the grand scope of our work.
We invite you to visit one of our ongoing experiments so that
you might understand – and get involved – in our work.
Better Living Through Science
The Challenge Fate Foundation works under a singular
guiding principle: any challenge facing humanity can be solved
with properly applied technology. Where other iterations of
the Technocratic Union might rely on towering cyborg war
machines to desolate communities harboring, or even suspect-
ed of harboring, Reality Deviants, the Foundation approaches
things differently. That same towering cyborg might be applied
to planting fields, disaster rescue, or local defense against the
community’s external foes, and, more importantly, extend a
hand to the RD in question in partnership for the betterment
of the community.
The Foundation’s goal is not to enforce, but encourage
consensus by giving the Masses a vision of the future they can
believe in. Rather than creating killing machines, cybernetic
enhancements have been used to replace limbs for people
wounded in regional conflicts, or by undetonated landmines.
Machinery capable of creating the most effective poisons have
been repurposed into air and water filtration systems increasing
the quality of life in even the most remote of areas.
Most importantly, rather than sending black-suited agents to
neutralize potential Deviants, the Foundation instead identifies
individuals with a high possibility for achieving Enlightenment
and helps foster their growth and development into useful and
contributing members of the Technocratic Union. Dr. Ree
Samadi’s meteoric rise and achievements in Morocco are an
excellent example of Challenge Fate Foundation principles in
action.
While eradication of unrepentant RDs is a necessity at times,
the Challenge Fate Foundation represents the Technocratic
Union’s best chance at outreach to the Disparate Alliance, and
possibly even other MURDs.
Building Bigger Tables, Not Higher Walls
The existence of the Disparate Alliance is a fundamental
failure of the Technocratic Union to achieve true Consensus. If
we cannot even reach the lost and orphaned that have stumbled
across Enlightenment by personal effort or random chance, what
hope is there to reach the Masses at scale?
The Union’s reputation as soulless enforcers of an oppressive
Consensus is well deserved. In turn, many of our own members
suffered greatly at the hands of Reality Deviants misusing powers
they didn’t truly understand.
Someone has to take the first step towards peaceful coop-
eration, if not reconciliation.
Earning trust takes time and may well be unachievable. We
may well be fated to war with the TAMURDs until the Earth
burns all around us. However, we exist to challenge fate in all
forms: a doomed Earth, inevitable war and chaos, and hatred
and ignorance winning the day. We, at the Challenge Fate
Foundation, say no.
Project Cloud Piercer
Known by the locals as Mount Cook, New Zealand’s
tallest mountain is known as Aoraki, or Cloud Piercer by the
indigenous Māori. This sacred mountain has served as a bastion
for a small splinter group of NAMURD known as Kopa Loei,
who fled Technocratic desolation during the colonization of
Polynesia. A routine drone sweep surveying the damage after the
Christchurch earthquake in 2011 detected them. As the drone
entered the area, an unseasonably strong storm arose and caused
the unit to malfunction and crash. A blizzard beset the recovery
team sent to collect the wreckage, despite the country’s summer
conditions at the time.
Analysis confirmed the weather had been manipulated
by members of the Kopa Loei, a Craft group belonging to the
Disparate Alliance. The Kopa Loei once ruled all of Polynesia
until the Technocracy broke their system of Awakened kings
and Nobles. In the aftermath, many Kopa Loei found their way
into the Dreamspeaker TAMURD organization. Many others
still cling to the illusion of independence.
With TAMURD manipulation confirmed, a strike team
assembled to recover the drone and eradicate the Reality Deviants
responsible. A young analyst, Ahorangi ‘Angi’ Arataki, submit-
ted a request to Management for an experiment in diplomacy.
Recruited from a Māori community at 16 years old, Angi believed
her own background in Polynesian mysticism would specially
equip her to reach them. The only alternative was desolation,
so her experiment was allowed to proceed.
Project Cloud Piercer presented an unusual scenario in that
there were no major environmental obstacles that made the location
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 41
particularly inhospitable. The Kopa Loei had long since adapted to
the rigors of life on the mountain, using its elevation and cloud cover
to shield them from detection. Their system of reality manipulation
known as ‘ho’omana’ had allowed them to live comfortably despite
the harsh conditions. Their elders had filled the minds of their
youth with tales of Technocratic boogeymen endlessly searching
for them, desiring nothing but their eradication. Obviously, there
was no interest in diplomacy. A number of drones and an entire
reconnaissance team were lost trying to establish contact, and the
experiment was very nearly declared a failure.
In keeping with the principles of the Challenge Fate
Foundation, Angi Arataki found a way.
The Kopa Loei still rely on a quaint and provincial social
hierarchy that was outdated 200 years ago, but Angi used to the
Union’s benefit. The community rely on individuals known as
maka’ainana or ‘Wayfinders’ to read the signs in the land to guide
them in their hunting and foraging. Management suggested that
Angi utilize the Foundation’s own weather manipulation capa-
bilities to ensure the signs and omens would all point towards
the imminent arrival of a ‘holy’ woman, but she refused on the
basis that they would see through such a ruse. While there was
some internal debate as to whether such superstition should
be encouraged, Angi was adamant that honesty was the only
way to open communications with their caste of wizard-priests
called ‘Kahunas.’
The results exceeded all projections.
After skillfully aligning herself with the signs necessary to
foretell her arrival, Angi presented herself to the community
hidden in the caves of Aoraki. Although she was unwelcome, the
signs and portents had been undeniable, and she was granted
an opportunity to address the gathered community. Her master
stroke was encouraging their community leader, Pa‘ao, to use
her knowledge of Kuhikuhi pu‘uone or their system of divination
to determine what should happen: Either her advice should be
heeded as an emissary sent to guide them into a new and brighter
future, or she should be thrown off the mountainside to her
death — with their own doom soon to follow. Easily altering the
energetic flows of probability to flow in a favorable direction
won the day without a drop of bloodshed.
Notes for Storytellers
The Challenge Fate Foundation is an unusual faction of the
Technocratic Union in that their outreach efforts are ultimately
heroic. For Chronicles prominently featuring members of the
Disparate Alliance, the Challenge Fate Foundation pose unique
challenges as potential friends or foes. Storytellers are encouraged
to leverage the seeming contradiction of unrepentant members
of the Technocratic Union that are genuinely interested in
assisting your players.
The Cassandra Complex
Despite the myriad divisions within the Technocratic Union,
ultimately two factions exist:
42 The Operative’s Dossier
The Loyalists, who are agents of Control, and the Utopians,
who continue to labor under the original vision of the Order
of Reason.
The Order of Reason’s original vision of was to protect
humanity from supernatural menace — all supernatural menaces.
The Cassandra Complex originally arose as a hidden agency
dedicated to the use of arcane predictive models to foresee and
avoid challenges facing the Technocratic Union. Although the
Complex proved instrumental to many Union victories, given
the current state of Consensus Management decided that their
resources were ultimately being misapplied, and disbanded the
agency.
At least, officially. Now the Cassandra Complex is less an
active, functioning organization than a covert, seemingly random
series of messages, support, and intelligence funneled directly
to individuals within the Disparate Alliance.
The Enemies of My Enemies
Although NAMURDs are officially enemies, some indi-
viduals are potential recruits to the Technocratic Union. Even
those that would never be welcome in our ranks can still be
useful agents in our greater task of realizing a Utopian ideal.
Not every problem facing the Union can or should be solved by
black-hatted agents, cyborg drones or personal explosive devic-
es. Sometimes defeating our enemies means empowering other
enemies, drawing them closer into the fold and even converting
them into friends on occasion — the truest form of alchemy of
which we are capable.
Knowledge Is Potential Power
The Crafts of the Disparate Alliance often labor in significant
ignorance of the world, and the threats it contains. This point may
well be obvious, since if they could see the larger picture, they would
actively be petitioning the Technocratic Union for membership.
However, as previously stated, there may be hope for them yet to
see reason. If not, it is better to extend their resources and human
capital rather than our own. Recently, we became aware of the
existence of a Hemophagic Entity operating in a major urban
area, which posed a quandary. Destroy it, ignore it, or try reason
with it. Destroying it is costly and fraught with risk to Consensus.
The amount of Paradox generated in battling a centuries-old
supernatural abomination can be considerable. Ignoring it is
untenable, considering the purpose of our Technocratic Union.
Diplomacy is equally risky, as these creatures are cunning and su-
pernaturally persuasive, along with considerable mundane wealth
and influence. In short, they are terrible foes, and yet they are a
blight that must be removed. How to proceed, then? Report to
Management, and hope for the best? Perhaps. Take direct action?
While each individual case must be measured, the odds of success
would rarely be high. There is another way.
A Trail of Breadcrumbs
Many NAMURDs could be activated in the eradication
of the Hemophagic Entity, but those of the Craft designation
Hollow Ones often prove to be the most pliable to our needs.
Orphaned and alone, they often grow up distrustful of gifts
and blind assistance but are easily baited by appeals to ego
and opportunities for glory. Again, freed from the parameters
of Technocratic thought, they are the unruly children of the
NAMURDs. The Hemophagic Entity ran a nightclub aimed at
converting the Masses into easy prey. A Hollow One operating
in the area named Sarah Freeman was viewed to be of some
use, but first her capabilities had to be tested. Sending any
Enlightened being, NAMURD or otherwise to their deaths at
the hands of a Hemophagic Entity is contrary to the ideas of
the Order or Reason.
Often overlooked is that the Masses commit a number of
mundane crimes of their own free will and volition. Finding
the most cunning of mortal criminals is effortless for us. A
particularly mentally pliable mortal approached Sarah asking for
help searching for ‘Tammy,’ a lost loved one. A recurring dream
plagued them of Tammy tied up and held in an unknown base-
ment. This blatant appeal to emotion moved Sarah, an Orphan.
And thus, we proceeded to phase two.
Sarah returned home to find a piece of vital evidence based
on her reality manipulation capabilities. A scarf that belonged
to the missing girl in a simple, unmarked package that allowed
Sarah to detect the pattern, and locate the missing girl. Since
Sarah survived her attempt at rescuing the girl — and to be clear,
if she hadn’t, she’d have no chance against the Hemophagic
entity — we proceeded to phase three.
Bombarded by expressions of gratitude and other sero-
tonin-inducing overtures from the people she’d helped, a sense
of victorious contribution was vital to her increasing pliability
and receptiveness to external assistance. Next Sarah ‘randomly’
received a number of messages until she’d heard about this
place so many times she decided to visit, and we proceeded to
the final phase: Disclosure.
The next time Sarah returned home, she found a package
waiting on her living room table containing a photograph of
the Hemophagic Entity and a laser pen capable of generating a
beam of sufficient intensity to burn the abomination to ashes.
If Sarah is smart, she will assemble the pieces and proceed ac-
cordingly. If she is not, her NAMURD associates will be guided
far enough along to ensure she is avenged.
Notes for Storytellers
The key to the continued success of the Cassandra Complex
rests primarily upon two pillars: escalation and diversification.
As shown above, Sarah is slowly brought closer by providing her
with small, actionable pieces of information that escalate into
larger pieces of information and even physical assistance. Success
is intoxicating, and characters who are initially skeptical may be
won over by timely and reliable external assistance.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 43
 The other key is diversification. Accurate, actionable intel
against all manner of threats mundane and magical may be available.
On a meta level, an unmarked package containing an address and
a Wonder can be a useful plot hook, or method of advancing the
plot. Either way, the identity of their mysterious benefactor(s)
should be incredibly difficult to figure out until such time as the
Cassandra Complex deems it necessary. This relationship can be
as benevolent or predatory as your Chronicle requires.
Friends of Courage
If you are reading this, there is still hope. Humanity needs
your help, and by extension the Technocratic Union — human-
ity’s last, best hope for salvation — needs your help. From 1325
to just last night, the Order of Reason has shielded the sleeping
Masses from every manner of menace, including themselves —
and ourselves. Now, in our darkest hour, is the time for Courage,
and the Friends of Courage, to rise to the occasion.
We know you’ve heard the stories. Secret Agent John
Courage is a myth. A madman. A traitor, a hero, a legend.
Maybe he’s all or none of these things, but one thing you can be
assured of: he is real — and he is fighting for us. No matter what
you have been told, our real enemies are not the TAMURDs.
The acronym is designed to separate us; “Tradition Affiliated
Magic-Using Reality Deviants” are not so different from us.
Enlightened just like us, and our destinies inextricably linked.
A Truth Most Dangerous
After nearly 700 years of conflict, the Technocratic Union
has very nearly succeeded in its goal of snatching defeat from
the jaws of victory. We did what we were told, and built the
world we set out to achieve, but do you feel victorious? Do you
feel as if you are standing triumphant over a safe and stable
Consensus? Or do you feel like the Technocratic dream has
failed to materialize? Do you feel just the tiniest bit lied to? Of
course you do — otherwise you wouldn’t still be reading this
piece of dangerous heresy. The Traditions know it, too. We’re
the monsters of their story, and they’re right to believe it. We
can, have, and will continue to eradicate countless members
of their Orders. Peace is a fool’s errand and a pipe dream as
well-meaning members of the Cassandra Complex airdrop
mystical picnic baskets while black-suited kill squads are kicking
in doors. Trying to extend a hand to a member of the Akashic
Brotherhood is a good way to be on the receiving end of a hur-
ricane-force karate chop. Don’t try it.
In the face of the imminent threat to all reality posed by
the Nephandi, and the casual ransacking of Consensus literally
embodied by the Marauders, Technocratic strength is not enough.
Hear me: IT IS NOT ENOUGH. Look around you, it never was.
As a “fictitious” android recently said: “Our very strength invites
challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe.”
That is a vision of our reality. We need allies not just to save
ourselves, and the Masses need Friends. The solution is formal
negotiations with the Craft Mages of the Disparate Alliance.
Say their names.
44 The Operative’s Dossier
You’ve read this far. You either believe this is a dangerous
heresy, or abject truth. Maybe both.
Before we continue, how do you know this isn’t a trap?
Simply put, you don’t. Even if I don’t intend for it to be. If you
have been too loud, you may already be under surveillance.
Simply reading this could land you in Room 101, or some deep-
er, darker, Nephandic hole. And yet, you know it’s true. Better
still, although you risk everything, your mind, your body, your
very Genius, statistically speaking your personal contribution is
negligible. You are but a small dot on the print matrix of reality.
And yet, such dots make the very nature of Consensus reality,
and yours is vital to the overall image. A pin is a tiny piece of a
grenade, and a bullet is small compared to a torso, but we aren’t
talking about size, we’re talking about impact.
Friends in Low Places
Assuming that peace with the Traditions is currently out
of reach — and make no mistake, it’s pretty damned far out of
reach — then we turn to the unthinkably inevitable: The Disparate
Alliance. These far-flung Craft Mages are ripe for collaboration.
Members of the Challenge Fate Foundation and the officially
non-existent Cassandra Complex have begun making inroads in
these unaligned communities. There are Enlightened out there
who no longer shoot first and ask questions later when they see
a black bowler hat or a pair of techno-organic glowing red eyes.
My advice to you is to find a member of the Disparate Alliance
that has had a positive interaction with the Technocratic Union,
no matter how small and build upon that. Maybe position
yourself with a sniper rifle to cover their exit from a botched
mission. Use your credentials to slow down a strike team sent
to black bag them just long enough for them to escape. Don’t
die, of course. We’re the Friends of Courage, not the Martyrs
of Mages. Actually, I’m going to start filing dead agents under
that file name, but I digress. A word of advice: In my experi-
ence, the Children of Knowledge tend to be among the most
receptive to dialogue. One of ours stationed in New Zealand
has recently opened communications with the Kopa Loei, so
with patience and care miracles can happen. Which brings up
another important point.
If You See Something, Say Nothing
I may have tried to assure you that the Friends of Courage
aren’t a Nephandic plot, or any other existential threat to the
Technocratic Union. However, the Nephandi might well be among
us. Hell, you may be a Nephandic infiltrator, and yet here we are.
You will be an asset, or you won’t — if you are revealed to be an
enemy I will destroy you myself. Should you become a Friend,
how will you know who your friends are?
You don’t.
We find each other when we need to and gathering in
numbers of more than three is really, really ill-advised. Ben
Franklin said three people can keep a secret if two of them are
dead, and he was right. Now there was a man who understood
the tenets of the Order of Reason. Oh, you didn’t know? How
do you think he accomplished so much? What you don’t know is
all the Agents he enabled by being a bright shining beacon that
cast shadows deep enough for them to work in anonymity. That
is what Secret Agent John Courage does for us. He is King Kong
on the Empire State Building and we are the police rounding
up criminals while all eyes are cast upwards. Or something like
that. I think I lost the metaphor, but if you need me to spoon
feed you everything, you’re no Friend of mine.
Read This Part First
We’ve run every possible simulation, and the results are
undeniable: Ascension is not coming from the Traditions or the
Technocratic Union. I know you’ve run the numbers and seen
the truth for yourself. I can offer you one thing and one thing
only, a highly uncommon resource in these times: Hope. The
Ascension War can be won, by not fighting it. We have earned
every single bit of the hatred the Traditions feel for us, and
they’ve done plenty to earn our ire in return. But these others,
this lost and struggling Disparate Alliance may still be open to
the reconciliation and cooperation necessary to pursue collab-
orative Ascension, and by extension the salvation of all Reality.
See you soon, my Friend. Now, burn this document and
forget my name.
Notes for Storytellers
In many ways, by rejecting traditional Technocratic ideas
of Consensus, the Friends of Courage are the purest modern
incarnation of the Order of Reason. Courage and his friends
realize that Ascension isn’t coming from the Traditions or the
Technocracy, and they approach the Disparate Alliance in the
hopes of finding a new path towards collaborative Ascension. The
Friends of Courage in your Chronicle might represent double
or triple-agent tricksters whose allegiances fluctuate seemingly at
random. In truth, they are in pursuit of Ascension at all costs.
Unless you decide they aren’t, of course!
Navalon
Avalon. A magical kingdom, and the home of honor and
chivalry. The first beacon of civilization in a dark age. A bunch of
white men with great destinies shaping the world in their vision,
imposing their idea of progress on the ‘savages’ around them.
The magical trappings make Arthurian mythology distasteful to
modern Union agents, but there’s broad agreement that King
Arthur could have been a Technocrat. Someone always takes an
idea too far, and in this case, it was the Harbingers of Avalon
that made it unmutual.
This British splinter group believed the modern Technocracy
had lost sight of its goals, oppressing MURDs instead of deliver-
ing progress. Brutal and violent, and mired in a conflict where
the end always justified the means. The Harbingers of Avalon
looked to the past for guidance.
The Technocracy executed all but one of the Harbingers’
original members, but the group reformed in secret as Navalon.
Their goals require huge organizational change and their meth-
ods — fight with honor, be a guiding light — are the opposite of
secretive. Navalon members don’t announce their affiliation, but
the Technocracy is alert to their ideology, however it’s expressed.
Playing a Navalon Member
Navalon is one step away from quitting the Technocracy
entirely. Even post-Ascension War, Navalon has major ideo-
logical differences with the rest of the Technocracy. If they
don’t leave, the Technocracy will crush them. They’re building
bridges, taking opportunities to work with MURDs and show
themselves as valuable allies. They might provide tip-offs about
threats MURDs are best placed to deal with, or even tip off local
witches to upcoming Technocracy actions that might leave them
as collateral damage.
Navalon leadership, the Round Table, provides specific
guidance for members (“knights” and “ladies”, to the intense
frustration of marginalized gender members). Their precepts are:
• Minimize harm. Murdering RDs is not, or should not, be
the goal of the Technocracy. Defuse situations, Deescalate,
and look for common ground and compromises.
• Share information. Secrecy is the antithesis of progress.
Where Technocracy knowledge or data could help alleviate
a problem, share it. Just don’t get caught.
• Make friends. Navalon needs allies, so when a Navalon
member acts on the first two precepts, it’s important
that the people they help know who helped them. It’s
equally important that the Technocracy doesn’t, so it’s
best practice to drop hints like names and symbols from
Arthurian myth: guide others to the conclusion that an
Arthurian faction in the Technocracy is on their side.
When Navalon leave the Technocracy, they will be hunted
down as defectors. They have knowledge and resources that should
not be shared outside the Union. In this scenario, members of
Navalon are desperate for allies outside the Technocracy, and
nearly as desperate to ingratiate themselves with former friends
inside the Union. Post-Technocracy Navalon is a humiliating
inversion of the Arthurian legends. Members aren’t glorious
heroes anymore, they’re beggars at other people’s courts, selling
secrets and skills for safety.
Imperialist Relics
Running from the Technocracy isn’t easy — TISFL, after
all — and Navalon needs allies before, during, and after their
great escape. Unfortunately, everything about Navalon, from
their creed to their past actions, makes it hard for them to
make friends.
Witches and other TAMURDs claim Arthurian symbolism
themselves and interpret it very differently to Navalon. To them,
Avalon means ancient magic, and a way of living that centers that
magic. They don’t appreciate a bunch of agents techsplaining
their history and identity to them.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 45
 Worse, the Harbingers of Avalon saw the British Empire
as the inheritor of those Arthurian values the Harbingers so
admired. Specifically, they were big fans of Britain’s expansion
into the rest of the known world, and its “civilizing influence.” As
far as they were concerned, the Empire and its missionaries were
saving the “savages” from themselves. The Crafts and Disparates
they almost wiped out with their paternalistic, imperialist crusade
have a very different stance on that. The British Empire destroyed
some magical traditions and irreparably damaged others, let alone
the devastation it wreaked on the cultures that birthed those
philosophies. Crafts like the Taftani, Bata’a and Ngoma have a
great many scores to settle with Navalon. Many Disparates rightly
see Avalon, and Navalon, as a symbol of conquest, oppression,
and violence towards them.
Navalon’s members might still win these hostile groups
over, but it requires a lot of self-examination, and admission
that parts of their ideology are, at best, two-hundred years out
of date and, at worst, downright toxic. That’s hard for a group
so devoted to celebrating their history.
Moreover, Arthurian myth also appeals to far-right groups
among the British Masses. Navalon needs to distance themselves
from these groups as far as possible to make any friends outside
the far right. However, Navalon needs contacts and information
networks and some members argue they could use these extremists
and try to reform them at the same time.
Delusions of Grandeur
Most members of Navalon acknowledge, or at least pay lip
service to, the absolute wrongness of the Harbingers’ imperialist
views. However, in their hearts they still believe that they are
the light in the darkness, the civilizing influence, the moral
compass, and the face of progress. They still see themselves as
heroes and leaders, and unless they can swallow their egos, they
will never gain the trust they need to make alliances outside the
Technocracy.
MOKTESHAF AL NOUR
Transcript of conversation between Ardashir Khorsani
(Disparate, Taftâni), and Aysegül Hanım (Disparate, Ahl-i-Batin).
Aysegül: You know who they work for, brother. How can
we trust them?
Khorsani: They did not always, sister.
A: What do you mean?
K: Let me tell you the history of the Collectors of Light, so
you may see them as I do. [Ed note: Khorsani used the Arabic
term ‘Mokteshaf al Nour,’ which the order still goes by. The
phrase is used interchangeably.]
46 The Operative’s Dossier
Navalon’s members are wrestling with an identity crisis in
other ways too. For some, “Avalon” is a moral code. They’re still
technomancers with guns, smartphones, and spreadsheets. For
others, Avalon isn’t just a concept you can staple onto modern
life. Their Enlightened practices often bring in elements of myth
and legend, and it’s hard for the more conservative members of
the group to accept that.
Even open minded, Navalonians struggle with the question
of what makes them distinct. What gives them their identity, when
they’re not defined in opposition to the rest of the Technocracy,
and when they share some of their symbols and references with
several other factions? There’s no guarantee that Navalon will
survive after it leaves the Technocracy. For some, that’s reason
enough to sabotage those escape attempts.
What Does Navalon Have to Offer?
Members of Navalon are experts in breaking social condi-
tioning. They’ve found ways to develop a rich, fantastical ideology
in the face of the Technocracy’s own indoctrination and, to be
blunt, several of them have been reconditioned so many times
there should be nothing of their original identities left. Need
help deprogramming a low-light agent, or snatching a talented
PTMURD out of a Union training program? Navalon has your
back. Freeing your loved ones from the malign and bloody in-
fluence of a walking corpse? They’ve got that covered too. And
they’re in no position to extort people asking them for help.
Navalon members within the Technocracy, make a useful
bridge between the Union and the Traditions. They have enough
of a shared ideological “language” with groups like the Celestial
Chorus and Verbena that they can communicate without a lot
of the mis-steps and mistrust that plague Technocracy-Tradition
interactions, and as long as they’re not known to be dissidents,
they have as much influence in the Technocracy as any other
operative of their rank.
K (cont’d): The Collectors are ancient, founded on a yearning
to understand the Divine by understanding Creation. When Islam
came to the world, the Collectors followed, and divided into five
groups. The Hands of Mercy, whose touch brought healing. The
Observers of Fate, who charted destiny in the stars. The Seekers
of Truth, who perfected the physical sciences. The Riders of Wind,
who mapped the whole Earth and beyond. And the Keepers of
Law, who pursued justice and philosophy.
Now, you know my people fight djinn, yes? The Collectors
opposed them, too. Taftâni and Collectors worked together,
protecting villages and caravanserais from djinn and ifrit. You
know the Web of Faith, yes?
A: My order built it to protect humans, during the Golden Age.
K: Everyone built it! Taftâni, Ahl-i-Batin, and Mokteshaf al
Nour worked together, along with several others. At first, it covered
just Baghdad, the Collectors’ capital; but as the Word spread,
so did the Web. Eventually, the network of holy place linked to
holy place protected the entire House of Peace.
But then, the crusades came. The Christians brought with
them the Order of Reason, who hated the Web of Faith merely
because those who kept it prayed differently.
A: Wait, the Order of Reason. That’s where they came from!
K: Yes. After the crusaders left, things got even worse. The
Mongols arrived to conquer Baghdad.
A: Oh, no. Why couldn’t the Web of Faith save the city?
K: The Web protected against monsters. It could not prevent
mortal from killing mortal. When the horde sacked Baghdad, the
Collectors lost everything. Their beautiful library burned along
with their disemboweled teachers. The Tigris ran black and red
with ink and blood. The survivors had no choice but to flee for
Constantinople.
A: The Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1253. Wasn’t
Constantinople still Christian then?
K: This, I suppose, is when the Mokteshaf al Nour betrayed
the Web’s alliance. But do you not see they had reason to do
so, after losing so much? They realized the Web of Faith was an
impossible dream. It could save an individual from an ifrit, but
it could not prevent war. Look on them with compassion. They
acted out of grief, not malice or greed.
When Mehmed Sultan came to Constantinople in 1453, the
Collectors welcomed him. Especially since in his conquest, he did
not sack the city. Their fortunes rose with the Ottoman Empire.
A: But then they betrayed everyone by joining the Order
of Reason!
K: Not yet. The divisions of faith remained. I know a sub-
group, the High Artisans, courted the Seekers of Truth. Perhaps
one or two Collectors left, but the Mokteshaf al Nour remained
wholly independent when the Technocratic Union formed in
London in 1888.
A: Why…?
K: Sister, dear Aysegül. The Technocratic Union’s founders
were European. By 1888, they already called the Ottoman Empire
the ‘sick man of Europe,’ disdaining anything Turkish. Including
the Collectors, who kept their faith.
A: That doesn’t seem very reasonable of them.
K: No — and remember that lesson. We have our [REALITY
DEVIATION], but we still keep a mortal heart. No matter how
powerful our [REALITY DEVIATION] grows, we inherit our parents’
flaws, the prejudices of our homeland, the foibles of our families.
And that’s true even for them.
[Ed. note: I should annotate Mr. Khorsani’s statement. He
clearly accuses the Technocracy of holding mortal prejudices.
We acknowledge his valid criticism of our 19th century forebears.
Certainly, they absorbed distinct Victorian ideas about power and
privilege from their mortal surroundings, and that likely contrib-
uted to the Collectors of Light refusing to join. However, I assert
they were offered the chance. That’s far more progressive than
any mundane Turks received from Parliament. A little gratitude
would not go amiss from Mr. Khorsani.]
K: After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, Turkey
secularized, and the Collectors with them. Only then did they
join the Union.
A: Did they give up their faith?
K: No, not at all. The Divine, Creation, Wisdom. It’s all the
same to them.
A: But the Web of Faith! It’s gone now! Even if they didn’t
betray us by joining the Union until recently, they betrayed us
when they let the Web fall into ruin!
K: What would you say if I told you that the Collectors
understood what they gave up so long ago, and wish to rebuild?
Would you work with them then? To restore the Web of Faith?
A: I … must think about that.
[End]
Editor notes: Mr Khorsani is correct. The Collectors have
displayed an interest in updating the medieval institution once
known as the Web of Faith. Despite the rather unmutual reliance
on religious symbolism, such a project could use Enlightened
Science to firm up Technocratic control over the Middle East.
As the transcript indicates, however, inherited prejudices
impede progress. The Ahl-i-Batin remain wary of the Collectors,
viewing abandoning the Web after the sacking of Baghdad as a
betrayal. The Taftâni, as you can see, are more forgiving, which we
could exploit for our benefit. These djinn-fighters seem ignorant
of how much we have in common, at least in the realm of putting
down Reality Deviants. Operatives finding themselves working
alongside these CMURDs ought to emphasize this common goal
as a method of ingratiation.
Dealing directly with the Collectors requires a more delicate
touch. They entertain notions of being a full Convention. Ludicrous!
Even if their numbers supported such an assertion, their reluc-
tance to abandon their religious roots holds them back. I don’t
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 47
 care how much they speak of the search for wisdom or a wish
to understand the universe. As you can see from Mr. Khorsani’s
statement on “Creation, Wisdom, and Divinity,” the Collectors
still hold religious motivations.
Despite such unmutuality, we cannot afford to alienate
the Collectors. They seem intent on pursuing this Web of Faith
project. From what I can tell, their motives remain divided. Some
feel obligated to rebuild this infrastructure out of a duty to
protect mundane civilians. Others look to this project as a type
of atonement and a rebuilding of bridges burned centuries ago.
Since they seem determined to see this project completed, they
might as well do it underneath our aegis rather than outside it.
Project Invictus
According to the Technocratic party line, Project Invictus does
not exist. PsyOps reinforces this position and the threat thereof
ensures that even Enlightened personnel who do believe there is
a secret network of spies within the Union snooping out internal
corruption keep their mouths shut. Special Projects Division pre-
fers it that way, silencing and mocking any suggesting there is any
reason to doubt their integrity, while fostering an environment in
which any Enlightened personnel expressing sympathies toward
Invictus have their careers within the Union ruined. When the
tin-foil hat-wearing crackpots previously evading the attentions of
PsyOps suddenly disappear, they are often already regarded with
such derision that few Union members seem to care.
This has been the environment that Project Invictus has
navigated since its inception when it was founded as a direct
response to increasing corruption within the Syndicate through
association with the categorical worst amongst Reality Deviants.
The original members of Project Invictus squared off against
the highest echelons of power within the Union from day one.
It has gone downhill from there. Although there are no extant
records of the event, the first Invictus mission is rumored to
have been the economic relationship between the Syndicate
and the Hemophagic Entities self-classified as “Clan Ventrue.”
The Syndicate had so much to gain financially that statistical
calculations concluded that it was beneficial to discredit and
disenfranchise the members of Project Invictus. With the help of
their new allies, they achieved unprecedented success. Because of
this, and the long memories of personnel at the head of Project
Invictus, they take on threats which might appear to be mild or
low-interest with extreme prejudice while also being unwilling
to engage in any actual trust of other Operatives — including
their own.
Members of Project Invictus infiltrate every Convention,
including the Syndicate, and therefore come from a wide variety
of backgrounds. Their universal belief in the war against the
HSKINs corrupting the heart of the Union and the members
not only allowing, but encouraging it, binds them together – but
even that is not always enough to maintain internal alliances.
48 The Operative’s Dossier
Be advised: such missions are not suitable for inexperienced
operatives. Collectors and their allies seek out viable Web node
sites across the Middle East and former Ottoman territories.
This requires interfacing with various imams, preachers, and
other religious figures. Obtaining access to such sites requires a
degree of diplomacy, and then a certain willingness to undermine
one’s co-workers to ensure the constructed node remains firmly
under Technocratic control. I believe that some Collectors may
suspect such interference already. Despite the risks, especially
of falling into unmutuality, this project is not one the Union can
easily ignore.
External Alliances
The Technocracy has turned every potential resource and
position of power against Project Invictus. With enemies in
every Convention, it is no wonder that Project Invictus hides
beneath layers of secrecy and denial. The powerhouse that is
the Syndicate’s Special Projects Division directly opposes them,
and as the rest of the Union relies upon funding and support,
allies are often difficult if not entirely impossible to find on
the home front. Despite this seemingly impossible situation,
members of Project Invictus are deeply passionate about their
cause and about the Union’s ideals. They do not merely believe,
they know the Union is in the best possible position to guide
humanity toward empowerment and enlightenment against the
darkness. However, the enemy knows the best way to annihilate
the opposition is to convince it you’re right, which is exactly
what the corrupting influences behind the SPD do.
Project Invictus needs allies outside the Union more than
any other internal faction of the Union, a truth which is ironic
considering their mission statement. All evidence and intelli-
gence points to the fact that TAMURDs struggle with the same
internal corruptions, and Invictus recognizes that seeking allies
amongst their traditional enemies is not ideal. Instead, Invictus
Operatives are now making overtures to the Disparate Alliance,
which they recognize as a relevant entity since the formation
of their pact. As the Alliance has expressed it is equally con-
cerned with the danger presented by HSKINS masquerading
as leadership within the Union, Invictus has found a plethora
of unexpected help in their cause.
The longest working relationship Invictus has with any of the
Crafts that make up the Alliance is with the loose collective of
artists and discontents known as the Hollow Ones. Historically,
the two factions work together against corrupt members of the
Syndicate and, according to rumor, against the Order of Hermes
and Celestial Chorus as well. There are no agents who can confirm
that Invictus and the Hollow Ones worked together on a project
that culminated in the toppling of Doissetep, but rumors persist.
The other faction that Project Invictus commonly works with
are the Subtle Ones, the NAMURDs known as the Ahl-i-Batin.
This relationship is tentative at best, as the Ahl-i-Batin have
made it clear that they do not want to foster permanent positive
relationships with any faction of the Technocratic Union. They
hold onto historical anger toward the Union for developing
the oil fields in the Middle East responsible for the wealth
of the nations from which many Ahl-i-Batin claim ancestry.
Nevertheless, Project Invictus is able to play cat and mouse with
the most elite Batini spies, and are always quick to remind them
that their primary enemy is within the Syndicate – the primary
Technocratic Convention responsible for the Batini ire — and
that their biggest concern amongst them are the HSKINs known
as the Nephandi, whom the Batini hate just as much, if not
more, than Project Invictus.
Other members of the Alliance prove more challenging, if not
impossible, to work with. Some Crafts, such as the Kopa Loei and
Templars, hold so much hatred toward the Union that it would
seem that working with them would be impossible. However,
Project Invictus are masters of being double and triple agents,
and are often capable of posing as individuals not so closely
associated with Union with whom the less trusting Crafts are
willing to work. At the same time, the methodologies of some
Crafts, particularly the Taftani, are so chaotic and unreliable
that they cannot pose as allies to Invictus missions.
Cancun
Project Invictus works against SPD schemes in Mexico
from a base of operations in Cancun, Quintana Roo. The
Unconquerable Soul Society holds an open alliance with both
the Hollow Ones and Ahl-i-Batin of Cancun, united against the
operations of Special Projects Division. Funded by Syndicate-held
tourist industries, SPD operates in areas of easily bribed local
governments throughout Central America where the rest of the
world cares little about the fate of those upon whom they enact
their experimentation. Interestingly enough, Project Invictus is
deeply intertwined with the growing relationship between the
Balamo’ob, REMURDs who actively war against the Syndicate’s
assaults on their own community members; and the mysterious
and terrifying so-called Itz’at, an otherwise inconsequential Craft
of NAMURDs nevertheless proving excellent benefactors in
the exchange of intelligence vital to disrupting SPD operations.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 49
 Orphans and the Unaligned
Ever since there have been humans, humans have
achieved Enlightenment. The first among early
humans to embrace flint and fire, to work stone
into tools and weapons, and to chant poems
of protection against horrors in the dark, were
among the Masses long before any Convention
or Tradition claims their earliest roots. To this
day, many experience Awakening without the
guidance or structure of the social safety net
provided by a formal allegiance. Though the
various factions of the Ascension Conflict constantly work to
find and recruit these lone practitioners, many are alone and
unidentified for the rest of their lives. Isolated from the security
and resources of a faction, but also the wounds and prejudices
that go with such associations, these individuals are a deep well of
untapped potential in the struggle for Reality. The Traditionalists
call them Orphans, a derogatory term meant to show a lack of
pedigree in their practice. The Disparate Alliance refers to these
loners by a host of names, usually defined by the person named,
as a significant portion of the Alliance’s membership consists
of such individual practitioners.
The Technocratic Union internally designates these people
as Non-Affiliated Magic-Using Reality Deviants, or NAMURDs.
However, initial research indicates that the term NAMURD is
off-putting to the target, creating unnecessary communication
noise and complicating negotiations. When approaching
NAMURDs in the field for negotiations, the approved term of
reference is Unaligned.
Demographics
and Populations
Analysts experience great difficulty in projecting potential
demographics for the Unaligned. Enlightenment can strike
anyone, anytime, anyplace, with no regard for geography,
race, socioeconomic status, or any other quantifiable factor.
The Traditionalists tend to find those Awakening within the
communities they frequent, employing practices that fit their
Deviant belief structures. The Union is not immune to this sort
of bias, as many Technocratic recruits come from fields such
as academia, finance, engineering, medicine, military service,
sociology, and technology. As any agent who has spent more
than ten minutes on the Front Lines can tell you, the world
is a much broader place than the Union’s fields of focus. As
such, numerous Awakenings occur without any formal outreach
from an established faction. To date, the Union has not spent
much effort on these random incidents, as they were deemed
non-impactful on the Time Table.
The established groups within the Disparate Alliance are
not immune to similar biases and practices. Intelligence indicates
that each organization within that group recruits according to
50 The Operative’s Dossier
practices virtually indistinguishable from the Traditions. Yet,
there are numerous Unaligned among the Disparates. Union
analysts attribute this to active outreach by established Disparates.
This outreach, coupled with diplomatic acumen prioritizing
cooperation over assimilation, has proven overwhelmingly
successful for the Disparate Alliance. Given the Union’s need
for allies, Management recommends operatives apply similar
techniques when approaching the Unaligned.
Challenges and
Opportunities
When approaching the Unaligned, there are a few basic
things operatives in the field should keep in mind. Unlike es-
tablished factions within the Ascension Conflict, who are likely
to hold biases regarding the Union, most Unaligned are not
even aware of the existence of the Technocracy. This ultimately
serves in the Union’s favor, allowing more negotiation time
spent introducing and reinforcing the benefits of cooperation
without the need to overcome preconceived notions about
negative motivations. This is not to say that negotiations with
Unaligned are easier. Initial outreach and historical precedent
show that most Unaligned are fiercely independent and may
greet diplomatic overtures with resistance or hostility. Nephandic
corruption among the Unaligned is also a possibility worthy of
note. The lack of larger social structure may make the Unaligned
susceptible to the machinations of the Fallen. Management
advises caution in all phases of outreach.
Rehabilitation of
Orphans and the Unaligned
The official line from Control boils down to: “There are
no Orphaned mistakes outside the Technocracy. Anyone with
a Genius finds us, or we find them. Like attracts like.” As with
all dictates, however, there are exceptions. The Technocratic
Union does not reach everywhere, as much as we would like to
for cementing the Consensus. The truth is, we are much smaller
than the combined might of the various types of Reality Deviants,
and one of our Conventions mostly spends time beyond Horizon,
in the Deep Universe. Sometimes, an Enlightened Genius slips
through the cracks — destined to confuse and disrupt the world
around them. This is a fail state. Do not allow this to happen.
Report any suspected stray Enlightened to your supervisor.
Enlightened Children
Unlike the so-called Avatar of the Reality Deviants in the
Traditions, the Enlightened Genius begins to connect to the
conscious mind in early childhood. Different Enlightened scien-
tists have varying theories on why this is: Cooley’s looking-glass
self, Mead’s distinction between “I” and “me”, or Piaget’s theory
of egocentrism. Whatever reason a theorist may ascribe to, she
 Curative Language
Several big-name organizations use so-called “curative language” to describe autistic children, traumatized children,
children with ADHD, disabled children, or children otherwise outside of the mainstream. They believe that they can “fix”
these children, that these children are “family tragedies”, and that these children have nothing to give because they are
non-normative. We do not use this language in The Operative’s Dossier. Disabled, traumatized, and otherwise non-
normative people have plenty to provide the Technocratic Union, and, in fact, their perspectives are incredibly valuable
in constructing a vision of Consensual Reality.

cannot deny that at around the age of three, a child in posses-
sion of a Genius begins to speak about an imaginary friend or
guardian angel that gives him advice or teaches him how to do
things. Many children around this age do manifest imaginary
friends — as a note, some are not imaginary and are not a Genius,
should an Agent suspect EDE involvement she should contact
her supervisor immediately — and those that are not imaginary
do have useful things to teach. Enlightened children may learn
to read and write faster, be able to do fractions in their head by
the age of six, or build improbable inventions out of wooden
blocks, marble racetrack pieces, and pipe cleaners.
Not all children displaying genius have the Enlightened
Genius, of course. At this stage, however, treating them similarly
cannot harm the child. The New World Order funds, and is
otherwise indirectly involved in, several dozen schools — both
traditional and parochial or otherwise alternate schools — and
catches many young Geniuses this way. After-school programs and
job fairs place these future Agents right where they need to be.
The trouble, at least as the upper echelons see it, comes
with cult-born, disabled, troubled, fostered, traumatized, or
non-neurotypical children with the Genius. These children
are less likely to be placed in special schools that nurture their
precocious talents and teach them the skills they need to be-
come happy and healthy citizens of the Technocratic Union.
Instead, they are funneled into the deeply unmutual systems of
juvenile detention, special education, summer school, repeat-
ed suspensions (both in and out of school), remedial classes,
and more. These children are treated as nuisances at best, or
budding abusers, serial killers, and “super predators” at worst.
Non-white and non-heteronormative children suffer this abuse
far more than others. The adults teaching them are trained in
forcing compliance, not deescalating traumatic reactions or
neurodiverse meltdowns. Some are outside of the system entirely,
homeschooled by concerned or fanatically religious parents.
While the homeschooled children are less likely to be fed
into the school-to-prison pipeline (see Enlightened Adolescence,
below) and may have teachers for parents, they are more likely to
pass under the notice of Agents searching for children with the
Genius. An Enlightened child studying at home for religious or
philosophical reasons may also be subject to brutal punishments
as their parents respond to the Genius as though it is manifest
disrespect or even possession.
The Genius cannot save a child from the people around
her. It does not “cure” a child of her trauma or variant brain
structure or disability, even if the people around her want her to
be cured for their own convenience. The child is the home of the
Genius, and both work with what they have. If her environment
repeatedly harms the child, , the Genius may go dormant — this
is not a Gilgul by any means, but Geniuses have been known to
stay silent to protect their children. Removed from a harmful
situation, dormant Geniuses may re-awaken.
Enlightened Adolescence
The Enlightened children found by Agents of the
Technocracy come into their teenage years taught at schools
known for their excellence in the STEAM fields. Some receive
scholarships to prestigious research universities, while others go
into the trades. Both engage with mundane studies as well as
beginning their studies in Enlightened Science. The Conventions
do not require a degree — an electrician makes just as good of a
member of Iteration X as an electrical engineer.
Those who are not found, however, have a rough life ahead
of them. They might distinguish themselves in technology clubs
or on debate teams, and an Agent locates them midway through
their high school years. An Agent in the prison system might
locate an Enlightened teenager in a juvenile detention facility,
or an Enlightened social worker might find a foster child with
a brilliant talent for Hypereconomics struggling in their high

Noncompliance and the Technocracy

The truth is that the punitive systems in place for non-compliant and non-normative teenagers hurts Enlightened as well
as unenlightened. It doesn’t distinguish between the two — why would it? The point is not to find the brilliance in young
people, it is to crush any form of dissent. Naturally, Agents within the Technocratic Union split along lines of compliance
versus understanding, and this will be a debate for some time to come.

Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 51

school classes, or a nonverbal student with a Genius languishing
in an underfunded group home. These are all only strong maybes.
Enlightened teenagers not caught up by the Technocratic
Union’s net begin experimenting by themselves. This may be with
drugs, sex, tech, the emotions of others, or some other thing.
Some become the stereotypical nihilist outcast, J.D. from the
movie Heathers, greeting everyone overly formerly while plotting
their death. Some become despotic student council presidents.
Some go to prison or a psychiatric ward at 16, refusing to comply.
Although the Union may still reach these adolescents, Nephandi
may sweep them up before their existence is ever known.
Emancipated NAMURDS
Upon reaching the age of emancipation, an Enlightened
adult operating free from guidance or structure is simultaneously
an opportunity and an existential risk. Agents of the Technocracy
do well to exert an equal amount of effort in the location and in-
doctrination of these individuals as goes into battling TAMURDs
and NAMURDs. Liken them to an open flame, equally capable
of heating or destroying a home, or a knife that can slice bread
or slice throats. By now, any Enlightened adult is unmistakably
in possession of a skill that they themselves do not understand.
Sadly, many promising children have their Genius permanently
stamped out. Various branches of the Technocratic Union debate
as to whether this withering is reversable, but that is beyond the
scope of the topic at hand. Our goal is to temper raw ore into
steel, not form coal into diamonds.
Many Agents approach these Enlightened individuals like
a dangerous quarry to be captured or killed, but their potenti-
ality for becoming useful members of the Technocratic Union
should not be overlooked. We find these people by following the
tracks they leave behind. We often speak of stamping out Reality
Deviance, but oftentimes being mindful of social deviance can be
a useful indicator of potentiality. By this stage in life, the target
either occupies a place of being superlative or deviant. They
may be an artist—usually, but not always of significant accom-
plishment—or an athlete, or a titan of industry. Be extra vigilant
for highly talented underperformers who may have an Awakened
Genius, but come from environments that did not encourage,
or worse, actively suppressed their talents. Establishing the
ubiquity of Social Media was one of the Technocractic Union’s
most successful initiatives. We have a near-infinite dataset to
mine for people whose peers have identified them as superlative.
Which means we have identified them.
As previously stated, these Enlightened individuals may
have devolved into a life of crime or callous psychopathy. While
these individuals seem irredeemable, the reality of the conflicts
facing the Technocratic Union in defense of the Masses at times
necessitates choices and tasks the average person finds unpalat-
able. A certain moral flexibility is useful when properly applied.
Strategies of Categorization
The Hemophagic Entities have dedicated themselves with
a near singular purpose towards total control of the media and
52 The Operative’s Dossier
obfuscation of the realities of the supernatural threats facing the
Masses in the interest of concealing their own existence. This
abominable practice has led them, on occasion, to reveal a great
deal about the Ascension War in general, and the Technocratic
Union in particular. Their intention to mask their existence with
‘fictional’ portrayals of magical boys and shadowy governmental
AI ‘agents’ chasing super-powered hackers correspondingly allude
to ours. Because of this, Enlightened individuals often believe
they know what we are when a black-suited Agent arrives on
their doorstep.
In the interest of objective truth, the Hemophagic
Entities have not necessarily been inaccurate in the portrayal of
Technocratic thought, so much as incomplete. Since we do in
fact routinely eradicate Reality Deviants with swift and crushing
efficiency, but Masses don’t understand we do it expressly in
their defense. We must temper all potential actions involving the
Unaligned through the lens of the greater good of the Masses
and Consensus.
Having identified a potential target, options exist beyond
the binary approaches of conditioning or sanitization. With
Enlightenment confirmed, the subject should come under con-
stant surveillance for a number of purposes. First and foremost,
to prevent them from falling into the clutches of the TAMURDs,
NAMURDs, or worse. While not everyone ultimately becomes
a contributing member of the Technocratic Union, they also
cannot become enemies we have to battle at some point in the
future. Second, observation gives opportunities to identify points
of leverage to exploit during the approach, which we will discuss
shortly. But most importantly, it provides an opportunity to
identify the target’s capabilities for reality manipulation.
The TAMURDs have ugly, inefficient, and oftentimes
Paradox-inducing approaches to reality manipulation. Unaligned
individuals’ potentiality may manifest in countless forms. A liter-
ally unstoppable football player. A marksman who never misses.
A dancer of impossible grace. An actor controlling the emotions
of anyone watching their performance. A groundskeeper with
unseasonably brilliant flower beds. A homicide detective with a
statistically anomalous success rate. How they manipulate reality,
whether consciously or unconsciously, is determined by observa-
tion before executing a proper tactical approach. Subjects found
to pose an excessive risk to the Masses or Consensus may require
a more rapid reaction. Direct any concerns to your Supervisor.
Strategies of Evaluation
There is a cost and a risk in the process of observation and
outreach. Not every Unaligned individual is worthy of consider-
ation for membership in the Technocratic Union, and yet they
cannot go unchecked. The observing Agent must deduce the
individual’s recruitment or indoctrination potential. There are
numerous opportunities within the Union for proper application
of an individual’s talents, should they be deemed worthy. This
does not, however, mean they are open to the tremendous oppor-
tunity available to them. Has the subject formed and maintained
meaningful connections? Familial ties can be a useful point of
leverage for approach (also discussed, shortly), while a ‘lone wolf’
may still be looking for a place to belong. In general, individuals
who quit easily and turn their back on commitments tend to
underperform in the Technocratic Union. The most desirable
trait is a relentless commitment to something. Anything bigger
than themselves. Selfishness is antithetical to the grand work
of the Technocratic Union.
Strategies of Approach
Adjust the presented strategies by the socioeconomic status
of the Unaligned MURD. While many of them fall into soci-
ety’s underprivileged strata, there are Unaligned at every level
of wealth. Enlightenment does not recognize social structures.
An Awakened human is still a human. As such, they are
still prone to the same petty weaknesses and frailties that plague
the Masses. Membership in the Technocratic Union provides a
pathway to liberation from these meaningless fetters. However,
Agents may exploit these vulnerabilities during the Subject’s
Contact phase. Many methods of acquiring compliance from
the Unaligned are available, including:
• Negotiation. Persuasion is the most reasonable and
humane approach to achieving compliance. The
Technocratic Union is the singular greatest achievement
in human history, the sword and shield of the Masses.
Properly stated, the glory of our esteemed order is
self-evident, and any reasonable individual should beg
and plead for inclusion in it.
• Bribery. Bribery comes in many forms. While money is
the simplest and most direct form, using our substantial
influence to help the Target get something they want may
be the most efficient approach to gaining compliance.
What is a house, a car, or other trapping of wealth com-
pared to the safety and security of Consensus?
• Charity. A donation to a cause — or outright solving a
problem — they care about might sway unaligned individ-
uals passionate about social causes. A cancelled pipeline
is a small price to pay for a promising recruit.
• Coercion. The path of the Unaligned individual is often
a challenging one. As such, carefully applied force can be
highly effective in achieving compliance. This is very rarely
physical force. Not often is the recipient of a shock stick
made more philosophically receptive. Compliance does
not equal willingness. However, promising to keep certain
information, up to and including outright blackmail, is
a useful tool in motivating an individual to come in for
processing and indoctrination.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 53
 Anomalous Allies
While many horrors hide within the shadows
of the world, feeding — sometimes, literally —
on humanity to sustain themselves, sometimes
those same shadows hide valuable allies. These
entities can be more challenging to manage
as there is no dedicated SOP to reference for
dealing with all of them. The following are
general guidelines. Document all interactions
with RDs and submit to your Supervisor for
analytics.
Hemophagic Entities
While SOP on Hemophagic Entities is to keep a distance
and minimize interaction, there are circumstances in which
dealing with these RDs proves beneficial. The New World
Order and the Syndicate especially are most likely to foment
relations with Hemophages. There is enough statistical data to
suggest that their cited goal of “Tradition: Masquerade” (not to
be confused with TAMURDs usage) coincides with Article Six
of the Precepts. However, their interest in holding and main-
taining global power makes economic alliances most valuable
relationships to be had with them.
Ximena Benally, Hemophagic Entity Designate:
Ventrue, Special Project Division Benefactor
Ms. Benally is the CEO of a number of casinos across
the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States.
Depending on clearance levels, she is either an ally to the Special
Projects Division, or a fully respected member thereof. She is
willing to work with non-SPD Amalgams and has even funded
Amalgams struggling with requisitions through normal means,
although this violates SOP. In return, she might ask for assis-
tance securing the Masses, which she considers her protectorate
(primarily, enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, though she
has been known to expand her protection to other Indigenous
peoples that live in her traditional territory), or else hunting
down other Hemophagic Entities that have proven challenging
for her own operatives.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4
(Tenacious), Charisma 4 (Regal), Manipulation 5
(Eloquence), Appearance 3, Perception 4 (Intuitive),
Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 3, Awareness 2, Empathy 3,
Expression 3, Intimidation 4 (Cold Stare), Leadership
5 (Competent), Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 5 (Cheating),
Etiquette 4 (High Society), Firearms 2, Melee 3, Survival
3, Technology 2, Academics 3, Computer 2, Investigation
2, Law 5 (Jurisdiction), Occult 2, Politics 4 (Tribal),
Finance 5 (Law-Breaking)
Willpower: 9
54 The Operative’s Dossier
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Armor: 0
Powers: Enlightenment 5, Mind 4, and Life 5.
Countermagick: None but attempts to coerce Ximena
with Mind receive a penalty of -3.
Equipment: Smith & Wesson Model 10 (Revolver, Lt.
Mage 20 p. 452) owned since her breathing days; a
combat knife.
Image: Ms. Benally exudes power and confidence, and
sports a variety of colorful business suits, often accompa-
nied by beaded earrings, silver and turquoise necklaces,
and other forms of boujee Native fashion. She looks to be
in her late 20s to mid-30s and has a hawk-like nose and
discerning eyes. Despite her severe features, she smiles
easily and is an expert at putting people at ease with a
flash of her teeth. Her hair is long, straight, and black, but
often tied up in a tight bun or hidden beneath a brimmed
hat.
Roleplaying notes: While you are a consummate
professional and expert double-talker, you also excel
in getting straight to the point. They have something you
want, and you can do something for them — every inter-
action is transactional. An Amalgam with an Indigenous
member might be slightly more likely to garner your
sympathy due to your shared background, but you don’t
let your guard down and your motives and goals are your
own.
Therianthropes
There is such an expanse of Therianthropic designations
that it proves challenging to manage reliable statistical analysis
of their behaviors. Operatives are often forced to engage based
purely on anecdotal reports of previous alliances. At the same
time, this is one of the RD species for which the Union has
successfully managed the population numbers through neces-
sary reinforcement of Article Five of the Precepts. They appear
almost universally adept at the Dimensional Sciences and their
unpredictability can extend to invigorating EDEs into dangerously
chaotic behavior. Extreme caution is advised.
Noah Campeau, “Harbinger of the Machine”,
Therianthrope Designate: Felidae
Campeau is a self-styled DJ on Soundcloud and a social media
influencer or “memelord”. While the New World Order is fascinated
with his particular techniques to inspire additional media-focused
influence through the manipulations of EDEs, Campeau is more
likely to be interested in working with Iteration X, expressing a
distinct interest in transhumanist philosophies. Although his public
personality focuses on social media, he is an expert at data encryp-
tion and phishing schemes. (Missive from Cpl. Beatriz Ruiz-Hobi,
Void Engineer: Do not engage with this RD. He has no interest
in working within the Precepts and only wants to bring about the
works of a dangerous EDE designated [Error: Comms unstable.])
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4 (Feline Reflexes),
Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 4 (Guile),
Appearance 2, Perception 4 (Sharp Senses), Intelligence
4 (Keen-Edged Mind), Wits 5 (Feral)
Abilities: Alertness 1, Athletics 3, Awareness 4
(Hidden Magic), Brawl 3, Expression 2, Streetwise 3,
Subterfuge 5 (Con Games), Research 4 (Secrets), Stealth
3, Survival 2, Technology 3, Academics 2, Computer
5 (Cryptoanalysis), Cosmology 4 (Courts), Enigmas 4
(Riddles), Investigation 3, Occult 4 (Conspiracy Theories)
Willpower: 5
Health Levels: OK, OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5,
Incapacitated
Armor: 0
Powers: Enlightenment 6, Data 3, Dimensional Science
4, Forces 3, Life 4, and Mind 3. Additionally, Noah may
change into a “werelynx” form wherein all his Physical
Attributes benefit from +2 each, and all of his Social
Attributes suffer from a negative penalty of -2 each and
his Brawl attacks deal Aggravated Damage.)
Countermagick: None.
Equipment: Noah is loaded with various wireless
communication devices, always carrying multiple smart-
phones, as well as a tablet, laptop, and a Bluetooth
headset. He stays connected to the internet as often as
possible and uploads recordings of his escapades to
various social media networks.
Appearance: Noah has dark skin with the unhealthy
pallor of someone who does not go outside enough and
wears his thick shock of black hair styled into a mohawk.
He favors bright colors and loose clothing, particularly
tank tops and basketball shorts —easily discarded when
he shapeshifts. Noah carries a backpack loaded with his
copious tech gear and always has a Bluetooth headset
either cocked on one ear or around his neck.
Roleplaying Notes: Speak in a combination of street
lingo, Rez lingo, tech lingo, and internet shorthand, then
make up a few things that have no meaning and toss them
in as well. You are willing to help the Union in whatever
mission they ask, but you are never willing to let them have
an easy time of it. Your genuine goal is not to help them
at all, but rather to gain access to their systems and data
so you can use it for your own purposes, leaving as much
chaos and systemic disinformation in your wake as you
can. If the Union catches on to your real goals, you should
have recorded enough information and uploaded it to
various servers and databases to be a threat if they come
after you.
EDEs
Better left alone if not causing any harm, the vast majority
of EDEs have no real intelligence or motivation of which to
speak. However, a small subset of this population tends may
be directly manipulative of, and harmful toward, the Masses.
The small fraction of EDEs that are less alien in mindset may
prove useful in the Union’s endeavors, but because they tend
to require a significant amount of specialization to utilize, Void
Engineers deal best with these particular anomalies. The most
common of EDE allies, pejoratively referred to as Drones, may
even earn low-level membership within the Union.
Mrs. Sarah Williams
Williams is a citizen working under the jurisdiction of
Iteration X. Williams’ strength is in analytics and data manage-
ment. Although some Operatives see her as nothing but a desk
jockey, she is an invaluable asset when assessing field data and
compiling statistics.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4 (Tireless),
Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception
3, Intelligence 5 (Bright), Wits 5 (Cunning)
Abilities: Alertness 4 (Warning Signs), Awareness
1, Research 5 (Hidden Sources), Technology 4
(Modification), Academics 5 (Sociology), Computer 4
(Office Tech), Investigation 4 (Data Sorting), Medicine 2,
Science 2.
Willpower: 3
Health Levels: OK, OK, OK, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -5,
-5, Incapacitated
Armor: 4 (Armor Charm)
Powers: Enlightenment 3, Dimensional Science 3,
Matter 3, and Mind 3.
Appearance: Mrs. Williams’ appearance is both im-
peccable and forgettable. Her most memorable feature is
a splash of freckles across her cheeks, but she is not very
expressive and has a common shade of sandy-blonde
hair and a typical “professional haircut”. She wears office
blouses and dresses with perfect creases.
Roleplaying Tips: Never speak out of turn. In fact, do
not speak unless what you have to say is relevant and
important. Refrain from too much emotional tone or inflec-
tion, and when you do inject passion or feeling, it should
feel over-produced. You are not an emotional being, you
are an efficient worker bee whose only concern is getting
the job done properly.
Chapter Two: Unlikely Allies 55
Magic is technology’s unconscious, its own arational spell. Our modern technological world is not nature, but augmented nature,
super-nature, and the more intensely we probe its mutant edge of mind and matter, the more our disenchanted productions will
find themselves wrestling with the rhetoric of the supernatural.
— Erik Davis, TechGnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of Information

Welcome to the Future,

and Don’t Read the Comments
Never underestimate the human capacity for
turning miraculous technology into shit. Thirty
years ago, the internet seemed like the ultimate
triumph of technocracy over superstitionism.
The province of an energized technological
elite — accessed not through occult rituals but
through advanced machinery — this “Digital
Web” promised a frontier of possibilities. Now,
three decades later, the internet has become an
intellectual gravity well where even the most
essential facts become fodder for debate and dismissal. No
greater argument against the potential of mass Ascension exists
than this metaphysical toilet of gleeful irrationality. Worse still,
the internet has become a playground for Fallen predators and
Sleeper parasites. Although the Digital Web had once provided
a Wild West for certain Technocrats and the traitorous Virtual
Adepts, the current state of this Web suggests that collaboration
between those one-time rivals might be the only salvation for a
humanity determined to troll itself to death.
Paradoxically, this same Web proves that rapid transfor-
mation through advanced, pervasive technology is possible.
Concepts and connections that were literally unimaginable
40 years ago are now so common that most people alive today
can’t recall a world without them. The internet provides a di-
mension of reality where nothing (except the tools used to reach
it) has physical substance. However, events and activities there
are just as real as any physical interaction — quite often more
so. The internet, both in Mage and in our own world, shapes
what we perceive as real. Accessing it requires technology, and
yet the things we find online — including the uncanny feeling
of interacting with people outside of physical space — make us
question old assumptions about what is and is not “real.” These
days, most of us carry portals to another world in our pockets.
What we do with such portals, though, is enough to keep any
sane Technocrat up long after bedtime.
For better and worse, we’re now all on the Digital Web.
Even folks who’ve never gone online are affected by internet
activities. In Mage, the Digital Web may be the most vital front

Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 57

in the Reality wars, simultaneously the greatest liability to human some measure of stability to that chaotic realm, of course, but in
survival and the finest instrument in the Union’s struggle to Mage — as in our world — one does not “control” the internet so
save humanity from itself. The Technocracy would love to bring much as one surfs its tempests and tries not to drown.

Access Granted
The Digital Web. Reality 2.0. The layer of existence built of information. Every day of their lives, even the Masses skim its
surface. It’s a complicated place. Events in the physical world affect the Web, and the hypothesis on which the most important
strand of Technocratic research is based on is that things in the Digital Web affect the real world. In terms even laymen understand,
the Technocracy sees a bright future in augmented reality.

I’m (Not) a 21st Century Digital Boy

All of this information assumes you’re running a version of the Digital Web rooted in 21st century technology. If you’re
running a ‘90s style cyberpunk frontier, Digital Web 2.0 gives you everything you need to manage access. You’ll find
some new rules here for accessing the Digital Web. They’re additional to, not replacements for, those in Mage 20, 20, p.
466-467.

Behind the Curve

When the Digital Web first came to be, the
emphasis was on crossing the new frontier
and getting inside this “virtual reality.” That
approach is as outdated as L33T speak, but the
technologies involved still have their uses, mostly
for specialists needing to operate inside the Web.
Sensory immersion. The clumsiest form of access
does what it says on the tin: projects a user’s senses into
the Digital Web. Accessible through unenlightened
technology, it’s discreet, and it’s safe. Get into trouble and you wake
up in whatever room from which you projected. Even the Masses can
access the Web this way, though they don’t usually know they’re doing it.
Just remember, if you’re Enlightened and you don’t have
the right foci for digital space, you’re SOL.
Astral immersion. Projecting your brain’s electrical impulses
into the near infinite number of other electrical impulses that
make up the entirety of the digital world, and then figuring out
how to process all this new information while your brain is in an
entirely new form is as difficult as it sounds. Astral immersion,
or Cognitive Immersion, to give it its scientific name, requires
training and discipline. It’s dangerous as hell — a Whiteout
can fry your brain. Unless you’ve got a backup somewhere it’s
goodnight, Vienna.
As well as Enlightened procedures (see Mage 20 p. 467),
astral immersion requires an Intelligence + Computers roll at
Difficulty 7. With three successes, a user accesses the Web with
no penalty to their actions. With 1-2 successes, they cannot use
Willpower while in the Web. It’s hard to think straight when
you’re interfacing directly with digital reality.
Holistic immersion. Only the truly dedicated download
their entire selves into the Digital Web. Specialists using this
technique need access to Trinary computing, a giant operating
budget, and an entry/exit point whose localized paradigm allows
it to happen with minimal risk of Paradox. Holistic immersion
doesn’t leave a body behind. If your holistic Web presence gets a
virus or trips on a virtual landmine, you’re gone. Not unplugged,
not fried. Gone. You have to use the same procedure to return
to meatspace, which is usually vulgar at the point of re-entry.
At this point, you’re probably thinking “there has to be a
better way.” The Technocracy agrees.

Augmented Reality
The average field agent doesn’t need to disappear into some
virtual reality datascape, they just need a convenient, discreet
way to harness the power of the Digital Web in the real world.
Augmented reality has the advantage that it’s not an im-
mersive approach. Users retain their awareness of and ability
to interact with the physical world. They are, in many respects,
co-located. Even better, the manifestation of digital constructs in
the real world is a key feature of augmented reality. That makes it a
powerful tool for the Technocratic agent in the field, and a great
way to make onlookers accept some very advanced techniques.

58 The Operative’s Dossier

 Unfortunately, AR leaves users vulnerable. They exist in two
spaces at once. Their bodies are at risk in meatspace, and their
minds in the Web. Additionally, AR creations are Web-native,
projected into the real world. Users acquire Paradox normally in
the Digital Web, and it writes to their pattern just like Paradox
they gather in meatspace. Effectively, they have two distinct
Paradox tracks filling simultaneously. Web backlashes remove
the Paradox attached to the user’s icon, but not the Paradox
sitting in a user’s pattern. That lingers until the operative either
bleeds it off, or it backlashes in the real world.
Accessing AR
Accessing AR is as easy as Sensory Immersion. Anyone
with a current generation smartphone and some kind of haptic
interface, such as gloves or a haptics-enabled bodysuit can do it,
no Enlightened procedures required. However, unless the user
has some form of spatial awareness compensation (Data 1), all
Perception, Alertness, and Awareness checks are made with +2
Difficulty while accessing AR.
Making AR interact with physical space in any sophisticated
way, such as the AR Procedures listed here, requires Data 2.
AR Procedures
The Technocracy develop new applications for AR almost
daily, but so far some of the most promising are the following.
Temporal Manipulation (Time 2): Use Enlightened heuris-
tic techniques to recreate a crime scene and do a walkthrough,
taking you right to that key piece of evidence. Or, if you’re
more forward-looking, combine camera and GPS data for the
last week, and model what’s going to happen here tomorrow.
Collaborative Procedures (Data 2): AR enables efficient
teamwork. Build and edit complex models in real time, with
several talented Enlightened operatives working on them simul-
taneously. Affect AR projections, and have changes “written”
to the physical objects or creatures they reflect. Iterators use
collaborative AR procedures to compile schematics and edit
inventions, Progenitors to do the same for life forms.
Web Traits
Methods of perceiving and interacting with one’s
environment in the Digital Web are often wholly
different from doing so within the Tellurian
and require their own specific considerations.
Usually this only affects characters connecting
to the Web through Sensory Visitation or else
through Astral Immersion. Anyone entering the
Digital Web through other parts of the Umbra
or through Holistic Immersion are physically
present and interacts with their environment
as they would in other part of the Umbra. Entering the Digital
Web through AR is a different experience entirely, as the user
HUDs (various): Receive and project key information from
team members or central operations staff. Temperature, primal
energy hotspots, nearby RDs; your heart rate, stress level, etc.
If your amalgam likes a little competition, you can even show
your accuracy or kill count.
Virtual Assistants (Forces 2/ Forces 3 Primal Utility 2):
Virtual assistants are nothing new. What’s novel is pulling these
AI – or sometimes combined AI/EDE – creations into the real
world. Projecting a visible assistant requires Forces 2, a tangible one
Forces 3, Primal Utility 2. Once your virtual assistant has a physical
presence, they can offer you a much broader range of assistance.
GPS spoofing/telepresence (Data 2 or 3): Every AR object
has GPS data attached, giving it, in some meaningful way, a re-
al-world location. Changing that location is a simple Intelligence
+ Computers roll (Difficulty 6, 2 successes). Your AR creation
is now wherever you want it to be. Convince your gear you’re
in New York, not London, and you can interact with AROs
in the Big Apple. Combined with some Data (2 dots) you can
make it impossible for others to target, affect, or interact with
your creation. Although they’re looking at it in New York, its
digital signature says it’s in the middle of the Atlantic. You can
even move an AR version of yourself this way, though that takes
Data 3 and risks a bunch of Paradox.
Maybe manifest a “virtual assistant” version instead.
The Limits of Coincidence
AR is poorly understood by the Masses, and “the Internet
of Things” can explain away a lot that would otherwise be vul-
gar. An AR projection is usually coincidental as long as it isn’t
tangible, or if tangible effects could be explained as accessing
smart objects.
Add a robot, even a consumer level Roomba, that projects
that AR construct and people will believe almost anything. It’s
probably done with magnets. About the only thing the current
technological paradigm can’t explain is a physical body converting
into digital form.
engages in fine manipulation of their environment through
haptics while still navigating the Tellurian.
Icons
When projecting into the Digital Web, the Magus might be
comfortable “appearing” as herself (in which case she uses her
normal Social Attributes and Abilities), or else a string of letters
and numbers that might be name or phrase or even a Technocrat’s
UID, or just a senseless string of characters (however, this forces
the Magus to operate with an Appearance and Manipulation
of 1, and Intimidation and Expression of 0). However, both
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 59
of these come with drawbacks. The interactive limitations are
obvious when the Magus appears merely as a string of characters,
but when they appear as themselves, they are more easily traced
back to their Meatspace identities by entities encountered in the
Digital Web. Considering the threat this presents, few Magi with
any technical savvy choose to use this technique. Instead, they
prefer to craft avatars or Icons, or “toons” which allow them to
appear in any way they please.
Further rules on Icon creation and modification are in
Mage 20 p. 468.
The process of AudioVisual ReImagination (Entropy 3/
Forces 2/Primal Utility 2 Effect) allows adjustments to another
Icon. Skilled Icon-crafters are in high demand, but this Effect
is also employed against the Icon-user’s will to deflate the Icon’s
impact or force them to appear unappealing, or like an enemy’s
Icon. If the target is not a willing participant in the AVRI, they
can resist with a Willpower roll, Difficulty 6. Success subtracts
from the casters’ Arete roll.
This Effect may be applied to a Sector with each founda-
tional change requiring a single success (changing the sky from
blue to green, or a forest to a desert, or a rock sculpture to a
steel sculpture. Changing the sculpture to a pillar instead would
require an additional success.) Attempts to use this Effect in
Restricted Sectors is vulgar with witnesses and is cast at an addi-
tional +2 Difficulty.
Travel
Space and distance do not mean the same things in the
Digital Web that they do in the Tellurian. All points are one,
and all points are connected. Despite this, the ways that various
Sectors of the Digital Web are formatted creates illusions of place
required to make it navigable by beings still thinking in terms
of space and place. However, the ways in which Magi navigate
the Digital Web are distinct to this Zone.
Navigation
Navigating within a Sector almost always follows the rules of
that specific Sector (if there are any) but navigating between them
is another method entirely. The space between Sectors reflects
the appearance and imagination of the creators and dreamers
of the Digital Web, and might appear as twisting futuristic and
dystopic streets, or else glowing electronic conduits, and in some
cases, a series of tubes. As all points within the Digital Web are
connected in some way or another, these passages are madden-
ingly mazelike and without proper knowledge of the laws of
the Digital Web, an inexperienced Magi can become easily lost
and end up in a Sector they never had any intention of visiting.
Navigating through these twisting paths of infinite connection
typically requires a Perception + Computer roll (with variable
difficulties depending on how difficult it is to find the desired
Sector.) Some other rolls can be substituted for this depend-
ing on the situation, including Intelligence + Etiquette (Web
Culture) if the Magus “asks for directions” from the netizens of
60 The Operative’s Dossier
the Digital Web, Intelligence + Area Knowledge (Digital Web)
to trace well-known and traveled routes, or Wits + Cryptography
to recognize the conduit patterns and cut a shortcut through
the maze. If a sector contains an ARO, mages can often locate
the ARO’s coordinates through Hacking. This allows the mage
to utilize AROs as navigational landmarks in the Digital Web.
Often this is simply handled narratively, but the Storyteller may
reduce the Difficulty of rolls made to navigate the Web by -1
or -2 for a magus who has access to the coordinates of AROs in
the area they are traveling.
Every Awakened Mage with access to the Digital Web can
make use of a version of Landscape of the Mind (Mage 20 p.513.)
While there is no “sense of direction” possible (as direction has
less meaning here), the user is able to access a Third Person View
— a common name for this Effect — of themselves, either from
above, or behind. This expanded perception is a vital tool in
navigating the Web. Users using AR have full rotational control
of their Icon in addition to this spatial perception, which allows
them to change position in the Digital Web without needing to
move through Meatspace.
Linking
So called “Master” Magi might still call this Hot Links,
but not without younger technomancers snickering behind
their back. If you don’t want to look like a grandpa fumbling
your way through “the internets” then it might do well to get
with the times and pay attention to the lexicon. Linking is a
common inter-Sector practice in which virgin space is formatted
to include an “automatic pass” to another Sector that can be
accessed merely by touching the Link. Unless the Sectors were
developed together, Links are uncommonly two-way portals, but
can be CTRL-Z’d (see below) if the Magus ends up somewhere
they would rather not remain.
Preparatory Operation Procedures, or
Popping
Pop Apps (Progs, if you’re ancient), or Preparatory Operation
Procedures are a means of fast-traveling the Digital Web and,
like with fast-traveling, is at its safest used when moving between
familiar Sectors. These are somewhat more complex than Rotes
or Procedures, even if they technically operate as one, because
they are so situational. Nominally requiring Data/Data 3, un-
der ideal conditions, Pop Apps scan another location within
the current Sector, and so long as the location is safe (and not
locked down), it “pops” the user to that location after a turn of
scanning. A coincidental Effect in the Digital Web. Users may
also adjust Pop Apps to pop between different Sectors, but this
is vulgar with witnesses instead. All Pop Apps come with CTRL-Z
code, which can be used to instantly return to the previous
location within three turns of the initial fast-travel. some less
cultured Magi might still call this backspacing, but this isn’t a
Delete, it’s an Undo, obviously.
Another advantage offered by AR is the ability to pop within
Grid Sectors without the need for Magick. Popping within a
grid sector requires only a single success on an Intelligence +
Computer roll (Difficulty 5).
While one can attempt to Pop into Restricted Sectors, suffice
to say that this is both rude and dangerous. The Difficulty to do
so is raised to 8 or 9 (depending on the strength of the Constraint
protocols) before the +2 Difficulty for popping between Sectors.
Further, the Effect is vulgar with witnesses, and whether the roll is
Failed or Botched, the user immediately suffers from Icon Death,
or in the worst possible scenario, the Chaos Dump.
Encrypted Access Points or Back Doors
The natural remnants of Sector formatting, EAPs are either
necessary or sometimes accidental loopholes left behind by the
original creator that can be exploited to gain access to a Sector
that might otherwise be difficult to enter. Computer-savvy
technomancers may plug themselves in so long as they are near
the borders of the chosen Sector — or at a distance with the
Remote Access Adjustment (see p. 77) and make an Extended
Intelligence + Computer or Cryptography roll, Difficulty 8-9
depending on security routes of the Sector (Restricted Sectors
are always Difficulty 9.) Five successes are enough to gain access
to the Sector, although certain Sectors may require more based
on Storyteller discretion.
Recent months have seen the addition of ARO-based Back
Doors. Most of these are deliberately created to give AR users
the ability to go directly from a Grid Sector into the backdoored
sector. Rumors do persist of mysterious AR Back Doors opening
into sectors without any apparent creator. The credit (or the
blame) for these enigmatic Back Doors is ascribed to everything
from ghosts in the Digital Web, to a subconscious manifestation
of the Web’s own will, to disgruntled Black Suits looking to
“stick it to the man.”
Actions
Simple methods of interacting with one’s environment are
often turned completely on their head within the Digital Web.
Hacking
In Meatspace, the concept of hacking is something of a joke.
The idea of an elite computer geek tapping away on her keyboard
until she unlocks the right code to open a door or give her access
to a foreign bank account is a dramatic interpretation of a rather
boring set of skills that is easily regulated to a bot program.
However, the Digital Web isn’t Meatspace, and in fact, has
absorbed the fantasies of millions of said computer geeks in
interpreting its own rules of realities. Everyone spending time
in this Zone respects that whipping out your deck, plugging in,
and engaging in LEET HAX is a regular occurrence.
No rolls are necessary to engage your hacking skills. Hacking
is a way of interacting with the Digital Web that focuses on the
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 61
user’s expertise in computer-related skills instead of physical
skills. While connected to the Web through Sensory or Astral
means, the user may substitute their rating in Computer or
Technology for all Athletics rolls, Cryptography for Brawl or
Melee rolls, and either Enigmas or Esoterica for Streetwise,
Subterfuge, and even Seduction.
Data Retrieval
That it is a focal point for the collection of all recorded
data is one of the most appealing aspects of the Digital Web.
All information ever relegated to digital memory exists here.
Data Retrieval requires a unique kind of Extended Roll. By
engaging an app on a Foci or other rig being used to access the
Digital Web, the user can search for a specific string or packet of
data for retrieval. The roll required is Intelligence + Computer/
Cryptography (the use of Cryptography lowers the Difficulty by 1)
with a Difficulty based on how rare the information is and how
wide of a search the user is casting. Looking for a SysAdmin’s
personal device password across a cluster of Restricted Sectors
is Difficulty 9, Threshold 2. However, looking for the code to
gain access to said SysAdmin’s Construct within the Sector
devoted to that Construct’s data storage would be Difficulty 7.
Combat
Other than Sensory and Astral Users using different
Attributes and Abilities (see Icons and Hacking), Combat follows
the same rules in the Digital Web as it does in Meatspace. Sectors
that employ significant environmental hazards requires the same
adjustments to rolls and Difficulties as they would in Meatspace.
Damage
The real difference in putting the hurt on someone in the
Digital Web is the hurt itself. Holistically Immersed characters
suffer damage just as they would anywhere else and manage that
damage through the normal rules. Taking damage to the Icon,
however, or the projection of self that exists in the Web, tends
to primarily be damage on the psyche. Therefore, most damage
sustained (unless specifically noted otherwise) is Bashing, even
if the manifestation of that damage is a chainsaw with rusty
hooks for teeth.
All this type of damage is only to the Icon. If the user logs
out of the Digital Web, the damage she received does not apply
to her physical form. Logging back in instantly heals her Icon
(though she is unlikely to be able to log back in to where she
was at the time of the fight.)
AR users also enjoy increased resistance to Icon damage.
Any damage dealt to an AR user’s icon is halved, rounded
down, after applying soak. This means AR users can withstand
far more punishment in the Digital Web than any other sort of
immersion. However, AR users damaged in the Digital Web suffer
the appropriate wound penalties for damage done to the Icon
in the physical world as well. This is largely due to distractions
as AR interfaces begin to pixelate, display static, and otherwise
behave disruptively when damaged.
62 The Operative’s Dossier
Healing
Healing damage to the Icon cannot be done through the use
of Medicine or with traditional Life Sphere-based healing (Life
can be used with the added application of Mind 1, however.)
Instead, Icon Reconstruction, or AVReCon requires a Simple
Action Manipulation + Computer roll with a Difficulty based
on the amount of damage already sustained.
Bruised Difficulty 6
Hurt, Injured Difficulty 7
Wounded, Mauled Difficulty 8
Crippled Difficulty 9
Incapacitated Difficulty 9, Threshold 2
Net Fatigue
Everyone suffers from Net Fatigue, it’s just a matter of time
and frequency spent immersed in the Digital Web. Net Fatigue
manifests as offline exhaustion, both physically and mentally.
Recommended as a roleplay element, there are no system
mechanics for common Net Fatigue. However, experiencing a
particularly traumatic event while immersed in the Digital Web
calls for a Willpower roll with a Difficulty based on the severity
of the trauma else they enter Quiet (see Mage 20 p.554.)
Virus Infection
Like Net Fatigue, catching a virus while immersed in the
Digital Web is something that almost everyone experiences from
time to time. Likewise, for character frequenting the Zone, this
should be a roleplay element. However, there are more virulent
and potent viruses that can cause complications in Meatspace.
These are almost always born of the invention of a Magus (see
p. 80 for an example.)
Soft De-Rez
This is the most common result of triggering the defensive
mechanisms of the Digital Web, such as Popping into a Restricted
Sector or falling off of a Conduit into infinite space (a Soft De-Rez
is much preferable to the uneasy feeling of falling forever.) The
Icon then materializes with 1-3 points of unsoakable Bashing
Damage (based on the countermeasures which forced the De-Rez
in the first place) at either the Sector they originally accessed,
or else some other save point that has been recorded on their
Icon. Holistically immersed individuals can still be De-Rez’d in
this fashion, but they take an additional Bashing Damage while
being allowed their soak roll. However, for the next scene, they
suffer an additional +2 Difficulty for every roll they make as
they recover from having their material form torn ripped apart,
reorganized as data, and put back together again in an altogether
unpleasant fashion. Being dumped from a Restricted Sector is
worse. All rolls using a Mental Attribute suffer from -1 to their
Dice Pools for the following scene as well.
Hard De-Rez
A Hard Re-Rez doesn’t dump the user back to a previous
Sector, but instead disconnects them from the Zone entirely,
rocking them back into meatspace with a bout of nausea and a
killer migraine. This punishment is reserved for major violations
of Restricted Zone protocol or as the result of a particularly
vicious encounter with a netizen committing serious harm.
Taking damage to the Icon to Incapacitated also forces a Hard
De-Rez, as do some minor Whiteouts.
Being dumped from the Digital Web in this way forces
two Soakable Lethal Damage (Difficulty 7), but Holistically
Immersed characters cannot attempt this Soak roll. In either
case, if the De-Rez’d character fails a Stamina roll (Difficulty 7)
she suffers a -2 to all rolls requiring Mental Attributes until the
De-Rez damage is healed.
If a Holistically Immersed character who found their way into
the Digital Web from another part of the Umbra suffers a Hard
De-Rez, she might be shunted to any Realm connected to the
Digital Web — not necessarily to the one from which she came.
Augmented Reality 2.0
By adding perceptions of the Digital Web to a user’s normal
senses, users can interact with both worlds simultaneously, with
all the benefits and risks that entails. AR users are effectively a
nexus, a space where the two worlds intersect. This gives them
the information and power of both while risking Paradox in both.
AROs
Augmented Reality Objects or AROs are AR’s defining
feature. In short, they are virtual objects in the Digital Web with
geotags that symbolically link them to specific GPS coordinates.
Because of this link, AR users walking through Meatspace see
them as features of their environment. For example, an ARO
for a Construct entrance might appear as a well-dressed security
guard, with a welcome message, answers to frequently asked ques-
tions, and a way to page a real security guard. Most web-capable
devices have their own Rating 0 ARO, and anyone can generate
a Rating 1 ARO. Most AROs are permanent once created, with
the exception of Rating 0 AROs and ones set to expire.
Because of this, there are billions of AROs, though AR
is not as cluttered as you might think. AROs in one sector
don’t exist in all other sectors, allowing Restricted sectors to
place confidential information in their AROs. An AR-using
Virtual Adept infiltrating a Construct can’t even see Union
AROs let alone read the security door’s message of “Do not
open. Malfunctioning HIT Marks inside.” Of course, AR users
can switch sectors and view a new set of AROs with different
insights into their physical surroundings. While that Virtual
Icon Death
Most Netizens suffer Icon Death using the systems described
on Mage 20 p. 473. AR complicated matters a bit. AR users
suffering Icon Death are booted offline and their gear freezes
up. Repairing AR gear after Icon Death requires an extended
Intelligence + Computer roll (Difficulty 8) with a number of
successes equal to damage dealt by the attack that caused the
Icon Death required to bring the gear back online. For the
mage using their AR gear as a personalized focus, this can be a
horrible setback.
The Chaos Dump
AR users suffering a Chaos Dump must make an Arete
roll (Difficulty 5), which reduces the damage by 1 per success.
Remaining damage, rather than being transferred to the body,
manifests as additional Paradox in the user’s pattern and trig-
gers an immediate backlash. This often leads to Quiet. At the
Storyteller’s discretion, this Quiet can sever the mage’s mind,
portioning off a piece of the Quiet-ridden psyche in the Digital
Web for the duration. Characters suffering such a fate take a -2
penalty to all rolls, including Arete, due to their fractured psyche.
Don’t get chaos dumped out of AR.
Adept might not have easy access to the Technocracy’s AROs,
they probably have access to the Adepts’ AROs, which might
include information about a backdoor.
AROs do not exist in Meatspace, so no amount of damage
or even data-scrambling in Meatspace can erase them. In fact,
an area can be completely destroyed, leaving AROs the only
clue that something (or someone) was once there. There are
few sights in AR as disturbing as standing in a sea of AROs at a
recent tragedy’s ground zero and seeing them slowly time out.
It’s not all morbid; a missing person’s orphaned ARO provides
valuable clues to help locate them.
Most AROs are just text and images, not even pseudo-in-
telligent. More advanced AROs have limited AI capabilities.
One simulating a receptionist could take messages (voice or
text), speak with clients, and schedule appointments. Another
simulating a security guard, could verify security credentials,
unlock doors, and trigger automated defenses.
Some Devices, such as the ES-Phone’s City Eye and C-SAM
applications (Technocracy Reloaded p. 180), automatically
generate AROs, allowing real-time tracking of targets. When
a user creates an ARO, they have three basic security options
for keeping the ARO updated: Restricted, which only permits
authorized users; Crowdsourced, which allows any user to add
new data; and Wiki, which allows anyone to add or delete data.
Overriding these restrictions or changing data without permission
requires Hacking.
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 63
 Creating an ARO
Augmented Reality Objects have Ratings that govern their basic functionality and the difficulty required in creating
them. AROs with Rating 0 are automatically created by their devices and automatically expire after 24 hours unless
they’re updated.

Rating Roll Difficulty Willpower Cost Features

0 Automatic n/a 0 Basic ID and contact
information
1 Intelligence + Computers 6 0 Text and images
2 Arete (Data 2/Mind 2) 7 1 Simple menus
3 Arete (Data 2/Mind 2) 7 2 Limited AI

Geotags by spoofing their geotag or even link their ARO’s geotag to

Geotags are symbolic links between the Digital Web and
the Earth. They are not real in any sense, just easily changed
data. Because of this, spoofing geotags is popular, especially for
people aware that they have an ARO attached to them. With
a little hacking, celebrities can send fans on a wild goose chase
someone else’s phone.
ARO Phishing takes this to the extreme, replacing a security
ARO with one that collects the credentials of every user waving
a badge at the fake ARO. On the opposite end, users can access
AROs that point to physical locations on the other side of the
globe simply by moving their Icon.

64 The Operative’s Dossier

 Changing a Sector’s Power Rating
Raising a Sector’s Rating is challenging and probably more trouble than it’s worth. In short, raising the rating by one for
an hour requires an infusion of Primal Energy equal to twice the current rating, in addition to the Overwrite Program
(Entropy 5/Mind 4/Forces 4/Primal Utility 4). Permanently raising the rating requires the same amount of Primal Energy
and a resisted application of the Overwrite Program, difficulty 9, minimum 10 successes.
Reducing the rating is slightly easier. While it requires the same program and tests, there is no Primal Energy requirement.
Any attempt to manipulate a sector’s rating is vulgar with witnesses.
witnesses.
Paradox
Anyone violating the Reality of the Digital Web risks Paradox, just as
they would in any other Realm. With two Paradox tracks, a reckless mage
using AR can garner enough points in each that both Realities rip out
half of the mage’s mind and throw it into separate, simultaneous Quiets.
The Reality of the Digital Web is flexible but has its limits.
Here are the ground rules:
Effects Must Come from Technology
Just because someone hauls in their foci from the Umbra
by Web-climbing doesn’t mean the foci work — At least, not
without consequences. Digital copies of those foci, however, work
just fine. What digital objects look like do not matter, but what
they are made of does. Violating this is vulgar without witnesses.
Effects Must Obey Their Sector’s Constraint Protocols
In short, your Effects need the right flavor. If you’re in a
detective noir sector, you doodle in notepads and listen to the
radio to crunch data. You do not whip out a smart phone. You
sure as hell don’t pull out a plasma cannon. Breaking a sector’s
protocols is vulgar with witnesses.
Effects Must Come from Authorized Users
If you’re in a Restricted sector and you’re not on the guest
list, you’re a trespasser and your spells and Procedures are vulgar
with witnesses. They’re just as vulgar if you’re on the guest list,
but not approved to use magick there. Of course, if the guest
list is “anyone in the building” and you’ve spoofed your GPS to
say that you’re in the building, you’re in the clear.
Forces or Primal Utility Effects Cannot Exceed
Their Sector’s Power Rating
Sectors generally have a rating of 5. Therefore, Forces or
Primal Utility Effects that score six or more successes inflicts one
Paradox point per success on its caster. Sectors have processes
to identify and terminate excessive resource users.
Effects using other Spheres exceeding the sector’s rating
do not automatically generate Paradox but are treated as vulgar
with witnesses.
Effects That Create Portals Are Restricted
Since hot links and conduits are the native form portals or
other passages take on the Web, any other form of a portal or
teleportation is vulgar with witnesses. This is especially true for
Effects that connect the Web to other parts of the Otherworlds.
Popping within a sector is perfectly fine, as is manipulating an
ARO’s Web location within a sector.
Effects Cannot Cross into Meatspace
Before AR, punching someone through the Web was always
vulgar with witnesses. Now, Effects filtered through AR devices
allow a mage to literally freeze someone’s phone — or detonate
it. The dual nature of AR users and their devices mean they exist
in both spaces simultaneously; what happens to them in one
Reality can happen in the other, although rarely in a predictable
way. Working magick is hard enough without having to take two
different sets of physics into account.
Effects sent through an AR user or their equipment emerge
into Meatspace with one fewer success unless a Data 3 Effect is
attached to help it cross over.
Spheres Work Differently
Due to the nature of the Digital Web, some Spheres take
on special properties.
Data, Forces, and Primal Utility Are More Powerful
Data, Forces, and Primal Utility Spheres form the founda-
tions of the Digital Web. As a result, Effects with those Spheres
— or their optional Technocratic alternatives (Mage 20 p. 524-
526) — face fewer barriers. Anyone with access to those Spheres
can use them as though their mastery was one dot higher, up
to a maximum of 5 — this isn’t a shortcut to Archmastery. This
ease of use does not apply to Devices, Talismans, and the like.
Life and Matter Reject Digital Flesh
Despite the maxim that “reality is perception,” icons aren’t
alive nor are they made of matter. Attempts to use Life or Matter
to heal or harm icons automatically fail. Such Effects work as
normal on anyone physically present through Holistic Immersion.
The Lag
Even newbies to the Web know lag when they see it. Once
a Sector has had enough of someone’s shit, everything judders
and twitches instead of moving with buttery-smooth animations.
Formerly detailed images pixelate and smear. It’s the herald of
Whiteout and anyone who doesn’t logoff or run when they see
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 65
it is a fool. Only Whiteout caused by a Paradox Pool of 11 or
more causes lag.
Noticing lag is a Wits + Computer roll, Difficulty 8, 7 for AR
users with haptics or 6 for Holistically Immersed users. Success
grants the user one action to attempt to flee and escape damage.
Failure, or succeeding and deliberately staying, means the user
takes half damage from Whiteout. A botch means they take full
damage. Parties responsible for the Whiteout do not get to roll.
Whiteout
Whiteout works just like Paradox backlash in Meatspace
— roll Paradox as normal (Mage 20, p. 547-553). The size of the
Paradox Pool determines how long the effects of the Whiteout
last. Going back to that Sector before the Whiteout is complete
causes half damage, just as if the user stayed put.
At certain levels of Whiteout severity, the offending user
actually suffers slightly less severe consequences than the previous
level because the effects of the Whiteout are spread out over
more people. More people who may take vengeance.
The Web
Although the Digital Web is infinite, most users stay in the
Formatted Web, partly because that’s where the action is and
partly because so few people have the wherewithal to get to the
Virgin Web let alone do anything there. Technically speaking,
the Formatted Web consists of both sectors and conduits, though
this distinction rarely comes up since so few people think of
Conduits as a place.
Virgin Web
This part of the Web is everything that has never been
formatted —the wide-open sea. No sailors, no pirates, just nature
wanting to be left alone.
Conduits
Found everywhere in the Web, conduits connect sectors.
Few users think of them until they stop working or look odd,
like that Progenitor conduit that resembles the inside of an
artery, complete with motorcycle-sized blood cells and steady
thrumming. Nevertheless, conduits are a distinct place outside
of the protection of most sector security systems. When sectors
are first spun up, they naturally create (or attract, depending on
your view of causality) conduits leading to other sectors. Folks
looking to create a conduit in their sector need a Link Program
(Data 5/Primal Energy 4; Difficulty 7, minimum 5 successes).
Running this Program is coincidental as long as the user controls
the sector. If they don’t, they’ll have to hack the sector first and
even then, it’s vulgar with witnesses.
Sectors
All the fun is in the Sectors —also where everyone gets
shot, but sometimes that’s fun, too. Sectors come in two flavors:
Restricted and Free. Restricted sectors require users to provide a
66 The Operative’s Dossier
password to enter, be on an approved user list, or both. Naturally,
people break into restricted sectors all the time, mostly to steal
information, but also to get their icon blasted by security. This
isn’t to say that users can’t get into trouble in Free Sectors; just
that it’s less likely.
While most of the juicy secrets and data is in Restricted
Sectors, good hackers and data pirates never overlook the free
sectors. Many times, the best information is given away for free in
the expectation that the community will do something amazing
with it or simply in the belief that information wants to be free.
Grid
Originally modeled on the classic version of the internet, a
black plain with neon roads racing everywhere, Grid Sectors are
baby’s first sector. With few exceptions, this is as far as Sleepers
get on the Digital Web, which has earned it the derisive nickname
“Sheep Pens.” With over a billion users, Grid Sectors make up
the vast majority of the Formatted Web. This also means that
at least 90% of all AROs are here, mostly in free sectors. This
data is rarely well curated, but it’s fed by a billion smart phones.
The Grid’s collections of AROs document the world’s features
and events more completely than all written records before the
year 2000 combined. From insights into art and science exhibits
to speakeasy passwords to hidden chantries, there’s a staggering
amount of information on the Grid’s AROs.
So much that old-school “spinners” who wrote the Grid off
as the domain of children decades ago are totally unprepared
for the speed and variety of the modern Grid. They’re certainly
unprepared for Disciples who grew up in the Sheep Pens hack-
ing their computers at lightning speed. Speaking of aggressive
challenges, RAMbos (violent users) flock to Warzones, Grid
Sectors built to simulate (or just contain) violence of every type
and description. Warzones designed for Enlightened combatants
have a Rating of 7, allowing them to host tournaments with
massively destructive Program-users without breaking down
due to power surges.
Corrupted
Corrupted Web is the collective term for destroyed sectors.
The land still exists, but all data, structure, and form have
been mangled beyond recognition. Though these sectors can
theoretically be reformatted, they resist every attempt to do so.
In fact, they resist everything. All Programs in the Corrupted
Web generate Paradox. Some, called Hung Sectors, even resist
the flow of time, although those are becoming rare. To date,
there have been 117 attempts to reformat a Corrupted Sector,
89 associated fatalities, and 0 successes. Corrupted Web with
Ratings above 5 aren’t unheard of, although only Marauders
are willing to take advantage of that.
Junklands
Lying somewhere between Corrupted Web and Trash
Sectors, Junklands are ruined sectors that still retain much of
their identity, albeit eerily. Without administrators, Junklands
have devolved to carrying out the motions of their previous
operations, leaving most visitors feeling haunted by something.
C-Sectors
Formerly referred to as Constrained Sectors and briefly
known as Configuration Sectors, the denizens of the Web
officially rebooted the term in 2013. Now, the only ones using
the original name are outdated casual users and trolls. Simply
put, C-Sectors are sectors where the owners have created a
custom set of physics and obligations for visitors. For example,
the Web-famous Spy’s Demise is a speakeasy. Patrons don’t
exchange USB drives or AROs; they slide newspapers or notes
to each other. The rules of the club translate these metaphors
into digital actions, potentially turning a circled headline into
petabytes of data.
Violating these genres isn’t just bad form, it’s bad science,
potentially earning violators a one-way trip to Whiteoutsville.
Because of this, superstitionalists regularly have their ‘spells’ fail
inside of the Union’s Secured and Restricted Virtual Reality
Zones, or SRVRZ.
Haunts
Haunts are less of a sector type and more of a phenomenon
that turns a more conventional sector into a Junkland. The
Digital Web is an Otherland. Death happens outside of the
usual framework of human experience. Put succinctly, no one
dying in the Digital Web stays quiet about it, generating infinite
theories about why. Disembodied consciousness? Psychic echoes?
A flawed, system-generated copy? No one knows, and the longer
people spend in Haunts, the less they want to know.
Trash
Trash Sector. The giant /dev/null. Where things in the
Web go when no one wants them anymore. Sysadmins have
Apps as Apparatus
A civilian imagining Enlightened Science, may
frequently think of devices derived from popular
science fantasy films. She envisions a stick that
might erase memory, a medical scanner capable
of performing a thousand complicated tests at a
distance, or some particularly inventive form of
holography. Yet she remains ignorant of the most
popular achievement wrought by Enlightened
Science lying right at her fingertips.
We speak of the not-so-humble device col-
loquially called a ‘smartphone,’ and its tablet-based derivatives.
You may have complicated feelings on how the masses treat
these devices. The closest thing to a miracle that any human
may access, and they waste it on vapid self-indulgence, trading
cat pictures, and cyberbullying each other. The worst among
them engage in open slave-trading, blackmail, and espionage.
been piping their garbage here for almost as long as there’ve been
servers. They all assumed that it just went to ether and vanished.
They were wrong. One might think that a virtual world full of
trash isn’t a problem, but visitors looking for scraps of missing
information are as likely to get crushed by a collapsing pile of
data as they are to succeed. On top of that, Void Engineers have
theorized that if data eating creatures, such as dataphytes (see
Gods & Monsters p. 137), ever found this place, they would
breed out of control, eventually paralyzing everyone in the Web
with indecision until they died — including 4.5 billion Sleepers.
Streamland
Located between the Grid Sectors and Trash Sector,
Streamland is a new manifestation of the Digital Web. Thanks to
the ever-growing demand for data from camera phones, medical
devices, video games, television, and even tiny IoT devices, the
flow of data from Earth to the Digital Web has gone from a
trickle to a phalanx of fire hoses.
Though it’s all destined to crash down in Trash Sector, it
flows through Streamland first. Originally a little larger than a
Grid Sector, it’s since multiplied in size to accommodate the
volume of data. So much so that no one owns it. Whether the
original admin got lost in the shuffle or they deliberately left
the sector to govern itself is anyone’s guess. Streamland is now
the Web’s largest Free Sector, with every stream on the Web
available — for a limited time.
Each device connected to the Digital Web has its own unique
dribble of data, giving Streamland its characteristic rain. Users
can read, copy, or divert falling data, though finding it requires
a Data Retrieval (p. 62) roll at Difficulty 8, or 7 with specific
knowledge of the source, such as the ARO’s ID or geotag. Once
the stream travels off the waterfall into /dev/null, finding it is
nearly impossible.
As an operative of the Technocratic Union, however, you
have a moral responsibility to put these devices to proper use.
Consider your goals within the Union, and then devise ‘apps’
to further those goals.
App-Based Practice
An operative using smart devices to power her Enlightened
Science has the world quite literally at her fingertips. Some young
operatives dream of creating online universities or free learning apps to
push consensus truths. This rarely has the effect the operative wishes.
Most mortals prefer to use their devices for more frivolous ends.
More experienced operatives understand the value of satis-
fying this need for frivolity. They craft games and social media
platforms with such in mind: bright colors, escalating rewards,
and a way to show off to friends and rivals. Sometimes these
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 67
 Salt in The Storm
Salt may be subject to anomalous transmissions, especially in the Deep Universe. Void Engineers working outside of
Earth’s orbit are advised not to accept or respond to messages from any colleagues of any Convention not seen since
the Anomaly.

68 The Operative’s Dossier

apps collect money, but their true value is in what they reveal
of the users. Embedded trackers allow operatives to collect
mind-boggling amounts of data. Most of this is meaningless, but a
savvy operative can analyze the data for blips or errors indicating
potential Reality Deviance. As the databanks grow ever larger,
however, forward-thinking operatives recognize the potential
to utilize the mass insights gained to manipulate the populace;
consensus truths pushed upon a population too inured to realize
that their thoughts and feelings are used as levers of control.
Some mass-produced apps designed to the benefit of the
operative have become Nodes in and of themselves. The op-
erative skims just a tiny bit of energy from each user. Each bit
itself is useless, but enough of them add up to usable amounts
of Quintessence. Alternatively, a mundane GPS map may reveal
locations or even people of interest.
Specially programmed apps may also take the place of Adjustments.
Workings relying on Data obviously do best as these sorts of apps, but
some operatives have figured out other uses. By showing a target a de-
liberately tailored ‘meme’, she can create any number of Mind effects.
Dimensional Science-focused operatives may tailor an app as a target
for astral projection or alter a device’s clock to create a Time effect.
Using peripherals provides even more utility. By hard-coding
Dimensional Science or Primal Utility data into an app, an op-
erative turns her device into an updated Kirlian camera, gaining
insight into the unseen world and perceiving the true nature of
even the most well-camouflaged Reality Deviants around her.
Associated Paradigms: A Mechanistic Cosmos; Everything
is Data; Meme Magic; Tech Holds All Answers
Associated Abilities: Computer, Intimidation (Internet
Trolling), Research, Technology, Science (Computer Science,
Nano-Engineering)
Common Instruments: Next-generation smartphone loaded
with custom apps, jailbroken tablet, nanite-enhanced fitness
tracker, hyperscience-enhanced battery pack, Enlightened Science
compatible API, wireless peripherals, carrying case imbued with
Enlightened Science.
Applications Approved by
The Technocratic Union
While many Constructs successfully created applications
for use by Agents, only a few have been approved for use in the
field regardless of Convention or Construct —detailed below.
Should an Agent have questions about the use of an app, that
Agent should reach out to their local Supervisor.
EDEWiki (Data •, Dimensional Science •) For use when in
the presence of an unrecognized EDE. This app uses the phone’s
camera to identify localized EDEs and direct the Agent to the
appropriate information. Agents may also submit photos of EDEs
and requests for informational edits and updates as appropriate.
Please note: Although often colloquially called “The Pokedex”
or “Ghostbusters,” searching for EDEWiki under these names
does not produce any results.
Norden’s Call Triangulation (Data ••) For use when
locating the source of a transmission of any kind (including
analog), so long as it came from the Front Lines. Norden’s Call
Triangulation makes use of not only cell phone towers, but
also satellites, fiber-optic cables, routers, traceroutes through
the Digital Web, Primium patterns, and even particularly large
natural deposits of rare earth metals.
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 69
 Please note: Norden’s Call Triangulation does not break
encrypted packets of data or locate Control. That is not its
purpose. Please stop trying to hack it.
Norden’s Metamap (Data •, Dimensional Science •) For
use when traveling through the Umbral Dimensions. Norden’s
Metamap supplies both peer-reviewed information on different
dimensions, as well as directions and points of interest. End
users — Agents, usually, though some authorized Enlightened
Citizens may use this application as well — may also submit
updated information to keep the app current.
Please note: Recently, parties unknown leaked Norden’s
Metamap. We have reason to believe that this application
is also in the hands of Reality Deviants known as the Sons
of Ether and the former Technocratic Convention, the
Virtual Adepts. Agents of Iteration X are hard at work
trying to keep information on the app both relevant and
trustworthy. For further information, please contact your
Supervisor.
Personal VK Test (Primal Utility •, Data •) For use when
interviewing new employees of any and every Convention. The
VK test uses the phone’s camera to determine the presence
of an Enlightened Genius within the personal Pattern of an
Social Media and The Agent
Training notes from Agent Alison Greene, New
World Order
The Enlightened Agents of the Technocratic
Union, much as we might like to believe it, are
not immune to the dopamine-based addictions
of social media websites. Scrolling through
Twitter, Facebook, or other networks while not
otherwise occupied is almost second nature at
this point. Check your phone. Are you doing
it right now? Why are you doing it? What do
you have to gain?
It’s incredibly human to want that connection. Even when
you’re alone, the ability to access and connect with hundreds,
if not thousands, of people even on a shallow level is extremely
rewarding. Every time a post gets a like or a share, the little
dopamine button at the back of the brain pings. The internet
is, at times, more addictive than cocaine.
As an Agent, therefore, it is in your best interests to under-
stand this incredibly potent tool. Social media can be a weapon,
a channel, or simply what it is: a network of people, all sharing
their thoughts, not thinking twice about who sees them.
Social media manifests in different forms.
Open Forum social media is the classic “shouting in the
void” category. Open forum sites provide a space for the user to
post statuses, images, videos, or other content for anyone on the
same platform to see. Many open forum sites are also indexed
70 The Operative’s Dossier
individual. The Agent using the Personal VK Test application
must focus the phone’s camera on the target’s eyes for the
duration of the interview, otherwise the application produces
inconclusive results.
Please note: The Personal VK Test may also detect EDEs
and Reality Deviants in the interview space. A Supervisor
should receive reports as soon as possible of any inconclusive
or anomalous readings, both for app calibration and follow-up
on non-Technocratic signatures.
Salt (Data ••, Dimensional Science ••) For use when
communicating across Umbral Dimensions or into the Deep
Universe. Salt encrypts text or media messages as individual
information packets and transmits them through the Digital
Web near-instantaneously, then de-encrypts the message with a
private key upon the end-user’s receipt. Developed by European
philanthropist, inventor, and technocrat, Lord Isnan, Salt is an
end-to-end app that requires both the sender and the receiver
have the current update installed.
Please note: While Salt packets are sent and received in sec-
onds, the app is not yet capable of instantaneous transmission.
The Everett Amalgam is currently working on an update that
will ideally produce FTL transmission of information.
in search engines as well, so a user who is not a member of the
site can find specific content.
Walled Garden social media lives mostly in the deep web
and has designated entry and exit points. Any site that requires
a fee to sign up, a mutual friendship to see other users, or
membership in a group to post is a walled garden. Most search
engines do not index content in walled gardens.
Mixed social media combines the walled garden and the
open forum, usually with end-user privacy controls. Mixed social
media is the most popular network structure at time of writing.
All social media falls into these categories. Whether the
site in question is for videos, image-sharing, mixed-media, or
a sharing-economy, an Agent can easily navigate it based on
these principles.
Both Syndicate and NWO members should have some
form of training in the use of social media, even if it’s just to
avoid posting content that attracts Reality Deviants. Ask your
local Construct liaison for more information!
Now that we’re done with an overview of the unenlightened
web, it’s time to talk about what you’re really here for.
Social Media
and the Digital Web
Very technically, any time you scroll through your phone
or computer, you’re accessing the Digital Web. Perhaps more
 Immersion
Projected-image immersion is essentially a Technocratic version of astral projection. Holistic immersion requires the
Life sphere as well and is always vulgar unless the Agent immerses and returns inside a Construct. Refer to the “Access
Granted” section on p 58 for more details.
so than any other Zone in the Umbral Dimensions, the Digital
Web is open and easy to access — even without an internet con-
nection. Think of it as the realm of all computers, no matter
what their status.
Computers, therefore, function as doorways into the Digital
Web. You could very easily use your requisitioned laptop to en-
gage with the Digital Web in a mundane way, or even by using
low-level Procedures.
Social media presents an entire frontier of possibilities within
the Digital Web. While an Agent could easily get lost in the vener-
able formatted halls of Wikipedia or the many movie theatres of
streaming sites, social media provides a wealth of information for
those practicing hypereconomics, social domination, or the simple
art of blackmail. While nuance often does not translate through
a simple unenlightened computer, entities residing in the social
media neighborhoods of the Digital Web may have more to offer.
Remember, you will encounter open forums, walled gardens, and
mixed security realms while moving through social media networks.
While open forums generally offer no opposition to the Agent within
their boundaries, walled gardens require the correct input to access
set entry and exit points. Locating them with a Data procedure is the
easy part; getting to them presents more of a challenge! Administrators
of walled gardens and mixed-security social networks keep a wary eye
out for people hunting their inputs, so expect resistance from EDEs
(often in the shapes of bots or living silhouettes lit by blinking code)
if you attempt this method.
Points of interest in various social networks include the
following:
Digital Graveyards. Users die or disappear, especially if
they’re human. Often, they don’t take their social media pages
offline first — very few humans, even Enlightened humans, ex-
ercise that amount of forethought. Consequently, certain sites
allow related members of the deceased to turn their page into
a memorial. How grotesque!
Digital graveyards tend to be in or near the Haunted Web, the
part of the Digital Web that has sunk into Entropic Space. Though
the word “graveyard” may conjure up the idea of a peaceful park
or garden, digital graveyards are not places of quiet rest. Content
from the dead users may manifest as looping video feeds, howling
EDEs in the shape of ghosts, grim reapers, or other phantoms,
fractal pathways of sparks leading to statues made entirely of static
and tears, or other such phenomena. Use extreme caution when
venturing to digital graveyards, especially when holistically immersed.
Why travel to digital graveyards? Like any normal graveyard,
they are starting places for further research. Unlike normal
graveyards, however, they hold the entirety of the social media
history of the dead or disappeared user — a wealth of personal
information, all for the taking.
You could, of course, also visit to pay your respects to a
dead loved one. Ask HR for some time, they usually understand.
Hate Gardens. With the rise of the internet, there also
came the rise of resentful, lonely persons (usually young white
men) in search of companionship. If you’ve heard of incels, the
alt-right, or other such despicable groups, you’re probably aware
that they tend to congregate in specific places on social media.
While often walled gardens (hence the term “hate gardens”),
they are sometimes mixed or even open forums —depending on
how much they value their security.
My friendly suggestion is to avoid hate gardens, unless
you have a specific mission that involves collecting data in or
near one. The rot and cruelty of the users tends to stick to you,
physically and emotionally. Usual signs of a hate garden include
twisted metal trees, suspended cages of code, and the smell of
lighter fluid.
Dating Profiles. Honestly, these are my personal favorite.
They look like pleasant hotel rooms and they’re decorated with
the user’s words. Simple, easy to get in and out of (note: usually
in walled gardens, so make sure you have the right password) and
full of useful information about how the user views themselves
and others. If you practice hypereconomics, finding your target’s
dating profile is a must.
That’s it for today’s training. Are there any questions?
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 71
 The Dark (Digital) Web
“Why would I need the dark web to find you?
There’s so much already registered on the
Clearnet. Of course, if I wanted to kill you
[pause] oh, that’s a different story. [pause] Do
I want to kill you? That would be telling.”-a
transcript of The Caller
Inevitably, once the internet became widely
available, a dark side sprung up. Some Reality
Deviants fanatically devote themselves to the
concept of balance, and perhaps this is a man-
ifestation of their self-centered ideal. Other Reality Deviants
enjoy manipulating events from behind the scenes, whether
for their own logical ends, or to simply cause as much chaos
as possible. Of course, this all expresses a certain amount of
Enlightened bias — unenlightened citizens of the Consensus
are perfectly capable of performing cruel and self-serving acts
without any deviant powers. However it came about, the dark
web wraps itself in myth and mystery. A terrifying, unknowable
place for the uninitiated, to a clever Agent, the dark web is a
place of possibility and, yes, danger too.
The first thing any Agent needs to know? The deep web and
the dark web are not the same. Metaphorically speaking, the dark
web is the square to the deep web’s rectangle — all dark websites
are deep websites, but not vice-versa. The deep web includes any
site not indexed by search engines. Any video-streaming service
or academic paper site protected by a paywall is technically part
of the deep web, as are bank accounts, restricted social media
pages, and personal email landing pages. These do not require
special software to access, but search engines do not index their
direct URLs due to privacy concerns. Billions of people access
the deep web every day, including most Agents.
By contrast, dark websites do not appear on any search
engines and require custom software to access. Much of this
software can be easily accessed — anonymity services and so-called
onion routers are a dime-a-dozen on the Clearnet (the “regular
internet”, indexed on search engines and unencrypted). Citizens
of the dark web consider privacy to be their most valuable asset,
so almost all dark sites require some form of traffic anonymization
and user-to-user encryption.
While the dark web does contain some relatively benevolent
pages — collections of whistleblower documents, viral puzzles and
alternate-reality games, white-hat hackers hunting pedophiles,
and encrypted versions of social media giants, among others — its
main stock and trade is in harmful and bizarre content. Certain
domains host botnets, their creators siccing them on targets in
vicious DDoS attacks. Abusers post pictures of the ex-partners
they feel have wronged them, distributing these photos (either
real or edited) as revenge porn. Anonymized providers sell drugs,
guns, and recorded physical and sexual abuse on dark web
72 The Operative’s Dossier
marketplaces. For the right price, any of the above provides you
with custom content. It’s all in what you have to offer.
An Enlightened View
The preceding paragraphs explain what an Agent might find
when using a standard computer and an onion router to access
the dark web. While harmful, frightening, and full of malware
waiting to hunt down an unwary system, the unenlightened dark
web is nothing compared to its Enlightened variant. Built into
Grid Sectors, the dark web is easily accessible by anyone with
the right keys. Agents beware.
This is not to say that the nastiness on the unenlightened dark
web is somehow “less real” than the content of the Enlightened
dark web. Should an Agent be capable of stopping a filmed
torture session, the Technocratic Union will not stand in the
way. Consensual Reality should not allow for wanton harm and
destruction of life for the amusement of those who can pay for
it — after all, is that not why we oppose Reality Deviants? Perform
triage, if possible.
However, logging off the unenlightened dark web is quite
safe for an Agent. Leaving the Enlightened variant of the dark
web on the Digital Web is much more difficult. To physically
enter in to the egregore, the living ideal, of the Dark Web (cap-
italized here to separate it from the unenlightened dark web)
means physically, mentally, and emotionally engaging with the
manifestations of the greed, the cruelty, and the lies hosted
beyond the gateway of the onion router.
Some extra-natural phenomena when venturing physically
through the Grid Sectors of the Dark Web are as follows.
Botnets: EDEs reflecting the state of modern cyber warfare
make up a great deal of space in the Dark Web. Most exist in a
state of dormancy, waiting for their creator or controller’s word
to attack an unsuspecting node or system. Some Reality Deviants
have been able to harness these extra-dimensional entities to
protect their hidey-holes on the Digital Web. Approach quietly
and with caution.
Reality Deviants: Members of the organization calling them-
selves the Virtual Adepts are prolific on this part of the Digital
Web. So too are lupines from the Glass Walker classification.
Some are busy indulging hidden and shameful cravings, while
others build puzzles, blackmail abusers, or herd EDEs through
the darkness of the anonymized web. Do not engage without
reliable backup, as these Reality Deviants mistakenly believe
that they are the sole rulers of these realms and may be violent
if approached. Some may also try to imprison agents in their
puzzles, which are usually annoying at worst.
Nephandi: Research shows that these particular Reality
Deviants are like a disease, infecting and permeating any space
they are given room to roam. The Digital Web is no different,
and the Dark Web especially provides a welcoming home for
the vicious nihilist fanatic. Several Nephandi have constructed
their headquarters, known as “labyrinths”, in the depths of the
Dark Web, preferring this realm of clean code and cruelty to
the messier Horizon realms. Reports suggest that the Nephandi
calling themselves The Caller may have a home here. See The
Book of the Fallen p. 199 for more details.
Troves: Rumors abound that there may be caches of useful
information, code, and possibly even equipment on the Dark
Web. Do not go chasing rumors without backup.
Chapter Three: Digital Web 3.0 73
 You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
– Buckminster Fuller
Treasures of Collective Will
If “magick” represents an extension of some
Reality Deviant’s will, then the Enlightened
Arts and Sciences reflect an extension of the
Technocratic Union as a whole. Unlike the
capricious tricks of superstitionist “mages,”
such marvels draw upon the collective effort
of thousands of Technocratic operatives
throughout centuries of dedicated labor,
research, and practical application. Sure, a
Technocrat has a certain degree of freedom to
improvise in the field if need be. However, those improvisations
must be rooted in the foundations of Enlightened Science,
Technocracy-style, else they become just another Deviant with
delusions of godhood.
The following Adjustments, Procedures, and Devices come
from a long-established bag of tricks the Technocracy shares with
authorized operatives. Although the game systems involved follow
the Mage 20 rules for such things, for Technocratic characters,
these tools aren’t merely “spells” or “magick items”. From a
character perspective, such Wonders and Effects are badges of
office in an elite organization whose accomplishments make
that Union and its agents the rightful heirs of a new and better
Consensus for all humanity.
For details about the game systems involved, see Mage 20,
Chapter Ten, and The Book of Secrets, Chapters Two and Three.
Adjustments
Always remember to follow proper procedures, and avoid
improvising an Adjustment unless absolutely necessary.
Deviance Potential Evaluation (• Life / • Mind)
After capturing and interrogating enough Reality Deviants,
one quickly realizes how many insist they were born this way;
that their shift into Deviance remained outside their control.
By finding non-Deviant mortals with the potential to become
so, the Union hopes to suppress the eventual occurrence of
Deviance and allow the individual to live a normal, healthy,
and productive life.
System: The operative engages with her target over
several scenes. She administers a battery of Enlightened Science-
enhanced psychological and cognitive tests, looking for subtle
departures from the norm that indicates whether Deviance
waits on the horizon.
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 75
 On a single success, she determines if her target has the po-
tential to manifest as a canid-based shapeshifter, TBE (TinkerBell
Entity), or MURD. With three successes, she unlocks the prob-
ability matrices needed to determine if her subject presents an
attractive recruitment option for Hemophagic Entities. At five
successes, she understands if her subject has a fraught enough
emotional life to become a Post-Life Entity after physical death.
This Adjustment does not work against those who are already
Reality Deviants; only those with the potential to become so.
Nor can it prevent the event from occurring, the operative must
devise a separate plan for that.
Distribution Mismanagement
(•••• Primal Utility / ••• Entropy)
Popular amongst the Syndicate, this application of Primal
Utility dismisses obstacles presented by the unenlightened with
a brush of the hand. If a rival company is causing financial loss,
Distribution Mismanagement can cause their financial assets to
suffer from a temporary error, causing them to have no access
to funding for a time, or else a rival startup might find their
shipment of server banks gets lost, or a mercenary company no
longer receives ammunition and armor.
System: Primal Utility is used to eradicate the usefulness
of the group’s resources while Entropy ensures that the loss is
related to a mere clerical error that impacts the entire organization
and not just an individual. The next time the Hypereconomist
engages in conflict with the group in question (or when that
group engages in any conflict, at the choice of the Operative),
they cannot access equipment or Requisitions for that conflict.
This Adjustment does have a major limitation, however. The
Hypereconomist must know about the group targeted before
using the Adjustment. She cannot merely throw the applica-
tion into the ether and hope that it works out. Additionally,
she cannot target a group larger than her own largest Venture
(Mage 20, p.527).
Ecological Harmonization (• Life)
Though the Technocratic Union pursues control over the
whole of reality, recent innovations in ecological science have
proven the utility of existing symbiotically with the ‘natural world.’
By performing an act which the more unenlightened refer to as
‘communing with nature,’ an operative gains an innate sense of
the flora and fauna in her immediate vicinity.
System: The operative must spend one round focusing on
the world around her. On successfully utilizing this Adjustment,
she gains an understanding of the plants and animals within her
line of sight. She understands their direct needs, such as if they
require water, food, or protection from a predator. Should she
meet these needs, the entities display friendliness toward her.
They remain unintelligent and nonverbal, but may convey any
insights and impressions they recently experienced.
This Adjustment does not function on previously living
natural material, such as the wood in a chair. Nor does it apply
76 The Operative’s Dossier
to natural forces such as wind or fire; or intelligent manifesta-
tions of natural forces. It may, however, allow an operative to
commune with office plants or school pets.
Generate Emotional Field Array (••• Mind)
Humans are notoriously fickle, but this attribute also makes
them easily manipulated. Fortunately, a talented operative may
use this tendency to pacify irate crowds, inspire indifference
around a location of interest, or even, if necessary, rile a group up.
System: The operative chooses a base emotion, such as
‘anger,’ ‘fear,’ or, the perennial favorite, ‘indifference,’ then
dispenses specially-charged nanites via aerosol. She may affect
up to 1d10 mortal targets per dot of Mind she has mastered,
over an average city block.
The affected do not act dramatically against their Natures or
inherent moral philosophies, but find their individual decisions
swayed by the chosen emotion. Operatives commonly use an
Emotional Field Array to support their colleagues employing
Procedures. The risk of incurring the Paradox Effect by such
actions reduces by 1 among crowds inspired to indifference.
Predictive Analysis (••• Data / •• Time / • Entropy
/ • Primal Utility)
Mortals first pioneered this bit of Enlightened Science,
and continue to develop it alongside their understanding of
Big Data. While mundane businesses use the mass insights
gained from insipid personality quizzes to sell cheeseburgers,
the Technocratic Union harnesses the concept to understand
areas subject to Reality Deviation. An operative can predict
where Reality Deviants may soon congregate, the likelihood
that conflict may lead to violent outbreaks, or other alterations
in the normal flow of a city’s daily life.
System: The operative first procures a massive data set —
such as every crime report filed over the last ten years — and
then cross-checks it with other data, such as traffic data or utility
spikes. She processes this data to estimate where and when a
major reality crime may occur within the next thirty days. For
every success the operative gains on her roll, she may ask the
Storyteller one question, such as:
• What class(es) of Reality Deviant are involved?
• How many Reality Deviants are involved, within a relative
order of magnitude?
• When will this event transpire?
• How long will the event last?
• How likely is the event to result in violence against
innocents?
• In which neighborhood or area of the city will the
Deviation happen?
• How powerful are the involved Reality Deviants?
 The answers provided by the data are not exact. The opera-
tive may learn the local Hemophagic Entities are likely to meet
within the next seven days in the vicinity of the city’s museum
district; but cannot discern individual identities nor agendas
related to this meeting.
Alternatively, the operative can search the data for patterns
indicating hotspots of Deviant activity. A single success reveals
a large neighborhood likely infested by a single active Reality
Deviant. Further successes narrow down the affected area. By
five successes, the operative has a vague street address.
Unless the operative has access to truly impressive informa-
tion, this system struggles to detect embedded Reality Deviants,
such as one intermingled with a major city’s long-term develop-
ment. She must acquire at least seven successes to uncover the
extremely subtle shifts in mortal behavior.
If the operative cannot obtain sufficiently complex, ac-
curate information in a timely manner, she can perform this
Adjustment by quickly scraping social media. Doing so increases
her Difficulty by 2, however.
Remote Access (•• Data / •• Forces)
Operatives dealing significantly with the Digital Web,
especially when connecting through AR, make a point of
adding this Adjustment to their repertoire as soon as they can.
Operations of nigh unto infinite NetSpace are made much more
manageable with it. Remote Access follows the currents of data
and electricity to a desired source (a specific location within
the Digital Web, or any device connected to it, and opens up
a view-screen to that location that can then be used to interact
directly via Adjustments and Procedures (this is not the same
as projecting one’s self into the Web, so only Adjustments and
Procedures may interact with the location) with one exception:
Operatives using Remote Access may use their connection to
attempt to open Backdoors without being immersed.
System: Data allows a connection to be drawn between the
Operative, even while not immersed in the Digital Web, and
any location therein (although accessing Restricted Sectors still
comes with added difficulty) while Forces is used to generate
images and sounds with that Data that are easily interpreted
without any kind of sensory connection to the Web. This “false”
sensory connection creates an illusion of presence that allows the
Operative to interact with the location with the above limitations.
Save File Index
(••• Data / •• Time / • Primal Utility)
The Digital Web is a dangerous place and having access to
the tools needed to survive it is an important trick. Operatives
create a Save File Index where specific Icons are stored for quick
use. An alternative version of Save File Index also allows the
saving of a “location” in the Digital Web, accessible if the user
is De-Rez’d (and not booted from the Digital Web entirely) so
as to reappear at a chosen location.
System: Time is used to make a crafted Icon or location
permanently written into the Operative’s Pattern (with Primal
Utility). When crafting a desired Icon, this Adjustment can save
both the Icon’s appearance and statistical bonuses. Once saved,
the Icon can be swapped for the current Icon as a Reflexive
Action. There is no limit to how many Icons may be saved, but
if the user ever suffers Icon Death then that Icon is permanently
destroyed and cannot be summoned again from the File Index.
By adding Data, the user may also permanently bind their
Pattern to a location within the Digital Web to quickly access it
when De-Rez’d. Like with Icon Death, if the saved location ever
suffers from whiteout, it is removed from the Save File Index.
Schrodinger’s Parcel (•••• Matter / • Mind)
While in the field, operatives may encounter stubborn or
recalcitrant mortals impervious to normal methods of dissua-
sion. In these instances, bribery, though crude, usually suffices.
The operative produces a single mundane item coveted by the
individual, which she can then trade away in exchange for the
opportunity to work in peace.
System: After speaking with her target for approximately
five to ten minutes, the operative makes a Perception + Empathy
check to evaluate his general character. She then activates this
Adjustment on a closed box of some kind, usually a pre-prepared
satchel or briefcase. On a successful activation, she produces one
item dearly coveted by her target.
The item must be mundane and replicable. The operative
can produce a handful of precious gold doubloons; she cannot
produce the Mona Lisa. If the operative has mastered Data and/
or Time, she may produce a notebook or photograph revealing
information the target dearly wishes to know, such as the address
of an estranged loved one or tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers.
System Havoc
(••+ Forces / • Data (Optional))
An old favorite for dealing with computer systems and
dangerous machines in the hands of the enemy, System Havoc
causes the electricity powering a machine to surge, causing
irreparable damage to the object, and in the case of computers,
completely destroying any data within.
System: Forces 2 turns the electricity powering a device into
an Elemental Assault (see How Do You DO That? p.37), which
completely destroys the sensitive inner workings of the machine.
Data is added to fire an arc of electrical disruption from a dis-
tance. If targeting a system that is relatively independent, such as
a smartphone, laptop, or camera, only one success is needed to
completely destroy the device. If targeting a bank of computers,
or an entire security system, the Storyteller may require more
successes based on the system’s expanse. While this attack can also
be used on individuals with cybernetics or even capital-D Devices
that operate with the use of electricity, it uses the normal Base
Damage Chart (Mage 20, p.504) to determine results.
System Havoc has a catastrophic effect in the Digital Web.
Any Icons within 10 yards per success (including the user) on
the System Havoc roll takes Aggravated Damage according to
the Base Damage scale with the additional automatic success
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 77
 The Six Senses
Characters with fewer than six senses — whether from birth or from operational mishap — do not need to pay a Background
Cost for a genetically grown replacement, though they would lose any Flaw, as well as any Background Points they
received for taking the Flaw. Additionally, such a replacement does not incur any Paradox, so long as the new organ
is not obvious and has the same basic functionality as a typical organ. Eye colors need not match, as heterochromia is
natural, though glowing eyes, exposed chrome, and leopard skin generate permanent Paradox and Genetic Flaws like
(Mage 20,
normal (Mage 20, p. 660).
On the flip side, too many senses are overwhelming. Characters with more than six senses total — including hearing,
proprioception, scent, sight, taste, and touch — make Perception rolls at -1 for each sense beyond six. It does not matter
which six senses the character has.

due to it being a Forces attack. Unlike most attacks that result
in Aggravated Damage, Icons can roll to Soak, but they must
roll Willpower, Difficulty 8. Using System Havoc in the Digital
Web is always vulgar with witnesses. Finally, after the effects
of this Adjustment are applied, the Storyteller immediately
rolls a Whiteout Paradox Backlash (p. 66) at Difficulty 4.
White Out (•• Data / •• Entropy)
The Cassandra Complex exists by providing covert support
to individuals who wouldn’t otherwise accept assistance from
the Technocratic Union. Pioneered in the field by Syndicate
enforcer Sydney Forsythe, but later passed on to the folks in
the Cassandra Complex, White Out exists as a treatment to
be applied to any device to eradicate any arcane or mundane
connection to its creator.
System: Successes rolled when activating this Adjustment
are permanently added to the Difficulty of any subsequent rolls
made to determine the origin of the device.
Alternate Perceptions
Some think that “blind” or “deaf” are bad words, but in
the Technocratic Union, there are no disabilities — just different
qualities. Agents without corneas are immune to lasers directed
at their eyes. Agents with deafness have no fear of most sonic
attacks. With a little help from technology, deafblind agents can
follow a flashbang into a room, outperforming everyone else on
the breaching team.
System: The forms of perception in this section represent
technological enhancements that provide permanent, always avail-
able senses. These count as specific Biomod Sensory Enhancers
(Mage 20, p. 661), although they can also be cybernetic. These
Enhancements do not require an activation roll and do not
require recharging.
Most of the forms of perception in this section represent
Forces 1 rotes, cyberware, and/or bioware. However, when an
agent uses Forces to perceive the world instead of a more common
sense, the knowledge they gain from the world is substantially
different, potentially richer.
•• Augmented Reality
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy N/A, Background Cost
4 pts.
For a few brave folk, AR is more than just a part of the Digital
Web layered over their senses — it’s their primary sense. By attuning
to the AR objects surrounding them, AR viewers can see anything
that the Web does, including finely detailed biometric data of people
in the area. Where someone relying on conventional sight might
see a mid-30s white man, AR viewers see “98% match for John
Courage alias #15, weapon detected: mid-back, weapon detected:
right ankle, weapon detected: —” You get the idea.
The main problem with using AR is that it only sees what
the Web sees, leaving large areas of the globe poorly covered.
Not to mention the possibility of AROs with erroneous data
or someone deliberately masking their presence to the Web.
System: AR vision provides sight of the user’s surroundings
in a 25-yard radius that extends through walls and floors. This
gives deep insight into anything detected by Web-connected
Devices, granting an extra 2 dice for Research or Investigation
tasks to learn more about anything in range. It’s also limited
by the data contained in local AROs. Perception tests outside
of Constructs are made at +1 Difficulty or +2 for rural and
remote areas.
•• Near Infrared
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy N/A, Background Cost
4 pts.
Infrared is a portion of the light spectrum with longer
wavelengths than red. Near IR narrows that to the 1,000 to 3,000
nanometer range. Because most people cannot perceive this
light, IR users can employ IR lights to illuminate areas without
alerting others. They also see IR beams, such as those used by
security sensors, facial recognition devices, and targeting lasers.
IR sensors do not come with IR lights, so users are as blind as
anyone in truly lightless environments, such as deep caves and
windowless rooms.
While near IR users cannot perceive color normally, they
can see otherwise invisible features, such as blood vessels near
the skin, providing special insight into people’s unconscious

78 The Operative’s Dossier

biological responses. While not a diagnostic medical tool
or a lie detector, near IR vision can be an invaluable aid.
System: Near IR users receive no penalty for dim con-
ditions short of total darkness. They cannot perceive colors,
but they can use otherwise invisible light to illuminate their
surroundings. They also gain a die for Medical rolls, opposed
Social rolls, and Perception rolls to identify non-humans in
disguise, so long as the target of the roll is within 10 feet.
•• Pulse Mapping
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy N/A, Background
Cost 4 pts. per version
By emitting a pulse of high-frequency energy and mea-
suring the pulse’s reflection, users can create a 3D model
of their surroundings. There are two basic types: sonar and
lidar. Each comes with special advantages and drawbacks.
Although both versions operate at such high frequencies that
they’re imperceptible without special equipment, users can
always detect other active users of the same type in range.
For example, creatures with natural echolocation and sonar
users are always aware of each other.
Due to attenuation over distances, sonar only reaches
25 yards, although it can map anything that a 25-yard sound
wave can reach, including around corners and beyond open
doors. Lidar does not provide this benefit, but it has a much
greater range: around 200 yards.
System: Sonar provides vision up to 25 yards around
the user. This vision reflects off of walls and other solid
objects, providing vision around corners, so long as the
total length of the reflected path is 25 yards or less. Smoke
does not obstruct this vision, although closed windows do.
Lidar provides vision up to 200 yards around the user.
Anything transparent, even marginally (such as one-way
mirrors) does not block lidar, although smoke does.
•• Thermal
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy N/A, Background
Cost 4 pts.
Although technically just a wider portion infrared,
thermal vision presents such a different version of the world
that referring to it as infrared is misleading. By respond-
ing to light in the 1,000-15,000nm range, thermal users
perceive temperature variations. This provides agents with
special insights into the internal processes of individuals.
Additionally, since virtually everything gives off IR light
within this frequency range, there is no darkness that thermal
eyes cannot see through.
The downside to thermal vision is that normal frequen-
cies, such as those emitted by computer screens or reflected
off of book pages, are completely illegible. Thermal users
require specially made books and computing devices.
System: Thermal users can see normally in all lighting
conditions. They cannot see colors nor can they see lights,

Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 79

but they gain three dice on Perception tests to notice hidden
features or detect non-humans in disguises within 10 feet.
Tests involving thermal users reading printed material or using
computers with conventional screens are made at +2 Difficulty,
reflecting the difficulty of reading.
Procedures
The Procedures listed here have not been subjected to
rigorous field testing. Please report any unusual results to your
superiors when employing any of the following.
Anti-Hemophagic Saline
(••• Life / •• Matter/ •• Primal Utility)
The concept of ‘True Faith’ is, of course, a baseless supersti-
tion. However, certain members of the organization colloquially
known as the ‘Inquisition’ have unlocked a capability that makes
their blood toxic to Hemophagic Entities. Fascinated by this de-
velopment, renowned Grey Suit Constance d’Yoire leveraged their
knowledge of chemistry to develop a solution that can offer the
same protection to members of the Union. An Agent that expects
to enter into dealings with the Hemophagic Entities would do
well to make use of an Anti-Hemophagic Saline treatment that
makes their blood not just unpalatable but damaging to them.
System: The treatment requires one hour to administer
and protects the user for 12 hours. Drinking the user’s blood
inflicts aggravated damage equal to the successes on the agent’s
activation roll to the Hemophagic Entity.
Atomic Override (•••• Forces / •••• Matter)
Though the Technocratic Union appreciates the necessity
of the laws of nature and physics remaining constant, in some
instances an operative benefits by overriding these laws with
her own will. She may temporarily suspend a single scientific
principle from applying within the space of a small room, or
roughly one thousand cubic feet.
System: The operative selects a specific scientific law, and
rolls the necessary test to implement the Procedure. Gravity is a
popular law to suspend; though she could pick inertia, friction,
electrical conductivity, the second law of thermodynamics, or
even photosynthesis (among others).
If the caster has five dots in either Forces or Matter, she may,
instead of suspending the law entirely, edit it to her choosing.
She may double gravity within her chosen area, rule that plastic
becomes conductive while metal does not, or reverse the polarity
on a specific machine.
For one minute per success, the law functions as she chooses.
Though living (and unliving) targets are largely subject to the
changes (everyone in a room wrought impervious to gravity
begins to float), they retain a modicum of control over their
own forms. If an operative wishes to implement this Procedure
as an attack, it applies only to a specific target. Rather than the
effect lasting minutes, she inflicts damage per normal.
80 The Operative’s Dossier
Force Compliance
(•••• Life / •• Dimensional Science or •• Matter)
Many Reality Deviants profoundly mock the laws of physics
by frequently assuming a different form. Compounding the
issue is that these forms frequently bestow extra abilities on
the Deviant in question. By emitting a compliance ray from a
suitable piece of tech, an operative may force a Reality Deviant
to at least appear human.
System: The operative rolls versus her opponent’s Willpower.
On a success, she forces the target to shed its non-human form.
The Reality Deviant retains all inherent abilities, but loses any
advantages gained from its alternate form. Such a Procedure may
incur unanticipated consequences, such as when a canid-based
shapeshifter of the faction called “Lupus”, or a Hemophagic
Entity employing flesh-bending abilities, find themselves forced
into an unnatural or unfamiliar form. The Reality Deviant may,
of course, revert back, but such a change usually requires a hefty
time and resource expenditure (especially as the operative hope-
fully has a next step in mind after employing this Procedure).
The exact sphere to pair with Life depends on the Deviant’s
nature. If the Reality Deviant has a quasi-spiritual connection
to their form, as do canid-based shapechangers, the operative
uses Dimensional Science. If the Deviant in question has a
strong physical connection to the world, such as a self-altering
Hemophage, she utilizes Matter.
Multipartite Host Infection
(•••• Life / ••• Entropy / •• Data /
•• Forces / •• Primal Utility / •• Time (Optional))
In the early days of the Digital Web, the Progenitors de-
veloped a variety of living viruses and worms that would infect
Icons and then cross over into Meatspace to infect the physical
bodies of Icon’s user. Even then, this was a vulgar application
of techno-medicine reviled by Netizens for its violation of the
boundaries between the Web and Meatspace. Usually the worst
the original viruses could do was give a user the shits for a week,
but there have been significant advances since then and one of
the most virulent viruses is the Multipartite Host Infection, which
aggressively attacks motor function and memory in a fashion that
devastates a user’s ability to interact with the Digital Web at all.
System: Data allows the virus to make its way from an infected
Icon across its sensory connections to the host user. Forces and
Primal Utility transmute the virus from a mere corruption of
data and electrical code into something that attacks the living
Pattern of the user behind the Icon. The virus itself is an appli-
cation of a powerful Life Effect that directly attacks the user’s
brain. This virus usually takes approximately a week to infect
the material Pattern of the Icon’s user as it slowly corrupts the
Icon itself before corrupting the user’s connection to the Icon.
For each success rolled, the Operative uploading this virus into
an Icon may choose to have it lower the target’s Intelligence or
Computer rating by 1 (Intelligence cannot be lowered below 1).
This virus hits hard and fast, usually only lasting for a couple of
days. However, with the added application of Time, a particularly
nightmarish version may apply successes toward extending the
duration of the virus by a day per success – or cause the virus
to manifest sooner, likewise by a day per success.
If an Icon accessing the Web through AR is infected with
this virus, the Icon remains infected and virulent until scrubbed
out with a Procedure. While this is not harmful to the AR user,
the infection is dreadful for other users interacting with the
infected user. Any Icon making contact or sharing data with the
infected Icon must make a Stamina roll (Difficulty 4) or become
infected. If infected the user projects by a method other than AR
without scrubbing their Icon their body is infected normally.
Pen Light
(•• Forces / •• Matter / •• Life / •• Primal Utility)
The pen light generates a concentrated beam of sufficiently
intense light that inflicts aggravated wounds on Hemophagic
Entities.
Hemophagic Entities pose an existential threat to the Masses.
Agents approaching them openly might find themselves suddenly,
supernaturally compelled to turn their weapons on their squad
mates — or themselves. Consequently, the development of this
seemingly innocuous weapon that is lethal to them but not our
own Agents, literally puts the power of sunlight in our hands
and can be clearly displayed until it is deployed to great effect.
Agent Jacob Black pioneered this effect in the field in the late
1990s, famously developing skin cancer after repeated use of
the Procedure, likely due to the Paradox effect.
System: Target the weapon with a Dexterity + Firearms
roll. Each success on the Enlightenment roll inflicts one level
of aggravated damage to targets vulnerable to sunlight.
Thanatos Project (••••• Dimensional Science / •••
Data / ••• Life
/ ••• Mind)
With the advent of multi-processing systems, mixed with gene
engineering, ItX has seemingly created something unseen before.
With the use of 101 subjects and other Deviants captured by the
NWO, Iteration X has created a series of quantum computers
that are slaved to “living” human beings. Information can now
be processed, stored, and disseminated at the speed of thought
over distances that travel even past the Gauntlet and into the
Horizon Realms. That such technology more commonly belongs
in science fiction is the greatest boon to its use — one cannot
hack what only the Union knows exists.
System: Connecting to the Project requires an Agent to
make an Enlightenment roll. Each margin of success over the
Difficulty provides the User access to information tied to an
individual, object, or location contained in the system with
greater speed and accuracy.
Successes Result
1-3 Successes Gain access to an equivalent of 4
hours of mundane research in 10
minutes.
4-6 Successes Gain instant access to an equivalent
of 6 hours of mundane research.
7-10 Successes Gain access into non-physical data,
such as memories or emotions in 15
minutes
11+ Successes Gain access to anything that can be
known about the subject in 1 hour.
Gadgets
Any operative can apply for the gadgets they need — just
fill out the digital forms in triplicate.
• 30 Second Start
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
6 pts.
Initiative is everything. He who acts first, often dictates the
outcome of a conflict. The 30 Second Start, which sits atop a
3-foot-high tripod, is rumored to be the creation of members
of the Cassandra Complex, the Friends of Courage, or possibly
both. Whatever its origins, many an Agent benefited from early
notification of an impending hostile action.
System: The 30 Second Start functions by tethering to
itself 30 seconds backward in time. The device takes 90 seconds
to set up and establish a perimeter using a Life 1 / Mind 1 /
Primal Utility 1 effect. Once established, anyone crossing the
perimeter’s threshold causes the device to illuminate with blue
light. If hostile action is detected via voice command, firearms,
blood, or increased adrenal production, the device illuminates
with red light and an alarm. This activates a vulgar Time 3 effect
that rewinds time 30 seconds. There are rumors of particularly
talented members of Iteration X being able to establish tem-
poral loops allowing them to continue repeating events until a
victorious outcome is achieved, but this is an ill-advised use of
the device that often results in cascading amounts of Paradox.
• Adaptive Combat Analytics Interface
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
7 pts. per user
This hyper advanced pair of combat contact lenses has
been under combat trials with the NWO for the past two years.
A miniaturization of an earlier prototype of headgear designed
to read the combat maneuvers of Reality Deviants before they
occur using predictive analytics.
The lenses can link up with the neural nets of agents within
the operator’s immediate vicinity to coordinate evasive maneuvers
and lethal counter attacks.
System: This device uses an Entropy 2 / Mind 3 / Time
2 adjustment to facilitate a linked probability analysis between
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 81
members of an Amalgam. Before combat, all users equipped with
the Adaptive Combat Analytics Interface roll the Enlightenment
of the Device at Difficulty 6. Successes result in a common pool
that may be applied to Strength + Melee, Dexterity + Firearms, or
Dexterity + Dodge rolls made during the next combat scenario
encountered within the next hour.
• Brown Paper Bag
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
7 pts.
The Technocratic Union exists in a surveillance state largely
of our own creation. Even our tremendous technological advances
are often insufficient to prevent the observational capabilities
of a number of Reality Deviants. The Brown Paper Bag is a
receptacle no bigger than a briefcase that blocks all forms of
observation. Once safely deposited inside, the contents of the
container are absolutely undetectable.
This device became somewhat notorious throughout the
Union, when it was discovered that Agent Samael Jaqueson
was using one to smuggle Union secrets out of their construct,
presumably to sell to associates among the Fallen. Since that
incident, Management has become a bit stricter on who they
allow to requisition a Brown Paper Bag.
System: This simple-looking bag obscures the nature of its
contents through a Data 3 / Forces 3 / Matter 3 adjustment.
Upon activation, the user rolls the Enlightenment of the Device
at Difficulty 6. Successes achieved are added to the Difficulty of
any attempt at detecting the bag or its contents.
• Conversation Emulator
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 10, Background Cost 6 pts.
Hey kids, you wanna see the future?
Just kidding, but it’s close. With this this hyper-calculative,
analytic device, one can take the action-consequence profile of any
person that is within its LOS (Line of Sight) range and determine
the likelihood and nature of that person committing an act that
could be considered unmutual or outright breaks the laws and
codes of the jurisdiction in which they are physically located.
System: Flipping the switch on the USB-shaped device acti-
vates an Entropy 2 / Time 2 effect allowing the user to observe
the next conversation between user and subject. Successes on
the Activation roll provide bonus to all social rolls made against
the subject during the next scene.
• Field Medical Kit
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
6 pts.
Either in the pursuit of a Utopian Consensus for the Masses,
or a consequence of breaching action, Agents of the Technocratic
Union are frequently called upon to perform a healing action in
the field. Originally pioneered by the Challenge Fate Foundation
for use in North Africa, the Field Medical Kit has entered into
widespread distribution. Simply place this handheld device on the
82 The Operative’s Dossier
wounded area and fully automated processes activate to analyze
and treat the damaged tissue. The near-miraculous results of the
device have allowed the paralyzed to walk, the blind to see, and
the Masses to embrace the wisdom of the Technocratic Union.
System: Pressing the device to the affected area activates a
Life 3 effect, healing a number of wounds equal to the Activation
roll — either one aggravated or three superficial wounds over
the course of an hour. Activating the device also reduces the
Difficulty of any mundane Intelligence + Medicine checks by 3.
• Nanite Tags
Enlightenment 1, Primal Energy 5, Background Cost 2 pts.
Understanding Reality Deviance is the first step in eradicating
it. To this end, Union engineers have developed Nanite Tags: un-
detectable methods of gathering important information regarding
the daily movements and interactions of a tagged Reality Deviant.
The drawback is that an operative must physically affix the
tags herself. Alternative methods of delivery have proven too
intrusive and noticeable.
System: The operative must make simple, brief physical
contact with her target. A handshake suffices. If her target proves
too suspicious or touch-avoidant, she may make a Manipulation +
Subterfuge check to perform the necessary sleight-of-hand. If she
doesn’t mind escalating, Dexterity + Brawl also gets the job done.
Once the nanites attach, they record the subject’s every action
and speech for the next seven days via a Data 1 / Dimensional
Science 1 Adjustment, relaying that information back to the op-
erative. The nanites cannot interpret actions, such as if the target
uses emotionally manipulative Deviance to seduce a target. They
do, however, relay that a reluctant subject suddenly seemed quite
friendly to the target. The nanites come equipped with GPS, and
provide a comprehensive log of the target’s comings and goings.
Targets, or their allies, must be familiar with Enlightened
Science to detect and remove the nanites (Occult 3+ with an
appropriate specialization to detect, Intelligence + Medicine
to remove). Should a given target enter an area warded against
Enlightened Science (or even Tradition magic), the nanites
disperse. At the end of seven days, the nanites disperse on their
own and return to the operative for further applications.
• Urban Navigation Tool
Enlightenment 2, Primal Energy 10, Background Cost
3 pts.
An upgrade to the already-available SMC Vehicle, this
tool facilitates operatives’ quick travel through dense, urban
environments. By interfacing with local infrastructure, includ-
ing co-opting traffic control systems and nearby automobiles
equipped with a satellite or Wi-Fi connection, the operative
finds her journey through the city made remarkably easier. Lights
switch to green, other drivers get out of her way, and even police
find themselves encouraged to support her travel.
System: Operatives traveling with an active Urban
Navigation Tool suffer no penalties based on mundane traffic
conditions thanks to a Data 2 / Entropy 2 Adjustment. The
operatives find themselves waved through cordoned-off areas,
restricted access roads, and even international borders to arrive
promptly at their target destination.
If a separate entity is manipulating traffic in such a way as
to cause a travel impediment, the operative driving the SMV
makes an opposed Enlightment versus Willpower roll, adding
an extra die from the Tool.
•• to •••• Augmented Reality Smart Glasses
Enlightenment 2-4, Primal Energy 10-20, Background
Cost 4-8 pts.
Anyone can buy a pair of smart glasses on the internet —
the Technocracy’s are better. The basic version allows people
other than the user to see and interact with glasses’ AR interface
(Forces 2 to see, Data 2 / Forces 2 to interact.) This is useful
for sharing data, like projecting HUDs, and for Collaborative
Procedures, see p. 59.
Fancier models sport more unusual features, such as falsifying
the GPS signature of the user or the AR effects they generate
(Data 2). That allows users to interact via AR with real or digital
objects in the location of their choice.
The highest grade can create hard light projections of Virtual
Assistants (Forces 3 / Primal Utility 2, add Dimension Science
3 for an AI) (see p. 59) or even create an AR projection of a
real individual who is physically located somewhere else. It’s a
lot less vulgar than any other way of folding space to transport
a colleague.
••+ Pocket Drone Modifications
Enlightenment N/A, Primal Energy N/A, Background
Cost 2+ pts. per drone
Ever popular among field agents, the Pocket Drone (see
Technocracy Reloaded p. 177) offers a wide variety of effects
thanks to Q Division’s constant innovation. Each of the following
modifications are available for Pocket Drones.
System: These drones are surprisingly reliant on mundane
technology, but a few minor applications of Enlightened Science
customizes a pocket drone and truly makes it sing. You may add
each of the following options to a base pocket drone by increas-
ing the Background Point cost as indicated in the description.
• Dimensional Science 1 Adjustments allow agents and
armatures to acquire and track EDEs. This modification
only permits the drone to track EDEs operating in the
Penumbral dimension. Cost: 2 pts.
• Life 1 Adjustments allow a drone to identify and sift
through all living beings within sensor range. This add-on
functions in tandem with all the drone’s other sensory
options, Enlightened or mundane, included in the drone.
Cost: 2 pts.
Additional custom Adjustments and Procedures are available
upon request (and at Storyteller discretion).
•• Portable Perimeter Fence
Enlightenment 2, Primal Energy 10, Background Cost
5 pts.
Reality Deviants annoy operatives as often as they present
a threat, and sometimes operatives must perform sensitive tasks
away from interlopers. In the instance that a particularly violent
Reality Deviant created an incident, operatives often find that
securing the scene against outside interference is a necessary
precaution;. Reality Deviants and their allies have a distressing
tendency to not only return to the scene of a crime but to com-
pound their errors by engaging in further Deviance.
The Portable Perimeter Fence appears as a collapsible
tripod, a form easily explained to curious mortals as a piece of
forensic surveillance equipment. A hyper-infrared beam at the
top emits quantum wave frequencies inimical to a pre-defined
class of Reality Deviant, allowing operatives to work in peace.
System: The operative must first invest the Portable Perimeter
Fence with a point of Primal Energy for each hour she wishes
the device to remain operational. She must then key the device
to the type of Reality Deviant she wishes to repel, which must
be a type familiar to her. She cannot forbid all Reality Deviants
from crossing, but can keep the area secure from Hemophagic
Entities, TinkerBell Entities, or another specific classification.
A single Portable Perimeter Fence covers roughly a ten-by-ten
room. Additional Perimeter Fences may either increase the area
or add another class of forbidden Reality Deviant.
For as long as the Perimeter Fence remains active, Reality
Deviants of the specified class(es) find themselves disinclined to
enter the area, thanks to a Data 1 / Dimensional Science 1 / Life
1 / Matter 1 / Mind 2 Adjustment. Affected entities think of
something else to do or more pressing matters elsewhere. Deviants
with a high Awareness may sense the presence of Enlightened
Science, though remain unaware of the cause unless they have
somehow studied the Technocratic Union and its practices.
Especially determined Reality Deviants may focus their de-
sires and make a Willpower check to remain within the Perimeter
Fence for five minutes. Remaining another five minutes, or
committing a Reality Crime, requires another check. On a failure,
the full effects of the Perimeter Fence take hold and the Deviant
travels to the nearest edge by the quickest means possible.
Some groups within the Union, particularly the Mokteshaf
al Nour and their allies, work to improve this device. By installing
a variant Perimeter Fence at places with concentrations of Primal
Energy, they hope to keep the Fence active and thereby replicate
the medieval technology called the Web of Faith.
••• DOUG Upgrade
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
3 pts.
The Technocratic conventions most concerned with mon-
itoring Reality Deviants developed this Mind-based upgrade to
the Black Suits as a way for operatives to infiltrate and safely
observe their gatherings. The DOUG, or Direct Observation
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 83
Utility Gear, gives an operative the physical and supernatural
appearance of a specific class of Reality Deviant.
A DOUG appears as a vaguely human-shaped nanite mesh.
After donning her Black Suit, the operative steps into her DOUG,
which becomes invisible to most examinations. She then adjusts
the DOUG’s settings, which alters her appearance to a chosen
type of Reality Deviant.
84 The Operative’s Dossier
An operative may only have one DOUG upgrade active
at a time.
System: The DOUG unit functions on expectation,
meaning the operative must identify herself as a Reality
Deviant when infiltrating. Once she introduces herself as a
fellow Reality Deviant, others around her perceive her to be
one of their own. Superficial tests to determine her nature,

such as sniffing or blood-tasting, succeed automatically thanks
to a Dimensional Science 3 / Primal Utility 3 Procedure.
More involved tests, such as reading her aura or thoughts,
require a Perception + Occult check versus the operative’s
Willpower. The suit, still in its early stages of development,
cannot replicate reality crimes. The operative must use her
Enlightened Science to mimic such abilities.
The DOUG unit’s major drawback is how strongly it relies
on assumption and expectation. It confers no special knowledge.
The operative must draw on her knowledge of Reality Deviant
culture to blend in. With reasonably sensible answers to various
questions, such as where she is from, how old she is, and the
names of relevant kin, her interlocutors believe her. Should
she flub a response, however, she no doubt creates suspicion.
Therein lies the problem. Especially among more paranoid
Reality Deviants, infiltration and espionage has become an
expected norm. Should an operative speak with a local leader
who anticipates dishonestly and betrayal, her cover may end up
blown before she has a chance to obtain any valuable informa-
tion. Engineers work diligently to ameliorate this failing, but
have yet to display any relevant success.
••• Reverse Temporal Projector
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
5 pts.
The Reverse Temporal Projector appears as a sleek black
oblong with a temporal “camera” on one end and projector on
the other. When in use, the operative uses the camera to absorb
temporal resonance data in an area roughly ten feet by ten feet.
The device then analyzes such data and outputs a best-guess,
holographic interpretation of recent events via the projector.
A fully immersive, 3D rendition surrounds the operatives
and any colleagues. All present witness the recent past play out
in real-time, including sight, sound, and even smells. As this
is simply a recording, operatives may not alter nor influence
events. They may, however, inspect containers, examine items,
observe interactions, and otherwise collect experiential evidence.
The Resonant Temporal Projector remains in alpha devel-
opment, and cannot view past events beyond a few days. The
more temporally distant a given event, the more its rendition
becomes obscured by noise and static. The device does have a
knack for recording Reality Deviance, however.
System: First, the operative must gain access to the area she
wishes to view. Over at least three turns scanning her chosen area,
the Reverse Temporal Projector records and analyzes ambient
temporal data through a Time 2 Adjustment. Once the device
has absorbed all necessary information, she and up to five other
colleagues may witness any scenes occurring up to twenty-four
hours in the past. She may invest the device with more Primal
Energy to extend the temporal observation by another twenty-four
hours per point. However, the temporal data deteriorates and
becomes subject to increasing dimensional static.
She absorbs the complete sensory impact of recorded events,
including picking up strange scents in the air or the feel of a
particular object. People within the scene remain impervious
to her presence, but she can perform minor manipulations of
the scene, such as checking under a table or behind a painting.
The Projector records Reality Deviance as well via a Data 1 /
Dimensional Science 1 / Primal Utility 1 Adjustment, including
Deviants attempting to obscure themselves via trickery.
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 85
 A given device may only have one analysis recorded at a
time. However, Union offices provide sufficient databanks for an
operative to dump her current analysis. Higher-level operatives
regularly review such data dumps for potential unmutuality.
•••• Automated Construction
Enlightenment N/A, Primal Energy 10, Background
Cost 6 pts.
Through innovation on the Automated Repair unit
(Technocracy Reloaded p. 186), this collection of nanites
can be used to construct new items from raw materials. Once
programmed with the desired molecular structure and design
schematic of an item, automated construction nanites can build
just about anything that will fit inside their briefcase-sized hous-
ing. Though these nanites can manufacture almost anything,
they are most effective on simple tools, requiring more time to
generate complex devices with moving or electrical components.
Precision tools, such as micrometers, are easily calibrated en-
suring measurements are always within specifications. Automated
construction nanites can even construct combat equipment and,
if provided with a proper power source, Enlightened devices.
System: The automated construction creates objects via
Matter 4 / Primal Utility 2 Procedures. If programmed with tool
specifications, the automated construction nanites can build
entire machines. Functionally, it is an Enlightened 3D printer. If
the user has access to sufficient Primal Energy, generally through
a Matrix, the nanites can even craft Wonders through a Matter
4 / Primal Utility 4 Procedure. Requiring an Enlightened user,
a bassy hum accompanies this Invention and an obvious white
glow emanates from the case’s seams.
•••• Isolated Strand
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy N/A, Background Cost
8 pts.
Isolated Strands allow users to create portions of the Digital
Web tenuously connected to the rest of the Web. Each Strand has
a lock that moves the Strand into the wilds of the Otherworldly
Realms, trapping anything and anyone in the Strand, making
it a perfect safe room — or prison. Escaping an Isolated Strand
requires dealing with the lock, traversing uncharted Realms, or
disconnecting. Those disconnecting (or are knocked offline) save
their minds, but leave their icons behind, vulnerable to virtual
identity theft and other nefarious purposes.
System: When an administrator closes an Isolated Strand,
it traps all users present, for varying definitions of trapped.
Users with icons have their icons locked on the strand. As it’s
no longer connected to any other part of the Web, popping
automatically fails. To escape, users must contest the locking
mechanism or find some other way out. Battling the lock is an
opposed Data and Computer against the strand’s dice pool of
7 with a Difficulty 8.
Icon-users can disconnect and log back in, but must create
a new icon to replace the one they abandoned in the isolated
86 The Operative’s Dossier
strand. Holistically Immersed users need to climb out (Mage 20
p. 481) or recast their digitization Effect, likely provoking Paradox
when they return to Meatspace. While not a good method of
escape, it’s reliable.
•••• Turbulent Displacement Field
Enlightenment 5, Primal Energy N/A, Background Cost
3 pts. per
Static 3.0 — Turbulent Displacement Fields generate unpre-
dictable noise on the Digital Web, warping their surroundings.
Though these fields aren’t harmful, they create chaos that nearby
users must overcome to avoid disturbing the Sector. Deployed
near someone performing delicate tasks, TDFs greatly increase
the odds of failure — and Whiteout. On top of that, they pollute
data, forcing error-correction subroutines to work overtime.
System: Activating a Turbulent Displacement Field triggers
a Data 3 / Entropy 4 / Mind 3 Effect that roils through the
entire sector, pissing off everyone, including the sector, in the
process. All Enlightenment rolls within the sector are made
at +1 Difficulty and generate 1 additional point of Paradox.
Successful coincidental Effects are not affected. The Difficulty
of rolls to manipulate data in any way, including simple copying,
is likewise at +1 Difficulty.
Each Field lasts one minute, unless stopped earlier.
Activating the Field is considered vulgar with witnesses in most
parts of the Web. Fields cannot be reused.
•••• Wormhole Generator
Enlightenment 4-6, Primal Energy 20-30, Background
cost 10+
Lilian Okoye created these needle-slim, white obelisks specif-
ically for use at the Ultima Thule research station in Antarctica.
Their use is coincidental at Ultima Thule, and vulgar just about
anywhere else. They have two uses:
Open Transdimensional Gate. This function uses a
Dimensional Science 4 Procedure to open a gate into the Umbra
capable of transferring up to six personnel to the other side.
The gates are stable for up to 72 hours for a two-person team,
reducing by 12 hours for every additional team member. Each
three-meter-tall, two-meter-wide gate looks like a black, reflective
surface and stepping through it provides a moment of resistance,
like breaking the surface tension of water.
Superimpose Alien Environment. Through a Data 5 /
Dimensional Science 5 Procedure, the wormhole operator
connects a point in the real world to a point deep in space or in
another dimension. The two points need not have any physical
or other connection, but the challenges of picking unknown
points apply. Often, to avoid this complication, locations are
already scouted by Pandimensional Corps with beacons set
down for just this purpose. This procedure requires a significant
investment of Primal Energy (10 points) and affects an area of
up to five square miles for up to eight hours. Any EDE within
the area when the effect ends goes back to the other side of the
Gauntlet. Anything that’s left the area has to be dealt with by
other means.
••••• Entropic Perception Field Alteration
Enlightenment 4, Primal Energy 15, Background Cost
11 pts.
Modeled on cyanide dental capsules employed by mortal
espionage agents, the Entropic Perception Field functions in
much the same way — though thankfully without any permanent
effects. Employed frequently by operatives working highly danger-
ous missions, the Entropic Field allows the operative to appear
dead for a short period of time. Since dead bodies frequently
receive careless treatment or storage, an operative has a second
opportunity to escape.
System: Created by someone with high levels of Entropy,
Matter, and Life, the Entropic Perception Field Alteration takes
the form of a dental implant. When an operative feels her cov-
er has been blown — or, worse, she’s taken captive by Reality
Deviants or other enemies of the Technocratic Union — she
bites down on the implant. The device does not function if
the operative’s captors have prevented her from biting, though
this usually requires a specific dental barrier. Cloth or tape gags
cannot prevent the Field from taking effect.
When the Field activates, the operative appears to suffer a
sudden and gruesome death thanks to an Entropy 5 / Life 3 /
Primal Utility 3 Procedure. Her body seizes, blood leaks from
various orifices, and her breathing and heart rate abruptly cease.
Only Reality Deviants with a specific necromantic talent (either
Occult 4+ with proper specializations, or the capability of com-
mitting necromancy-related reality crimes) detect the deception.
The Field lasts for approximately twelve hours, during which
time the operative exists in suspended animation. It absorbs
any attempts at body disposal that would be truly lethal for the
operative, such as dissolving her in acid or dismembering her.
The Field generates a sufficiently strong illusion for an operative’s
captors to believe such efforts succeed.
After twelve hours, the Field abates and restores the oper-
ative to full and normal function. She may require assistance
extracting herself from whatever situation her captors put her
in — and any small items stolen remain gone. She is, however,
alive (and, hopefully, free).
Though the Field intends operatives to stay comatose, some
operatives describe experiencing especially vivid hallucinations
while under its influence. They report interacting with other
spirits of the dead and perceiving their surroundings in rather
morbid ways. Engineers currently struggle to overcome this
design flaw.
••••• Node Denial Device
Enlightenment 8, Primal Energy N/A, Not Available
for Purchase
The struggle between the Union, Reality Deviants, and
Extra-Dimensional Entities is at its highest near Nodes. Rich
sources of Primal Energy are too precious a resource for any side
to let the other have. This is a big part of why Technocrats build
Constructs on top of Nodes. Of course, not every resource struggle
goes the way the Union desires. And, even after a Construct is
in place, it’s not safe from intrusion or capture.
That’s where the NDD comes into play. Each Construct
in the Union has one, although few members know of their
existence and placement. To call them self-destruct systems
would be a gross under-estimation. A bundle of dynamite is a
self-destruct system. NDDs are precise — permanently ending the
battle for a Node through scorched earth tactics. NDDs siphon
from Node’s Primal Energy at greater and greater rates eventually
overloading the Node’s Pattern, resulting in a detonation on par
with a small nuclear device.
Although the Technocratic Union is the only known pro-
ducer of Node Denial Devices, at least one is in the hands of a
radical cell of the Templar Knights.
System: Attaching an NDD to a Node requires an extended
action (Dimensional Science 3 / Forces 5 / Matter 5 / Primal
Energy 5, Difficulty 8, minimum 10 successes). Triggering a Node
Denial Device isn’t much easier, due to the safety measures in
place. Activating the NDD begins an extended action, rolling
the Enlightenment of the Device at Difficulty 8, minimum 3
successes. Once activated, the Device detonates at a user-specified
time within the next hour.
At that time, the NDD unleashes a Forces 5 / Matter 5
/ Primal Energy 5 Effect in the area annihilating everything
within the vicinity of the Node. There is no roll to survive this.
MMDS Prototype
Technology
The Devices that come out of MMDS are not ready for
field use. Most of them are far outside the tolerance of the Front
Lines’ consensus. They’re unstable in the lab, let alone outside it.
In simple terms, MMDS Devices go wrong. Every MMDS
prototype comes with a side of permanent Paradox, which goes
into the user’s Paradox pool as long as they’re carrying it. This
Paradox is equal to half the Device’s Enlightenment (round
up). When the Storyteller checks for a Paradox backlash, the
Difficulty of the roll is only 5 when a character has an MMDS
prototype on their person.
They’re bad news.
••••• Paradox Sink
Enlightenment N/A, Primal Energy N/A, Background
Points 10+
Available as a cybernetic implant or a grafted biomod, the
Paradox sink module is one of MMDS’ most exciting advance-
ments. It stores user-generated Paradox in this very specific part of
the Pattern, preventing it from contributing to the user’s overall
pool of Paradox. Then, when the user gets back to the lab, they
undergo minor surgery to remove the module, and the Paradox
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 87
with it. Storage and destruction are currently challenging, but
that’s the next phase of research. The first field test of this Device
— implanted in volunteer subject, Vitas Varnas — showed the
Paradox sink functional at collecting and isolating the Paradox,
though the device detonated upon removal.
It bears repeating: nothing at MMDS is ready for field
use. A Paradox Sink module uses a Data 2 / Primal Energy 5
Adjustment to store the first 10 points of Paradox generated
by a user (+2 points per additional Background dot). Once
the module is full, the next time the user accrues Paradox, the
module overheats. When it does so, it generates an additional
five points of Paradox, and backlashes.
The permanent Paradox this mod generates manifests as
unsightly rashes or skin infections around the implant site. They
spread, gradually, causing one level of bashing damage per day
of use. No one has ever experimented with wearing a Paradox
sink for more than 48 hours.
••• (or Trinket) Surveillance Nanites
Enlightenment 3, Primal Energy 15, Background cost 6
Bugs are so 1990s. A single surveillance device can receive
information from one location. A colony of nanites, released into
the air, can infect everyone in a crowd even if, say, the gang of
RDs or other creatures you’re tracking scatter to the four winds.
Releasing the colony is as simple as opening a vial, and within
two minutes of release they can fill an area about the size of a
plaza in a major city, or about 200 meters squared.
The colony returns data via a coincidental Data 2 effect.
Interpreting the volume of data returned, however, requires an
entire team of analysts or great skill with multitasking Mind
procedures.
88 The Operative’s Dossier
As a trinket, the colony is one-use. Purchased as a more
powerful Device, the colony reassembles itself over the course
of 72 hours after recall.
••••• Quantum State Ion Weapon, Mark I
Enlightenment 5, Primal Energy 12, Background cost 4
Everyone at MMDS knows damn well this gun got its
name because Lt. Carrie Hawkins wanted to say she invented
the QuStion Mark. The name is the only funny thing about this
small but mighty hand-cannon. The QuStion Mark disrupts
matter at a quantum level, superimposing multiple possible states
then collapsing them together. This is extremely destructive and
capable of removing an entity from this state of reality altogether.
Technically, it’s probably in some other timeline, somewhere.
Maybe that’s permanent, maybe it isn’t.
The only data the Union currently has on the device’s
effects come from biometrics taken from Lt. Hawkins’ pet cat,
Whismerhill, when it was unfortunately hit with the device
during an early test. Thanks to Whismerhill’s chip, technicians
gleaned a wealth of data from this terrible accident.
Each standard shot from the QuStion Mark uses one point
of Primal Energy to activate a Primal Utility 3 Procedure. The
user makes a Dexterity + Energy Weapons check, dealing two
levels of aggravated damage per success at Difficulty 6. The
effect is brutal, but is coincidental anywhere energy weapons
are a generally accepted part of the consensus.
For an additional three points of Primal Energy, the gun
fires a supercharged shot utilizing a Primal Energy 5 or Time 5
Procedure. With three successes at Difficulty 9, this vulgar effect
removes the target from existence entirely. There are traces of
temporal distortion in the effect’s signature. This may mean
the target is destroyed permanently, or that it could pop back
at some inconvenient moment. More testing needed.
 Status and the Construct
The traits of a Chantry or Construct represent communal resources that are open to the membership to use. The Storyteller
may wish to control access to these resources by calling for a Charisma + Status or Manipulation + Status roll when
attempting to access the communal resources. The Difficulty for members in good standing making routine requests could
be as low as 4. For members that have aggravated their superiors (or in the case of superstitionists, their elders) or are
asking for resource intensive aid, the Difficulty may go as high as 9. On a failure, the elders simply refuse the aid. This is
another of many reasons it pays to remain in the good graces of one’s elders.

Trait Power Pool Effect

Cost
Allies 2 points per dot One consor, Extraordinary citizen, spirit, EDE, or other exceptional ally per
dot.
Arcane/Cloaking 2 points per dot Imposes penalties (-1 per dot) on the dice pools of those trying to find or
investigate the location.
Backup 2 points per dot Additional unAwakened personnel that the group can call upon for aid,
(Mage 20 p. 306).
following the normal guidelines for Backup (Mage
Cult/Sympathizers 2 points per dot These are personnel trained and able to assist with large works, such as
rituals or complex expressions of Enlightened science. This functions as
(Mage
described (and with the same limitations) as the Cult background (Mage
20 p. 310).
Enhancement 4 points per dot The maximum level of Enhancement the facility can install.
Elders/Management 2 points per dot The power level and number of leaders of the Construct/Chantry (see p.
91).
Integrated Effects 2 points per dot Anchored spells or effects within the Construct/Chantry (see p 92.).
Library 2 points per dot This communal resource, accessible to all members of the Construct/
(Mage 20 p. 318).
Chantry, functions as the Library Background (Mage
Node 3 points per dot The surplus Tass or energy remaining each week after the costs of
maintaining the Construct or Chantry are paid. This Quintessence is
accessible to members, at the discretion of the Construct or Chantry
leadership.
Reality Zone 5 points per dot The strength of the Reality Zone anchored to the Chantry/Construct (see p.
92). This trait cannot be higher than the Chantry/Construct’s rating.
Requisitions 4 points per dot The maximum level of Requisition that can be processed on site, locally, in
a Union Construct. The immediate storehouse, as it were. This does not limit
an individual Technocrat’s access to personal Requisitions, but if personal
Requisitions exceed Construct availability, the agent must either wait for the
requested materials to arrive or pick them up from a secure location.
Resources 3 points per dot The ready cash and accessible assets that the Chantry/Construct can
utilize. Individual members may request access to these funds from
leadership.
Retainers 2 points per dot These are the folks that manage the day-to-day operations of the
Chantry/Construct, such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. They are not
combatants, nor are they particularly helpful beyond their basic function.
Spies 2 points per dot The Chantry/Construct has access to a network of informants as described
(Mage 20 p. 325).
in the Spies Background (Mage

Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 89

 Construct and Chantry Creation
Mage 20th Anniversary Edition includes
the Chantry/Construct Background, which
provides characters the option to buy into an
established base of operations. This also allows
willworkers operating outside the auspices of
the Technocratic Union to spend points on
building their own Chantry. These systems
provide options for players and Storytellers
to build Constructs and Chantries utilizing
the point pools provided with the Chantry/
Construct Background (Mage 20 p. 308-309).
For reference the point pool categories for the Chantry/
Construct Background are:
Secure Squat/Safehouse 10-20 point pool
Small Sanctuary/Auxiliary 21-30 point pool
Office
Mystic Chantry/Enlightened 30-70 point pool
Construct
Stronghold 71-100 point pool
Power Center 101+ point pool
Points spent in the Chantry/Construct Background can
represent membership in an established Chantry or Construct or
provide pool points for creating one’s own Chantry or Construct.
The benefits offered at each rating are:
X No place to call home.
• One pool point or membership in a rating 1 Secure
Squat/Safehouse.
•• Two pool points or membership in a rating 2 Small
Sanctuary/Auxiliary Office.
••• Three pool points or membership in a rating 3 Mystic
Chantry or Enlightened Construct.
•••• Four pool points or membership in a rating 4
Stronghold.
••••• Five pool points or membership in a rating 5 Power
Center.
Construct vs. Laboratory
It may be challenging at first glance to differentiate the
benefits of a Construct versus those achieved through the
Laboratory Background. Both provide access to a location and
materials that assist the mage in performing their works. The
largest difference between a Construct and a Laboratory is scale.
Laboratories may not exceed an area of 500 square feet, whereas
Constructs can occupy a much larger physical space. Laboratories
are more focused as workspaces, whereas Constructs often serve
as living quarters in addition to workspaces.

The Creation Process

Using creation point pool expenditures allows
the players and Storyteller to work together
to customize the strengths and weaknesses of
the Construct and breathe life into it. These
guidelines not only determine the resources
the Construct can bring to bear, but also the
other occupants of the location. This transforms
the party’s Construct from a simple backdrop
into a living, breathing, and reactive element
of the story.
Economics of Construction:
Point Costs
To build a Construct the Storyteller must purchase traits
with creation pool points. The table below defines several ele-
ments of the physical and metaphysical aspects of the Construct.
Those elements not defined through creation pool purchases
remain the discretion of the Storyteller to define or adjudicate.
The purpose of this system is to build a solid skeleton for the
troupe to flesh out through gameplay.

Disputed Data: Personal Constructs

Mage 20th Anniversary Edition indicates that agents of the Technocratic Union cannot build their own Constructs
as the Union frowns upon such displays of individuality. At the Storyteller’s option, Technocrats in good standing may
purchase a number of dots in the Construct Background up to the Technocrat’s number of dots in the Status Background.
In effect, a Technocrat trusted and respected enough by Control can command access to private resources. Of course,
private is a relative term in the Technocracy. Like any other privilege granted to operatives of the Union, Control can
revoke access to a private Construct if the agent’s conduct presents a threat to the Technocracy or is deemed unmutual.

90 The Operative’s Dossier

 The Storyteller may choose to build the Construct inde-
pendently, keeping the capabilities and limitations of the base
of operations a secret from the players and revealing those
elements over the course of the Chronicle. Alternatively, the
process of building the Construct can be a group exercise in
which the players and the Storyteller work together to create a
setting suitable for the group’s needs and desires. Finally, the
Storyteller may allocate a portion of the creation point pool to
spend separately from the group construction session. This can
be a useful means of ensuring the players have an active hand in
defining their Construct while giving the Storyteller latitude to
build in a few surprises for later in the Chronicle.
Backgrounds: The Construct
Framework
Constructs and Chantries provide security, safety, and
resources. As with Mage characters, these traits are represented
with Background points, which may be purchased with creation
pool points. These Backgrounds determine the resources avail-
able to the Construct (or Chantry). A Construct may access
any number of available Backgrounds, but it may not raise
any individual Background to a rating higher than twice the
Construct’s rating. Characters joining a Construct through
purchase of the Background belong to a Construct of that rating.
Characters buying their Construct as a group with build points
use the highest Chantry/Construct Background rating among
the group to determine the Construct Rating.
New Traits
The following traits help flesh out and measure the capabil-
ities of a Construct or Chantry. They function like Backgrounds
and may be purchased with creation pool points.
Elders/Management
This Trait represents the number of elder personnel or
management staff at the Chantry or Construct, as well as their
relative power. Having a high rating in this Trait is a double-edged
sword, as powerful allies are often accompanied by powerful
enemies. The Storyteller may choose to point the enemies of
the party’s elders against the party as a means of indirect attack.
Assume each elder gained through this Trait has one enemy of
comparable power.
X Apparently you are in charge
• One superior who is a Black Suit/Disciple,
or the equivalent.
•• Two superiors who are Black Suits/
Disciples, or the equivalent.
••• Three superiors. One is a Gray Suit/Adept
and the others are Black Suits/Disciples,
or the equivalent.
•••• Four superiors. Two are Gray Suits/Adepts
and the others are Black Suits/Disciples,
or the equivalent.
Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 91
••••• Five superiors. Three are Gray Suits/Adepts
and the others are Black Suits/Disciples,
or the equivalent.
••••• • Five superiors. Four are Gray Suits/Adepts
and the other is a Black Suit/Disciple, or
the equivalent.
••••• •• Six superiors. All are Gray Suits/Adepts
or the equivalent.
••••• ••• Six superiors. One is a White Suit/Master
and the others are Gray Suits/Adepts or
the equivalent.
••••• •••• Six superiors. Two are White Suits/Masters
and the others are Gray Suits/Adepts or
the equivalent.
••••• ••••• Six superiors. Three are White Suits/
Masters and the others are Gray Suits/
Adepts or the equivalent.
Integrated Effects
Many Constructs and Chantries incorporate integrated
effects to help with security, aid in communication, or simply
make life easier. Any integrated effect is considered coincidental
as long as the effect does not leave the premises, and the location
has at least one dot invested in Reality Zone. Each dot in this
Trait provides points that can be spent to purchase effects. Each
point allows for the purchase of one Sphere level. For example,
a Mind 2 effect that calms everyone entering the Chantry would
cost 2 points. A Forces 3 / Primal Utility 2 / Life 1 / Matter 1
/ Time 4 fireball triggered when a vampire enters the building
and targeting the HE would cost 11 points. These effects use the
Chantry/Construct rating as Arete/Enlightenment, which limits
access to the Sphere ratings that can be employed normally. A
Chantry or Construct may have as many different effects as the
members wish to purchase with the available point pool. Each
effect requires 1 point of Quintessence per week to maintain,
which can be provided by the members of the Chantry/Construct,
or drawn from the Node rating, if purchased.
X No integrated effects.
• Four points.
•• Eight points.
••• Fifteen points.
•••• Twenty points.
••••• Twenty-Five points.
••••• • Thirty-Five points.
••••• •• Forty-Five points.
••••• ••• Fifty-Five points.
••••• •••• Seventy points.
••••• ••••• Ninety points.
92 The Operative’s Dossier
Reality Zone
This determines the strength of the Reality Zone established
throughout the Chantry/Construct. Even a single dot of this
Trait makes all spells and effects within the owner’s paradigm
coincidental, and those of incompatible paradigms vulgar.
X Your Chantry/Construct adheres to the local
norms of Reality.
• Your Enlightened Science/magick is coinci-
dental here.
•• Effects created according to your paradigm
receive a -1 Difficulty.
••• Effects created according to your paradigm
receive a -1 Difficulty. Vulgar effects suffer a
+1 Difficulty.
•••• Effects created according to your paradigm
receive a -2 Difficulty. Vulgar effects suffer a
+2 Difficulty.
••••• Effects created according to your paradigm
receive a -3 Difficulty. Vulgar effects suffer a
+3 Difficulty.
Terranorming: A
How-to Guide for the
Can-Do Symposium
The battle over reality has gone on for centuries, but only
the Technocrats have managed to perfect the science of delib-
erately restructuring dominant belief in a region. That science
is called Terranorming and a standard Terranorming campaign
is done in six steps:
Declaration: an area of interest is specified and a desired
Thoughtspace is declared. The area of interest is simply the
geographical or demographic boundary that will be changed.
The desired Thoughtspace is the activity or paradigm that will
become more accepted at the end of terranorming. A more
narrowly tailored declaration is much more likely to succeed,
but there is often competition among Managers to pull off the
most impressive Terranorming campaigns.
Some example declarations include:
• Make nootropic drugs acceptable and beneficial in the
eyes of all college students at a university where otherwise
smart pills don’t seem to work.
• Cause widespread GMO acceptance in the area surround-
ing a Progenitor research farm, which has been dealing
with Paradox manifestations in the form of ravenous
insects.
• Dissuade a neighborhood that the “superhero” protecting
Chinatown is not the avatar of beloved monk, Ji Gong,
but an unstable vigilante.
 Terranorming Beyond the Union
While the Technocracy is the only faction that has quantified the process of Terranorming, mages of any faction can
carry out these steps. In truth, they have been doing so throughout human history without realizing it. An isolated group
of MURDs practicing their magick in a remote village, with access to a Node, achieves these steps as a matter of course
without any deliberate effort. The steps laid out here merely represent the Union’s accepted processes for Terranorming.
Of course, should the Union successfully Terranorm a significant portion of the Front Lines, the more formal process of
Terranorming may become required for further shifts in the dominant Thoughtspace, though given the recent wave of
anti-science rhetoric among the Masses, this seems unlikely in the foreseeable future.

• Further the Technocratic paradigm across America (this The holding period is reset if there is a widely known de-
one has had varied success). viation from the desired Thoughtspace that persists for more
than a number of weeks equal to the size of the Venture being
Recon: Identify deviations from the desired Thoughtspace
terranormed. So, an operation to shift the Thoughtspace of a
in the chosen area. This may be reality-deviant activity, firmly
city can withstand known exploits by a group of MURDs that
established folkways, urban legends, or the overwhelming love
persist for no more than two weeks before the Holding clock starts
for a local hero. These deviations need to directly oppose the
over. The key here is “known.” If the RDs punching holes in the
desired Thoughtspace. A charismatic faith healer’s presence
Technocratic paradigm lay low for too long, the Terranorming
will not disrupt a terranorming project meant to convince a
campaign may succeed. Consider any activities large enough
neighborhood that witches don’t exist, but it may interfere with
to see coverage in a popular newspaper, TV show, or YouTube
a vaccination drive.
channel, or to merit the attentions of a public speaker, elected
Repriming: The chosen area needs to be supplied with a official or appropriately scaled gossip network to qualify as a
Venture or Node of sufficient scale to cover it (Mage 20 p. 527) “known deviation.”
so Terranorming a block requires a 1pt Venture or a 1pt Node
Capping: An event is held to “seal” the new reality. This
dedicated to it, whereas Terranorming an industry would require
could be a block party, a city-wide science fair, a community
a 3pt Venture or 3pt Node dedicated to it. This influx of Primal
work project, the completion of a monument, the launching of
Energy “softens” reality but is also detectable by certain RDs.
a major TV station, a wildly successful book tour, or any other
Receiving the clearances to access sufficient Primal Energy for such
event that showcases the new paradigm and that spans the area
an undertaking can be challenging in resource-deprived areas.
(geographic or demographic) of the Terranorming attempt.
Clearing: The area must have the offending deviations
Once capping is completed, Primal Energy no longer needs
removed. This usually involves a thorough sweep for Reality
to be supplied and the Venture, Node, or other Primal Energy
Deviants and their sympathizers, and may tie to changes in school
source is freed up. Effects that were formerly vulgar that conform
curriculum, demolition or renovation of offending community
to the new Thoughtspace are now considered coincidental.
institutions, or the neutralization of entities, such as MURDs
or EDEs, that could interfere with the Clearing. Terranorming can be resource-intensive, which is why
targets are often selective. The 20th century is marked by the
Holding: The area must be held free of deviations for a
Technocracy learning that it’s almost impossible to Terranorm a
period of time that scales with the size of the Venture.
nation and not nearly as effective as changing the Thoughtspace
1 point one month in its 10 major markets.
2 points six months
3 points two years
4 points ten years
5 points fifty years

Chapter Four: Technomancer’s Toybox 93

 “You’ll do it because it must be done. You’ll do it because no one else can.”
- Borys Scherbina, Chernobyl, (2019)
The following missions have been low-level but persistent
Union concerns for some time. Though currently rated low
priority, they nevertheless have the potential to grow hot
quickly. Should you find yourself supervising a team of newly
recruited operatives, or wishing to evaluate a certain operative’s
performance, consider assigning one of the following missions.
Be advised: though these missions are rated low-level, they
do entail some level of contact with MURDS or even Reality
Deviants. Supervise carefully and stay aware of the potential for
unforeseen consequences.
Mission One: Hope
Humanity wallows in despair on a global level. They see
little joy on the horizon, and they prefer indulging in escapism
through mass media and mindless consumerism. They’ve forgot-
ten the joy of building something for the next generation — of
choosing hope.
The Challenge Fate Foundation has one answer: Mars. The
1969 Moon Landing changed the world in profound and lasting
ways. A spaceship putting human feet on the Red Planet would
similarly unite and inspire nine billion humans.
Setup
Some forward-thinking humans have already begun, which requires
Technocracy involvement to keep civilians away from the parts of space
the Union would prefer they not learn about just yet. But the Union do
not enjoy sole control over the project. Mission: Mars has attracted the
attention of several members of the Disparate Alliance, including the
Children of Knowledge, Wu Lung, and even a brilliant Orphan or two.
Complicating matters is the fact that no single nation, not
even a superpower, has the necessary wealth. Thus, an interna-
tional coalition formed under the direction of the Challenge
Fate Foundation, headquartered in Antarctica. Several other
CMURDS have hooked onto the project via their home gov-
ernments, including the Ngoma and several Knights Templar.
Involving the Agents
Challenge Fate cannot simply kick these MURDS off the
team. Political concerns keep the Disparates around, and op-
eratives have quickly discovered that the CMURDS have some
valuable contributions to make after all. For better or worse,
everyone finds themselves stuck working together. Tensions
constantly flare, as Technocratic arrogance constantly butts
against Disparate self-reliance.
What Happens Next
To solve these issues, Challenge Fate has formed a good-
will team, comprised of operatives and Disparates. This team
interfaces with every aspect of the project, troubleshooting and
handholding in equal measure to keep the mission on-track. The
chosen team must tackle the various obstacles of a successful
Mars mission, including:
Chapter Five: Mission Statements 95
 • Mortal attention. Though the Union and their MURD
allies lead the endeavor, Mission: Mars cannot succeed
without the cooperation of hundreds, if not thousands,
of mortals. All highly educated, they can easily spot the
physical discrepancies wrought by Enlightened Science.
Yet without such contributions, the project remains likely
to fail. When operatives feel a given mortal scientist might
be wandering too close to the truth, they call upon the
team to fix the problem.
• Costs. Designing, building and launching a Mars-capable
ship, not to mention training the astronauts, requires
mind-boggling amounts of money. Each entity agreeing
to contribute wants something in exchange for their stake
in the project. The joint goodwill team must carefully
thread these negotiations and avoid upsetting the global
balance of power.
• Fuel requirements. The weight of food, water, air, and
other supplies needed to reach and return from Mars is
literally astronomical. Not even hyperfusion can do it.
The team must figure out how to combine Enlightened
Science with mortal science to create the right type of
fuel.
• Personnel. Without a doubt, the final crew will include
a combination of operatives and CMURDS, perhaps
even the goodwill team itself. They can certainly handle
any problems cropping up during mission prep. Once
launched, however, all mortal eyes lock into the craft. The
astronauts must act carefully, including overt applications
of Enlightened Science.
Resolution
Success means a globally-changed paradigm, and new fron-
tiers open for human exploration. The emphasis on scientific
achievement may draw humanity even further away from relying
on superstition. Perhaps they might even be ready to understand
what waits for them beyond their own mundane reality.
Failure, of course, is not an option.
Mission Two:
The Miracle of Creation
In the isolated research station of Ultima Thule, experimental
bioengineered life forms playing host to EDEs have escaped
containment. The research team did what they could to slow the
Hybrids down, but the creatures are loose and heading for civilization.
More information on Ultima Thule and its staff is located on
p. 22. Use Victor statistics (Mage 20 p. 624) for the Hybrids.
Setup
A visiting research team introduced EDEs into vat grown
life forms, instead of animal subjects. Splicing nascent alien
96 The Operative’s Dossier
consciousnesses into creatures while they’re still in a cloning vat
is highly effective. Unfortunately, the patterns used were Victors.
Their combat instincts combined poorly with the unpredictable
influence of the EDEs and, long story short, there are six hybrid
Victors loose in Ultima Thule.
The visiting research team is dead, and the permanent staff
are injured or up to their eyeballs in Paradox from desperate
defensive actions, and they’ve sent out an urgent distress call.
Involving the Agents
Where the characters come from has a huge impact on
how this story unfolds. Void Engineer trainees might be on an
exercise within a mile of the base. The temporal distortion in
effect around Ultima Thule means a team beyond that mile
range receives the distress signal when the Storyteller decides
they do. Operatives from another Antarctic Construct (see
Technocracy Reloaded, p. 87) could arrive in hours or days,
and those from further afield — South Africa, Argentina, or
Australia, for example — could take weeks.
What Happens Next
Operatives coming to Ultima Thule have to contend with
the climate and environment around the station. Data Procedures
can’t bring characters closer than a day’s travel away, and the
weather can be lethal.
Time is of the Essence
If the amalgam arrives quickly (Storyteller’s discretion), they
find Anastasia Tyler and Lacy Cheung outside, trying to adapt
one of the Wormhole Generators (p. 86) to create a forcefield
around the Construct’s immediate vicinity. The rest of the staff
are sealed in one of the pods, with Dr. Grant trying to stabilize
Lilian Okoye, whose Paradox backlashed as a weapon malfunction
that caused massive, aggravated damage. Dr. Berg is off-site: this
is her assigned vacation period.
If the characters arrive later, the staff, permanent and visiting,
are all dead. Only Dr. Berg’s body is unaccounted for, though a
records’ search reveals she is supposedly enjoying a well-earned
break in Cape Town.
Hybrid Threat
The frustrated rage of EDEs bound into organisms against
their will, combined with the predator instincts of the Victors,
mean the Hybrids single-mindedly hunt everything living on the
station, from lab animals to Operatives, until there is nothing
left alive. They are quiet, acrobatic, and adept at camouflage.
They’re also capable of shifting form to mimic specific creatures:
lab animals, staff members they’ve stealthily killed, or — if the
characters don’t know she’s off the station — Dr. Berg.
Two Hybrids stalk the exterior of the Construct picking off
lone or distracted operatives (e.g. trying to adapt the Wormhole
Generator). The others roam the pods.
 By default, this scenario is survival horror. The agents
succeed if they discover the Hybrids’ capabilities (including
shapeshifting), survive ambushes and deal with the Hybrids’
systematic predations, including cutting power and picking off
stragglers. For an action scenario, let the characters play with
the Void Engineers’ armory. There might even be an Alanson
hardsuit on offer. To really terrify the characters, have the Hybrids
find this hypertech first.
The Hybrids’ Next Steps
Once the permanent staff are all dead, and/or a couple of
hours after the characters arrive, a radio message comes through
from Lacy Cheung’s long-distance girlfriend. This alerts the
Hybrids to a nearby source of life, and they strike out across
the snow to reach it.
Resolution
Mission success requires the agents kill or contain all the
Hybrids before they leave Ultima Thule. The Technocracy
rewards them with more missions like this. After all, they’ve
proven themselves capable.
If the Hybrids get to another station, the amalgam has
another chance to stop them. Otherwise, they reach the main-
land where they (a) prey on the Masses and (b) find ways to
reproduce. The agents responsible for this disaster can expect
serious disciplinary measures.
Mission Three:
Progress is a Process
The Arcology X Project’s Amalgam tracks a missing shipment
vital to the Construct’s Node. In the process, they learn an
apparent Therianthropic Entity hacker attacked the Arcology.
The decades-long battle for the Node between the Dragons and
the TEs self-designated, Glass Walkers, has reignited. Or has it?
Setup
It’s not a complete shock to the Amalgam when missing IoT
sensors for monitoring their Node turn up in the deceptively
sloppy Captain Li’s office, though blatant theft seems out of
character. In reality, Jack Fenrir, a wolf-obsessed Virtual Adept,
hacked two AROs and switched their locations, causing the
shipment to be misdelivered.
The Agents have their work cut out for them: Retrieve
the shipment, secure the Web, and punish the hacker without
triggering a new war with the werewolves.
Involving the Agents
Agents in logistics or security receive an alert that the ship-
ment was delivered, but no one’s seen it. With the millions of
sensors and automated guidance system in Sejong City and the
Arcology, shipping mistakes simply don’t happen, triggering
Chapter Five: Mission Statements 97
suspicion. Web-focused agents learn of the incident while
checking security logs.
What Happens Next
Given the importance of the sensors to controlling the Node,
retrieving the sensors is the Amalgam’s top priority.
Retrieval
Retracing the sensors’ path is easy since it was under Earth
Dragon surveillance. However, it takes a little grease or light
hacking to get access to the records. Once the agents find the
shipment, they must convince Captain Li to part with it.
Li outranks the agents, so browbeating the Grey Suit is
pointless, as is appealing to his better nature; he’s a spymaster
and has more use for monitoring devices than moral arguments.
Proving that the shipment was misdelivered intrigues him,
but he needs to know how it happened before he releases the
shipment. For Li’s game statistics, use those of a Black Dagger
(Technocracy Reloaded, p. 191).
The Digital Web
Simple Web investigation reveals the AROs for Arcology
X’s shipping/receiving dock and Sejong’s Surveillance and
Control were switched, but learning how takes more leg-
work. Inconsistences in the AROs’ logs give the agents an
approximate time for the hack. Cross-referencing that with
monitoring programs reveals the intruder: a werewolf or a
hacker with a well-crafted werewolf icon.
Deals with Wolves
Identifying and dealing with the intruder is the final step.
Earth Dragon surveillance highlights Seo Nari, the last known
survivor of the pack that lived in the Arcology’s Node. She’s been
living in the surrounding woods, harboring a hell of a grudge
against the Technocratic Union. She had nothing to do with
the hack, so confronting her won’t get the agents much. For
her stats, use Murderous Werewolf (Gods and Monsters, p. 66).
Looking for a werewolf-themed hacker turns up Jack Fenrir, a Virtual
Adept currently staying in the Valhalla Hotel in Sejong. Believing himself
to be Loki’s wolf-son, Fenrir sought out the city for its technology level
and the hotel’s name. The AROs were simply targets of opportunity.
For his stats, use Awakened Hacktivist (Mage 20, p. 628).
Resolution
Attacking Seo Nari raises tensions with TEs, creating future
troubles for the Amalgam. Likewise, attacking Fenrir upsets the
Adepts, although it benefits Seo since his actions smeared her
pack’s reputation. It won’t undo decades of conflict, but it’s a start.
Failing to secure at least half of the sensors earns a rep-
rimand (Technocracy Reloaded, p. 40). Not uncovering or
reporting the Web intrusion leaves a Digital security hole for
someone to exploit. If future investigation determines that an
agent learned of the hack and failed to report it, the agent is
placed under surveillance.
98 The Operative’s Dossier
Mission Four:
Cats in the Dox Box
The Amalgam is dispatched to the Amazon Basin Damage
Control, colloquially known as the Dox Box, in a request to
assist in slowing down slash and burn industrialists. When they
arrive, they realize that these aren’t just regular mercenaries, but
horrifically mutated monstrosities bent on destruction — on
top of that, there is a rage-fueled contingent of Therianthropic
Entities hellbent on destroying them, and they don’t really
see a difference between the Amalgam and the mutants. This
scenario is brutally violent and dangerous, and also one in which
the players can pursue some of the most Vulgar Procedures to
manage the opposition.
Setup
Young and Smith, Incorporated has recently upped its
interest in farmland in the Amazon Basin. To make land readily
available for soy farming, they deployed independent contractors
to burn down the jungle. The contractors and mercenaries are
Fomori and are actively engaged in corrupting the land so that
it spreads sickness as well. These aggressive actions have agitated
the locally dominant TEs, of the Felidae variety, self-designated:
Balam. These vicious werecats engage in guerrilla tactics and
are actively hostile to anyone they consider to be encroaching
on their territory.
Involving the Characters
The Amalgam assigned to this duty might be drawn from
another part of the world, or specifically be associated with ABDC
(thematic if they are primarily Iteration X and Progenitors) so
does not have a choice in the assignment. The Dox Box might
be an exciting venture for experimental technomancers (“This
is a perfect opportunity to field test the latest Cybertooth Tiger
Model!”) or those with an obvious death wish. The premise is
straightforward, but the Amalgam’s methods may yield wildly
different results.
What Happens Next
At the direction of Primary Investigator Carvalho, the
Amalgam is sent on a trek into the deep jungle to investigate one
of the mercenary camps responsible for the latest bouts of arson.
• Attempts to intimidate or reason with the mercenaries
are fruitless. They are on a mindless mission of absolute
destruction and respond to such overtures with violence.
• This conflict is brutal, violent, and dangerous, but the
Amalgam comes out with a win.
• The mercenaries are mutants. They battle the characters
with horrific bone-and-flesh appendages, start fires with
their minds, and explode upon death.
 • Dimensional Scientists learn that these are EDEs that
have possessed living beings.
• In the next mission, Carvalho sends the Amalgam to an
active arson, supporting the Amalgam with Requisitions
of heavy weapons and/or Cybertooth Tigers.
• Carvalho is unprepared to assist with Devices associated
with Dimensional Science. The Amalgam must use their
own resources for this.
• This conflict takes place in the epic backdrop of a massive
jungle fire as the mutant mercenaries battle the Amalgam.
• Partway through the battle a collection of TEs attack
(equal in numbers to the Amalgam) and while their pri-
mary targets are the mutants, they attack the Amalgam
indiscriminately. They find Cybertooth Tigers particularly
offensive making vicious war upon them.
• These werejaguars are smart fighters and do not sacrifice
themselves or fight a losing battle. They do what damage
they can and then disperse into the jungle.
Resolution
The Amalgam may choose to reason with the TEs and
combine forces. This should be difficult as the TEs view the
Amalgam as interlopers in their territory equally worthy of de-
rision — but they can be reasoned with enough to recognize that
the Fomori are their real enemies. Any such truce is temporary.
The characters may instead choose to war on them equally,
though this might have dire consequences for the Amalgam.
Alternatively, they might choose to arrange confrontations
between the Fomori and the Balam, assisting the TEs from a
distance — but what fun is that?
Mission Five:
This Equipment Has
Not Been Tested
An MMDS weapons test left two dozen Tier 0 staff members and
two Enlightened agents dead. Unbiased external investigators
are needed to uncover the truth.
Setup
Operatives Junior Nkosi and Lauren Donnelly led a field
test of the “quantum cannon” colloquially named the QuStion
Mark. Twenty-five Tier 0 assistants were on hand to observe,
collate data, and manage menial tasks like driving to the outback
test site and handling catering. It was not an unusually large test
team by MMDS standards.
An hour later, staff at MMDS saw a rapidly expanding
dome of blue light out in the desert. After losing contact with
the test team, a recovery team found a crater and a lot of dead
bodies — blackened skeletons, all flesh evaporated.
Involving the Agents
The obvious conclusion is that a dangerous weapon misfired,
but Head of Testing, Alexis Carmody, suspects foul play, and
has called in external investigators: the characters’ Amalgam.
What Happens Next
The Amalgam investigate however the agents choose: they
have full access to the test site, the forensic evidence, and MMDS
staff. The characters’ active participation should significantly
reduce the timelines below from over a week to two days or less.
Forensics
A team of MMDS Progenitor employees examines the human
remains. It’s not their specialty, and it takes three days to identify
all the bodies and confirm that Donnelly is not among them.
The computer equipment used at the test site is wrecked.
Time Motion Managers’ data recovery takes a week. Recovered
camera footage shows Donnelly activated another device that
caused the violent explosion — a grenade version of the QuStion
Mark. She was shielded from it, as was the gun they were testing.
She left the area on foot and traveled south.
Site Investigation
The explosion at the site included a release of quantum
energy that baffles temporal procedures. “Cleaning” using
MMDS’ Primal Energy consuming viruses takes several days, but
eventually reveals the same as the camera footage (see Forensics).
The Amalgam can track Donnelly to a campsite in the desert
where she awaits extraction (see Resolution).
Staff interviews
There are over a hundred staff at MMDS, and they’re all
distressed and grieving. The Construct’s remaining Tier 0 op-
eratives are planning a day of protest. It should not have been
possible for so many of their lives to have been lost so casually. If
the characters don’t defuse this, it delays forensic investigations
by several days.
Interviews build a picture of Nkosi as a friendly, competent
operative, well-liked by everyone, and Donnelly as a woman who
hated her job. She made repeated complaints about research with
“no real world impact.” She joined the Technocracy to make the
world better, not build a bigger gun. She’d been denied several
transfers: her skillset was too useful in weapons development.
Resolution
Agent Donnelly is leaving the Technocracy. She’s cut a deal
with Dorothy McIntyre, an Etherite TAMURD from Perth: she’ll
provide experimental MMDS tech in exchange for helping her
disappear. The Amalgam arrives at Donnelly’s hiding place, a
campsite in the shadow of a vast, red, rock formation out in the
desert, at the same time as McIntyre. The Etherite is a short,
fat, woman with a ‘dieselpunk’ aesthetic and paradigm, and a
strong Australian accent.
Chapter Five: Mission Statements 99
 McIntyre immediately assumes the presence of other
Technocrats signifies a double-cross, Donnelly panics and uses
the QuStion Mark, and the scenario probably devolves into a
three-way firefight. McIntyre doesn’t know that Donnelly killed
25 people to make her escape, and if informed of this helps the
Amalgam subdue her.
McIntyre and Donnelly both have combat dice pools of 7, Arete 4,
Forces 3, and Primal Energy 3. McIntyre has Matter 3 and Donnelly
has Dimensional Science 3.
Mission Six: Wounds of War
The Amalgam must escort Special Agent Tess McLaughlin to
a meeting with a local TAMURD for a delicate negotiation to
establish TRO cooperation in the area.
Set Up
When the agents arrive at the meet, inside an abandoned,
two-story warehouse on the corner of Fascination Street and
11th Avenue, the group is ambushed. The assassins target the
Tradition mages exclusively, then work to escape.
Tess McLaughlin
Tess uses the stats of a Black Dagger (see Technocracy
Reloaded p. 191) with the changes below.
Image: A silver-haired Caucasian woman in her mid-60s,
Tess works out regularly and maintains an athletic physique.
She dresses in gray pantsuits and black leather shoes polished
to a reflective sheen.
Roleplaying Notes: The state of the world weighs heavily
on you, but you do your best to focus on saving the Masses
from themselves rather than waste effort trying to figure out how
things got this bad. While you do not particularly like any of the
TAMURDs you must work with, you do respect them and the
spirit of the TRO program.
Focus: In a World of Gods and Monsters, Might is Right, and
Tech Holds All Answers. Tess was once a Black Suit and still
adheres to the common techniques and practices of her roots.
The Tradition Mages
Adeptus Jamie McCallister bani Order of Hermes, House
Bonisagus is the TAMURD envoy to the meeting. He is com-
parable in power and ability with Agent McLaughlin and is
guarded by a group of four TAMURDs — use the stat blocks of
the Urban Shamanic Musician (Mage 20 p. 626)
100 The Operative’s Dossier
Involving the Agents
The Amalgam should protect as many TAMURDs as possi-
ble. Dead mages make for poor negotiations, and this incident
could endanger all TROs in the region.
What Happens Next
The conflict is determined by the nature of the assailants.
Who benefits from derailing this alliance? There are several
options to consider.
• Marauders: A Conflux of Marauders (see Mage 20 p.
238) got wind of the meeting and decided to attack. Use
the stat blocks for Pillory (Mage 20 p. 628) to represent
the Marauders. There are a number of Marauders equal
to the number of players in the Amalgam +1. After the
attack, the Marauders scatter throughout the city.
• Nephandi: Through spies and sycophants, the Fallen
gained access to intel about this meeting. Seeing an op-
portunity to pit their enemies against one another, the
Nephandi attack. This force is made up of a number of
Widderslainte Cultists (Mage 20 p. 630) equal to the num-
ber of players in the Amalgam, led by an NWO Infiltrator
(Mage 20 p. 631). After the attack the Nephandi flee into
the sewers, returning to their underground temple.
• Night-folk: There is a trash bar called the Thirst Trap
(formerly Club Eat Me) located two blocks from the
meet. A powerful Orphan, Ember, operates the club and
maintains a group of genetically and surgically enhanced
bouncers. She learned of the meeting by chance, as one
of the bouncers noticed when the Union performed
their initial security sweep of the area. Ember doesn’t
have an agenda other than keeping the faction mages
the hell away from her club. For the bouncers, use the
Frankensteinian Monstrosity (see Gods and Monsters
p. 87). A number of bouncers attack equal to half the
number of players in the Amalgam, rounded up. After
the attack, the bouncers return to the Thirst Trap.
None of the assailants are willing to fight to the death
except for the bouncers.
Resolution
If the Amalgam is unable to prevent loss of life, they must
track down the assailants to prevent open war with the Traditions.
This could also turn into an escort mission, as the Amalgam
works to deliver the remaining Tradition mages safely to their
chantry in the face of ongoing attacks from the assailants.
 A New Mission for a New World
For five centuries the Ascension War has pitted the Enlightened against Reality Deviants. Bloodshed and
horror from this conflict have nearly torn the world apart on a number of occasions. In the hopes of creating
a safe environment and shepherding the Masses to Ascension, the Technocratic Union has used colonialism,
conditioning, and violence to bring their vision of a unified Reality to fruition. At the dawn of the 21st Century
it appeared as if victory was within the Union’s grasp, but Control failed to consider one major factor in the
War for Reality: The Masses.
Now as anti-science sentiment, climate change, misguided nationalism, and plague threaten the very fabric
of Reality, the Union must swallow its pride and seek new alliances. Failure to meet this challenge ends with the
Technocratic Union in a dominant role over a broken, dead world. The Technocracy has come to understand
that humanity’s destruction is imminent. The Union lacks the tools to save humankind on its own. Thus, new
alliances must be formed.
The Operative’s Dossier includes:
• Digital Web 3.0: New rules for accessing the Digital Web in the 21st Century, including the introduction
of Augmented Reality.
• Mission Statements: A collection of story hooks that can be dropped into an existing Chronicle or serve
as the basis for an all new Technocracy story.
• The Technomancer’s Toybox: A collection of Devices, Adjustments, and Procedures to aid the Agents
of the Technocracy in saving Reality from imminent doom, as well as rules for building Constructs and
incorporating Terranorming into your Mage 20th Anniversary Edition Chronicle.
• Unlikely Allies: Guidelines for inter-faction play, incorporating mages of the Council of Nine, The Disparate
Alliance, and the Unaligned in your Technocracy campaign.